Setting Up an Aquarium With Plants
When you add plants to a freshwater aquarium you are actually creating a miniature underwater environment that copies the original pretty close. Setting up a planted aquarium is a great hobby to get into and if you add fish, this will aid them in their survival. What is the key to success?
Here is some advice that will aid you in doing that. The success of an aquarium that has plants starts from the bottom. What I mean by that is you will succeed if you have good substrate. A good substrate will allow your plants to root well and if you choose a substrate that has a good level of iron, this will cause the plants to thrive.
Fish need to have stable water chemistry to survive and so do plants. If you choose plants that require the same ph and kh levels as the fish you are going to put in, then you should be ok.
You will also want to consider adequate lighting. Too much light will cause an outbreak of algae, whereas insufficient lighting can hinder growth of both your fish and plants. You will need to make sure that the lighting you choose is sufficient for you tank environment. In real life, the sun does not shine 24 hours a day, nor should your lighting be on 24 hours either. And the opposite of that fact is true as well.
It is best that you add your plants before adding any fish, but if you do have fish already, then you may want to put them in a separate tank until the plants adapt and adjust to the tank. After this takes place, you can then add them back in.
Constant monitoring of the water is going to be needed to make sure that the plants are getting enough of what they need, and that they are not leeching anything dangerous into the water to harm your fish. Sometimes plants need additional nutrients to help them grow, but only add chemicals if it is absolutely needed.
Keep an eye on your plants and if you have setup your aquarium correctly you will enjoy them and your fish for a very long time.
Showing posts with label How to Setup Aquarium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label How to Setup Aquarium. Show all posts
Saturday, February 20, 2010
How to Setup a Freshwater Aquarium
Setting Up a Freshwater Tank
It is good to see that you are interested in the hobby of setting up a freshwater aquarium. Proper setup will ensure that all the creatures that reside in your aquarium will thrive and survive. Saltwater tanks are a little more difficult to set up than a freshwater one, so it is good to see that you have chosen the easier one.
The first step that you want to do is decide where you want to place your aquarium. Once you have chose the location for your aquarium you will then want to choose the size of the tank and the stand that it will be placed on. Make sure that the stand will be strong enough to hold the weight of your new tank. It would be horrible if the stand collapsed because it was not strong enough!
When you buy an aquarium, whether it is glass or acrylic, it comes dirty. Before you add anything to your tank make sure you clean the tank. However, soap is not a good choice to clean it. It is best to just use warm water and a rag.
The items that you will need to properly run your freshwater aquarium include, a good filter, a lighting system, and a heater. You don't need to have the best or most expensive equipment, but it is important that you have the necessary things to keep your tank running smoothly. Additional research may be needed to pick the right equipment if you are not familiar of them.
If you are going to want to place decorations and gravel in your freshwater tank, you will also want to clean these as well. Run decorations under warm water, and place gravel in a bucket and run water through it so that the gravel residue will gradually dissipate. A cloudy tank is not a good tank!
Once you have cleaned these items, you will then want to place them in the tank and then add water. Always check your tap water to make sure that it is free of chlorine since any trace of this chemical will cause adverse affects on any fish you may put into it. You can do this by buying a chlorine test kit. If there is chlorine then you may need to consider using chemicals to eliminate the chemical or use alternative water sources.
When and if the water is safe, you will then add water as well as any of your equipment that you are going to use to run the aquarium. This is another important thing that you will need to do once your tank is set up. You will want to allow time for the tank to cycle. This is called the nitrogen cycle and this must take place before any creatures are added. This process allows a buildup of bacteria in the water that will aid in the removal of detritus that will accumulate from fish in the tank. Another words, they will help remove the poop
It is important that you do not add any fish at this time. If fish are added and there is no bacteria present to break down the nitrogen your fish will suffer and die. After this cycle has run its course, you may then add fish, but slowly, like 1 or 2 at a time. Doing it slowly like this will not overload your system and it will allow the fish to get used to their new environment. Stress is another thing that will kill fish, but if you add them to their new home slowly this can reduce stress and thus reduce death.
After you have added your fish to your aquarium you are now required to maintain your tank. Learn the proper procedures to do this and learn to watch for anything that could cause harm to your fish mates. If you do this, you will enjoy your freshwater aquarium for a long time.
It is good to see that you are interested in the hobby of setting up a freshwater aquarium. Proper setup will ensure that all the creatures that reside in your aquarium will thrive and survive. Saltwater tanks are a little more difficult to set up than a freshwater one, so it is good to see that you have chosen the easier one.
The first step that you want to do is decide where you want to place your aquarium. Once you have chose the location for your aquarium you will then want to choose the size of the tank and the stand that it will be placed on. Make sure that the stand will be strong enough to hold the weight of your new tank. It would be horrible if the stand collapsed because it was not strong enough!
When you buy an aquarium, whether it is glass or acrylic, it comes dirty. Before you add anything to your tank make sure you clean the tank. However, soap is not a good choice to clean it. It is best to just use warm water and a rag.
The items that you will need to properly run your freshwater aquarium include, a good filter, a lighting system, and a heater. You don't need to have the best or most expensive equipment, but it is important that you have the necessary things to keep your tank running smoothly. Additional research may be needed to pick the right equipment if you are not familiar of them.
If you are going to want to place decorations and gravel in your freshwater tank, you will also want to clean these as well. Run decorations under warm water, and place gravel in a bucket and run water through it so that the gravel residue will gradually dissipate. A cloudy tank is not a good tank!
Once you have cleaned these items, you will then want to place them in the tank and then add water. Always check your tap water to make sure that it is free of chlorine since any trace of this chemical will cause adverse affects on any fish you may put into it. You can do this by buying a chlorine test kit. If there is chlorine then you may need to consider using chemicals to eliminate the chemical or use alternative water sources.
When and if the water is safe, you will then add water as well as any of your equipment that you are going to use to run the aquarium. This is another important thing that you will need to do once your tank is set up. You will want to allow time for the tank to cycle. This is called the nitrogen cycle and this must take place before any creatures are added. This process allows a buildup of bacteria in the water that will aid in the removal of detritus that will accumulate from fish in the tank. Another words, they will help remove the poop
It is important that you do not add any fish at this time. If fish are added and there is no bacteria present to break down the nitrogen your fish will suffer and die. After this cycle has run its course, you may then add fish, but slowly, like 1 or 2 at a time. Doing it slowly like this will not overload your system and it will allow the fish to get used to their new environment. Stress is another thing that will kill fish, but if you add them to their new home slowly this can reduce stress and thus reduce death.
After you have added your fish to your aquarium you are now required to maintain your tank. Learn the proper procedures to do this and learn to watch for anything that could cause harm to your fish mates. If you do this, you will enjoy your freshwater aquarium for a long time.
How to Setup a Saltwater Aquarium
Setting Up a Saltwater Aquarium-How to Tips
I'm glad to see that you are interested in setting up a saltwater aquarium and so I am going to give you a few tips that you can use to get off on the right foot. If you keep these tips in mind as you set up your tank, you will find success and avoid heartache that some have encountered (like myself).
Tip 1: A very crucial step in setting up any aquarium or fish tank is to make sure that wherever you decide to set it up at, that it is sitting level on the floor.
I shouldn't have to tell you the reasons why this is crucial but I will: an aquarium that is not level can put undo pressure on the sides and this can cause it to leak (if you have an acrylic tank this will not be an issue however). Another reason to level your tank is because it can be unstable. Bumping it may cause it to fall over. That would not be good! By using a standard level you will be able to get an aquarium that is stable and secure. Measure from all angles and raise or lower any corners to make sure that the tank is completely level. And don't forget to always double check your work to make sure that it is correct and to compensate for any settling.
Tip 2: It is a good idea to fully setup your saltwater aquarium before putting any water in it.
This would include dry-fitting all of your filters, sumps, lighting, etc. By doing this you will avoid having to move it after filling it. It would be a bummer if you realized that you don't like where you put the tank, or you find out that you put it too close to the wall. Ouch!
Something else that goes along with this tip is the background. If you are going to use a background on your saltwater aquarium, install it before adding water. Especially if you are going to be painting the back of your tank. Waiting until the end to paint the back, for example, will be very difficult to do once you have your aquarium in its location, leveled, and filled with water.
Tip 3: If you are going to have substrate, such as gravel, in your tank, make sure that you wash the gravel before adding it.
Many people do not know about this and they put the substrate in and then add water and it ends up being cloudy. And it seems like it stays cloudy forever, trust me! To avoid this, put some of the gravel in a five gallon bucket, or something similar, and run water through the gravel until it is clear. Do this over and over again with all the substrate until the water is no longer cloudy. Then when you put the substrate into your tank you will want to place a dinner plate on top of it and gradually add water, making sure to pour the water directly onto the plate. You thus will avoid disturbing the gravel less this way. If done properly you tank water will be pretty clear by the time you completely fill it.
I hope these tips on how to setup a saltwater aquarium helps you. Enjoy the hobby and good luck.
I'm glad to see that you are interested in setting up a saltwater aquarium and so I am going to give you a few tips that you can use to get off on the right foot. If you keep these tips in mind as you set up your tank, you will find success and avoid heartache that some have encountered (like myself).
Tip 1: A very crucial step in setting up any aquarium or fish tank is to make sure that wherever you decide to set it up at, that it is sitting level on the floor.
I shouldn't have to tell you the reasons why this is crucial but I will: an aquarium that is not level can put undo pressure on the sides and this can cause it to leak (if you have an acrylic tank this will not be an issue however). Another reason to level your tank is because it can be unstable. Bumping it may cause it to fall over. That would not be good! By using a standard level you will be able to get an aquarium that is stable and secure. Measure from all angles and raise or lower any corners to make sure that the tank is completely level. And don't forget to always double check your work to make sure that it is correct and to compensate for any settling.
Tip 2: It is a good idea to fully setup your saltwater aquarium before putting any water in it.
This would include dry-fitting all of your filters, sumps, lighting, etc. By doing this you will avoid having to move it after filling it. It would be a bummer if you realized that you don't like where you put the tank, or you find out that you put it too close to the wall. Ouch!
Something else that goes along with this tip is the background. If you are going to use a background on your saltwater aquarium, install it before adding water. Especially if you are going to be painting the back of your tank. Waiting until the end to paint the back, for example, will be very difficult to do once you have your aquarium in its location, leveled, and filled with water.
Tip 3: If you are going to have substrate, such as gravel, in your tank, make sure that you wash the gravel before adding it.
Many people do not know about this and they put the substrate in and then add water and it ends up being cloudy. And it seems like it stays cloudy forever, trust me! To avoid this, put some of the gravel in a five gallon bucket, or something similar, and run water through the gravel until it is clear. Do this over and over again with all the substrate until the water is no longer cloudy. Then when you put the substrate into your tank you will want to place a dinner plate on top of it and gradually add water, making sure to pour the water directly onto the plate. You thus will avoid disturbing the gravel less this way. If done properly you tank water will be pretty clear by the time you completely fill it.
I hope these tips on how to setup a saltwater aquarium helps you. Enjoy the hobby and good luck.
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