Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Setup up a Fresh Water Aquarium

As soon as we hear about aquarium we think it requires lot of maintenance and it is a time consuming task. This statement was true ten years back, things have changed and the equipment’s which are available in the market help us maintain our aquarium lot easier.

Steps required for setting up an Aquarium

1.      You should know how your aquarium should look after it is completed
2.      Choose an Aquarium as per your choice. Make sure to test the tank for any leakage
3.      Type of filters you will be using in your aquarium, type of gravel and plants, heater and thermometer

Basic steps for setting up an Aquarium

1.      Whole procedure can be completed in a couple of hours but need to wait for some time before we add fish to the aquarium
2.      Choose the aquarium as per your requirement. For a starter maximum 12 inch X 24 inch would be sufficient. Make sure you place the aquarium on a stand which is firm and does not shake.
3.      Make sure you place the aquarium away from direct sun light. This will reduce in production of algae in your aquarium. Also keep it away from heating ducts and drafts
4.      Add the gravel, plants and decorations in the aquarium
5.      Place the filter and thermometer. Make sure the filter and the thermometer are placed in the opposite direction (this will ensure that the thermometer gives accurate reading).
6.      Place a plate on the gravel and gently fill the aquarium with water and pour the water on the plate breaking the force of the water so that the gravel will not be disturbed
7.      Switch on the filter and add aquarium water conditioner and treatment
8.      Wait till the aquarium has recycled before adding your fish. You can test the water if it is safe to add you fish using aquarium test kit
9.      Once it is safe, add only two fish at a time
10.  Don’t feed your fish on the first day, probably they would not eat any food on the first day
11.  Let the fish get adjusted to their new environment
12.  To introduce the new fish to the aquarium, let the bag containing the fish float in the aquarium water, for five minutes. After that, add some aquarium water to the bag and let the fish float for five more minutes. This will help the fish to get acclimated to the pH and temperature of the aquarium

More to follow