Before you even buy a tank

YOUR FIRST TANK
Before you even buy a tank, you need to ask your self these questions
What’s my budget?
How much space do I have?
Where will the tank be placed?
Will I have the time to give proper
attention to the needs of the aquarium?
(e.g. Feeding, water changes etc)
What kinds of fish do I want to keep?

What size tank should I get?

For freshwater, 10 gallons and up is a good start. I personally recommend 30 gallons and up, but if your budget is limited, 10 gallons will do.

What kind of filtration should I use?

For a small tank (e.g. 10-30 gallons) I recommend getting a under gravel filter powered either by a power head (usually best for 30gallons and up) or a air pump (10gallons and up). There are many filtration options such as canister filters, and wet/dry systems that are not only costly but work best with large tanks.

Where should I put my tank?

Choose a sturdy site that is close to a power outlet (for light and pump cords). If you set your tank on wood surface, be sure to put a ¼ inch layer of cork under it. The cork will even out the surface so the tank will be level.

What happens if my fish get sick?

Most freshwater diseases are curable by remedies you can find at your local pet shop. Later in this guide I will discuss treatment options for common diseases. Remember too that if you keep your tank clean and choose your fish well, you can easily avoid disease problems.

How much time, will an aquarium take out of my schedule?

Once you’ve setup your tank, all you have to do is monitor the Ph and ammonia levels, feed the fish, and every two weeks do a 10%-25% water change.

What kinds of fish are easy to keep and cheap to buy?

Platy
Size: 2-3 inches
Color: Varies from black and red to blues and greens.
Temperament: Peaceful
Price range: Less than £1 each

Guppy's
Size up to 1.2 inch
Color: Lots of different color's
Temperament: Peaceful
Price range: Less than £1 each
Comment: only get all male's or all female's unless you want a tank full they breed readily

White cloud mountain minnow
Size around 1.6 inch
Temperament: Peaceful
Price range: Round about £1-2 each
Comment: Very undemanding fish can be kept in unheated aquariums I've got one in a bottle garden with six White cloud mountain minnow's check the page my fish for picture

Bubble nest cats: my favorite fish
Size: 5-6 inches
Color: Light brown with darker brown spots
Temperament: Peaceful. But may eat smaller fish
Price range: About £3-4 each

More species to come! Check back daily for updates.

Should I plant live plants?
If your intending on tropical freshwater species, live plants are appreciated by nearly all species. For species with delicate fins and scales such as Angelfish and Discus, live plants are a necessity. For species with no special needs, fake plants from your local aquarium supply store will do fine. Over the years, fake plants have becoming more real; some brands even have fake roots!

What kind of gravel should I use?

Only use gravel that is for aquarium use, and always wash and strain it before dumping it into your tank. Your local pet store should carry a variety of gravel types. My favorite is sand it looks so good

HINT'S & TIP'S

If you avoid some of my mistakes, then maybe you might have a better chance of starting off in perfect position. These are some of the hints and tips that have helped me, and some that haven't:

Start off slowly:- Add only a couple of hardy fish to start off with i.e. Zebra Danios be sparingly when you are adding fish to a new tank. The aquarium takes time to adjust to the Nitrogen Cycle , don't rush it. To spare the fish from toxic levels, you can try a Fishless Cycle.

Amount of light in the tank:- 10 - 12 hours is well enough. Some certain real plants can grow in inhospitable environments (Hygros, Vals, Java Fern). If you are really interested in a proper planted tank, supplement CO2/. 2 watts per gallon is generally acceptable to plants which need light/medium lighting. My lighting routine is lights on at 7am then off at 12pm then back on again at 3pm till 9.30 pm the three hour break in the afternoon seems to suppress algae grow some what.

Food:-I started of with three meals a day, but it's fine for the fish to have two meals a day. Or even 1 meal a day, as overfeeding is a common problem with a new aquarist

Water changes:- The crucial element in the changes is to break down the (chlorine.chloramine) in the tap water. This can be done with any good tap water conditioner (TAPSAFE),(AQUA PLUS) these two brand's can also be used to protect scales and fins they add a protective coating to the fish

Illness:- Always check the fish for ailments - If you can diagnose and treat the fish quickly, there's more chance of you saving them. It's always good to have a hospital tank set up any unwell fish can then be placed in this and treated accordingly

Check the filter:- There is a lot of cleaning and maintenance and make sure that everything is running smoothly. Make sure that you clean inside the filter. The impeller is very important, you should clean the impeller chamber at least every 2 months. I check and clean mine in every maintenance session, can't hurt can it?

Use aquarium water:- When you want to clean the filter outer box, foam, impeller etc, you can use aquarium water, to safeguard your bio-filter. If you use unconditioned tap water, every helpful bacteria in your filter can be destroyed.

Watch for the weed:- If you put a plant right next to a pump, it's going do damage to it. Make sure that the flow of water is not right in the path of a plant. If you have a strong powerhead, the option is to use a spray bar.

Electric shock:- The bigger the tank, the more wattage is needed to run the pump, light and heater. So I would advise you to turn off the power before dabbling your pinkies in the water - it could very well cost you your life.

Drip-loop:- Still talking about electricity, allow you aquarium's) cord's) to drop slightly below the outlet and then curve upwards to the plug's). This is the "drip-loop" and will prevent water from traveling down the cord and directly into the electrical outlet.

Overfeeding:- You've just got your new fish, and you want to make sure that they remain nice and healthy - isn't it tempted to give them all the food they can eat and a little bit more? Well don't, overfeeding can lead to all sorts of problems, even kidney failure. Who wants all your platys to end up as fat as puffer fish?

Don't change too much!!:- Your aquarium has been through the wars - dead fish, plants, diseases etc, but things are on the up and it looks like that the toxic levels are reducing. Now, isn't it time to change a foam and carbon insert and why not add some more gravel? Nooooo!! Don't to it. It takes time for the biological cycle to stable, and if you change to many variables it could drastically alter many things - PH levels, water hardness, it could even revert your new aquarium back to its starting point again. Stagger things, never at the same time.

Watch out for direct light:- Bloody algae, doesn't everyone hate it? If you have your aquarium in direct sunlight, then algae will multiply. It may also cause overheating.

Prepare to be disappointed:- When you start up a new aquarium, the first fish are more or less pioneers. Unfortunately, you may lose a few. Don't get too attached to these first few pilgrims, you must just roll up your sleeves and try again.

Bring out ya dead!!:- Your fish will die, from disease or old age, you must take out any dead bodies. If you leave a dead fish that was infected, the others may eat some of the flesh, and that's no good at all.

Yet more algae?:- Now you have got some really tough, sticky, green algae on your glass? Use a replaceable razor for the annoying stuff. Lot's of this stuff can be a sign of high nitrate level's so check it.

Is there a standard water change for everyone?:- In a word, no. Everyone's aquarium is different: Tank size, water condition, stocking level, plant level. Because of that, not every aquariums needs the same water change schedule. The most important thing to consider is Nitrate. As the Nitrogen Cycle finishes, you get a steady rise in Nitrates after a while. If your aquarium has a 40 - 100ppm Nitrate level, then its best to do bigger water changes (30 - 35%), every week. Personally, I use a 15-20% change every week, even though my aquariums Nitrate levels are below 40ppm.

Is your algae eater getting enough food?:- So, you bought a big Bristlenose Catfish, so he could remove your persistent brown algae? And then he vacuumed up the stuff in three days? You can supplement his diet, obviously algae wafers will do well. You can also try with a piece of cucumber - and I find that using a spare air pump hose weight, and a bit of string, keeps the cucumber on the bottom during the night. Don't use it everyday and with massive amounts as it can turn the water a bit cloudy in the morning. Most likely that the Cat will find his own food anyway, so dont think you have to add a wafer every day.