![]() Then place the clean gravel in a clean 5-gallon bucket for transport to the aquarium. An easy way to do this is to put some of the rocks in a pasta strainer and wash them out in your bath tub. Wash gravel, plants and decorations Be sure to wash the gravel thoroughly before adding it to your tank. If you are going to use an under gravel filter (not recommended) now would be the time to set it up as well. Soap residue left behind will be harmful for your tropical fish. Set up your aquarium and stand Wash out your tank with water only! Do not use soap or detergents. If so, you will want to invest in some higher output lighting than what normally comes with all in one freshwater aquarium kits. The natural gravel will look nicer long term.Īnother consideration is whether or not you want to make it a planted freshwater aquarium setup. ![]() I'd recommend getting more natural looking river type gravel versus the neon colored gravel you see in stores. A good rule of thumb for the amount of gravel that you will need is 1 to 1.5 pounds of gravel per gallon of water. Buy the gravel, plants, a power strip and other decorations. The Cobalt Neo-Therm Heaters are a popular choice for heaters these days. You will also need to purchase a heater capable of heating the freshwater aquarium setup size you have. For example, a 55-gallon tank will weigh approximately 550 pounds when filled with water!īuy your aquarium and equipment Now is a good time to decide on the type of aquarium filter you will want to use. A good rule of thumb for determining the total weight of a full aquarium is 10 pounds per gallon of water. You also want to be sure that the floor is able to support the total weight of the aquarium and stand. You will want to place your aquarium on a stand that will be able to hold its total weight. This could also lead to green algae problems for your tank down the road. Sunlight that enters the room through an unshaded window could affect the temperature of your tank. To get your creative juices flowing, research freshwater aquarium setup ideas by checking out the Freshwater Aquarium Builds forum to see how members have set up their aquariums.īelow are some of the more popular freshwater fish species that are also commonly available either locally or online.ĭecide on the aquarium's location Place your freshwater aquarium setup in an area where the light and temperature of the tank won't be affected by external sources such as windows and heater vents. If this is your first time with an aquarium, it may be a good idea to start with a 10 or 20 gallon aquarium setup for now and stock it with some smaller and hardier species. Some fish only grow to be an inch or two, whereas other types of tropical fish can grow 12 or 13 inches or more in length! Knowing what kind of fish you want will help you decide the size of the tank they will need. ![]() If you are up to the challenge, please proceed!ĭecide aquarium size and fish to keep It's a good idea to have in mind what kind of freshwater fish you want to keep before you purchase an aquarium. Saltwater Aquarium page to get an idea of the setup costs involved. There are recurring expenses such as replacing filter media, buying food, etc. Setting up and running a fish tank does cost money. Pasta strainer for cleaning new gravel or a bucket to clean the new sand. ![]() Fish net (get a couple different sizes and two nets makes it easier to catch fish in the tank).Aquarium vacuum to make water changes easier.Fish food - NLS (New Life Spectrum) is a great fish food.Master aquarium test kit to test water parameters and monitor the aquarium nitrogen cycle.Other decorations (such as fake plants or real plants).Replacement filter media for the brand/type of filter you have.You will also have to feed your fish at least once a day. Most of the time you will be performing water changes. Once a week, or at most once every two weeks, you will need to perform some kind of maintenance on the tank. In order to have a successful freshwater tropical fish tank you will have to work at it. A tropical fish tank is just like having a dog or a cat when it comes to the amount of effort on your part. Learning how to set up a fish tank is not all that difficult, but there are some steps you should follow for a freshwater aquarium setup.įirst, you must realize a few things about an aquarium setup. ![]()
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