Supplies | Setup | Tank Cycling

Freshwater tanks are much better than Saltwater for beginners. They are easier to maintain, easier to clean, the fish are cheaper, the supplies are cheaper, and the food is cheaper! It's a win-win situation.

Once you decide you want freshwater, you need to decide what type of tank. There are many different shapes and sizes, but for a beginner I would recommend a 10 or 20 gallon tank. When you get a tank, you need to consider it's weight and where you are going to put it. A fish tank will weigh about 12 lbs per gallon, so a ten gallon will weigh around 120 lbs, a 20 gallon will weigh close to 240 lbs. You must have something that can hold that weight, or you have to buy a fish tank stand.

Now that you've decided what tank you want, put it in it's new location. Try to keep it away from windows or the sunlight will heat up the tank (bad) and cause excessive algae to grow (also bad). Once you know what size and where, go here to learn how to set-up your new tank.

Follow these steps after selecting your tank. For help on deciding what kind of tank to get and too see how many fish you can have and how much you tank will weigh, go here. [Top]

Supplies you'll need:

Dechlorinator (Stress Coat® or Am-quel®)
Gravel (enough to cover tank bottom 1")
A filter (ask a pet store to decide what is good for your tank, but get an over the back kind because they work better and are easier to fix/replace if broken)
A heater (preferably a fully submersible one)
A net, medium-sized (or large if you have a tank 40 gal or more)
A hood with a light to cover tank (Fish like to jump out!) Glass works best because less evaporation
A thermometer, either the suction kind or stick on outside king
A PH Buffer. The tank needs to be an exact 7.0 pH for most fish. This is when the water is neither neutral or acidic. The product PH 7.0® will keep the water at that exact pH. If you have a 10-20 gal, this is best for you. If not, you'll need to buy a pH reducer or raiser depending on your tap water's pH.
Fish food like Tetra-Min® for tropical fish (not marine)
Plastic plants and decor for tank. Make sure to have something the fish can hide in.
Water tests. I would highly recommend test for Ammonia, Nitrate, Nitrite, and pH.
[Top]

Setup

Ok, you have everything you need so you're ready to set up your tank!

1) Put your tank in it's new permanent location.
2) Rinse the grave out before putting it in the tank. (Gravel can be too dusty and dirty.)
3) Fill your tank with water till it reaches the black liner on the outside of the tank.
4) Add the dechlorinator as instructions say. Usually it is apprx. one teaspoon per 10 gallons.
5) Attach the filter to the back of the tank but do not plug in!
6) Take some of the water and pour it into the filter until the water pours back into the tank.
7) Now turn it on. It will take a minute or two to start working properly.
8) Hook the heater into the tank but do not plug in. Let it sit for at least four hours to completely acclimate. (If you don't wait, the glass could shatter.)
9) Set the tank temp between 76°F and 78°F
10) After thoroughly washing off the decor, decorate the tank how you want it.
11) Test the pH by either a tester you bought or taking it up to a local pet store that will test it. Adjust the PH to 7.0 with either a pH-up, pH-down, or one to adjust specifically to 7.0. You are done when the pH is correct.
[Top]

Tank Cycling

Ok, now you're done setting up, but you need to wait a while before the tank cycles.

First four days, don't add any fish. This is where the tank is setting itself up. It will begin to cycle itself. This is also good to make sure the temperature is right and everything is working correctly.

Fifth day, Only get one or two fish. You want to get something cheap and hardy. The best would be a Molly, Platy, Swordtail, Guppy, or most other live-bearers. DO NOT get goldfish. Although they are cheap, goldfish should not be kept with fish other than gold fish because they have a slime coating that is bad for other fish. They also like a much cooler environment: in the 60's. If you want goldfish, do all goldfish.

In the Next week, don't get anymore fish. This is where you watch the fish you have to make sure they are doing okay. The introduction of fish will jump start the aquarium biological cycle (which is good, but too many fish too often will overload it). During this week, make sure to feed your fish once a day, only as much as they can eat in that period. [Top]

When the week is over, you can start buying more fish. It will usually take a whole month for the tank to cycle, but you can still buy fish. You should only buy 3 or less fish and wait a week after before getting more again. A tank can handle one inch of fish per gallon and no more, so remember that when buying fish.