How to Set Up a Freshwater Aquarium

Finding a Tank

The first decision you have to make when setting up an aquarium is deciding which aquarium is suitable for you. The larger the aquarium, the easier it is to manage the water quality of your aquarium. Clearly, you can also fit more fish. I suggest masking the top of the tank so that the unsightly water line won't show.

What your tank is made out of is as well significant, glass or acrylic. Acrylic tanks can have a variety of looks, like rounded edges, and they also are better insulators. Then again, these aquariums scuff easier and are much more costly. I recommend getting a simple glass tank unless you have a little extra cash to spend. Make sure that you have a stand that can carry the weight of your fish tank. Many tanks come with a stand, but if you elect to make your own or place it on furniture, take into account how heavy they are when full. A 50 gallon tank can weigh over 400 pounds. It is also a good idea to position a thin piece of styrofoam on top of the support, below your tank.
Positioning

The positioning of your tank is more significant than you suppose, mostly for the wellbeing of your fish. If you place your tank in an area where the temperature fluctuates a lot, you might have problems maintaining the tank's temperature. Furthermore, keep away from high traffic areas because fish are certainly conscious of what occurs outside of the fish tank and too much movement outside can make them shy and skittish.

Take into account the position of plug outlets and remember that your tank will make a little bit of noise. Most freshwater tanks require slightly warmed water with a heater, then again placing the tank in a place that will get extremely warm will be difficult on your fish because it is much harder to cool down the water than it is to heat it up.

Backdrop

Make sure that you get a backdrop for your tank as it will really enhance the look and atmosphere of your tank. Consider a dark backdrop if you are planning on having brilliantly colored fish as it will bring out their colors even more. Simply tape the backdrop onto the back of your aquarium.

Substrate

This is the stuff you put at the bottom of your aquarium. I suggest fine-grained, not only because I like how it looks, it is easier on your fish that stay at the bottom and like to rummage and reposition your substrate. Just like a backdrop, a dark substrate will bring out the color in bright fish. However, if you plan on using an under-gravel filter, you will want gravel, but you'll see my attitude on under-gravel filters in a minute. You should have about 2-3 inches of substrate to provide plants enough space and substrate-moving fish a sufficient amount to play around with. Fish that move the substrate around can be quite enjoyable to view.

Heater

Your heater ought to have about 4 watts to each gallon of water. Position a thermometer on the opposite side of the tank so as not to be influenced by the heater. If you put the heater next to a constant flow of water, most likely by your filter, it will help spread and warm up all the water in your aquarium. Make sure nothing is touching your heater.

Filtration

An internal filter is best for little tanks. It ought to be able to filter the entire volume of your tank each hour. These devices have foam inside that foster microorganisms to help get rid of harmful bacteria in your tank, in addition to removing debris.

External filters are better for bigger tanks because a bigger filter is required and will be too bulky within your tank. It should be able to filter double your tank's quantity every hour; it typically won't be able to filter at full capacity because of debris build up.

When washing your filters, just rinse half of the filter media at one time because you need some of the microorganisms to remain on the filter to continue cleaning your tank. A week after you may rinse the other half. Wash the filter housing regularly.

Decor

For a freshwater aquarium I highly suggest that you purchase all of your decor as opposed to finding it in nature. It is difficult to be sure what it is made of and may damage to your water quality. Make sure to wash it very thoroughly, you can even soak it for a while. Do not apply detergent. If you are planning on forming a configuration out of rocks, glue them together with silicone glue beforehand so that it won't fall down on your fish. Push the rock far down into the substrate to prevent tipovers.

Adding Water

Pour the water on a rock or into a bowl to prevent upsetting your substrate. Leave the water line about two inches below where you desire it as at this point you may still need to move things around. The water will probably be a little cloudy at first, but this will decrease. Turn on filter and heater, for most tropical fish the heater should be set at 77 degrees F.

The water needs to be dechlorinated, this will take place if you allow your tank to run for about 24 hours with proper aeration and water movement. Your filter ought to provide plenty of water movement and aeration because it will stir the water at the surface, encouraging oxygen assimilation into the water. Modify the direction of the outflow of your filter to guarantee this.

Lighting

Lighting is provided by either a hood or is suspended over the tank. The best option for a freshwater aquarium is usually a hood with fluorescent bulbs built into it. It is pretty straightforward to get all of this equipment nowadays because a lot of manufacturers sell all the equipment in one for a quick and simple start-up.

Adding Fish

Now you can fill your tank all the way to the top with water. One critical note about adding fish to your aquarium is BE PATIENT! One of the toughest things to do for a new aquarium owner is to let it run and not add fish. I made the mistake of immediately adding fish in my first tank and they all died within a few days. Your tank needs to colonize microorganisms that aid the nitrogen cycle along or else too many toxins form up in the tank.

Following set up, you can add a few small, resilient fish, like an algae eater, in order to get the nitrogen cycle going so that bacteria will build up. However, after this, do not add any more fish for three weeks. Fish added in the middle of this cycle will most likely die. After this three week period, you can start adding fish, however don't add all at once. Put in a few of the shyest and smallest first so they can get used to their environment before they are crammed full by others. Then a week or two later, you can add a few more. Add the largest and most active last.

One more slip-up of the beginning aquarist is to overcrowd your tank. If you own a normal rectangular tank that isn't too tall, one rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon of water. This doesn't always work precisely because a six inch fish uses more oxygen than six one inch fish, so modify appropriately. If you have a taller tank, the quantity of fish must be fewer than that.

Do your research on the fish that you choose since a lot of fish cannot coexist. Many big fish will bother or even devour smaller fish. Some small fish will nip the fins of long finned or slow moving fish. Lively fish can upset calm and inactive fish. Do your homework so that you don't end up with just one fish left because it ate the others! It is also imperative to check how big they get because fish are commonly sold as juveniles, so they are much smaller than they will be full grown. Get fish that will fit in your tank as adults.

At the store, check the fish carefully to be sure they are in excellent condition: they swim properly, they aren't missing scales, their fins appear to be whole, etc. When you bring your new fish home, place the plastic bag in your tank for 15 minutes so the fish can adjust to the temperature of your aquarium. If you have had them in the bag for over a half hour when you get home, you should undo the top of the bag during this adaptation time so they can breathe. After the 15 minutes, put in aquarium water about 10 times over the next ten minutes to the plastic bag. Then gently scoop the fish out of the bag with a net and place in your aquarium. This is done to evade compromising the water quality. These fish may hide from view for a while, but they will adjust.