Aquarium Care

Setting up your first tropical freshwater aquarium can be very overwhelming. But I assure you that it is really pretty simple. Follow this guide and your freshwater aquarium will be ready in no time.

First we’ll need to find a place to put our aquarium. Try to prevent placing the tank in direct sunlight because doing so will promote rapid algae growth, and possible overheating. Alternatively you don’t want to place your tank in a place that gets a lot of cold drafts, such as near a window or infront of an air conditioning vent.

Before you do anything you’re going to need to wash everything you plan on putting in your aquarium with hot water. As stated in the Aquarium Cleaning Guide, you’re going to want to use sponges/brushes that contain absolutely no chemicals.

The Usual Suspects.

Note: Don’t turn on any of these devices for long amounts of time until water has been added to the tank.

I’m going to assume since this is your first aquarium you got a filter like the one pictured below. First rinse out the filter sponge and media place the setup media filter into the filter. Remember: that all filters are different so refer to the instructions provided with the filter to insure that you’re using your filter correctly.

Its recommended that you always use a heater to keep the water around 74, however many will tell you different. But when dealing with tropical fish, you’re definitely making a smart decision for your fish, by choosing to use a heater.

If your tank is 10 gallons or larger I also recommend that you get an air pump. You simply connect tubing between your pump and some kind of air stone. And wire the air stone end into the tank.

Now before you put your gravel in make sure to put your aquarium on its stand or wherever you plan on putting it because the tank is now going to get increasingly heavier. Also before you put the gravel in be sure to wash that off as well, especially when working with colored rocks, because they carry a lot of paint residues. Once you have completed the above go ahead and add the gravel. One pound of gravel per gallon of water is the rule of thumb here, and you’ll need 0.5-1.0 inch thick layer of gravel.

Once you’ve placed your plants, decorations, etc. you can now add the water, trying to keep the temperature right around 74. Now is a good time to add your water conditioners (de-chlorinator, stress coat, etc.) to remove any toxins.

Now go ahead and plug in the filter, heater, air pump, and light.

Let everything run for 1-3+ days before adding your first few hardy fish. Places like PetsMart will test your water for free, try to do this before adding fish to make sure your water is safe. Ask your local fish shop, what their more hardy tropical fish are.