Now that you have made a dedicated decision to keep and raise Tropical Fish, I have found this to be the best way to set up that first aquarium.
The Aquarium
Whether you purchase your first aquarium as a complete kit or just the tank itself, the first thing that needs to be done is to wash out the inside of the tank. If the aquarium is of a size that is easily handled (5 gal. to 30 gal.), carefully put the tank in the bathtub. Wash the inside and outside ONLY with salt. CAUTION: Never use any form of soap, detergent or bleach to clean the aquarium, the gravel, the filters, the ornaments or the hood. If any soap or bleach is used, the residue will be absorbed by the aquarium sealer, gravel and cling to the surface of ornaments, filters and hoods and will leach back into the water and kill all the inhabitants. You can use papertowels, or a new sponge that has never been used to wash the surfaces. It is a good idea to have a new bucket, siphon hose, metal strainer, sponges, filter brushes, etc. just for aquarium use. Rinse all the surfaces of the aquarium and dry throughly.
The Stand
There are many sizes, types, and manufacturers of aquarium stands. For your first aquarium, use a rod-iron metal stand made for aquariums. Do not set an aquarium on a TV tray or anything else that is flimsy or wobbly that will not support the weight. Remember, 1 gallon of water weighs 11 lbs., therefore a 5 gallon tank with just water in it weighs 55 lbs. Add gravel, filter, ornaments, hood and the weight of the tank itself, and now you have about 70 lbs. Always use an aquarium stand made for aquarium use.
Because no floor is perfectly even, it is a good idea to have a few small square pieces of cardboard to place under the legs of the stand to even it up. Use a level when setting up the stand and place the appropiate number of cardboard squares under the stands legs until it is even. Don't place the stand tight to the wall. Leave at least 3 inches between the stand and the wall. This is done to provide room for an outside power filter.
The Gravel
Whatever color or style of gravel you use, it will have to be rinsed to remove the sediment. This is where you will use the metal strainer. Put just enough gravel in the strainer to fill it 3/4 of the way to the top. Rinse under a steady stream of water, like from a bathtub faucet. Have a bucket underneath to catch the sediment. Dump the washed gravel into your aquarium bucket, and when the bucket is 3/4 full, dump the gravel into the aquarium.
The Filter, Heater and Hood
Whatever type of filter you use, if it takes charcoal, then the charcoal will have to be rinsed to remove the sediment and dust. Assemble all the filter pieces per the instructions after they have been washed, and place the filter inside the tank or on the outside.
NOTE: To save money, instaed of buying those small 1 oz. bags of filter fiber, buy a 20 oz. bag of polyester fiberfill from any department store. It is essentially the same material as the aquarium fiberfill, plus it is cheaper and there is enough in a 20 oz. bag for 1 year of filter changes.
Wipe down the heater tube and hood surfaces. Fill the aquarium with water 3/4 full. Do not plug in any of the electrical devices until the aquarium is 3/4 full of water. Install all the devices. Put in any ornaments and plastic or real live plants. Top off the aquarium with water; but don't over fill.
Your aquarium should be set-up and looking like you want it to look. The filter, heater and hood should be plug-in. Everything is now ready for the fish.
But before you can add fish to the tank, the gravel has to be "seasoned"; this means that the gravel must establish a colony of anerobic bacteria. This bacteria is beneficial in breaking down fish waste and excess food found in the gravel. There are products available that can be added to the water that contain the anerobic bacteria. One such product is called Biozyme. There are many others, so check your local pet shop. Once you add this product or others like it, let the water age 1 week. Then add 1 or 2 fish at a time, waiting 3 - 5 days before adding any new fish. If you fill the tank with fish right away, the anerobic bacteria will not be able to keep up, and you will notice the water turning a cloudy white. This cloudy white water is caused by a bacterial bloom. Don't be concerned as this will go away in 1 to 2 weeks.
Once the tank has become established, perform regular maintenance every week; changing the filter fiber, 50% water changes (use the siphon hose), and removing any algae on the glass.
Here are the addresses of two mail-order aquatic firms that have catalogs containing everything from filters to foods to plastic plants and everything in between. I have ordered from both of these firms and I highly recommend them.
Pet Warehouse - P. O. Box 752138 - Dayton, Ohio - 45475
That Fish Place - 237 Centerville Road - Lancaster, PA - 17603
