Tropical fish in an aquarium are lovely and give an appealing look to any space. They create a lively appearance and a source of extra color and entertainment. Setting up a fish tank is not a difficult task. However, there are steps that should be followed in order to achieve a nice fresh water aquarium set up. Having a tropical fish is like having any pet; a certain level of effort must be instilled so as to keep them safe. The fish must be fed at least once every day. The following are key steps on how to set up a fish tank: Decide on an aquarium size Decide on the kind of freshwater aquarium fish that you want to keep and the setup of the freshwater aquarium. This is because different kind of tropical fish grows to different lengths. The kind of tropical fish, therefore, dictates the size of the aquarium. Beginners on keeping tropical fish are advised to start with between 10 to 20-gallon aquarium which should be stocked with harder and smaller species of the tropical fish. Decide on the aquarium's position The freshwater aquarium should be placed in an area where it is not affected by temperature or light. Sunlight that enters a room through the window may affect the temperature of the aquarium. This may lead to algae problems on the tank. It is prudent to place the aquarium on a place that can fully support the total weight of the aquarium. Get the aquarium and equipment Having made all the decisions on the size and position to place the aquarium, decide on the aquarium filter. Purchase all the equipment required to set up the aquarium. Purchase a heater that is capable of heating the aquarium size you have selected. You can buy the plants, gravel, and other decorations. The rule to follow in the ratio of gravel to water in gallons is 1 to 1.5 respectively. A planted freshwater aquarium requires a higher lighting output than normal. These come with freshwater aquarium kits. Set up the stand and aquarium In this step, You are required to wash the tank. The caution is not to use detergents or any soap. Any detergent or soap residue left will be harmful to the tropical fish. The under gravel is not recommended if you want to use them at the time to set the aquarium up.
Wash the plants, gravel, and decorations It is important to thoroughly wash the gravel before it is added to your tank. Put the rocks on a strainer and wash them then place them in a clean bucket that will be used to transport to the aquarium. Place your decorations and plants on the aquarium after adding the gravel.
Add water to the aquarium Place a saucer or a plate in the aquarium and pour the water as you direct it to the plate or the saucer. This is to prevent the water from messing up with plants and gravel. Remember to use room temperature water. Also use Tetra AquaSafe for the aquarium to remove chloramine and chlorine. Be sure of the layout of the decorations before completely feeling the water. Install the equipment Install the heater. However, don’t plug in till the thermostat has adjusted to the temperature of the water. It usually takes almost 15 minutes to adjust. Place the tank light and check the power cords so as to be sure they are free of water. It is recommended to use drip loop on the power cords for extra caution. You can now plug the equipment to the power strip. At this stage, don’t add the fish yet. Wait until the aquarium has cycled first before putting the fish. This process can be sped up. Use fish cycle to get harder species such as the cherry barb or zebra danio. Populate your fish tank by adding tropical fish It is the time to populate your fish tank. There are 2 main types of fish for beginners. Freshwater fish, and Saltwater fish. You can achieve this by adding the tropical fish but add only one or two fish at a time. This gives the system the filtration time that is needed to increase the biological load introduced by the new fish. Let the fish bag float on the tank water for at least 15 minutes. This will make the fish acclimate to the pH and temperature of the aquarium water. The floating bag will soak water and the fish in the bag acclimate with the aquarium pH level. It helps reduce the stress imposed on the fish. Stressed fish often lead to diseases or dead. The fish won’t feed on the first day, therefore, don’t feed them on the first day. Allow the fish to get acquainted with a new aquarium.
Regular maintenance After the fish have settled well in the aquarium, it is recommended to conduct regular maintenance of your aquarium. The aquarium should be cleaned every week. It is also required to perform a regular water change. This will reduce the nitrate level in the water and leave the tropical fish healthy and happy. Conclusion Having gone through the steps on how to set up a fish tank, it is important to note the following: you should understand well the fish you want to buy and provide them with a tank that will be able to hold them when they are fully grown. Make sure there are
enough resources and time to provide for the needs of the tropical fish and the time to take care for them. Remember to add good bacteria to the aquarium especially on a weekly basis. It is easier to manage larger tanks than smaller ones. Keeping the water chemistry is simple and easier in a larger tank than a smaller one. Smaller tanks especially lower than 40 liters are harder to be handled by beginners. Rinse the aquarium thoroughly before adding wood or gravel. If you keep Bettas, make sure to ask experts in order for you to find the proper tank mates. Don’t keep them with community fish for the schooling fish nip their fins. They also fight with labyrinth fish and cichlids. Goldfish bowls are considered cruel. The goldfish can grow to a length of 8 inches and can live for as long as 15 years or longer and, therefore, you will need a filtered tank. Goldfish are not good to begin with since the need a lot of water. This guide was written, and shared by Fishkeeping Advice