Aquarium and stand

Nowadays, aquariums come in all different shapes and sizes.  Take some time to think about where you will position your tank.  Remember that the tank may need space behind for pipes and wires. Also, the tank will need an electricity supply so locate the tank close to sockets.  Generally, avoid placing your tank near sources of noise or heat, such as televisions, radiators or windows.  If placing a larger tank upstairs, be confident that the floor boards can cope with the weight!

If you are buying a tank with the intention of keeping particular fish, do a little research and check that the tank will be big enough to house them when fully grown.  For example, clown loaches may look small when young but will require a tank which holds  in excess of 100 gallons of water!

Bearing in mind the weight of the tank once substrate and water have been added, seriously consider buying the stand which has been designed to accommodate your tank.  This would be particularly important for 20+ gallon tanks.  In addition, a specially designed stand will have space for equipment such as an external filter.

Filter

A filter will be an essential part of your aquarium set up as it will help maintain water quality.  There are two main  types of filters: internal and external.

Internal filters, as the name suggests, will occupy a fair amount of internal tank space.  They are less expensive and easier to set up.  External filters are located outside (usually underneath or hang on to the side) of the tank.  Inside the tank will be two pipes which remove and return water to the tank.

Choice of filter comes down largely to budget and personal preference with regards to the appearance of your tank.  The key thing is to choose a filter which will cope with the volume of water in your tank.

Heater

In order to keep tropical fish, you will need a heater.  There are a lot of different heaters available.  Again, choose a heater which is suitable for heating the volume of water in your tank.  The standard submersible heater sticks onto the inside of the tank and has a thermostat built in so that you can set the temperature (most tropical fish enjoy temperatures between 24 and 26 degrees C) and the heater will maintain a constant temperature.  Another option is an in-line heater which sits in the outflow pipe of an external filter.  This option keeps the amount of equipment inside the aquarium to a minimum.

Thermometer

A thermometer is essential.  It will allow you to monitor the water temperature.  Don’t rely on your heater’s thermostat!  There are many thermometers out there which range from submersible digital thermometers to glass spirit thermometers.  Also available are digital thermometers which adhere to the exterior.  Choose according to personal preference and budget.

Lighting

Lighting is an important factor to consider and will be used for 12 hours every day.  Always use specialist aquarium lighting.  Often lighting is included as part of an aquarium package.  The t8 or t5 tubes should be suitable for most freshwater aquaria.  However, f your aquarium is deep (60cm/24″) opt for something more powerful than t8′s which will penetrate the depth of your tank – consider t5′s or, even better, metal halides.

Syphon and bucket

A syphon is another essential purchase.  You will need to remove roughly 10% of your tanks volume of water every week.  Some fish (such as discus or fry), will require much more frequent water changes – even daily.  A syphon will enable you to change the required amount of water (remember to add a dechlorinator if using tap water or reconstitute reverse osmosis water as appropriate.

Substrate

Most aquariums have a substrate which covers the base of the aquarium.  Choice of substrate can impact on the water quality.  For example, crushed coral will raise the pH level of the water.  However, peat moss will have the opposite effect and lower the pH.  In addition, some fish will prefer a particular substrate.  If you know which fish you will keep, they may inform your substrate decision.  Another factor to consider is plants.  If you wish to achieve a successful planted tank, look into specialist fertilizing substrates.  Finally, consider the visual aesthetics of your tank and your own personal preference.

Water

Quality water is key to happy and healthy fish.  Before filling your tank, consider the requirements of your future fish.  If you live in a hardwater area and wish to keep fish which prefer softer water (or vice versa), tap water may not be ideal.  Reverse osmosis (RO) water can be bought from many fish retailers or produced at home.  RO water has had impurities removed.  However, the process of removal also removes essential minerals and leaves the water with no buffering capacity to keep the pH stable.  An unstable pH is a known cause of stress to fish and should be avoided.  It is necessary, therefore, to reconstitute RO water.  It can be mixed with commercial products or tap water to create your desired pH and added to your tank.  If you wish to test your tap water or reconstituted RO water, choose an aquarium water testing kit.

Good luck with your new tank!

The interior glass of a fish tank can become obscured by algae.  This can be easily removed with an algae scraper.  On a glass tank, use a scraper with a metal blade.

The exterior glass should not be cleaned with conventional glass cleaners as they contain chemicals which can pollute aquariums.  Specialist wipes are available for cleaning the exterior glass of aquariums.  Vinegar and water may be used as an alternative.

Advantages:

Wood will lower the water’s pH level.  As such, it is particularly useful for fish who prefer acidic water (eg angelfish).

Some fish, such as plecos, need wood as part of their natural diet.

Pieces of wood can provide excellent hiding places, prime spawning spots and natural territorial boundaries for fish.

Disadvantages:

Tannins will discolour water, turning it yellow-brown.  This usually fades over time.

It is necessary to soak or boil the wood to enable it to sink.  This can take weeks or even months.

Wood can harbour fish excrement, particularly underneath, which will need cleaning.

Lowering the pH is problematic for fish who enjoy a high pH (eg African cichlids).

1. I carefully positioned the tank (remembering that, when water’s been added, it will be impossible to move!).
2. I wiped the tank with a damp cloth to remove any dust or dirt.
3. I washed the substrate and added it to the tank.  I chose smooth gravel and needed roughly 25kg.  That’s a lot of gravel to wash!  I had some buckets ready so that really helped.  I filled a bucket about  1/4 full of gravel, added water, washed gravel and poured water away.   I repeated this until the water ran clear (maybe four times).  Then, I carefully put the clean gravel into aquarium.
4. I added water (using syphon so as not to disturb gravel too much).  I used Nutrafin Aqua Plus to dechlorinate the tap water.  I also used Nutrafin Cycle.  I’ve read mixed reviews as to the efficacy of this product but decided to try it for myself.  Both Aqua Plus and Cycle are included in the aquarium package (along with fish food and thermometer).
5. It was at this point that I realized that in order to attach the Fluval 205 canister filter I would have to take a hacksaw to my new aquarium.  This isn’t quite as dramatic as it sounds.  The Fluval Roma tank comes with two sections which are designed to be cut to size for filter hose, air pipe, heater cable, lighting cable, etc.  How much you cut out depends on your needs.  For me, cutting roughly half of the cut out section was pretty perfect.  If necessary, at a later date, I can always cut out more.  Although I hadn’t expected to need a hacksaw, the tank is flexible and allows you easy access to add extra equipment (e.g. second filter) to the tank.  Had I realized that I would need to cut out a section of plastic, I would have done it much earlier in the setting up process (before I had even wiped the tank clean). As I’d already filled the tank, I held a cloth under the area which I was cutting to collect any mess.
6. Next, I set up the filter.  Thanks to Hagen’s great printed instructions and step-by-step DVD, it was very straightforward.   Broadly speaking, it comes down to setting up an inflow and outflow pipe, preparing the filter canister and media and connecting the inflow and outflow hoses to the filter canister.  The manual suggested that it would take 30-45 minutes to set up.  Realistically, it took me an hour.  But it was well worth it.  The filter isn’t particularly noisy and is entirely tucked away in the Fluval Roma cabinet (all that is visible are the inflow and outflow pipes in the tank).
7. Next, I positioned the Fluval Tronic heater (included in aquarium bundle) in an area of high water flow.  In my case, I chose to locate it close to the outflow pipe.
8. The Fluval Roma 200 comes with two lightbulbs (one power-glo and one aqua-glo) which fit into the aquarium canopy.  Also, four threaded fittings are included to prevent moisture entering the electrical circuit.  The lightbulbs click into place and the threaded fittings screw onto the lamp-holder fittings..  Apparently, the bulbs need replacing annually.
9. I added plants and ornaments from a cycled tank to promote good bacteria growth in the tank which, in turn, will aid the cycling process.  I also purchased a potted plant collection from plantsalive.com.  The plants arrived swiftly and in good condition but they were unnamed so I’ll have to do a bit of guesswork to figure out what they are!
10. Currently, I’m giving the tank time to cycle and carrying out regular water tests to check on progress.  The key thing seems to be to make it past the spikes before adding fish.  Firstly, amonia will peak and decline and then nitrites will do the same.  When the nitrites have declined to zero, it will be safe for me to add fish  Some people add hardy fish during the cycling process but the spikes will be stressful for fish to experience.  I decided that I didn’t want mine to go through that!