What do I need to do to get my aquarium set up and running? I’m glad you asked!
It is really quite easy to get things going. The basics include the aquarium (duh?), the aquarium stand, lights, timer, gravel, filter, heater, water, thermometer, water test kit, food, and fish. Like I said, easy! Really, it sounds like a lot, but it will make sense as we go along.
As I mentioned in Part 1, you should find a good location for your aquarium. The better spots will be away from direct sunlight, which can cause the water temperature to fluctuate and encourage algae to grow. A darker room is better as it makes the aquarium stand out more. It isn’t bad to have it in a brighter room, but the glare will reflect off the glass and make it harder to see the underwater world you are creating.
Do not buy fish the same day you buy your new aquarium. Believe it or not, fish are the very last thing you buy. You will not be buying fish for at least a month after getting your aquarium set up. The tank will need to cycle first, which I will get to later. Your patience will be rewarded with happy and healthy fish.
What aquarium to go with? That is a matter of taste and were you plan on putting it. Do you have space for a large one, or is the best spot in a corner? I mentioned in Part 1 that you need do some research. Go visit your local pet stores and get a feel for the sizes and the prices. The larger chain stores will often have sales you can take advantage of. Very often you might find a kit that includes most of what you need. Most kits will have the aquarium, stand, lights, heater, and sometimes a filter.
You will need some form of filtration to keep the water clear and circulated. I’ve always just gone the cheap route and used a “hang on the back” filter, such as the Tetra Whisper Power Filter. I have exclusively used the particular model in my 55 gallon aquariums. However, this is not because they are awesome, but because they do a decent job and are cheap. The filter media runs just over a dollar per Bio-Bag, and that filter takes two of them. You will be changing them at least once a month.
One reason I keep using that particular model is because I almost always seem to have a nearly full box of Bio-Bags when the filter breaks. The frugal part of me doesn’t want to toss those, so I buy another filter assembly and get things back up and running. The leading cause of failure I’ve found is the motor assembly will lock up. It will hum like it is trying to move, but doesn’t. The motor drives the impeller assembly via a magnet, so water is kept out of the motor. I’ve also had an impeller wear out the bearings and become dislodged. Thankfully you can buy the impeller itself at many pet stores. I’ve also cracked a lift tube were the sections meet up. If you do, there may be an air leak and the filter won’t be able to pull water up the tube.
Most fish like the water to be in the 75-80°F range. Most people do not, so the room is usually cooler than what your fish will prefer. This means you will need some form of heater to keep things comfortable. There are many many heaters on the market, with the submersible type being the most common. I can’t recommend a particular brand, as I’ve had problems with all of them. Plan on buying two of them, and keeping one on the shelf. Usually, the heater will just stop working and produce no heat. I’ve had one heater’s thermostat fail and the heater remained on and nearly cooked my fish. I got lucky. I went to feed them and noticed they were all up at the surface gasping. The temp was just over the 85°F mark on my in-tank thermometer.
Most of the heater failures have been right after I’ve attempted to adjust the temperature of the heater by turning the little knob on it. It has gotten to the point were I just set the new heater at the temperature I want, and I leave it alone. I don’t touch it, bump into it, or anything. They are a failure waiting to happen.
I mentioned thermometer. Yeah, get one and check it often. I used to use a glass one that sat on the gravel in the corner of the aquarium. It was very accurate and did a good job, until one day I broke it while cleaning the gravel. I got all the little bits of glass out that I could find, but naturally, I missed one. The very next day my beautiful Lace Catfish’s belly was cut open and it didn’t last more than a few days before it died. I don’t get overly attached to my fish, but that sure was a nice one. I suggest getting an electronic thermometer, such as this one at Amazon. I’ve never used that particular model, but it gives you an idea what I’m talking about.
You will need some lights and a lid for your aquarium. Usually, these will come with it when you buy a new one. If not, do a little research and make sure the lid and lights will fit correctly on the top of the aquarium. It helps if you buy the same brand as who make your tank, so you know it will fit. Ask a clerk at the store.
The bottom of the tank is just another piece of glass. Your fish won’t generally care about it, unless they are bottom feeders, such as Corydoras catfish. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather avoid having just a box of water with some fish swimming in it. I want to create an underwater world of some sort. Start at the bottom with the gravel. Aquarium gravel comes in just about any color you can imagine, from black to bright pink. The color is really up to you. This is the base of your canvas and will influence the other decorations you will put in later. I like using black or dark brown for my gravel, but that’s because I’m usually trying to recreate a natural scene. The darker colors make the fish stand out more.
I have used aquarium sand in the past, but I’m going to caution against it. The sand particles were manufactured, not natural. The edges of it were very sharp. My bottom feeders suffered fin and whisker damage because of it. I also noticed that it would compact quite a bit and trap organic matter. This would decompose under the sand and would occasionally build up a pocket of very smelly gas. This was not healthy for the fish, or for me, for that matter.
Also, always used something labeled Aquarium Gravel. This stuff is usually coated with a resin of some kind that resists exposing the raw gravel to the water. This will help keep your water chemistry predictable and keep dust out of the water, as you clean the gravel. I went cheap with my first aquarium and used pea gravel from a big box home improvement store. It cost me under $10, so I was money ahead. Right? Well, that stuff was super dusty, even after I rinsed it several times before using it. Any time I disturbed the gravel, the water would get cloudy. I’m also not sure how many micro-organisms I brought into the aquarium when I used that pea gravel. Since it was not coated, I’m sure the water leached some minerals from the gravel. This may have changed the water hardness and pH. I caution against it.
What should the fish habitat look like? How you decorate your aquarium is up to you and your taste. There are tons and tons of decorations you can put in there. Plastic plants can give a nice look. I’ve seen the sunken ships, the treasure chests, the cartoon characters, the glass gazing ball, you name it and I bet you can find it. You can also add a small air pump and put some animated things in there. Even just some bubbles can add an interesting feature. It also helps to keep the water moving, which is a good thing.
I’m going to stop here for now. This post covers the basic hardware needed to get started. I would like you to use this information as a starting point for your research. There are many many websites devoted to the hobby and you should look them up. Your homework is to think about what you want your aquarium to look like. What do you want to see when you look in?
I’m working on Part 3, which will cover the next steps leading up to actually putting fish into their new home.
Fish Keeping, part 1
Fish Keeping, part 3
Fish Keeping, part 4