Setting up an Aquarium
Location:
The first requirement for the location of a fish tank is in an area that
can support its weight. Water is very heavy, about 8 lbs a gallon.
For example, a 20 gallon tank weighs more
than 160 pounds not including gravel or rocks. Once a place that can
support such a weight is found, check that the location fills other
requirements. The tank should be away from direct sunlight, which will
encourage algal growth and can affect the water temperature. Avoid
placing the tank near a window or door where drafts may cool the tank.
Similarly, the tank should be clear of any heating units (stove,
furnace) that will overheat the tank. The tank should be near electrical
outlets and in a location where water changes can be easily made.
Equipment. You will need a
glass or Plexiglas
aquarium with a cover and light, a
power filter - we recommend one with a
bio-wheel, and an aquarium heater. You
will also need a fish net and a bottle of
de-chlorinator, some gravel and ornaments.
A vacuum siphon tube will help with maintenance.
Finally you will need food to feed your fish.
Our staff will help you with the selection. An
extension cord with multiple outlets will also be useful. Take all these items home and
carefully read the instructions on the packaging.
Hang the filter on the back of your aquarium.
Install the heater, but do not plug it in.
Add about ½ inch of gravel to
the tank and a few ornaments to your taste. If you are
adding live plants, add them now.
Fill the aquarium with tap water from the faucet and add the amount
of water conditioner that is specified on the bottle.
Plug your filter into an electrical outlet and make sure it is
functioning. Some filters need priming.
Aquarium heaters. Tropical fish must have an aquarium heater
and a thermometer. Be sure to read all the instructions that come in the box
with the heater. Do not plug in the heater until it is
fully immersed in water. Adjust the aquarium heater until the temperature on the
thermometer is between 78 and 80 degrees f. Don't make big adjustments.
Make a small adjustment then check the thermometer when
the pilot light turns off. Keep repeating this process until the temperature is between 78 and 80
degrees f. Always unplug your heater 10 minutes before you remove it from your
aquarium. You should also unplug the
heater whenever you work on your aquarium, and be sure to plug it back
in after you finish.
First fish for warm water aquariums. Buy
a small number of inexpensive
fish like small Tetras, Barbs, or Zebra Danios. They are hardy, active, and will usually
do well in a new aquarium. Do not add more fish for five weeks.
The fastest way to "cycle" a tank is to use
some gravel or biological filter media from an established tank
or use a nitrifying bacteria culture (like
Eco-Start). Without adding any nitrifying bacteria, the cycling
process can take anywhere from three to six
weeks. After two to three days, fish and plant waste will cause the
ammonia level to begin rising. As ammonia is converted to nitrite via
Nitrosamines, ammonia levels begin to recede. Nitrite levels rise until
a population of Nitrobacters is built up, which convert nitrites into
nitrate. Nitrate levels rise until a water change is preformed.
Make the first water change (50%) after a week, and subsequent 20%
changes every three days for the next two to three weeks.
Less hardy fish can be added after the tank has cycled; when ammonia and
nitrite levels are nearly immeasurable or your
fish look healthy, the
water is crystal clear and smells clean.
More good fish for a warm water aquarium. Here is a
list of more healthy active fish that are compatible with each other. Gold
danios, leopard danios, black skirt tetras, swordtails, mollies, platies,
blue gouramis, gold gouramis, opaline gouramis, plecostomus catfish, and
a red tail or rainbow shark. Tadpoles, ghost shrimp, mystery snails, and
crabs are also compatible and add variety to an aquarium.
Be
patient and go slow in adding fish. Get at most 3 new fish each week. Be
careful not to add too many fish to your aquarium. A maximum of 1 inch of
fish per gallon of water is a good rule of thumb for beginners. So by this
rule, you'd keep 10 inches of fish in a 10 gallon aquarium; for example,
five fish each 2" in length.
Over time your fish keeping skills may increase, and you'll be able
to keep more than 1" of fish per gallon.
Gold Fish.
Gold fish
do better at a cooler temperature. Room
temperature in the 70's is fine if there are not rapid changes. You
might not need a heater if you keep Gold Fish, but a heater is useful in
keeping the temperature constant. If you want to breed Gold Fish, you
will need to change temperatures in a seasonal manner.
Gold Fish Bowl. A fish bowl is suitable for cool water
fish if you are conscientious about 20% water changes each week. You will
need a gravel bottom, but it must be vacuumed for each water change. Live
plants help balance a bowl tank.
More good fish for a cool water aquarium. Fancy goldfish are
available in many interesting shapes and beautiful colors. White clouds,
crabs, ghost shrimp, tadpoles, aquatic snails, and live plants all do well
in a cool water aquarium with goldfish, and all can eat the same food such
as Tetrafin flakes.
Your fish need fresh water. Your fish can’t live forever in
the same old water. Once a week remove 20% of the water from your aquarium
and replace it with fresh,
de-chlorinated tap water. The tap water flowing from faucets
in this area contains chloramines which is a chemical that local water
districts add to the tap water to reduce the amount of bacteria and other
pathogens. This makes the water safe for humans to drink but dangerous for
fish to live in. Always add de-chlorinator to the water you put in the
aquarium. Don’t change more that 20% of the water in the aquarium at any
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Introducing
new fish to your
existing aquarium:
Clean your fish's new home the day
before you purchase your fish vacuuming the gravel with
a siphon vacumn and removing 20%
of the water. Replace the water with tap water treated with a
de-chlorinator.I If you have a pond, be sure
the bottom of your pond is clean and free of debris.
Acclimate the new fish using the following procedure:
-
Feed your established fish just before you add the new
fish. Well-fed fish are less aggressive than hungry fish.
-
Move the ornaments around in your aquarium so the
landscape looks different to your established fish and they will not be
so eager to defend their old territories. This will lessen the stress on
the new fish and give them a more equal opportunity in your aquarium.
-
Keep the lights off in your aquarium for 12 to 24
hours after you've added new fish to allow the new fish to rest and
recover from the trip. It is best to add new fish at
night, if practical.
-
Remove three cups of water from the aquarium and reserve
-
Allow the bag of fish to "float" in the
aquarium for 10-15 minutes before opening the bag to let some tank water
enter. Wait a few minutes and let more tank water enter the bag. The
process can be continued with more delicate species in order for more
gradual acclimation. Net the fish and transfer them from the bag into
the tank.Do not pour the bag water into the tank.
-
Add the reserved water to top off.
It should not shock the new fish if the temperature or chemistry of
the water in the bag is slightly different from the water in their new home,
provided you have cleaned your aquarium, washed the gravel, and added
fresh water on the previous day as described above. Printer Friendly
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Outdoor Ponds
Equipment: Your pond probably comes with some instructions
about how to install it. Carefully read and follow those instructions.
Fill the pond with tap water from the faucet, add some water conditioner,
and wait at least three days before adding any fish. You’ll also need some
floating goldfish food such as Tetrafin flake fish food for small fish or
tetra pond floating food sticks for large fish. Get an 8-inch fish net
with a handle long enough to reach everywhere in your pond.
Pick a good place for your fish pond. You can put your pond
almost anywhere, but not where a lot of leaves or other debris will fall
into it. Or you could cover your pond with lath or screen available at home depot. Ponds use quite a bit of water, so it's
convenient to put your pond near the plants in your yard and pump the old
water from your pond on to the plants.
Good fish for ponds. You have three choices
· Fantails and orandas
· Pond comets
· Koi and butterfly koi
Fantails are less aggressive than pond comets and koi. If you
prefer fantails, do not mix them with pond comets or koi. You can mix the
pond comets with koi, but a good many koi keepers decline to do so because
their koi are often worth much more than pond comets.
How to change water in your fish pond. Change 20% of the
water in your pond at least once each week. Remove some old water from
your pond and replace it with fresh tap water treated with
de-chlorinator. It is important that you do not change more that 20%
of the water at a time. Know how much water your pond holds and measure
what you take out. The water coming out of a pond is better for plants
than the water going into a pond. So your pond won't really use much
water; it will just borrow the water for a while before it goes on your
plants.
If you have a pond that is below ground level, you should get a
water pump and use it to remove the water from your pond. The inlet to
your pump should have a screen so it won't suck up the fish. After you've
removed 20% of the water, refill your pond with treated tap water.
How to clean your fish pond. You should have a 8" wide net
with a handle long enough to reach all parts of your pond. Use the net to
remove debris from the surface of the water and the bottom of your pond.
Part of the natural cycle of your pond will be for organic matter to
decompose, dissolve into the water, and be removed when you change water.
So changing water is a very important part of the process of cleaning your
pond.
How to feed fish in ponds. Feed only floating food that is
specifically made to be eaten by fish in ponds. Food that sinks may cause
problems. Start by giving your fish a small three finger pinch. After
they've eaten all the floating particles, give them a little more.
Continue giving them small pinches and watching them eat. Avoid leaving
uneaten food in your pond. Any food that is uneaten after 10 minutes
should be removed with your net.
If you have trouble with your pond, don't overreact and make too
many changes to fast. This is a good way to turn trouble into much bigger
trouble. So if your fish don't look right, or show unusual behavior, or
you have a fish or two die, don't tear your pond apart. Just start making
a 20% water change each day. You may want to add aquarium salt to your
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