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