Your New Tropical Aquarium

Progress reports were given out at my children's school this week, and I am proud to say that we received straight A's all around. Yes, I was a very proud parent indeed, that is until I remembered the promise that I had made to my children.

The time had arrived for a new pet. Tropical fish to be exact. For some reason I thought that setting up an aquarium would be a simple task. How hard could it be? A quick trip to the pet store, a little water, a few fish and you're all set, right?

Wrong.

After two cracked aquariums and numerous burials at sea via the toilet, I learned that it takes a lot of time and knowledge to create the perfect environment for your tropical fish.

There are a few things to consider when you' re selecting you aquarium: the cost, the type of fish that you prefer and your available space.

When you are selecting the size of your new aquarium remember that the larger the aquarium the safer the environment will be for your tropical fish because it will be easier to regulate the water temperature. It is a good idea to start with a 10-15 gallon tank. This will provide enough room for a dozen or more small fish. Your new aquarium should also include a heater, reflector, and some form of vegetation.

Now that you have purchased your aquarium, the next step is to prepare it for your new fish. The first thing you should so is clean your new aquarium thoroughly. One of the best products to use for this is rock salt which you can purchase at any department or grocery store.

The easiest way that I found to do this is to fill the aquarium with an inch of water. Do not use cold water as this can cause cracks in your aquarium. Unfortunately, this was something that I learned the hard way.

Once you have added the water to your aquarium the next step is to dissolve the rock salt in the water and use a soft cloth to clean the aquarium with the salt water solution. After you have thoroughly cleaned the aquarium you should finish filling the tank with warm water and allow it to stand for a few hours.

When the time is up remove the salt water and allow fresh water to run into the aquarium for at least 10 minutes. The next step is to remove the water and dry the tank thoroughly, being sure that no large pieces of rock salt remain in the tank.

You are now ready to add the material you will need to plat your vegetation. Some of the more popular choices are shells, marbles, pebbles, or white gravel. You should always be sure that you have enough hard material in your aquarium to give your plants proper root space and anchorage to promote good growth.

The next thing that you need to consider is the water you will be adding to your aquarium. Chlorine is fatal to all fish. In order to be safe you should allow the water to stand for a day or two in direct sunlight before adding it to your aquarium.

When the time comes to make a list of the types of fish you would like to have in your aquarium, you should include a variety of scavengers. Scavengers are necessary for a healthy aquarium because they consume the food that is not eaten by the other fish. Scavengers also help control the unwanted algae that tends to grow on the sides of the tank.

Now that your aquarium is set up it is time to add your heating element. 78 degrees is the perfect temperature to start your aquarium. Once the water in your tank has reached the desired temperature, you are ready to add your fish and enjoy your new aquarium.