Freshwater Aquarium Tank Setup - Read This First

Where will you put it?

It is important that you decide where you are going to put your new freshwater aquarium tank before you buy it because this will dictate how large it can be or how small it has to be.   Do not put the tank where it will receive direct sunlight because this will almost certainly cause accelerated algae growth.   In addition you should be careful to avoid places where it could be difficult keep the right constant temperature, e.g. near draughts from windows and doors or near radiators.   In an ideal world your aquarium should be situated in a reasonably tranquil part of your house where the fish will not be unduly alarmed by human traffic or noise.

Buying your Freshwater Aquarium Tank and Equipment

Acrylic or Glass?

In general glass fish tanks are cheaper than an equivalent acrylic tank.   Acrylic is not necessarily better than glass simply because it is more expensive.   Each material has its advantages and disadvantages.   The worst thing about acrylic is that it is very easily scratched.   Acrylic tanks have the big advantage that they can be formed in almost any shape.   Glass on the other hand is difficult to scratch but it can break and crack also it is much heavier than acrylic because it has to be thicker.

Here is a list of their pros and cons:

Acrylic

• Easily scratched
• Light
• Difficult to break or crack - children safe
• Can be moulded into almost any shape
• Needs a stand supporting the whole of its weight otherwise it can split with the weight of the water
• Thinner and easier to drill through for filters etc.
• Less distortion because it is thinner
• Can yellow with age
• More expensive

Glass

• Hard to scratch
• Heavy
• Can break or crack - may be a hazard when children are about
• Limited to certain shapes mostly rectangular although bowed fron glass tanks are now available
• More rigid so they can be placed on an open stand
• Thicker and difficult to drill through
• More distortion due to its thickness
• Does not yellow with age so they maintain clarity over a long time
• Less expensive

You have to use ‘acrylic safe’ tools when maintaining acylic tanks because they are so susceptible to scratching.

In summary go with glass if you just want a bog standard rectangular aquarium.   If you want an exotically shaped tank or a very large tank then you will usually have to go with acrylic.

Other Equipment

You must carefully choose the right equipment for your aquarium.   A reputable dealer will help you with this and it is a good idea to build up a good relationship with your fish man.

It is helpful to have some advance knowledge of what is required, basically this means a filter, heater, a lid with lighting, substrate (gravel or sand), backing material and other décor such as rocks, wood and real or plastic plants.   Once set up, you will need additional accessories such as a water conditioner, net, test kits, etc.   

The Golden Rules

• Don’t buy the fish the same day that you buy the tank.   It may be tempting to arrive home with everything you need including the fish but some patience and restraint is called for initially!
• Go for a larger tank if you have enough space and your budget allows it.   Small tanks are often sold as “ideal for the beginner” but this is not really true.   Larger tanks are more stable in terms of their water chemistry, temperature, etc.   Conditions will change more gradually in a larger volume of water, so things are much less likely to go suddenly wrong. A 3 foot (92cm) long tank of around 100 litres/20-25 gallons is probably a good size tank to begin with.
• Preferably place your tank on a tailor made stand, failing this it should be a strong piece of furniture.   Water is very dense, large quantities of it weigh a great deal.   Water weighs 1kg (2.2 pounds) per litre. A regular tank size, say 36×12x18 weighs approximately 110kg or 242 lbs plus the weight of the tank, gravel, lid and decor.
• Once you have set up your aquarium with heating, filtration and plants etc leave it for about a week.   Doing this gives the water condition a chance to stabilise and the good micro-organisms a chance to multiply so that the aquarium is ‘cycling’.
• Apply the rule one inch of fish to each gallon of water and bear in mind that the new fish are probably babies which will grow rapidly.   There are many aquarists who like to be even more conservative uisng one inch of fish for every two gallons of water keeping fish waste levels low.
• Carefully add your new aquarium freshwater fish, do not just pour them in.   Float them in the tank for 20 minutes to allow the temperatures to equalise then add some tank water into the bag for another 20 minutes before finally letting them swim into the tank.

Conclusion

So that’s it.   The first step is to decide where the aquarium is going in your home then it should be clear how large it can be and what it will be made of.   Your home freshwater aquarium will be a success frrom the start if you follow the six golden rules.