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It seems like everywhere you go you see an
aquarium. The Oriental restaurants, the hairdresser, even that oil
change place down the road. You're inexorably drawn to these tanks
and often find yourself lost in the peaceful beauty of them while
ignoring the conversations around you. After much consideration,
you've decided to take the plunge and get yourself one of these
stunning attractions. You load the kids in the car and head off to your
local fish store only to find yourself in mental overload because of
the selections of fish, tanks, filtration, decorations, foods,
medications, and everything else on the packed shelves. Dejectedly, you
head home, your visions of stunning beauty going down the drain.
Don't fret; you can still have that tranquility in your home or
office. Just plan ahead and know what you want and need to be
successful in your venture. The first thing you're going to need is a tank
(well duh, you knew that!) and a stand strong enough to support it.
Your tank can be anything from a half gallon jar to a thousand gallon
monster. Knowing what you plan to keep in it will help you decide. If
you just want a single Betta, a half to five gallon tank is ideal. If
you want a couple of Silver Arowanas a much larger tank is in
order. So before you can buy your tank, you need to select the species
of fish you want. The basic rule for keeping freshwater fish is one
inch of fish per gallon to gallon and a half of water. No, this does
not mean you can get yourself a ten gallon tank and put five 2 inch
Oscars in it. This rule is based on the adult size of the fish you are
keeping. It also changes for larger fish and depends on the aggression
level and spawning tendencies of the fish. If you want lots of bright
colors and don't mind some aggression, go for African Cichlids. If
you want lots of motion in a peaceful tank, go for Tetras. If you want
oranges and whites and blacks and don't want to mess with a heater,
choose goldfish. Research to see how big the fish you've
decided on will get. A very good place to do this is www.fishbase.org If they're a non-aggressive fish that
stays fairly small (.5'-3') you can stick with the above rule.
If they're an aggressive fish that gets medium sized
(3'-8') you can do two things, either put one inch per gallon
or one inch per several gallons. Crowding these fish more than
non-aggressive species cuts down on the aggression levels because they
don't have room to develop their own territories. On the down side,
they may not grow to their full size and may never display their full
colors. If they're a fish that gets large and messy then you should
go with one inch per several gallons. Once you know what fish you want and have
researched their size to determine the tank size they need you can then
start planning the other items you'll need. Number one on this list
is an appropriate stand to hold your tank. Once the water, gravel,
filtration, decorations, and everything else are added to your tank,
it's going to weigh at least 10-12 pounds per gallon of water.
You're going to need a very strong stand so you don't end up
with a disaster that kills all of your fish, breaks your tank, and
floods your house. Also keep in mind that many rentals have limits on
the size of the aquariums you can keep. This is because of floor
strength and the risk of flooding. So be sure to check with your
landlord before buying anything. And if you're the homeowner,
remember that many tanks will have to be placed in basements (or ground
floors if you don't have a basement) so they don't do
structural damage. Your stand can be anything from a true aquarium
stand to a strong piece of furniture that you found at a local auction.
Make sure it doesn't have any wobble to it and that it's level.
The tank should not hang over any edges; if it does it's not
providing the proper support and you will need a bigger
stand. Most tanks come with a fluorescent light hood that
is suitable for most freshwater applications. If you want to keep live
plants you will probably need to upgrade at least the bulbs. Or you can
go the full route and upgrade the entire light fixture by ordering a
completely new hood or by ordering a retrofit kit and placing it in the
existing hood or building a DIY hood. Proper filtration is extremely important for a
successful aquarium. There are many different types available, internal
provided by undergravel filters and powerheads, hang on the back
styles, or external canister filters. They all have their advantages
and disadvantages. Undergravel filters (UGF) are for the most part
maintenance free and have no long-term costs unless a powerhead goes
out. Once in a while you have to take apart the powerhead and clean the
impeller but this takes less than two minutes and is extremely easy.
The drawback to these is that dead spots are created in your filtration
by the placement of decorations, your live plants root to the UGF and
some plants won't grow with them, you have to use a medium to
course gravel or they will plug, and if you have fish that like to dig
(like most Cichlids) they will constantly be digging up your UGF
plates. External canister filters don't clutter your tank with a
bunch of tubes and unsightly powerheads, they allow you to use a finer
substrate like sand, and they can be hidden in your stand but are
rumored to malfunction and leak, they can be noisy, and you have to
replace the filter media fairly frequently. Hang on the back filters
are pretty quiet and easy to take care of and they do allow you to use
a sand substrate but you do have to periodically replace the inserts
for them to keep working properly. These inserts can be found at most
fish retailers, online, and even at some discount stores. The inserts
are inexpensive and easy to replace without putting your hands in the
tank but they usually need to be replaced every 2-6 weeks depending on
the fish load in the tank. Everybody you talk to will have a different
favorite when it comes to filtration. Pick the one that works the best
for you; just make sure that you have enough filtration on your tank.
Your filter should turn over your tank volume at least 3-4 times per
hour, more is better, especially if you have very messy
fish. Heating is necessary for all tropical fish. Your
tank should be maintained at a consistent 76 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
with 78 being ideal for most species. Goldfish are not tropical and
their tank should be kept at around 70-72 degrees. Heater watts will
depend on the size tank you have, check the heater package to see what
size is recommended for your tank size. The easiest ones to regulate
the temperature on are the ones that have the external regulators. A
heater with a metal housing can prevent breakage. You will also need a
thermometer. The most accurate are the ones that float in your
tank. Next, decide what kind of substrate you want.
Brightly colored gravels are available at every fish store and they
provide visually stimulating substrates for your tank. If you want a
more natural look you can get natural colored gravel at your LFS also
or you can go to your local farm supply store and get some crushed
granite, sold as grit. The crushed granite has a bluish grey color and
is available in several different sizes. It provides a very nice
natural look and is extremely affordable, especially compared to
commercial aquarium gravel. Some people use plain masonry/builders
sands as a substrate with good results. Again, there are advantages and
drawbacks to all of them. The commercial substrates are often colored
and once in a while a bad batch gets sent out. When this happens, the
color can leach into your system and kill your fish. This is a pretty
rare occurrence but it does happen. It's also believed by many
breeders that the bright or light colored substrates can have a
negative impact on your fish's happiness and that fish do better
with darker substrates. Very light colored substrates seem to grow
algae faster. This could be because of light reflection or simply
because the algae and dirt show more. The crushed granite will
occasionally get areas of brown algae that are fairly noticeable.
Again, this could be just because it shows up more against the color of
the substrate. Sands tend to pack down and don't remain
'soft' while gravels can be harder on your bottom dwelling
fish. Once again, it comes down to what you personally want in your
tank. Whatever you decide on, your substrate should be two to four
inches deep which works out to between one and two pounds per gallon of
tank volume. Now you can pick your decorations. If you want
live plants, these should be added after your tank is fully cycled.
Artificial plants, artificial driftwood and rocks (real or artificial)
can be added immediately. If you want artificial plants you can choose
between silk and plastic. The silk tend to look more real but there are
more varieties of plastic. Many fish like to hide in the plants so
plastic can tear their fins or cause other physical injuries although
these things don't happen often. Silk can fade with time. Make sure
your rocks are aquarium safe, certain things like geodes are dyed and
the dyes can leach into your water and kill your fish. It's best to
purchase your decorations directly from a fish retailer but if you want
silk plants, these can be safely purchased at a craft store. There are
many polyresin rocks and logs available now that look so real you
can't tell the difference. Most fish stores and online retailers
carry these, shop around for the best price. When placing your
decorations, place taller decorations in the back of your tank and
shorter ones in front. Be sure to leave lots of open area for your fish
to swim through. If using real plants, make sure to place them in the
appropriately lit areas depending on their needs. Be sure to fully
research all plants before purchasing them. Many plants that are sold
as aquarium plants are not really suited to being fully underwater and
will die rapidly. Some great beginner plants are Elodea, Hornwort,
Anubias, and Java Fern. Plants like Anacharis, Hygrophila,
Cryptocoryne, and Crinum 'Onion' plants can also be fairly
hardy. Plants like Duckweed and Java Moss are hardy but can rapidly
become pests because they can take over an entire tank, literally
smothering all other plants. A CO2 injector is recommended for planted
tanks but is not absolutely necessary. If your local stores don't
carry the plants you want, they can be mail ordered from many online
retailers. So finally, here is a checklist of all items you
will need before you begin to set-up your tank. More info on a few of
these is given later in this article: 1) Tank with light 2) Stand 3) Filter 4) Substrate 5) Heater 6) Decorations (these can be added later if
desired) 7) Dechlorinated water 8) Bacterial start (ask your LFS for this, it
should be free as it's just very dirty water from one of their
existing tanks) 9) Ammonia and Nitrite test kits (unless you
want to take water samples to your store to have them
tested) 10) A net to catch your
fish OK, you have your stand, tank, filtration,
lighting, and decorations on hand and you know what kinds of fish you
want to get so now you can set-up your tank! Follow these steps for a
successful set-up; 1) Rinse all items with cool water until the
water runs clear. 2) Get your tank and stand into the location
you want it. Unless it's a very small tank, this will be its
permanent home so make sure you like the location! The tank must be
situated near an electrical outlet. 3) Place your filtration system and heater
into/on the tank but do not plug them in. 4) Add your substrate. 5) Add the bacteria start that your LFS
hopefully provided 6) Fill the tank half way with water. If your
city uses chlorine in its drinking water, you will need to use a
commercial dechlorinator (available at your local fish store) to remove
this as it is deadly to all fish. 7) Add your decorations 8) Fill the tank the rest of the way with
dechlorinated water. 9) Plug in the filter and heater.
Your tank is going to look very murky at this
point but it should clear up overnight. Let it run with no fish in it
overnight. Make sure the temperature is adjusted correctly and that all
devices are functioning properly. Now you can go to your fish store and
get yourself a few hardy fish to help cycle the tank. The cycling
process is the initial stage your tank will go thru while the good
bacteria are getting developed so the tank can maintain itself. The
ammonia and nitrite levels in the tank will go up so frequent water
changes must be performed during this period. During this period you
will need to test your ammonia and nitrite levels no less than every
other day, daily is better. Water changes need to be performed daily or
every other day, these will help keep the ammonia and nitrite levels
from getting too high. Adding the bacteria start that your store
provided and a few hardy fish will help speed this process up. Feeder
goldfish are generally used for this as they are quite tough. The
cycling process can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks.
Feed sparingly during this time. Once your ammonia and nitrite levels
read zero for several days you can remove the goldfish and begin adding
the fish that you picked out oh so long ago. These fish should be added slowly so you don't
overload your system and restart the cycling period. So add just one or
two new fish to begin with. Always be sure to acclimate them before
adding them to your tank. To do this, place the unopened bag in your
tank and let it float for about twenty minutes. Then open the bag and
add about one cup of aquarium water and let the bag set for another
five minutes. Repeat this step until the bag is nearly full. It is then
safe to add these fish to your tank. And always remember; never add the
water from the bag to your tank. This water is extremely dirty. Net the
fish out of the bag and place them gently in the tank.
At the same time you get these fish, you can also
get one or two more and place them into a quarantine tank. This
requires you to have a second tank called a quarantine or QT tank. Now
don't get scared and give up just yet! Your QT tank can be
something very simple. A QT tank that is roughly one quarter the size
of your main tank is recommended but even with a larger tank most
people can get by with something as simple as a 10 gallon tank with a
basic filter, light, and heater. Your QT tank does not need to have a
substrate or any decorations and does not need to be set-up all the
time. If the stand for your main tank is big enough, the QT tank can be
kept right in there, even when it's running. When you are going to
be adding new fish, set-up the QT tank a day or two before. Use water
and filter media from your main tank. Leave the new fish in this tank
for at least two weeks so you know it doesn't have any diseases
that could infect your main tank. At the end of two weeks, take the
fish from your QT and place them in your main system. You can then add
one or two more to the QT and let them stay in there for a couple of
weeks. Repeat this process until you have your main tank fully stocked.
You can then take down the QT and store it until it's needed again.
QT's are very necessary in case you get a sick fish. The fish
should be immediately placed in the QT for a couple of reasons: to
prevent the spread of the disease to your other fish, and to make
medicating easier. It's much easier and safer to medicate a small
quarantine tank with just the sick fish than it is to medicate your
larger main tank with some healthy fish too. Once your tank is up and running, the main
maintenance things you'll need to do are occasional water changes
and changing of the filters if you're not using UGF. You will also
want to perform regular water tests to make sure your water quality
stays good. Water changes should be done at least once a
month; to do this, use a siphon tube or gravel vacuum (available at
your local fish store) to siphon out part of the tank water and also
the rotten food and feces from the bottom of the tank. Then replace the
water with fresh water. Be sure that any new water added is the same
temperature and has been dechlorinated! You can do bi-weekly changes of
15% of the water volume or monthly changes of
25-35%. And finally, you can sit back and enjoy your own
little slice of tranquility! |
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