One Hobby Too Far

In Fish Keeping, part 1 I gave an introduction to the hobby of owning aquariums and keeping fish. Part 2 discusses the primary hardware required to get started.

Let’s start off talking about water. More than likely the water you will be using will be coming right from your tap. This water usually comes from a municipal supply, so is considered safe to drink. This should be fine for most common aquarium fish. For those on a well, we may need to make some considerations (below).

If you have municipal water, try to get the annual water quality report. They are required to test the water annually and make the information available to the public. Note the source of the water. Is it from surface water, such as a stream, river, or lake? It is from underground aquifers via wells? Also note any unusually high levels of various minerals and metals. This information may impact which fish you purchase. (Research your fish!)

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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.

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