| This is an 11 step guide to setting up a
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| | out in your bathtub. Then place the clean
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| freshwater aquarium in your home.
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| | gravel in a clean 5-gallon bucket for
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| Equipment you will need:
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| | transport to the aquarium. After adding
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| Aquarium
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| | the gravel you can place your plants and
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| Aquarium gravel
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| | decorations.
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| Aquarium filter
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| | 7: Add water to the aquarium.
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| Replacement filter media
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| | To avoid messing up your gravel and
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| Heater
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| | plants, you can place a plate or saucer
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| Other decorations (such as plants)
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| | in the middle of your aquarium and direct
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| Chemical test kits
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| | the water flow onto the plate. Use room
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| Fish food
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| | temperature water when filling. To remove
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| Aquarium vacuum
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| | the chlorine and chloramine, use
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| Fish net
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| | something like Tetra AquaSafe for
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| Glass Scrubber
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| | Aquariums. Don't completely fill up the
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| 5-gallon bucket
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| | aquarium until you are sure of the layout
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| Pasta strainer
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| | of your decorations. Otherwise, when you
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| 1: Realize the responsibility involved.
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| | place your arm in to move stuff around
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| A tropical fish tank is just like having
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| | water is going to spill over. Doh!
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| a dog or a cat when it comes to the
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| | 8: Set up equipment.
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| amount of effort on your part. In order
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| | Install your heater but don't plug it in
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| to have a successful fish tank you will
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| | until the thermostat in the heater has
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| have to work at it. Once a week, or at
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| | adjusted to the water temperature. This
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| most once every two weeks, you will need
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| | usually takes about 15 minutes or so.
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| to perform some kind of maintenance on
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| | Hook up your filter and any other
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| the tank. Most of the time you will be
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| | equipment you have, then top off the
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| performing water changes. You will also
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| | aquarium water to just under the hood
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| have to feed your tropical fish at least
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| | lip. Place your hood and light on the
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| once a day. If you are up to the
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| | aquarium and then check your power cords
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| challenge, please proceed!
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| | to be sure that they are free of water. I
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| 2: Decide on an aquarium size.
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| | would also recommend using a drip loop on
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| It's a good idea to have in mind what
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| | all of the power cords to be extra
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| kind of tropical fish you want to keep
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| | cautious. Plug all of the equipment into
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| before you purchase an aquarium. Some
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| | a power strip and then "turn on" the
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| tropical fish only grow to be an inch or
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| | aquarium.
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| two, whereas other types of tropical fish
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| | 1.
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| can grow 12 or 13 inches in length!
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| | Wait, wait, wait and then wait some more.
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| Knowing what kind of tropical fish you
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| | I know, you want to add some tropical
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| want will help you decide the size of the
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| | fish. But, in order to do this right you
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| tank they will need. If this is your
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| | must wait until your aquarium has cycled
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| first time with an aquarium, I would
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| | before adding any fish. There are ways of
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| recommend going with a 10 or 20 gallon
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| | speeding up this process. Check out the
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| aquarium for now.
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| | nitrogen cycle page to learn more. If you
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| 3: Decide on the aquarium's location.
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| | must use fish to cycle, try to get a
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| Place your aquarium in an area where the
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| | hardier species like the zebra danio or
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| light and temperature of the tank won't
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| | cherry barb.
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| be affected by external sources such as
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| | 2.
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| windows and heater vents. You will want
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| | Add tropical fish.
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| to place your aquarium on a stand that
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| | Only add one or two fish at a time.
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| will be able to hold its total weight. A
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| | Adding a couple tropical fish at a time
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| good rule of thumb for determining the
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| | gives your filtration system the time
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| total weight of a full aquarium is 10
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| | needed to take on the increased
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| pounds per gallon of water. For example,
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| | biological load that the new fish
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| a 55-gallon tank will weigh approximately
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| | introduce. When you bring the fish home
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| 550 pounds when filled with water!
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| | let the bag float in the tank for about
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| 4: Buy your aquarium and equipment.
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| | 15 minutes so that the fish can become
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| Now is the time to decide on the type of
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| | acclimated to the temperature and pH of
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| filtration you will want to use. You will
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| | the aquarium water. After 5 minutes of
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| also need to purchase a heater capable of
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| | floating the bag you should add some of
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| heating the tank size you have. Buy the
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| | the aquarium water to the bag so that the
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| gravel, plants, a power strip and other
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| | fish can become acclimated to the pH
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| decorations. A good rule of thumb for the
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| | level in the aquarium. This will help
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| amount of gravel that you will need is 1
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| | reduce the amount of stress imposed on
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| to 1.5 pounds of gravel per gallon of
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| | the tropical fish. Stressed tropical fish
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| water.
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| | often leads to dead tropical fish! Don't
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| 5: Set up your aquarium and stand.
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| | feed your tropical fish on the first day.
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| Wash out your tank with water only! Do
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| | They probably wouldn't eat any food on
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| not use soap or detergents. Soap residue
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| | the first day anyway. Let them get
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| left behind will be harmful for your
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| | acquainted with their new home.
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| tropical fish. If you are going to use an
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| | 3.
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| under gravel filter (not recommended) now
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| | Get ready for regular maintenance.
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| would be the time to set it up as well.
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| | Be prepared to spend some time once every
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| 6: Wash Gravel, plants and decorations.
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| | week or two to clean your tank.
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| Be sure to wash the gravel thoroughly
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| | Performing regular water changes will
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| before adding it to your tank. An easy
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| | reduce the nitrate levels and keep your
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| way to do this is to put some of the
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| | tropical fish happy and healthy.
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| rocks in a pasta strainer and wash them
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