1 litre (34 fl oz) of water weighs 1 kilogram (35 oz). In a big tank, this can add up quickly to become very heavy. Make sure that your tank will be properly supported and that you won’t need to move it once it’s full of water. If you don’t have anywhere to place your aquarium, you can purchase an aquarium stand online of from your local pet store that will be able to support the tank.
Keeping the aquarium in the corner of a room should help avoid many of these potential issues. This will also reduce the chance of the tank getting knocked over by accident.
You should also ensure that there’s no chance of any cords coming from the aquarium’s heater or filter being pulled out by young children or excitable pets. Keep the cords tucked away to ensure they are always plugged in.
Keeping your aquarium on a sturdy surface high off the ground will reduce the chances of pets disrupting it. If you have cats, you may also need another barricade to keep your cats from getting into the tank. Alternately, make sure there aren’t any other surfaces nearby that your cat could climb or jump off of to get to the tank.
Use a scoop or small trowel to add gravel to your tank rather than pouring it in, as this will reduce the chances of you scratching, damaging, or weakening the tank’s glass. Aquarium gravel or other substrates should be available from your local pet store or online.
Leave around 5 centimetres (2. 0 in) of space at the top of the tank. This will stop the water from overflowing when you add plants or other decorations. The water in your tank will need to be dechlorinated. You could use filtered or bottled water to fill it up or use tap water that has been treated with a dechlorinator. Dechlorination tablets should be available online or from your local pet store.
Most aquariums will have the taller plants nearer the back and some shorter plants in the front. Some great aquarium plants could be java moss near the front, water wisteria near the middle, and an aponogeton ulvaceus bulb near the back.
Leave roughly 1/3 of the tank empty for your fish to swim around in freely. They should be able to interact with or hide in the decorations when they want to, without being overcrowded by other things in the tank. Decorations for your tank could include some larger and well-washed rocks, toy shipwrecks, or almost anything else that you want to put in. See what ideas you can come up with! Avoid putting plastic, ceramic, loose driftwood, or glass in the tank. The plastic and ceramic can leach chemicals if left in water over time. Driftwood that hasn’t been properly treated may be home to some harmful bacteria, and glass may hurt your fish. If you’re unsure about a possible decoration for your tank, look online or ask at your local pet store for more advice.
Tap water conditioners should be available online or from your local pet store.
There are many, many different types of filters that you can install to keep your aquarium clean and clear. Do some research on different filters for different tank sizes, systems, and price ranges to help determine which is right for your needs.
Make sure that your heater is installed with a drip loop. This is a small loop or dip in the cable just before it plugs into the wall socket. The drip loop will allow water to run down the cable and drip off the bottom of the loop rather than running into your electrical socket. The required temperature for your aquarium will depend on the fish you want to keep in it. Research the comfortable temperature for each fish before you purchase it to make sure it can thrive in your aquarium. Don’t plug the heater in for 30 minutes after you put it into the tank. Otherwise, the sudden shift in temperature may cause your heater to shatter.
The pH level of your aquarium should be between 6. 0 and 8. 0. If it’s too low, raise the pH of your fish tank, such as by adding baking soda. If it’s too high, lower the pH of your fish tank, like by adding driftwood. The ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels will all be managed naturally over time. However, no fish should be added until there is no ammonia or nitrite in the tank, and you begin to get a reading for nitrate. You should test the water at least once each month to ensure it is safe.
Make sure your lamp is also plugged in with a drip loop to reduce the chance of electrocution or electrical failure. If you are keeping live plants in your tank, you’ll need at least 1 watt for every 1 litre (34 fl oz) in your tank. Otherwise, any lamp between 18- and 40-watts will work. Keep the lamp on a timer so that it is only on for 10 to 12 hours each day. Leaving it on for any longer than this can increase the temperature, rates of water evaporation, and algae growth. Light timers should be available from your local hardware or electronics store. Some pet stores may also have them.
To make this process go faster, add a small sprinkle of fish food to your tank, or ask your local pet store for some gravel or a dirty filter pad with plenty of good bacteria already on it. The water in your tank will need to have very low levels of ammonia and nitrites in order to be safe. You should just begin to see nitrates being produced when the water becomes safe.
African cichlids and neon tetras make for great first fish in your tropical aquarium. If you can’t find any at your local pet store, talk to an employee to see if they have any recommendations of a first tropical fish to buy. Whichever fish you buy, make sure you research the elements they require from a tank to check that you can keep them happy and healthy. It’s easiest to start with 2 fish of the same species if you’re setting up an aquarium for the first time. Make sure that the fish you choose are compatible with each other! Some fish will attack, stress, or even eat other species of fish. Look online or ask at your local pet store when adding new fish to your tank.
You can turn the lamp back onto its regular timer once the fish have adjusted to the tank and are swimming around by themselves. If your fish are stressed out, they may become sick and die more easily. Anything you can do to reduce their stress will only make them happier and healthier.
Pouring the fish straight into new water will shock them, which can be detrimental to their health. This will help them adjust to the water in the tank slowly. Avoid mixing water from the bag into the water in the tank, as this can be detrimental to the tank water. Don’t feed your fish on their first day in the tank. They’ll likely be too stressed to eat, so the food will sink to the bottom and rot. Feed them every other day for 4 to 6 weeks after this, before changing to the recommended feeding schedule for your fish.
There are many different indicators that your fish may be stressed or unwell. If they are not eating, spending a lot of time near the surface, sticking to the bottom of the tank, or not eating, it could be a sign that something is wrong. Keep an eye on your fish’s skin as well. Any changes, tears, or colored spots could be a sign that your fish is ill and needs to be treated for a new illness.
Raise and lower the pH of your fish tank as you need to to keep it within the comfortable range for your fish. If you notice the levels of ammonia creeping up in your fish tank, change the water and avoid over-feeding your fish to lower ammonia levels in the tank. Most water testing kits will have indicator strips that you can either dip into the water or drop water onto, with the indicators changing colors depending on levels. Check the manufacturer’s instruction for more specific advice on how to use and read the indicators in your own set.
There are many different reasons that different species of fish won’t be able to live together. Make sure that your fish are compatible before adding them to the same tank.
