Setting up and Looking After a Tropical Fish Tank Aquarium

A freshwater tropical aquarium can be a fascinating addition to your home that can be both attractive to look at and therapeutic. It will be enjoyable for family and visitors and both children and adults will be enthralled and entertained. For beginners setting up a tropical fish tank aquarium for the first time here are some tips to make it easier for you to make the most of your new fish tank and to keep it healthy and looking gorgeous.

Investigate the different species of fish you will be putting into your aquarium before you go to buy your fish. Make certain you appreciate how big the fish will grow and how many can be easily housed in your tank once they are fully grown. A tank that is overstocked won’t be a healthy tank! Next check the types of fishes that can be housed together. A tank that houses several fish species that can live peacefully together is known as a community tank. Several fish, for example rosy barbs, possibly will be fine when they are very young but grow up into violent bullies. There are numerous fish that can be placed into a community tank including Guppy, Harlequin Rasbora, Hatchetfish, Head Tail Light Tetra, Horseface Loach, Leopard Catfish, Lyretail, Molly, Neon Tetra, Opaline Gourami, Pearl Gourami, Penguin Fish, Platy, Rainbowfish and loads more.

Now that your aquarium is filled with fish here are some tips to make it easier to look after it:

* Do not overfeed - Rotting food left in the aquarium will give off noxious chemicals and hurt your fish. Only add as much food as your fish can finish off in approximately 3 minutes, two times a day. Fish are meant to be hungry the majority of the time and if they do not come to the top of the fish tank when you start to add the food you are feeding them too much!

* Two times a month partly replace the water. Wipe the glass every week using an algae scraper and occasionally take out the rocks and decorations to clean off algae. Don’t remove all the water or clean out the filter, decorations, rocks etc all at the same time. This will remove all the valuable bacteria that you tried so hard to establish initially and cause stress to the fish as the ammonia levels soar.

* Top up the tank when necessary with water that is chlorine free. If you do not want to use chemicals to de chlorinate the water, leave a covered pail of tap water for two days to permit the chlorine to disperse

* For new fish or fish that develop any symptoms you should have a small quarantine tank. Place any newly bought fish into the quarantine tank for at least 7 days to prevent the introduction of parasites and diseases into your main aquarium.

* Carry on testing the water for ammonia, nitrite and pH levels two or three times a week to catch any problems before distress is caused to your fish. If problems start to occur a partial water change can often help without the use of any harsh chemicals.

Finally enjoy your new pets and consider going to a local tropical fish association. Chatting with other fish keeping enthusiasts is a good way to discover more about your hobby.