Setting Up Your Aquarium

Rinse out the tank carefully. Do not use any soap or chemicals. If you have purchased a second hand tank you might want to check for leaks. If you do decide to check for leaks, it is best to place the tank close to a drain and fill it up completely. Be prepared for the worst. Add the water slowly. Wait for at least two hours, to be certain that there are no leaks or defects.

Set up the stand and place the tank on it. Make sure that it is level and that the tank has good contact with the stand.

If you are using an underground filter now is the time to put it in and set it up. Do not turn it on.

Get all your decorations out including gravel and any backgrounds. Gravel should be thoroughly rinsed clean. The best way to do this is in the bathtub with a large metal sieve. Once the water is running clear you can put the gravel carefully in the tank. The opinions on how much gravel to put in varies greatly. If you have a vacuum you can have a deeper level because debris will accumulate in the gravel. You should probably not have less than an inch of gravel covering the bottom. This will allow you to bury any plastic plants that you want to put in. If you are planning to put in an air pump you should put that in now but do not turn it on.

Rinse everything you are going to put in the tank. Once again do not use soap or chemicals. You are only trying to get off dust and debris. This is a good time to put on any background scenes that you want to use. Place everything into the tank. Do not put in any rocks that have sharp edges as these might hurt your fish.

Place your plants in the tank. Be sure to bury all roots very well. If you are using plastic plants you want to make certain that you cover up the base entirely, otherwise they will float up. Make sure that everything is securely in place. Do not stack rocks, you do not want them falling and cracking the tank. You are now ready to add water. To avoid having everything that you have just set up being disrupted by the water, pour the water over a plate so that it is not going directly into the tank. Only fill the tank about halfway. Now is the time to do any final arranging in the tank.

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Finish adding the water. Read all instructions and safety guidelines about your heater and filter before you put them in. Most heaters will recommend that you put them in and wait at least fifteen minutes before turning them on. This will allow it to adjust to the temperature of the water.

Once the water is in and the filter and heater are on put in any chemicals that you are intending to add. Be certain that you add in something that will remove both chlorine and chloramine. Now you have to wait.

Before you start adding fish you have to let the tank cycle properly. Cycling can take over two weeks depending on the size of the tank. Cycling refers to allowing the good bacteria in your tank to build up before putting in your fish. The good bacteria help to get rid of ammonia and nitrites because these are toxic to fish. Use your test kit to keep checking the levels of your tank. Once you see nitrates appearing and no ammonia or nitrites you know it is safe to go and buy your fish.

There are ways to speed up the cycling process. You can get certain chemicals that will help or you can add water or decorations from an existing tank to make the process go faster. If you are really impatient you can add a few fish but it is recommended that you wait. If you do add fish be certain that you purchase fish that are very hardy and will be able to survive the cycling process, many species simply will not survive.

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