Beginners Guide Setting Up A Fish Tank

So you want to set up a fish tank, well the first thing that I will tell you is that you have to be patient and should not jump right into putting fish in your tank. In this article I will be explaining all of the steps to setting up a fish tank for tropical fish only.

You will first need to find out what kind of fish that you want to keep in the tank. This will help you decide how big of an aquarium that you will need. Do some research, especially look into how big the fish will grow, you do not want your fish to outgrow the fish tank.

Some of the things you will need to set up a tropical fish tank will consist of the aquarium itself, a stand for the aquarium, filter pump, heater pump, thermometer, water conditioner, bacteria supplement. Some other additional options you can add to your fish tank would be a lamp, decorations and wall paper for the back of the fish tank.

Now that you have all the items you need next is to set up the stand and put the tank on it. Make sure you choose a good spot that will not be blocking anything you will need to get to later on like receptacles, air vents, etc.

Now that your tank is positioned right it is time to leak test it. Do this by filling the tank up completely with water and let it sit for a day or two. Inspect the surrounding area for any signs of water, nothing is worse than a leaky aquarium, bad for your home and the fish. Once you are sure there are no leaks go ahead and empty the tank.

What I would do next is I will fill up multiple gallons of jugs with tap water mixed with water conditioner, and then I will add bacteria supplement 15 minutes later depending on what the directions day. I will let the water sit for a couple of hours or longer, it is up to you.

Now the tank is still empty so this would be the best time to add all of your decorations and gravel if necessary. Before you add gravel to the fish tank make sure that it is absolutely clean and free of dirt, this is very important. Wash the gravel and decorations with running water multiple times.

Start setting up the filter pump and the heating pump. Add the water solution from the jugs that you already pre-mixed, fill the tank up to about an inch from the top. Put the overhead lamp on if you have one and turn on the heater and the filter pump, you now want to be patient and let the water cycle for a week at the minimum.

Let the fish tank cycle the water for at least one week. After that one week you can add a couple of fish to get the tanks ecosystem in action, but do not add anymore fish for at least 5 weeks. Be patient and your fish will be healthy and live for a long time.

Tagged with: home • pet • Tropical Fish

Filed under: Tropical Fish

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