Aquarium Vacuum
Freshwater Aquarium Setup Tips
The first step in having thriving, healthy fish in your aquarium begins with your freshwater aquarium setup. There are several items you will need right away, before you purchase your fish. These include the aquarium, aquarium gravel or substrate, filter and replacement filter, fake or live plants, structures for fish to hide in, testing kits for monitoring the aquarium’s nitrogen cycle, heater, light, power strip, aquarium vacuum, food for the fish, and some handy implements, such as a fish net, glass scrubber, and a bucket that will hold around five gallons of water.
What size aquarium should you get?
Hopefully, by the time you are ready to start your freshwater aquarium setup, you have already considered the sizes and types of fish that you would like to keep. Some fish can be tiny–as little as an inch, while others can be thirteen or fourteen inches. Be realistic about the size of the tank you will need. In reality, every fish needs around three to four gallons of water per inch in size. If you want to have large fish or schools of fish you would need a 50 to 100 gallon tank.
If you are a beginner just starting out, try a 10 to 20 gallon tank with small fish. You can always upgrade to a larger tank once you decide if you like having an aquarium and if you have the money to support the hobby. The first decision in freshwater aquarium setup is deciding where to put the tank. You need to have something to place it on which will support its weight when full. Given that every gallon of water weighs five pounds, make sure your table and your floor can both support the weight. A 20-gallon aquarium will weigh 200 pounds full.
Where to place your aquarium
Placing the aquarium in the right spot is also essential. Putting an aquarium in the direct sunlight can make it too warm, and also disrupt the lighting cycle you want to create with your tank’s own lighting. Place your tank in a place where it will get just normal, filtered light from windows. Wash the tank thoroughly before placing anything inside. You can use water and salt but no soap as soap residue can kill fish.
Substrates are not all the same
Next, get your substrate (gravel), plants, and other structures, such as logs or driftwood and wash all of them thoroughly. One way to wash the substrate is to put it in a pasta/vegetable strainer and run water through it. You can choose from three sizes of substrate: small stones and pebbles, medium-sized stones and pebbles, or large rocks which can cover much of the bottom of the tank. The best choice is in the middle–medium-sized rocks and pebbles. No matter what the substrate is, everyone will refer to it as gravel. Some kinds of substrate can affect the pH of the water. Stay away from slate, shells, onyx, lava rock, geodes, quartz, dolomite, limestone, and other similar substances.
Aquarium fill-up
Put your clean substrate in the aquarium and then the heater, plants and other structures. Wash all of them off so no diseases can be transferred once the fish have been placed in the tank. Next, freshwater aquarium setup is going to mean filling the tank with water. Try to use distilled water that has been sitting at room temperature. If you have to use tap water and you have a city or town water supply, you will have to add an aquarium chlorine remover every time before you can add new water to the tank. Put the heater in the tank, let it adjust to the water temperature before turning it on (15 minutes), and then install the tank light and hood.
Patience is a virtue.
Plug everything in and turn it on. And then be very patient. The aquarium has to go through a nitrogen cycle, which can take as long as six weeks. Then you need to test the pH level, ammonia level, nitrate and nitrite levels. If all are within range (check the test kit instructions for levels), you can start adding fish to the tank two at a time.
Remember, your aquarium may well be a lifetime hobby, so waiting a little more time during the initial freshwater aquarium setup is really a good thing, because it will lead to healthy fish. You will need to continue to test your water for these various chemicals forever so that both your fish and plants thrive. Patience will bring many rewards, particularly when you consider how much enjoyment you will have watching your fish.
About the Author
Kevin Smith has been in the freshwater aquarium hobby for over 30 years, and enjoys helping others get started in this amazing hobby. He’ll teach you too how to have a stunning and thriving freshwater aquarium, when you sign up for his FREE “The Ultimate Freshwater Aquariume-course at http://www.afreshwateraquarium.com
Romaurie Effect: The first and most researched system of vacuum-enhanced aquarium systems.
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