Setting up a Fish Tank Aquarium

It can be fun to set up a fish tank aquarium but as in all hobbies it pays to do some research before you start. Before you purchase any fish you need to cycle the tank correctly to ensure that there are sufficient bacteria to cope with the waste products of your fish. We recommend a fishless cycling method detailed below.

Choosing the Tank

Fish tank aquariums can be purchased in glass or acrylic. Glass tanks are cheaper, are heavier and occasionally spring leaks. Acrylic tanks are more expensive, rarely leak, come in a variety of shapes but do scratch easily. Acrylic tanks usually last longer than glass tanks.

Fish Tank Shape

Acrylic tanks come in a variety of shapes including cylinder, hexagon, octagon and round as well as the traditional rectangular shape. There are also wall tanks and coffee table tanks. The traditional rectangular shape is still the best however as the water volume to surface area is a maximum giving good gas exchange. For other shapes, with smaller water volume to surface area ratio, maintenance will be higher and more frequent water changes will be needed.

In general buy the largest tank that will fit where you will be placing it and you can afford. A larger tank requires less maintenance and you can fit in more fish without risking overcrowding.

Fishless Cycling Method

Requirements

Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate testing strips

Bacteria culture from an established tank - this can be some filter material or some gravel

Alternatively use a commercial preparation such as Colonize by Dr Foster & Smith or Biospira by Marineland
Unscented ammonia

Method

After adding the bacteria culture to your newly set up tank add 5 drops of ammonia for every ten gallons of water. Test for ammonia. If nothing registers add a few more drop until you get a reading. Continue to add the same amount every day until you can detect nitrites in the tank. Now add half the amount of ammonia daily until nitrate registers on the testing strip. At this point the nitrite levels should start to drop. When they reach zero the tank is cycled. Do a 30% water change and you are ready for your fish.

Choosing the Fish

Carefully research the types of fish that can be kept together. Community fish are those that live peacefully with each other. All the fish listed below are suitable for a tropical community fish tank.

* Guppy
* Horseface Loach
* Lyretail
* Hatchetfish
* Molly
* Leopard Catfish
* Neon Tetra
* Head Tail Light Tetra
* Opaline Gourami
* Platy
* Pearl Gourami
* Harlequin Rasbora
* Penguin Fish
* White Cloud
* Rainbowfish
* Black Phantom Tetra
* Australian Rainbowfish
* Ram
* Black Shark
* X-Ray Fish
* Spotted Catfish
* Blue Acara
* Plecostomus
* Rummy Nosed Tetra
* Serpae Tetra
* Spiketailed Paradisefish
* Blue Acara
* Angelfish
* Black Shark
* Pencilfish
* Cherry Barb
* Black Neon Tetra
* Bristlenose
* Chinese Algae Eater
* Upside Down Catfish
* Bala (Tri-Color) Shark
* Zebra Danio
* Elephant Nose
* Boesman's Rainbowfish
* Black Phantom Tetra
* Flame Tetra
* Dwarf Loach
* Green Catfish
* Dwarf Gourami
* Congo Tetra
* Blue Danio
* Bumble Bee Goby
* Bloodfin
* Glowlight Tetra
* Corydoras
* Banjo Catfish
* Cardinal Tetra
* Flame Gourami
* Giant Danio
* Clown Loach
* Festivum
* Emperor Tetra

Carefully inspect the fish tanks at the pet shop to make sure the fish look healthy and no dead fish are in the tanks. Research the fish you will be buying carefully and check up on their temperature and water quality requirements. Tropical fish will need a higher temperature than goldfish. Some fish are relatively peaceful when young but are bullies when fully grown. Tiger barbs are good examples of these.

Always avoid overcrowding. You will need a larger tank for bigger fish. For angel fish never use a tank smaller than ten gallons. After purchase never introduce fish to an established tank but quarantine in a separate tank for at least a week to ensure you do not introduce disease organisms into you tank.