The first thing you want to consider is the size of the aquarium you want to use. As a beginner, it is always easier to manage a bigger aquarium than a smaller one. I will suggest you start with at least a 20-gallon capacity tank.The size of the tank will determine the number of fish you can put inside and the number of different types of fish that it can contain.
The next important thing after considering the size of the aquarium that you want is the location. You may wonder that why location? But location matters a lot when it comes to setting up an aquarium that must be successful. The location will contribute to the overall aesthetics and also make the system work properly.
First thing is that you must create a space for the aquarium that will be out of the way of other people. You want to make sure that it is out of the way of kids and working areas where you can easily knock it down. The next thing to consider before deciding whether a location is best for your aquarium is the closeness to the source of water. If it is not going to be close to a source of water then there must be provision for how you will fill it water whenever you change the water in the aquarium.
I know you may be tempted to put your aquarium close to your window but please don’t do it. Keep your aquarium in a cool place away from the sun. There are lights in your aquarium that you don’t need to put it by the window for the sun. The reason for this is simple. There are algae that have the potential to grow inside water in the presence of sunlight. Algae are green plants and they go through the process of photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight. The algae can soon take over your tank and they can be very messy and difficult to clean.
Cleaning Your Aquarium
This brings us to the next topic which is cleaning your aquarium. Your aquarium is not like your car or normal dish that you wash every day therefore there are procedures to follow before cleaning your aquarium. The first thing you must keep in mind is that you must not use soap to wash your aquarium. Soaps contain chemicals that may be harmful to your fish. No matter how much you try to rinse it, traces of these chemicals may linger. And only a small quantity is enough to kill your fish. Rinse the tank several times with clean water. You can use a brush to scrub the wall to remove dirt and debris. You can use a dry towel to clean the tank once you are done.
Background
That cool look that aquariums have is gotten from the background that is added to the aquarium. It does give it the natural look as if it was a section of the sea that was really brought into the tank. Now you know how they come about it. They are created from wallpapers which are sold and attached to the back of the aquarium. You can get a nice looking background and stick it to your aquarium.
Set Up Accessories
The next thing you want to do is to set up the accessories in your tank. The things you can add to your tanks are endless. You just have to be creative and use your imagination to determine how you want your fish tank to look like. There are some basic items you may likely want to add to your aquarium. I will discuss some of them briefly right now.
1. Gravel. This is the base of the fish tank. It adds a natural look to the tank and makes it look just like the river bed. The gravel serves more function than to just make the tank look natural. The gravel also serves as an anchor for holding things in place inside the tank.
2. Plants. For the plants in the aquarium, there are two options. One is artificial and the other is the normal plant. Most people prefer to use artificial plants especially when they have plant-eating fish in the tank. They are quite easy to place in the tank using the gravel as the anchor.
3. Water filter. Water filter serves the function of removing unwanted substances from the water entering into the tank. They are usually mounted at the point where water will enter into the tank and they provide protection against solid particles and dissolved substances.
4. Water heater. Water heaters are used to control the temperature of the tank. Some tropical fish requires higher temperature and if you live in a cold area, you will need a water heater to increase the temperature to a level that is suitable for the fish.
5. Aerator. They are used to introduce dissolved oxygen into the tank. They do that by agitating the surface of the water thereby mixing the oxygen in the atmosphere with the water. They also add the bubble effect that you see in most fish tanks and they make it more pleasant to watch.
6. Biofilter. Before introducing fish it is important to build the bacteria community of a tank to be able to help with the ammonia pollution that does occur from time to time. These bacteria are not harmful but they help convert the ammonia content in water to a less harmful state.
7. Adding water. This is usually done after everything else is in place. It makes it easy to position all the accessories in water. Make sure you don’t add tap water that has been treated with chlorine to your tank as it can kill the fish.
8. Water treatment. You can add a water conditioner to the water after everything to help remove the toxic substances. For example, it will help you reduce the effect of chlorine and heavy metal.
So where is the fish in all of these? I know you are eager to add your fish but it is not yet time. You have to wait for like 24 hours to 48 hours after you set up your tank before you add fish
Basic Accessories You Need for an Aquarium and Their Functions
1. Water filter. Water filter as the name suggest is used to remove and prevent harmful substances from the tank.
2. Water heater. A water heater is used to increase the temperature of water to a level that is suitable for the fish that is in a particular tank.
3. Thermometer. This is used to measure the temperature of water at a particular time.
4. pH meter. pH meter measures the degree to which water is acidic or alkaline. It is a useful water quality parameter that can affect the fish.
5. Ammonia testing kit. Ammonia testing kits come in different forms depending on the manufacturer. They are used to test the level of ammonia and related compounds in the water at any given time.
6. Lights. They are used to illuminate the aquarium and sometimes to beautify the aquarium when different colors are being used.
Setting Up the Filtration in an Aquarium
In a fish tank, the major problem or pollution that can occur is an ammonia spike. Fish excrete their waste directly into the water as ammonia. Depending on the stocking density, the ammonia level can easily build up and can be very dangerous to the fish if not checked. Ammonia needs to be converted to nitrite and then nitrate which is a more stable form before it is being removed from the water.
Ammonia can be converted into this less harmful state by bacteria. These are the good bacteria and not the ones that will cause disease to your fish. They are everywhere and they will develop naturally and slowly. They grow on the substrate in the tank and they can also be introduced as part of the filter system. Once the bacteria community is fully matured and developed, it can easily sustain the level of ammonia that will be produced by your fish.
How to Add Fish to Your Aquarium
Now we’ve gotten to the part you have been waiting for. How do you add fish to your aquarium? This doesn’t seem like a difficult thing to you and that is true. It is not difficult but there are procedures you must follow before you stock your fish into the tank. First, you have to know that you must wait for 24 – 48 hours after adding water to your tank the first time before adding the fish.
Another important thing to note is that you shouldn’t add all your fish at once especially if the setup is still fairly new and the bacteria community has not been fully developed. The reason for this is to prevent an ammonia spike which can be a delay for the fish. As you keep adding the fish in small numbers, the bacteria community will be developed and ready to take more fish. If the water temperature from the place where your fish is coming from is different from the one in the tank you shouldn’t add them immediately. Try to keep them in the same area as your tank to achieve fairly the same temperature before you finally introduce them to their new home. Monitor their behavior and how they react tom their new home before you leave.
Treatment of Aquarium Fish
I know you will like to ask what you would do if you have a sick fish. I will like to start by saying that it is normal to have sick fish. However, the best thing is to do the things that will make you avoid having a sick fish. The best practice when you have a sick fish is to isolate the sick fish and treat them separately. It is not good to add the treatment directly into the tank. It can be dangerous for the bacteria community and indirectly it will affect the fish. SO the best thing is to remove the affected fish and treat them separately.
Do’s and Don’ts of an aquarium
Do’s
- Always maintain good hygiene in your aquarium
- Feed with the right quantity of feed and at the right time
- Change at least 25% of water weekly
- Always do your research before you add a new fish
- Always pay attention to the state of health of your fish
- Vacuum debris from the bottom of the tank.
- Don’t
- Don’t add all the fish once to a new tank
- Don’t put dirty hands in the water
- Don’t use soap and other chemicals near the tank
- Don’t Ignore maintenance
