Content

• To step
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

An aquarium is a wonderful addition to any space, providing a lively eye-catcher and source of entertainment. Read on below to find out the steps required to prepare a tropical freshwater aquarium. You will be satisfied with both the process and the end result and will eventually have your own new "water world".

To step

1. Choose a place to set up your tank before getting one. Remember that it is important to choose a location that can support the weight of the tank.
2. Take the temperature of the spot into account.
3. Put the aquarium in place. Place the aquarium firmly in its new position and see if it is exactly level. Unless you have a very small tank, you cannot move the tank once you have filled it with water. Moving a water-filled aquarium can be a disaster.
4. Rinse the gravel or substrate. If you want to use live plants, research the best substrate to use first. For some fish you will need to use a certain type of substrate or gravel. Use about 250 grams of gravel per liter of water (depending on the layout of your aquarium). It's important to have enough gravel so that good bacteria can grow on it (more on that later). Rinse the gravel well before placing it in the tank to remove any dust and debris that may have accumulated on the stones during transport. If you are using a filtration system that needs to be placed under the stones, install it now. Slowly scoop the stones into the tank so you don't damage and scratch the glass. It is generally best to do a gentle slope. Make a deeper part in the back of the tank and a shallower part in the front.
5. Add water. Place a small, clean dish on the gravel in the aquarium and pour water into this dish to prevent the stones from shifting. If this is your first tank, it is easiest to use tap water.
6. Add a water treatment agent. This is a liquid that makes the tap water safe for the fish to live in. Good brands remove ammonia and nitrite from the water. Make sure to follow the directions on the package.
7. Add decorations. Remember to only use items that are safe for a freshwater aquarium. Not all stones are suitable for use in a freshwater aquarium. Do research on the internet or get advice from an aquarium specialist. Consider the fish you want to keep in the aquarium. For example, in an aquarium with African cichlids you use different decorations than in an aquarium with goldfish.
8. Install the filter. Every filter is different, so make sure you follow the directions on the package. When you have installed the filter correctly, put the plug in the stop contract and check whether it works correctly. If you use a filter that rises above the water, you can attach a sprinkler to it so that small waves form and the water surface moves. This will help dissolve the oxygen for your fish. All other types of filters should normally also cause the water to move.
9. Place the heating system in the aquarium. Follow the directions on the packaging carefully. Some systems can be completely submerged and others cannot. Wait at least half an hour before switching on the heating system. Failure to do this could damage the system due to thermal inversion. Set the heating system to the correct temperature. This can be a bit tricky, depending on what model of system you have.
10. Place the thermometer in or on the aquarium. Most tropical freshwater fish like a constant temperature between 24 and 28 ° C. Research the fish species you want to keep so that you know the correct water temperature.
11. Put the lid on the aquarium and place the lighting. Most types of lighting are suitable and it does not matter which fish you keep. However, do additional research if you want to include live plants in your tank. Living plants often require more than ordinary lighting. For some people with an aquarium it helps to set a timer on the lighting.
12. Make sure all cords have a drip loop. A drip loop is a U-shaped section in the cord. So if water drips down the cord, it will fall to the floor, instead of ending up in the stop contract.
13. Test the water. Test the pH value, carbonate hardness and water hardness, as well as the amount of nitrite, nitrate and ammonia. There should be no ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in the water, unless your tap water contains these substances. The amount of calcium carbonate determines the pH. If you have very soft water, the pH in the aquarium may not be stable. If you have soft water, add special salt and carbonate powder to the aquarium to prevent the pH from crashing.Most freshwater fish can live in water with a pH between 6.5 and 8. A pH of 7 is neutral and is what most fish prefer. Have the pH value of your tap water tested. If the pH is lower or higher than normal, seek the advice of an associate at a specialist aquarium store near you.
    • Remember that fish are very adaptable. They get sick more quickly from a fluctuating pH than from a stable pH that is not quite perfect.
    • Test the pH at least once a week and make sure it never drops below 6.
14. Sit back and relax. Grab a book or surf the internet and see what types of fish you like. You will have to wait 48 hours before you can put the first fish in the tank. A terrible beginner's mistake to make is to put too many fish in the tank too soon. This usually makes it completely wrong with your aquarium.
15. Add fish and understand how your tank works. Adding fish is the most fun part of preparing an aquarium. Unfortunately, this is also where the biggest mistakes are often made. By following the steps below you can prevent all the fish in your tank from dying:
    • Let the tank stand for at least 48 hours without anything in it. This will allow the temperature to stabilize. You can also ensure that all values ​​of the water are correct and that all parts of the aquarium can do their work quietly.
    • Add live plants if you want them. They help with the biological process that is necessary to ensure that fish can live in your tank.
    • Take the time to understand that an aquarium is not just a beautiful cage for fish, but an entire ecosystem. Fish produce a lot of ammonia, both when defecating and breathing. Isn't that what the filter is for? Yes and no. The filter only works properly when it is full of nitrifying bacteria. These are the good bacteria needed to keep your fish alive. Without these bacteria, the ammonia that the fish produce will remain in the water and you will poison your fish. Your brand new clean aquarium does not yet contain these good bacteria. If you put some fish in the tank without letting the bacteria grow in the tank, your fish will not survive. It takes about 2 to 6 weeks for the bacteria to grow. So what should you do? There are several methods of running an aquarium, and that's what you need to do to get your tank ready.
    • If you know someone who has had a tank of healthy fish for more than two months, you can borrow some used filter media from him or her. Keep it wet until you put it in the tank to keep the good bacteria alive. The good bacteria will have a good start and will be able to grow in your tank. If you don't know people with fish, you can purchase several types of live bacteria from a specialist aquarium store near you.
16. Slowly add fish. If possible, do not add more than 1 to 2 smaller fish per 40 liters of water. For the first week, give them a very small amount of food every other day. This is not cruel. Remember that you can kill the fish if you feed them too much now. If you have your own test set, you can test the water daily and pay particular attention to the amounts of ammonia and nitrite. If these amounts become too high, replace 20 to 30% of the water. Never replace more than 30% of the water at this stage or you risk killing the good bacteria. Always use water without chlorine. After a week you could add a few more fish and repeat the process. If you don't run into any problems, you should have a stable tank within 4 to 6 weeks. When your tank is stable, you can feed the fish regularly and add fish whenever you want. Keep in mind that the tank can become unbalanced if you add a lot of fish at the same time, so be careful. Don't forget that you can only add a limited number of fish per liter of water. This number depends on how big the fish are and what their eating habits are.

Tips

• Remember that you bring live animals into your home to care for and it is not a good idea to disregard their needs. Make sure you have enough money and time to have an aquarium.
• Before you buy fish, research the fish species of your choice. Never make an impulse purchase, but research the fish at home so you don't buy fish that don't suit you.
• When buying fish, make sure you take into account how big they will eventually grow. Make sure the tank is big enough for them when they are adults.
• A larger aquarium is easier to stabilize than a smaller one. You will find that a larger tank is easier to chemically balance than a smaller one. An aquarium with a volume of less than 40 liters is often more difficult for a beginner to maintain. If you are a beginner, unless you want to keep a single Siamese fighting fish, buy a tank with a capacity of at least 20 liters.
• Don't forget to keep adding good bacteria to your tank every week.
• Fish like the Siamese fighting fish cannot be kept as a group because other fish can eat their fins while swimming. They also fight with cichlids and other labyrinth fish.
• Make sure to rinse ornaments such as stones and wood well before putting them in the aquarium.
• A fishbowl with goldfish can be called cruel. Goldfish grow to be at least 20 inches long and can live to be over 15 years old. They need an aquarium with a filter. This is certainly not a good fish for beginners. For 1 goldfish you need an aquarium with a capacity of 75 liters, plus 40 liters for each additional goldfish.
• You can keep Siamese fighting fish as part of a group, but do research which fish are suitable for this species.

Warnings

• Don't believe everything the person selling you the fish tells you. Always research beforehand what reputable aquarium specialty stores are. Be careful if you go to a place other aquarium owners say is unreliable.
• Before you buy fish, look at how they behave in the aquarium they are in for at least 15 minutes. Watch for signs of stress and illness. You are asking for trouble when you put a sick fish in a new tank.
• The bigger the tank and your fish are, the more important it is to turn the tank. So make sure this is done correctly.

Necessities

• Aquarium
• Heating element (or more than one, depending on the size of the aquarium)
• Filter (or more than one, depending on the size of the aquarium)
• About 250 grams of gravel per liter of water
• A closet
• Aquarium thermometer
• Test set (ammonia, pH, hardness, nitrite and nitrate)
• Lid and lighting
• Water treatment agent
• Patience