How to Set Up an Aquarium – So you have all the equipment, but no idea? Before starting anything it is important that you choose carefully where you want to place the tank, make sure that it is level and that it supports the weight of the full tank. Sloping floors can cause undue tension and crack the aquarium glass.
Hard and flat surfaces are ideal. Cabinets are popular and are a requirement for larger, heavier aquariums. For smaller aquariums (30 gallons or less) all sturdy furniture, reinforced with a smooth surface can be sufficient.
Make sure the chosen aquarium position can withstand electrical requirements (lights, filters, and heaters). Is there a PowerPoint nearby? If not, is it possible to hide an extension cord? The less electrical wires, the better. Water and electricity don’t mix well. Keeping your simple configuration with a single powerful card and PowerPoint is ideal.
A list of aquarium equipment is shown below. You may have purchased none or all of the items below. We will cover each item in another detail below the page, including the recommended products.
Equipment Check List
Aquarium
An aquarium of at least 20 gallons is recommended for beginners. The larger aquariums are more morphology appeared.
Aquarium Gravel
Gravel should be course enough to allow or flow of water, but well or enough to stimulate as nitrifying bacteria. Brook stones, thick sands, and glass gravel are excellent choices. Avoid substrates based on calcium and limestone.
Aquarium Filter
Your aquarium filter should be hypolipidemic to turn hair minus 3-5x or aquarium volume every hour. Use the volume calculator below to calculate the gallons. For smaller aquariums, OS filters Hang-on-back are perfect. I recommend you Marineland Penguin power filters for greater flow, reliability and ease of use.
Spare Media Filter
Make sure to have a lot cartridge filter refill cartridges. Ncias more frequently replaced in the early stages of its aquarium. They will mantra your clean and free water from Detrituss.
Heater
A heater is essential to limit the cerebrovascular. Also allows maintenance of tropical fish. Eheim Jager Heaters are expressly regarded as reliable heaters at an affordable point price. Use a calculator to determine the desired wattage and read a page for more information.
Other decorations (such as fake or real plants)
Aquarium Water Proof Kit
A good quality test kit is very important. It will allow you to ride a bike before introducing or fish. It will also alert you to the toxical conditions of the aquarium and keep your tanks two inhabitants. The main test kit of fresh water is a high quality test kit that allows you to test the PH, the river ammonia, make nitrite and make nitrate. Your LFS can test your water, but not whether it is dated or at a distance from your home.
Fish Food
A quality fish meal will result in brightly colored fish. You ESS fish be fed less hair twice a day, bulk buying will provide or better value. Use a mixture of color enhancement flakes and frozen foods to get more variety.
Aquarium Vacuum
The emptiness is the heart of your maintenance team. Go clean the scum and debris from the gravel. This surgery will reduce nitrates and stress, not its fish. You will be like EU and hatred pouring water without ground and empty to get or Python to not spill and never look after.
Fish Net
As fish nets are useful for removing the dead killing plant, or extra food and move your fish alive.
Glass Aquarium Purifier
The glass aquarium purifier is essential. Always give your glass a quick wipe before showing your aquarium to friends and family.
5 Gallon Bucket
Clearing Gravel
Once you have chosen to install the tank it is time to start configuring the aquarium. Take your purchased gravel and pour it into a bucket. It’s essential that you wash the gravel. Many beginners forget to wash the casing well. This may lead to your new tank being cloudy for weeks at the end.
Take a high pressure hose and spray the gravel/substrate directly into the bucket. When the bucket is vigorously filled wash the gravel, moving your hands in a circular motion. After a few minutes, remove the dirty water from the bucket, keeping the gravel at the bottom. Repeat this process 4 to 5 times until the residual water is significantly clearer. Some substrates may continue to cloud the water after cleaning. This is no reason to be alarmed. Fine and silty channels will naturally be established in the aquarium over time. The cleaning process is beneficial in removing dust from storage and transportation.
Substrate Placement
Gently place the cleaned gravel on the bottom of the aquarium. This will help prevent damage to the lower glass and remove any excess thin particles. A smaller spoon or bucket can help in this process. The substrate should then be straightened with your hands to create a uniform base of at least a half-inch thick. It is recommended to form a slight inclination of the back of the aquarium to the front. This gives the aquarium a pleasant perspective and perception of greater depth.
Filling the Aquarium
Fill the tank with a hose, (please note if it is a small tank or if you do not have a shut-off faucet you will need to use buckets).
Use a water-chlorinator after filling. Although there are no fish, chlorine and chloramines can accumulate over time. You will need a high quality chlorinator for the life of your aquarium. It’s a solid initial investment because you’ll need to use it every time you make a change of water. Seachem Prime, API faucet water conditioner, Tetra Aqua Safe & Kent Detox are some of the most popular options and everyone will do an excellent job.
Choosing the correct heater and filter
Choosing the right heater and filter can be difficult. Use this calculator to calculate the required filter flow and the wattage heater you will need for your aquarium.
Filter Material
Gently wipe the filter material to tap or in a bucket. How they were stored in a store or store that contain dust and debris that you do not want in your tank. If your filter contains a bundle of wool charcoal, be careful not to tear it.
Also, wash and clean the rocks and ornaments you will put in the tank. You will be amazed at how much dust and dirt is extinguished, you do not want it in your tank.
Replace the material in the aquarium filter. If it is a drop-down filter, you must manually fill in the Reservoir to start the filter operation. The hanging filters have a handle on top of which allows you to change your flow. For cycling put it to the fullest.
Do the same for a container filter and make sure the baskets are stacked properly and the top is securely locked in place to prevent leakage.
Heating and Lighting
Two heaters are usually recommended but in a smaller aquarium, you can use one if there is a shortage of space. A heater that fits comfortably inside the aquarium is a good choice. Within reason, the higher wattage heaters are better because they will save energy and put less effort on the heater.
Glue the heater to the glass in your aquarium, where there are good water flow and less visibility. Rotate the temperature button anywhere between 74 and 80 degrees (23 to 27 Celsius). An orange light is illuminated while the heating element is active. This will help with the process of cycling.
Choose a suitable light for the aquarium. Put the light on or on the tank and set a timer to no more than 8 hours a day.
Enjoy your tank as it begins the process of building bacteria to support your eco-community!
Cycling
At this point, you will need “cycle ” of the tank. This will promote the accumulation of nitrifying bacteria and it is essential to assemble your new aquarium.
It is important to monitor the aquarium during and after the cycle. This can be done with your own fresh water testing equipment. Most aquarium stores will also test your water for a small fee. If you decide to prove yourself, my recommendation is the Freshwater API test Kit. There is a link to this test kit in the previous checklist. A good quality test kit will be used throughout the life of your tank. It can alert you to the early disaster and is an excellent investment that will end up saving money.
The cycle process will prevent the unnecessary loss or death of the first inhabitants of the aquariums. Please follow the next part of the Guide by clicking on the cycling link.
