A novice aquarist can have many questions about starting an aquarium.
There are a lot of variables and room for error.
This page is dedicated to helping answer those hard questions and help you make those difficult decisions.
If you need help or have a question please leave a comment and I will get back to you with in a day.
Deciding on a Fish Tank and Supplies
When starting a new fish tank, an important thing to consider is tank size. If your starting an aquarium for the first time a bigger tank is better. Starting with a bigger tank will save you a lot of trouble in the long run. Bigger fish tanks provide more room for the fish and error. With smaller fish tanks the pH is easier to maintain. Also once the tank is established the bigger fish tanks are easier to maintain. At least a twenty-gallon fish tank is suitable for a novice.
Different Types Of Aquariums
Quarter Cylinder Aquarium Pentagon Aquarium
Keep in mind the inch per gallon rule when buying fish. This rule insures that your fish have enough space in the tank and good to follow to avoid overcrowding. For every inch of fish there should be at least a gallon. If you have a twenty-gallon tank then you can have two ten inch fish, or five two inch fish, any combination of fish as long as the inches of fish do not exceed the gallons of water the fish tank holds.
There are many styles of tanks such as hexagonal, pentagonal, cylinders and even in the wall aquariums. The easiest to maintain is the rectangular style since the edges are minimal. If you have a bigger tank you may need more maintenance items such as filters, heaters and lights.
There are many different types of filters some common styles are: power filters, Bio wheel filters, internal filters, and under gravel filters. Power and bio wheel filters are probably the most efficient and easiest filters to maintain. They hang over the side into the tank and have cartridges that have to be changed about one a month. The under gravel filters have their benefits and drawbacks. They are an older style filter and are placed at the bottom of the tank under the gravel. They do not have cartridges that have to be changes monthly but can get gummed up and have to be taken completely out to clean. They also usually will not clean as well as a power or bio wheel filter but can be made at home and are cheaper.
Common Types Of Filters
Power Filter Bio-Wheel Filter Under-gravel Filter
Usually heaters are fairly the same, submersible heaters are the way to go. Usually it’s a good idea to have two heaters in the tank so that if one breaks you have another going so the fish have a temperature that they can survive in. Lighting is important if you have live plants in your aquarium so they can flourish. Most lids for the tanks come with a standard fluorescent bulb, but brighter bulbs are advised for optimal lighting for aquarium plants. Lastly, any décor and extra utilities like bubblers can be added for look and to help the fish have a happy and secure habitat.
Aquarium Heaters and Lights
Submersible Heater Lighting Fixture
Types of Freshwater Fish For a New Aquarium
There are many types of fish for a community tank. Take a look at some pet stores and find the fish you like best. Here are some suggestions:
Breeding Fish:
Fish great for breeding are: guppies, moons, swords and mollies. These types of fish are livebearers and can produce large spawns. There are some drawbacks to raising livebearers. Even though they may produce many babies, an overpopulated tank can lead to overcrowding. These fish also may not get along with angels and gouramis.
Breeding Fish
Blue Cobra Guppy Neon Swordtail Black Sailfin Molly
Schooling Fish:
Schooling fish like to stay in groups and are usually more timid. The more you have in your tank the more secure they are. Do not buy just one schooling fish. The minimum you should buy is probably three, but a safe bet is at least five. The more of the same type of fish the better. Some types of schooling fish are barbs, tetras, and danios. Some varieties of barbs are: Red Line Torpedo barb (Pintius denisonii), Rosy barb (Pintius conchonius), Black Ruby barb (Pintius nigrofasciatus) and the Tiger barb (Pintius tetrazona).
Schooling Fish
Zebra Longfin Danio Albino Cherry Barb Gold Neon Tetra
Cleaning Fish:
So algae does not become too abundant in your tank it is a wise decision to have a few fish that eat the algae. Here are some suggestions: Cory catfish (Corydoras hastatus), Plecostomus are great alage eaters. A personal suggestion is the Albino Bristlenose Plecostomus, they are very good cleaners. The Chinese algae eater is not recommended it does not eat very much algae and sucks the slime off other fish that is essential for their health. Some varieties of catfish and Cory catfish are: Bristle-nosed catfish (Ancistrus sp.), Shark catfish (Arius seemani), Adolfo’s cory (Corydoras adolfoi), Albino cory (Corydoras aeneus), Peppered cory (Corydoras paleatus), Panda cory (Corydoras panda) and the Three-line cory (Corydoras trilineatus).
Cleaning Fish
Zebra Pleco Panda Cory Gold Nugget Pleco
Cichlids That Work Well With Others:
Some other good community fish are Angels, Kribensis and rams. They work in well with almost all other fish.
Cichlids That Work Well With Others
Banded Multifascia Angelfish Albino Kribensis Bolivian Ram
Cichlids:
Cichlids are not recommended for a beginning fish, the need a lot of room and are very territorial. They are egglayers and will protect their eggs at all costs. Also they like to dig a lot, they are quite amusing to watch when digging. Cichlids will usually beat up or kill other fish in the tank. Some varieties of cichlids are: Agassizi’s dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma agassizii), Macmaster’s dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma macmasteri), Salvin’s cichlid (Nandopsis salvini), Lyretail cichlid (Neolamprologus brichardi), Lemon cichlid (Neolamprologus leleupi), and the Bumblebee cichlid (Pesudotropheus crabro).
Cichlids
Orange Pike Keyhole Cichlid Managuense Cichlid
Snails:
Snails can be very useful and also very pesky. Snails will clean up your tank there is no doubt about it, but multiply like crazy and are very hard to remove once they have multiplied.
Snails
Bumble Bee Snail Olive Nerita Snail Japanese Trapdoor Snail
Bettas, Gouramis:
Bettas love to fight each other they should be refrained to one per tank. Gouramis are the cousin of the betta, but be advised they can vary from an inch to a foot long.
Bettas and Gouramis
Flame Dwarf Gourami Twin Tail Betta Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami
Decorating an Aquarium
The best part of owning an aquarium is decorating it however you want. Decorating an aquarium can be fun, but the decorations still have to be suitable for the fish. Fish feel more secure with more hiding places. If you have only a few decorations in the tank the fish will feel unsecure and not swim around the tank as much. If you have lots of hiding places then you will not be able to see the fish very often. There is a balance that you must find for a happy, healthy tank.
The first step to decorating the tank is the needed fixtures needed in the tank. The tank first needs the filters, depending on your size of tank, depends on how many filters you have. Depending on your lid, most lids have a place cut out for the filters to conveniently fit into, and if not you can cut a make shift hole in the lid for the filters.
If you do not have a lid on your aquarium, then I suggest investing in one. A lid provides more security for the fish so that things do not get into the tank. Also a lid helps regulate the temperature in the tank. Most lids have lights and, which are very beneficial. If you can, invest in a lid with a light, most aquarium tanks come with a standard lid with a fluorescent light.
Plants are a key point for an aquarium. Either fake plants or real are suitable. Fake plants are a lot of less maintenance and will not get chewed up by hungry fish. If you have real plants a high florescent light is required for the plants to survive and grow. Make sure that your tank has enough plants so the fish can hide, but so that you can still see the tank.
Rocks, and fake caves and décor are also great for aquariums. A few hiding spots, for the fish to hide is good. When choosing rocks for the tank make sure they are suitable and do not dissolve or give off bad minerals to harm the fish.
Heaters are necessary to control the temperature of the tank so the fish stay alive. Placing submersible heaters in the back of the tank is preferred. Also it keeps them out of the way of the fish.
Gravel or sand is vital for the fish to have a similar habitat that they are use to. Smaller gravel can be a hassle and huge gravel can engulf many things. Medium size gravel is suggested for most tanks. If you have marine fish then sand is suggested, but can be hard to put many decorations in, such as plants.
When it comes to decorating your tank keep these tips in mind do make a tank a good living environment for the fish. The accessories and décor for the fish tank are great but keep in mind to not forget about the essentials such as filters and heaters.
Getting Your Aquatic Pets Home
Whether it’s your first aquarium or you are an expert aquarist, bringing fish home from the store can be a tricky task for everyone. Getting your fish home safely can be easy or very difficult. With a few steps your fish can arrive home and be happy and healthy. The distance to get your fish is a big factor in getting your pets home safely. Longer distance can cause hardships for the fish and yourself.
If you live far away then planning when and how you get the fish home can be vital. If you cannot get the fish home right away you might consider investing in a small plastic transporting tank. A tank can help the fish feel more safe and they will have airflow in the tank.
Leaving the fish in the bags they come in is ok, but not suggested. The bags have only a certain amount of water and the fish ca survive for a small period of time in the bags. Moving the fish to a different container is highly helpful.
One of the biggest mistakes many people do is to leave the fish alone. Leaving the fish alone can cause many problems; they can die, spill out of the bag, overheat or freeze. The best decision is to keep the fish with you at all times until they are home in your tank.
When the fish are home the last step to establishing them into the new tank. Floating the bags in the tank is a key point to make sure the fish do not go into shock when they are released into the tank. Float the bags in the tank for around thirty minutes so the fish can get used to the temperature of their new habitat.
Following the steps put forth in this article will save you a lot of time and money. Being careful can help your hobby in being an aquarist and can also make it more pleasurable. Tips and tricks are very helpful and can be acquired easily and quickly until you are an expert.
Filling Your Tank
Water evaporates very quickly from your tank. Your tank may be big or small; still water evaporates and must be replenished. Everyone is busy, but taking care of your tank is still vital. The bigger your tank the less the water will effect the condition of the tank. If you have a smaller you might have to be careful how much and what kind of water you replenish your tank with.
Many fish such as Cory cats and neon tetras can only live in a certain range of hard water. Hard water is water with more minerals and can harm some fish. There is a solution that can be purchased to clean the water if it is hard, but is best used only when first filling your aquarium for the first time.
Before you regularly change your tank’s water they type of fish your own should be assessed. If you have a variety of fish that cannot live in hard water it is best if you fill your tank with just soft water. Having a little bit of soft water can be good for the fish. Fill the tank with a fifth of hard water and the rest soft.
Filling your tank regularly is very good for the cycle of water. The fish get fresh water twice a week will increase their health. Fill the tank after the waterline recedes to an inch below the lid. When you fill the tank do not fill it above the lid cap. If you fill the tank water too high then the air will not flow and the fish will not get enough oxygen.
Not everyone may know how to find out how to get water that is soft and water that is hard. The trick is knowing where you can find it. If you have tap water or a water purifier then that type of water is soft. Also any bottled water is also soft. Hard water is any faucet water usually. Also hard water is from your hose or outside faucet.
Being able to tell the type of water that you fill your rank with can highly impact owning a fish tank. Also finding the type of fish that can live in different types of water can help you avoid death. Filling your tank regularly can help your fish live a healthy and happy life.
Gravel Sizing
The size of the gravel is a vital piece of the puzzle for your tank. Having the wrong size of gravel can make owning a fish tank a hassle. This can be easily avoided with a few simple steps. The size of the grave usually depends on your tank and fish.
The first thing to do is assess the type of fish you have. Smaller fish can get stuck under big rocks. Bigger fish can move little rocks too easily. If you have fish such as cichlids then bigger rocks are suggested. Cichlids are diggers and can easily move small rocks. Bigger rocks cannot be move by cichlids as easily.
Next, you need to Asses the tank. Do you have trouble cleaning the tank? If you have trouble cleaning the tank then bigger rocks are better. The bigger rocks can be hard to clean because the debris get things stuck under them. Smaller rocks can be vacuumed easily. Bigger rocks have more surface area so algae grow on them faster.
If you have a highly decorated tank then smaller is suggested. The bigger rocks do not hold up décor very well. If you have live plants then smaller gravel is also suggested. Smaller gravel holds the plants upright well. Smaller gravel holds the nutrients for the plants better than big gravel.
Finally, you need to Asses the size of your fish. Smaller fish can get trapped under the big rocks. The bigger fish can move the smaller rocks. Bigger rocks are suggested for bigger fish, and smaller rocks are suggested for smaller fish. Finally, if you do not know the size of rocks to buy, the medium rocks are the norm.
Gravel sizing is simple; a few steps can save you a lot of effort. You only need to ask yourself a few questions. What kind of fish do I have? What size of fish do I have? What kind of algae problems do I have? Is cleaning a tank hard for me? What kind of décor do I have? If you ask all these questions then the gravel you purchase will be perfect for your tank.
Moving The Aquarium
Moving your aquarium can be very easy or very difficult, if you know how to do it the correct way. The size of your tank can make the moving easy or hard. You also have to take in account for the distance that you are moving the tank. With a few easy steps you can make moving your fish tank effortless.
First, you need to figure out how far you are moving the tank. The size of the tank also needs to be taken in account for. If you are renovation or need to move the tank from one part of the house to another, the distance is a big factor in moving your tank.
If your tank is smaller than ten gallons then you will need to empty the water out of the tank to move it safely. To drain the water from the tank, vacuum the water from the tank like cleaning the tank, Leave about an inch of water in the tank so some minerals are left in the tank.
Keeping the fish safe should be your first priority. In any instance the fish should be taken out of the tank before it is drained or moved, If you have another aquarium or small tank for carrying fish in, then I would suggest moving the fish into the extra tank, If none of these options are possible than put the fish into bags, like you would at a pet store. Remember the fish cannot stay in the bags or a small-unheated tank very long because of heat and air.
While you are in the process of moving your aquarium, I would suggest cleaning it. The aquarium has to be drained anyway so why not clean it. When you are cleaning the aquarium, make sure to wash the plants and other accessories well. Soap residue can harm the fish or even kill the fish.
When you are ready to re fill the tank, fill it with the right type if water for the fish. Put all the accessories and plants back before the fish, Make sure the heaters have been going for awhile, so that the tank is to the warmth the fish need. If the water is too cold or hot the fish will go into shock. Float the fish in the water, just like when you purchase new fish, to prevent shock. If you follow these steps then your tank will be happy and healthy.
Pictures From: fishtanksdirect.com, drsfostersmith.com, aquariumguys.com
