Tropical fish are a beautiful addition to any home, and they are considered one of the best ways to reduce stress. There are three categories or types that can be kept in the home; cold water, tropical and marine. Tropical tanks are the easiest to set up and the best type for beginners who don’t know much about keeping fish yet.
The choices of both aquarium and the dwellers of the tank are daunting, but first, the tank must be chosen and situated before adding any pets to the water. While considering color and breed choices, you can buy the tank and equipment for your beautiful new hobby.
Where to Keep the Tank
This is an important step since the tank’s position will influence the length of life that the swimmers inside it have. It shouldn’t be in direct sunlight since that will encourage algae growth. Algae can be harmful to life in the tank. Your aquarium should not be near heaters or air conditioning units since the temperature needs to be regulated. Extreme outside temperatures can influence the water temperature and endanger the life in the tank.
Once you have decided on a position for the tank, measure the area so that the aquarium will fit in the space. You don’t want to buy a tank only to find out later that it doesn’t fit in the perfect spot you’ve selected.
Tank and Equipment
Keeping tropical fish means that you’ll need an aquarium with heating equipment and other accessories. The first step is to choose the size of the tank based on the measurements you took earlier. It’s a smart idea to buy the largest tank based on your budget and the restrictions of the space in the home. Tropical tank dwellers need a lot of space to swim. The more space you can give them, the better they’ll survive and thrive in their new environment.
Priority Equipment
You’ll need a water thermometer and a water filter to regulate the temperature of the environment. The water heater is almost as important as the aquarium itself. You’ll also need chemicals to treat the water. While you might be able to skimp or avoid purchasing ornaments, you can not avoid purchasing a water heater. You’ll need gravel for the bottom of the tank as well as a lid and a light for the top of the aquarium. Often, lids will have built in lights as well as a timer to shut the light off automatically.
Decorative Accessories
Part of the amazing and wonderful experience with a tank is the exotic decorations that can be purchased for the aquarium. Rocks, driftwood, miniature divers and treasure chests are fun accessories that can be purchased for your tank. While the tropical swimmers might not care about the decorations, they will appreciate places to hide if they are shy.
Cleaning Equipment
You won’t often be emptying the tank to clean it completely, but when you do, you’ll need sponges and buckets as well as a net to catch and transfer your fish. You’ll need this equipment to clean your tank before adding your first swimming purchases. The tank might be dirty or dusty, so make sure it’s completely clean before adding the gravel.
Aquarium Setup
After the tank is washed and rinsed thoroughly, it should be set into its final position. Wash the gravel before putting it into the tank even if it’s pre-washed gravel. It could still have dust and dirt on it. After washing the gravel, distribute it on the bottom of the aquarium. It should be higher in the back and slowly lower towards the front of the tank.
Add the heater, filter and thermometer to the top of the tank. Fill the tank with a hose until it barely covers the bottom of the gravel. Make sure it doesn’t disturb the gravel then rinse off the decorations you’d like to add to the tank. After setting them into the gravel, fill the tank until it’s an inch or two from the top edge. Use the chemicals you purchased for treating the water.
When you’ve finished adding all the accessories and equipment to the tank, you’ll want to let it sit for a week before adding your tropical pets. The water has to settle as well as build nitrates that help keep the water clean once the tropical swimmers are added.
All this time with setup should have given you plenty of time to choose your new pets. The water will have had time to settle, so it’s time to purchase your new friends. When buying fish, think about the species that will be the hardiest. As a beginner, you want ones that are easiest to maintain.
Introduce only a few to the tank at the beginning. When choosing fish as pets, never buy a listless or damaged one. Pick pets from tanks filled with other healthy ones too. Bring your fish home immediately and float the bag on top of the tank’s water to make sure the water temperature is influenced slowly in the bag. It will take a few hours then you can release them into the new tank. Keep the light off until they’ve gotten used to their new home.
Common Problems
From algae to cloudy water, there will often be problems with your new tank. Most tanks will have algae, and it’s not always a problem unless it builds up and threatens the tank. If it’s a common problem in your tank, check your positioning. Direct sunlight and leaving the tank light on for more than 10 hours can encourage algae growth. You might need to buy algae eaters for the tank. Cloudy water can be a chemical imbalance. Check the chemicals using a test kit and adjust the chemical makeup of the water. The water filtration system might be faulty, filled with debris or not working properly.
Keeping tropical fish as pets can be a relaxing hobby that will bring years of enjoyment. Start off slowly, and soon, you’ll have a tank full of beautiful stress relievers that you’ll enjoy watching for hours.