A tank full of lively tropical fish can be a thing of beauty. The vibrantly colored fish and the silent way they glide around in the water can make it the focal point of any room. Watching the fish swim while the filter quietly gurgles can be a very relaxing experience. However, if proper care is not taken of the fish and the tank itself, it can very quickly turn into an eyesore that still attracts the eye but now for all the wrong reasons. Here are some basic guidelines to tropical fish care that will help you get started.
Now that you have decided that you want to set up a fish tank, what are the things you need to make that happen? Obviously you will need a tank. The size and shape of that tank is entirely up to you, but keep in mind that the larger the tank the more it will cost to set it up. There are a multitude of choices as to the types of decoration and fish to put into the tank but there are some things that you simply must have. They include gravel, a filter, a heater and a light source.
Take your time when you decide on the color and type of gravel you would like. It will be the single largest thing seen in your tank so you want to be sure to get it right. Think about the room you will be placing it in and the overall theme of the tank. In a child’s room, you may want brightly colored gravel while in a living room, you may want to go with the more muted, natural colors.
Filtering systems come in two basic types: those that are placed under the gravel and those that hang on the outside of the tank. Both are equally effective at cleaning the water. Some feel that the one placed under the gravel is a better choice because it cannot be seen, but they are much harder to maintain than the ones on the outside of the tank. In some cases, especially if the tank has many fish in it or is particularly large, you may find that it takes both types to keep the water quality high.
In order to keep your fish healthy, you will need to keep the water temperature around 72 degrees. A heater with a thermostat built into it is the best way to accomplish this. Tanks that are twenty gallons or below can be regulated with a single heat source. Bigger than that you will probably need two heaters placed at opposite ends of the tank.
Light fixtures often come as part of the tank’s hood. These hoods are designed to cover the entire top of the tank. This will keep the fish in and everything else out. You will have a choice of incandescent or fluorescent light fixtures. Fluorescent may be the better choice. The light bulbs last longer and they do not add any additional heat to the tank.
Once you have purchased everything that you need to get started, it is time to set up the tank. Do this where you intend the tank to stay because a tank full of water is very heavy and difficult to move. Turn on the filter and the heater and leave it to run for several days before adding fish. This will give you time to get the temperature just right and allow any chemicals that may be harmful to you fish to be filtered out.
Finally you are ready to add the fish. When you bring them home it is important to let the bags sit in the tank water for at least fifteen minutes before releasing the fish. This will give the fish a chance to acclimate to the temperature of the tank gradually. Now you can release them and enjoy their quiet grace as they move around the tank.
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