tropical aquarium?

Question

i am looking at setting up a new tropical aquarium at home but have no idea where to start. does anyone out there have any tips or know of a informative website i can visit for help in setting up and maintaining an aquarium.

Answer 1

you could go to petsmart.com and they sell starter tanks there and it has just about anything you need in it....it is alot less expensive that way and easier....

Answer 2

If you are going to set up a brand new tank,try a 20 gallon long,easy to get into and clean,enough room for a good variety of tropical fish.
you might want an under gravel filter,thats where the bacteria grow to keep your tank and fish healthy.
Start with gravel wash it before putting in the tank.
make it at least 3 inches deep,for several reasons good bacteria,better for growing live plants.
also have an outside the tank power filter to move water and help keep it clean.
get a PH testing kit the water PH should be about 7.0
Place your filter where you want it to be.
Then add the gravel making it slope towards the sifon pipe of the filter.
Add whatever else your going to want in there and especially the air stones connected to an outside air pump of course.
Time to add water, fill tank and make sure all is working the way you want.
Use the PH testing kit to get the PH about 7.0 ,if you ever run out of raising solution you can use a little bakeing soda.
After your satisfied all is well go and buy some gold fish.
Depending on the size tank you bought 6-12 should do it they will die anyway. Put them in tank,they will provide the waste that provides the bacteria that will keep your tank and the fish you really do want alive.
Let it run that way for a week before adding the fish you plan to keep.
They do have things like AquaSafe that is suppose to make tap water safe,I don't trust it on a new startup but add a little on 2 inch water changes.
Make sure the water temp. is about 80 degrees and check the PH level for 7.0,Don't place the tank near a window that sun shines in grows algae fast.
You should be off to a good start with a nice looking and heathly tank.
sounds like alot but it's worth it,Good luck

Answer 3

Tropical fish keeping can be as cheap or as expensive as you like. Firstly decide on a budget and work from there. Get a big tank, as this will later on be less susceptible to changes in water chemistry. Next decide on your filtration system. Under gravel is nice, but the gravel will get clogged, so it will need a fair amount of maintenance later to keep it clean. I do suggest that if you go for under gravel use a power head instead of an air pump. If you got some spare cash, use an external canister filter then you can clean it with minimal disruption to your tank. If practicality is more your thing, then like me, get a big sponge filter and an air pump. This will make it easy to clean the tank when it gets dirty. The tank need not be bare, you can put plants in small plant pots and driftwood in it too. I keep several species of fish in tanks with just sponge filters, very happily i might add.

Lastly decide what type of fish you would like, and do some research in to what sort of environment the fish prefers, what food it eats and how big it grows.

When you set up your tank, I suggest some sort of starter bacteria colony, like Hagen Cycle to get the filter going.

Answer 4

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?act=idx

GET A BEGINNERS BOOK.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For a general guide, get a huge tank, the bigger the better. You get more choices in fish, more stability, and it works out to be a little cheaper in the long run. A 75 is what i would recommend. Then, see if you are going planted or not, if so go here http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ and here http://www.rexgrigg.com/ In general, a planted tank need co2, 2-4 watts per gallon of good reflected fluorescent of metal halide lights, and a decent 3-4" layer of either expensive specialty substrate, or just plain fine gravel and laterite.

As for the fish, get a good filter. Two is better than one. If you go for a smaller tank than the 75, or 55, aquaclear power filters are great. They are my personal preference over emperor and penguin. As for larger tanks, add a good aquaclear, as well as an eheim canister. This handles bio filtration. As a general rule, 10 times turnover is good, though you can get away with less if using a canister, though a power head is good. Remember, that a hob will lose about a 5th of its flow while an eheim 25%, and others as much as 50%. Ignore the filter ratings, up to x size tank, either of those forums will help you with a good filter size, though the fishforums is better, as it is based on the fishes needs, not the plants.

next, A fish less cycle, though you can get a with fish cycle, it is cruel and harmful to the fish. See here http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861&hl=

Cycling is the process of building up beneficial bacteria to eliminate fish waste. Remember what i said on filtration? Bio filtration is giving a home to the bacteria. By the way mechanical filtration strains out particles, and chemical "purifies" water, and is not necessary. The first form of fish waste is ammonia, which is highly toxic, as low as 0.1 ppm can kill fish. Also, get a test kit. The aquarium pharm master is easy and accurate. Ammonia is turned into nitrite, still toxic but a little better. Around 0.5ppm is very dangerous. PPM means parts per million. Anyway, either of these compunds are best kept at 0. If not while fish are in the tank, water changes. Finally, nitrate appears. This is not really dangerous. It can go up to 100ppm, though best kept under 40. This is controlled most commonly by plants, and water changes.

I've been mentioning water changes a lot. Now to explain them. You should do a 25-50% change every week, though the more frequent the better. Every change gets rid of dissolved organics that even the best filtration cant get rid of. Discus breeder do 90% daily! Anyway, just get a gravel vaccum and start the suction by swishing up and down, or sucking on the end. Vaccum the gravel now too. A python can be used to make this easier, it attachs to your sink and uses water pressure. Dont do changes while fishless cycling though, it slows it down, though while on a regular cycle, you need it daily. After the fishless cycle you need a 80% change.

As for stocking, 1 inch or slim bodied, tropical fish under 4" is a general rule. Try not to go over. With a large tank, certain rules of aggresion and activity can be ignored. Just see what fish you like at the store, return home, and look them up on the web. Also, try to vary the fish. Having all fish that live in the upper regions wont really fill up the tank. Also, get schools. Many popular fish are schooling, and are best kept in groups of 6 of more. Also, some fish are aggressive or nippy, try avoiding them. If you do a fishless cycle, add all relativily hardy fish at once. As a begginer, try getting hardy fish.For a fish cycle, stock slowly, a few additions weekly.

Get a variety of staple food, I like omega one, new life spectrum, and ocean neutrician . Also, get some freeze dried and frozen foods. Also, occasional vegetable,boiled, are great, even for "carnivore"

DO NOT ADJUST pH. This just stresses fish as the pH swings, and gets out of the range they are used to (the pH before the change)

Answer 5

its no longer desirable, you want a minimum of a 25 gallon for the tetra's becasue they favor to stumble on. in case you had a 25 gallon you would possibly want to in good structure all those fish in yet you want room also becasue the platy's will breed and then your tank will be completely overstocked in a 10 gallon. all of them might want to fit in a 25 gallon yet a 10 gallon is slightly to small. even a 20 gallon will be ok yet it really is the least. there are one of those styles of platys jointly with Dwaff which may be good on your tank of there is the traditional ones which get up to 7cm and there is a huge determination of coloures to settle on from. desire this permits

Answer 6

Try www.flippersandfins.net

There are all kinds of articles there for setting up any kind of tank you want (be it freshwater, brackish, or saltwater). There is also a large network of people (including a real honest-to-God doctor) to help if you have any questions or concerns.

Good luck with your new hobby!

Answer 7

Lots of articles to read at Howard Norfolks Aquarticles

http://www.aquarticles.com

Answer 8

ask friends that have fish tanks

if you don`t have any, go to a pet shop with a good fish section.