Aquarium Care

So you want to set up a fish tank, well the first thing that I will tell you is that you have to be patient and should not jump right into putting fish in your tank. In this article I will be explaining all of the steps to setting up a fish tank for tropical fish only.

Before you go out and start buying aquarium equipment determine what kind of fish that you will want to put in there and how many. This is necessary as you will need to know what size tank to get, if you are on a budget you will have to work with it. The general rule is for small to medium fish is 1 inch per one gallon of water.

Some of the things you will need to set up a tropical fish tank will consist of the aquarium itself, a stand for the aquarium, filter pump, heater pump, thermometer, water conditioner, bacteria supplement. Some other additional options you can add to your fish tank would be a lamp, decorations and wall paper for the back of the fish tank.

Find a space in your home that you want to set up the fish tank at. This should be somewhere that is not in the way and make sure you are happy with the spot because moving a tank can be a pain once you have fish in it.

The next thing that I would do is make sure that there are no leaks in the fish tank. Fill up the tank with water to the top, and just let it sit there for about a day, more if you want. Once that day is up check the surrounding area for any signs of water, once you know your tank is not leaking you can empty it.

While you are leak testing your aquarium you can start filling up jugs of tap water. Mix the tap water with water conditioner as fish do not like plain tap water. I also add bacteria supplement to the water also. Make sure you follow the directions on the water conditioner bottle exactly.

Next you can start setting up the interior of the tank with decorations and gravel while the tank is still empty. It is very critical that you was anything that you put into the tank very well, even if it is brand new. There will still be dust and dirt on the gravel so make sure that it is rinsed with water before putting it into your aquarium.

Once you have it decorated set up the rest of the equipment, the filter pump, the heater, overhead light, etc. Start adding all of the pre-treated water into the tank, once you have it to the top turn on your filter pump and heater. Let the water cycle for about a week before adding fish, make sure the water temperature supports the fish you want.

Let the fish tank cycle the water for at least one week. After that one week you can add a couple of fish to get the tanks ecosystem in action, but do not add anymore fish for at least 5 weeks. Be patient and your fish will be healthy and live for a long time.

The author has been putting together aquariums of all types for many years and has great knowledge on aquariums. You can visit his store if you need to purchase a home aquarium. aquariums For Sale

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Keeping the aquarium clean will ensure you some health fish. This means less time to treat them and more time to enjoy them. Taking care of the fish in the aquarium is not an easy task but if you get the hang of it, everything will go really easy. So use the proper equipment to clean the tank and use it well. There are a few tips and tricks that you can learn in order to be a good aquarium owner.

First of all, if you want to clean the tank, don’t use house cleaners. Some of them are really toxic for the fish and plants. So buy some proper cleaners for you tank.

Besides that, always monitor the water level in the tank and the water pump very clean. Also remember to clean the filtration system from time to time so that it doesn’t break. Many times, the life of the aquarium depends on the filtration system. When you choose a filtration system take into consideration the manufacturer, the fish species and the components.

Another important fact in keeping the fish healthy is the cleaning of the ornaments. They should be washed and cleaned with proper cleaners at least twice a month.

The cleaning will stop the algae from growing without a purpose. Another aspect is that the aquariums made of plastic need cleaning more often, sometimes even once a week.

When you do the weekly cleaning make sure you do some things like check the air pump. This is important because it provides the fish with oxygen. If the pump doesn’t work properly, the fish could die.

Change the water as often as possible. Don’t wait for it to turn green. It is not a thing of aesthetics but a matter of health. If you change the water often, the aquarium will look better for sure but the fish will be healthy too. Don’t forget to also clean the rocks and the sand inside the tank. Before you do all this, remove all the fish from the aquarium and put them in a bucket full of water.

You should also buy a water purifier. This will save you some time because you will need to change the water not so often. There are a lot of types, depending on the size of the tank.

And never forget to real all the instructions of the products you buy for your tank. If you have some doubts, ask the sales persons from the pet shop.

Also, don’t forget to keep a strict schedule of the cleaning operations you do.

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