YOUR FIRST AQUARIUM
Setting up your first aquarium is an exciting prospect with many things to consider. It's important that you understand this is a responsibility. As with any pet, a fish tank requires constant care and commitment. You will need to preform regular maintenance on your new tank.
Water changes once a week, feeding your fish daily, turning your lights on and off and so on. Running an aquarium can also be costly. You will be replacing filter media, buying food and fish, and other items that may wear out in time.
The very first thing you must think about is what fish you would like to have. Choosing a fish that is recommended as a beginner fish is your best option. A good size beginner's aquarium would be a 20 gallon. This gives you a little leeway in fish choices but not too big to be overwhelming. Then you will need to decide where you are going to put the aquarium in your home. It's always best to have the tank on an inside wall away from direct light coming in from a window and not near a heat source such as a register as this could play with your aquarium's temperature. You will also need to have a sturdy stand that will hold the weight of your aquarium. To determine the weight of your aquarium the simple rule of thumb is 10 lbs per gallon.
I recommend making yourself a list of everything you will need in setting up this new aquarium. Purchasing a complete kit would be the easiest option for a first time fish-keeper.
Aquarium
Heater
Filter
Lights
Lid
Thermometer
Next you will need the maintenance items.
Sponges
Scrub pads
Tank brush
Vacuum
Nets
Now comes the fun part. The setup you chose and how you want to decorate your aquarium.
Gravel
Fake or real plants
Decor items - shells, sunken ships,
Rocks
So now you have everything you need and are ready to get to work setting up your first aquarium.
Anything you intend on using in your aquarium must be rinsed including the tank itself. Do not use soaps or detergents of any kind as they can leave residue that will be harmful to your fish. You will only need a sponge and a bucket of nice warm water. Wash it down a couple times and drain it.
Next, wash your chosen substrate. Whether you decide on gravel or sand it will need to be rinsed free of any little particles or dirt. Using a 5 gallon pail and a spaghetti strainer will make the job easier. The amount of gravel you will need will be recommended on the bag. However if not, for this size of aquarium, you would be fine figuring 1 lb of gravel per gallon.
While you are busy washing items you may as well give all the items on your list a good rinse. Plants, decor, heater and filter. Remember, All things that will make their way into your aquarium should be rinsed with clean water before use.
Now you have your aquarium on the stand in the location you have chosen. It's time to add the substrate. The plants and decor can be added next. Once you are satisfied with your scape you can begin to fill the aquarium with fresh water. Setting a small plate in the aquarium you can pour the water in slowly onto the plate so it doesn't disturb your scape or substrate too much. When filling the aquarium you will need to condition your water. There are many conditioners to choose from, complete with clear directions for use. This is important because it will neutralize any chemicals found in your water that are harmful to your fish. At this point don't fill your aquarium completely as you will still need to work on the inside and don't want to overflow the water.
Now you can add your heater but don't plug it in. It's important for the heater to adjust to the water temperature before being turned on or it could crack. Setup your filter with it's media and you can plug it in. Now you can complete the filling process. I like to keep my aquariums filled to just above the black frame or an inch from the top.
Add the hood or lid, lights and then check all your plugs. By this time you should be able to plug in your heater. Anytime you have a plug near water using a drop loop for safety is recommended. Plug your cords into a power bar and turn it on.
Now comes the hardest part of setting up your very first brand new aquarium. You have to wait and wait and wait and then wait some more. Your aquarium must run through a cycling process before you can safely add fish. There are ways of speeding up this cycle but no matter what, it must be completed, before adding your new fish. There are many articles online to help you through this process called the Nitrogen cycle. The cycle can be completed in 21 days which will seem like forever while waiting.
Once the cycle is complete you may start to add your fish. You will only be able to add a couple fish at a time so the filtration system can accept the extra bio load that is being produced by the fish. By bio-load I am referring to bits of food leftover, fish waste and anything else that dirties your water.
When you bring your fish home from the store it's best float them in the aquarium for 15-30 minutes to let them acclimate to the temperature of the tank. Next you can set your net over the lip of a pail and pour the fish and water through the net. It's important that you never add the water from any other source than your own to your aquarium. Now you can take the net and let your fish go in their new home. This is called the plop and drop method. Try to avoid touching your fish.
Allow your fish to check out their new home for a day before feeding them. They will have experienced some stress and will probably not eat right away anyway. Give the tank a couple weeks and you will able to add your next fish.
Your new adventure has just begun. Welcome to the wonderful world of fishkeeping.