Aquariums are available in a number of shapes, the most popular being rectangular. However, aquariums are not an item that can be set up and then left unattended. Aquariums are easy to keep up with as long as tank maintenance is performed periodically and with a little care.
Aquarium
To maintain a clean aquarium, there are some daily tasks that must be done. First and foremost, it’s important to check the temperature of the tank and make sure it stays consistent. For tropical freshwater fish, the temperature should average at around 77 degrees. Too much heat in your aquarium will promote the growth of algae. Always check for sick or dead fish daily. If you have a sick fish, it should be removed from the tank immediately or it may harm the other inhabitants of the aquarium.
Wipe down the inner and outer glass of the aquarium to keep any algae from accumulating on the inside; this helps to improve the condition of the water as well as enabling you to see the fish. Never use any kind of detergent or soap to clean inside or outside the aquarium, as the chemicals will cause harm and distress to the fish. Take care in cleaning the inside of the aquarium glass as gravel will scratch it if you happen to pick some up when you put your hand inside. Although you may think its a good idea to periodically change all of the aquariums water to give the fish a fresh start this is a very bad idea. more…
First of all wash the tank carefully with sponge and normal tap water. Do not use any detergent or chemical for washing your tank. After cleaning the tank place it where you want to place, but avoid direct sunlight. And also careful about the table or self, should be strong enough to carry the load of your tank. Now after placing the tank, add the accessories such as filters, air pumps air stone tube lights etc.
Check all the electrical equipments before adding the water and gravel. Next thing is to add the gravel. Before adding the gravel you should clean the gravel with tap water (Do not use any soap or detergent). I suggest that you should dry up the gravel after washing. Now add the gravel slowly. Fill your tank about 3-4 inches.
Now add some decorations to your fish tank. Avoid any decorations with edges. You should buy decorations from pet stores because they are for fish tank only and doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals. Add some water plants (Hygrophilas, Sagittarias, Elodeas, Cabombas, Vallisnerias, Java Fern,) to your tank.
Now start filling your tank with dechlorinated tap water. Fill it 1/3rd of it. Now run air pumps. Check all the equipment that they are working properly or not and also check any leakage. Now fill the tank and leave the tank for some days (15-20 days). Do not add any fish at this time. After 15 days change 20% – 25% of water. Again wait for 2 weeks and then add some starter fish to your tank. These are inexpensive and easily available at your pet store. For next 3-8 weeks you should cycle the tank. Partial change water weekly and do not overfeed the fish. After all these your tank is ready for your fish.
Setting up an aquarium may not be a hard as what everybody thinks. It can be really easy if you are well prepared with knowledge and learn how to react to problems. Do bear in mind that patience and having the sense of tediousness are very important. There is no such thing as shortcut and people who think in such a way often fails. If you intend to successfully set up an aquarium, have it done to the best of your ability.
Finding the right location for your aquarium
Let’s begin by first choosing the right location to place your tank. I feel, this is the first step to start and novices often make a mistake by heading to your local fish shop only to discover that the purchased aquarium does not fit into any location. Believe me, most people often overlook on this issue.
You might want to consider these few important facts when finding the perfect spot.
* Access to electricity supply – This is important to ensure that air pumps, heaters, filters and lighting have reachable power supply. The shorter the distance, the better it is and ideally power point should be at higher location compared to the aquarium height for safety purposes.
* Source of lighting – Natural sunbeam although will ensure proper propagation of aquarium plants, it is not needed if you can stimulate artificial lighting. Placing aquarium too close to windows is actually not a good idea, as the high intensity of the sunbeam could cause unhealthy growth of algae. Instead, use artificial lighting whereby you can actually control light intensity and stimulate the day and night cycle.
* Make sure that the surrounding space is wide enough – This is important to ensure that no untoward incident such as accidental knocking could take place especially if you have to move between tight areas. Place it on a location whereby there are wide-open spaces around the aquarium left available. It is a good idea to have gaps between 12- 15 inches apart from the nearest object. This is also important to ensure that daily routines such water changing could be done easily without bumping into objects. more…
