tips to maintain a fishtank?

Question

I have planned to buy a fish tank.But I have no idea about them.please help me with details about how often should the water be changed,how to prevent them from dieing etc.please.And thank you for your tips.

Answer 1

Since this will be your first lets start at the beginning.

When your at the store you will deed to get the following basic set up.

Tank - at least 10 gallons because the smaller tanks can actually be harder to maintain.

A FLORESCENT hood. incandescent lights can give off a lot of heat and overheat your tank. (not likely but it can happen)

I would suggest a hang on power filter, they are the easiest to maintain.

at least 15 pounds of gravel, (about 1.5 to 2 inches in the bottom of the tank.

an air pump, (not really necessary but if you like bubbles you can get one and an air stone.)

A heater, 50watt for a ten gallon tank.

water conditioner.

A tank stand if you don't have a piece of furniture that you want to use to hold the tank.

2 or 3 plants and a few small decorations, or 1 large one.

You do NOT want to buy any fish at this time because you have to set up the tank and get it running first.

That it for the shopping list. (for now lol)

Now that you have everything home lets set up the tank.

First put the tank on the stand (if you bought one) or on a level, stable, STURDY piece of furniture. ( a ten with deco gravel and water will weigh around 130 pounds.), and make sure it is near an electrical outlet so you don't have to use extension cords.

Rinse your gravel and decorations in clear water (NEVER USE SOAP ON ANYTHING IN ON OR AROUND THE TANK) and place them in the tank where you want them. Now place a small bowl on the gravel to pour water on so as not to disturb the deco, and fill the tank half way.

Now is the time to install the heater, filter, and air stone (according to manufacturers instructions) (Rinsed first of course), after they are in finish filling the tank (remove the bowl), and start the filter and heater. Just make sure to use your water conditioner to get the chlorine out of the water.

You want to let the tank run for at least a day before you try to add fish to make sure the temp is right, and that the filter is running properly.

Now you can get 2 or 3 small fish (no more right now) and put them in the tank.

YOUR WATER WILL GET CLOUDY BUT DONT WORRY THIS IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. their are benificial bacteria that you need in your tank and the water getting cloudy indicates that they are starting to build up. They break down amonia and fish poo in the water and you want them there. It will take them about two weeks to get up and running and after that your tank will clear right up.

MAINTENENCE:

You will need to change 20 to 25% of your water each week. (3 to 4 inches for a ten gallon) this helps limit the amount of amonia and poo in the tank.

You need to change the filter cartridge about once a month, sooner if you get a fishy smell. A healthy tank will have an earthy smell but you will have to be right over the water to smell it. You will learn quickly the diference between a healthy earthy smell and the oh my god something died fishy smell of a dirty tank LMAO...

OK. these are just the basics and I suggest you get a few books on fish keeping, and make friends with the old guy at the local pet shop ( every pet store has at least 1 employee who will know the answers to any questions you may have).

Good luck.
E.

p.s. please forgive the lousy spelling.

Answer 2

One, change the water at least every two to three weeks. Always check for infectious like swollen eyes and don't put a fighter fish with any other type of fish because they are vicious little beasts. Ask your nearby vet for different pills to use or better yet your Petco professional. Good luck.

Answer 3

aardvark has a pretty comprehensive post, one thing I would add to the list of supplies is air line, most air pumps do not come with tubing, so you will have to get a that if you want bubbles in the tank.
As for fish, be sure that you buy hardy "starter fish" for your tank if you plan on cycling your tank with fish. Zebra Danio are very hardy & pretty to look at, and can easily survive he ammonia & nitrate spikes that will occur in the tank as it cycles.
Buzzfly girl also mentioned in her post to research "fishless cycling" If you are not interested in keeping Zebra danio, you may want to give fishless cycling a go.
Good luck!

Answer 4

How an aquarium ‘cycles’
Call it cycling, nitrification, biological cycle, startup cycle, break-in cycle, or the nitrogen cycle. No matter what name you use, every newly set up aquarium goes through a process of establishing beneficial bacterial colonies. Older aquariums also go through periods during which the bacterial colonies fluctuate. Failure to understand this process is the largest contributing factor to the loss of fish. Learning what it is, and how to deal with critical periods during the nitrogen cycle, will greatly increase your chances of successful fish keeping.

The Waste Problem
Unlike nature, an aquarium is a closed environment. All the wastes excreted from the fish, uneaten food, and decaying plants, stay inside the tank. If nothing eliminated those wastes, your beautiful aquarium would turn into a cesspool in no time at all.

Actually, for a short period of time, a new aquarium does become a toxic cesspool. The water may look clear, but don't be fooled, it's loaded with toxins. Sounds awful, doesn't it? Fortunately bacteria that are capable of converting wastes to safer by-products, begin growing in the tank as soon as fish are added. Unfortunately there aren't enough bacteria to eliminate all the toxins immediately, so for a period of several weeks to a month or more, your fish are at risk.

However, you need not lose them. Armed with an understanding of how the nitrogen cycle works and knowing the proper steps to take, you can sail through the break-in cycle with very few problems.

Stages of the Nitrogen Cycle
There are three stages of the nitrogen cycle, each of which presents different challenges.

Initial stage: The cycle begins when fish are introduced to the aquarium. Their feces, urine, as well as any uneaten food, are quickly broken down into either ionized or unionized ammonia. The ionized form, Ammonium (NH4), is present if the pH is below 7, and is not toxic to fish. The unionized form, Ammonia (NH3), is is present if the pH is 7 or above, and is highly toxic to fish. Any amount of unionized Ammonia (NH3) is dangerous, however once the levels reach 2 ppm, the fish are in grave danger. Ammonia usually begins rising by the third day after introducing fish.

Second stage: During this stage Nitrosomonas bacteria oxidize the ammonia, thus eliminating it. However, the by-product of ammonia oxidation is nitrite, which is also highly toxic to fish. Nitrites levels as low as low as 1 mg/l can be lethal to some fish. Nitrite usually begins rising by the end of the first week after introducing fish.

Third stage: In the last stage of the cycle, Nitrobacter bacteria convert the nitrites into nitrates. Nitrates are not highly toxic to fish in low to moderate levels. Routine partial water changes will keep the nitrate levels within the safe range. Established tanks should be tested for nitrates every few months to ensure that levels are not becoming extremely high.

Now that you know what is happening, what should you do? Simple steps such as testing and changing the water will help you manage the nitrogen cycle without losing your fish.

What To Do
The key for success is testing the water for ammonia and nitrites, and taking action quickly when problems occur. To aid in tracking the status of your aquarium, links to charts for logging your tests can be found under the charts section of this page. Each chart shows the danger zones and offers steps to reduce toxins before they result in loss of your fish.

Test for ammonia: Begin testing on day three after adding the fish, and continue every day until the ammonia begins to drop. After it begins to fall, continue testing every other day until the ammonia reaches zero. Using the chart provided, plot the ammonia levels. Should ammonia reach the danger zone, take steps as shown on the chart. If at any time fish show signs of distress, such as rapid breathing (gilling), clamped fins, erratic swimming, or hanging at the surface for air, take immediate action to lower the ammonia level.
Test for nitrites: Begin testing one week after adding the fish. Continue testing every second or third day, until it reaches zero. Using the chart provided, plot the nitrite levels and take steps as shown on the chart if nitrite reaches the danger zone. If at any time fish show signs of distress, such as rapid breathing or hanging near the surface seemingly gasping for air, test for nitrite. If levels are elevated perform an immediate 25-50% water change and test daily until levels drop.

What Not To Do


Don't add more fish - wait until the cycle is completed.


Don't change the filter media - the beneficial bacteria are growing there. Don't disturb them until they have become well established.


Don't overfeed the fish - when in doubt underfeed your fish. Remember that anything going into the tank will produce wastes one way or another.


Don't try to alter the pH - the beneficial bacteria can be affected by changes in pH. Unless there is a serious problem with the pH, leave it alone during the startup cycle process

Water changes should be done 20-25% weekly or when the nitrogen or ammonia levels are high.

Answer 5

Find an article about fishliess cycling or the nitrogen cycle. Before you get any fish, you need to cycle the tank (and the chemical known as "cycle" is no good). If you cycle the tank properly, you won't lose near as many fish.

Answer 6

Air pumps in the tank keep the water fresh, and you wiill not have to change the water much. There pretty easy to mantain, ask your local pet shop for more information

Answer 7

go to some websites and start reading basic/intro articles and read some forum questions/answers related to what you want to know! here are some links to get you started:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/ (go to the freshwater noobie forums...great stuff there for absolute beginners!)


http://www.firsttankguide.net/

hope that helps!

Answer 8

Check this site out, http://www.firsttankguide.net/
It helps with setting up a tank and how to maintain it once you have it set up.

Answer 9

uhm you just have to clean the tank once a week and try not to feed them too much.

hope i helped

Answer 10

pmsl its not rocket science,let me guess your american ?