1 2 Secrets To Setting U p Your Freshwater Aquarium Successfully The First Time 3 4 Welcome to the world of aquarium keeping! You are entering into one of the most popular hobbies in the U.S. and the world! Keeping fish is a fun and relaxing hobby when you have the right informa- tion. To save you from the most common and some costly mistakes, we have created this consumer guide. Follow this advice and you will be well on your way to a very successful and rewarding adventure. This guide, written for new fish keepers, will take you step by step from setting up your new freshwater aquarium to choosing your fish and introducing them into your aquarium. Welcome to the world of fun, no-stress fish keeping! Laurren Schmoyer Owner of one of the largest Aquarium stores on the east coast 5 Table of Contents Chapter 1: Setup ………………………………... 7 Equipment Checklist Step-by-Step Setup Guide Chapter 2: Water Quality …….………………17 Water Tests Nitrogen Cycle Chapter 3: Choosing Fish ………………... 21 Starter Fish Selection Releasing Fish At Home Copyright © 2006 by Aquatic Experts Printed exclusively for Aquamain’s Fish World, Inc. Chapter 4: Ensuring Your Success! …..….. 30 All rights reserved. Seven Keys To A No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in Successful Aquarium any form or by any means, mechanical or electronic, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the pub- Glossary…………………………..……….. 36 lisher. Definitions of terms within the Published by Aquatic Experts book that are colored brown and underlined [example: term ] Index………………………..……………... 27 7 8 CHAPTER ONE Setup This step-by-step guide to assembling, filling, and starting your new freshwater aquarium system is com- plete with color photographs of each step in the proc- ess. Go through the shopping list for your initial setup to make certain everything necessary for your setup is on- hand when you begin. Test kits will be very helpful as you learn about your Here are some of the products you will need. aquarium. Check out the convenient list of testing and cleaning products that every aquarist needs. Watching fish swim is proven to lower blood pressure! A successful freshwater aquarium. 9 10 Basic Equipment Optional Products Aquarium Products Checklist Airstone Light Timer Air Pump Aquarium Book Airline Tubing Action Ornaments Aquarium Salt Testing Supplies Aquarium Fish Food Aquarium Stand Driftwood Top with Light Plastic Plants Filter Decorative Ornaments Heater Background pH Test Kit Thermometer Bacteria Starter Ammonia Test Kit Net 6-outlet powerstrip Dechlorinator Decorative Rocks Nitrite Test Kit Gravel Nitrate Test Kit Syringe or dropper 11 12 Setting Up Your New Aquarium STEP 1 Where To Place Your Aquarium It is a good idea to keep your aquarium out of direct sunlight as excess light can lead to an algae bloom. Also, avoid drafty areas near heating and air condition- ing ducts to prevent temperature fluctuations which can lead to health issues in your fish. Be sure you have an electrical outlet near the area you have selected. STEP 2 Leveling Your Aquarium If you are using an existing piece of furniture on which to place Maintenance Supplies the aquarium be sure it is level, sturdy and will Gravel Vacuum handle the weight of the Algae scraper aquarium when Algae Magnet or Sponge full. Water weighs appr- Bucket Used Only For Water Changes -oximately 8.3 pounds per gallon, so a 10 gallon aquar- ium full of water will weigh at least 83 pounds! Add Water Conditioner that to the weight of the gravel, decorations and the glass itself and your aquarium is very heavy. Aquarium Glass Cleaner If you have purchased an aquarium stand it also must Towels be leveled before you begin filling your aquarium. Tip: Level the stand with shims between the floor and the stand, not between the stand and the aquarium. 13 14 STEP 3 Preparing The Aquarium STEP 5 Adding The Filtration Rinse the aquarium Hang a filter or with water to remove the hoses to a dirt and dust. RE- canister filter on MEMBER: NEVER the back of the use soap or house- aquarium. As- hold cleaning agents semble your filter in or on your aquar- following factory ium. Glass is porous, directions. ( Do and even a thorough not plug the filter rinse may not remove in at this time.) all of the chemicals left behind by cleaning products. Be sure your fil- ter performs all three types of filtration : mechanical, chemical, and bio- STEP 4 Adding The Gravel logical. Once the For wet-dry filtration systems please refer to the Fresh- aquarium water Fish Keeping Manual 2 . is clean STEP 6 Attaching The Heater inside and out, Follow manufacturer use tape instructions to attach to attach your heater. Do not the back- plug the heater in at ground. this point . Set the tem- perature between 80 M o s t and 82 degrees for the substrates first 4 to 6 weeks (until today are the biological filter is clean and established). Once your require no pre-rinsing. If the gravel you chose looks aquarium is cycled (see dusty or dirty simply rinse it in a large bucket, 10 to 15 chapter 2), set the temperature to 74 - 76 degrees. pounds at a time. Run clean tap water through it, stir and drain it to wash away dust and debris. Add enough gravel to create a 1/2” to 1” thick layer in a fish-only Tip: Any electrical wire leading to a power source aquarium, 3” to 4” in a live plant aquarium. must have a drip loop. 15 16 STEP 7 Decorating Your Aquarium water from the hose. There are Rinse plants and rocks. Smaller, shorter plants should also mainte- be placed in the front of the aquarium, and larger, taller nance kits that ones toward the back. attach to your faucet with 25 Attach your hanging thermometer to the aquarium on to 50 feet length the side opposite the heater, about three inches from of tubing to fill the top of the aquarium. your aquarium. They can also remove water from you aquarium while vacuuming the gravel. Whatever method you use to fill your aquarium, it is important not to stir up the gravel while pouring in the water. Pour the water onto a large rock (if you used one to decorate) or onto a dinner plate that you place temporarily in the aquarium. If using a garden Recap: hose, it is best to adjust the water temperature to between 80° and 82°F by adding and stirring in some 1. Choose location 6. Hang filter 2. Level stand 7. Attach heater hot water, but only after you have partially filled the 3. Rinse aquarium, /thermometer aquarium. If the aquarium glass is cold DO NOT 4. Add background 8. Decorate ADD HOT WATER or the aquarium may crack! Fill 5. Add gravel the aquarium with water until the water level is just above the bottom of the aquariums frame. STEP 8 Adding Water To Your Aquarium STEP 9 Start The Power Filter For smaller aquariums (up to 20 gallons) a 5 gallon Rinse out the filter cartridge and fill the filter with wa- bucket filled at the kitchen faucet or bath tub is all you ter to prime it. Plug the filter in to an electrical outlet. The water should begin to flow through the filter and will need to fill the tank. pour back into the aquarium. Your filter should turn the For larger aquariums, carrying water back and forth water in the aquarium over between 5 to 8 times each may take too much time and energy, and you may want hour. This means a 20 gallon aquarium should have a to use a garden hose. If you use a garden hose, let filter that pumps between 100 to 160 gallons of water water run through the hose for several minutes before every hour. beginning to fill your aquarium to clear any stagnant 17 18 STEP 10 Plug in the Heater STEP 12 Add Water Conditioners Once the heater is in the water, wait ten to fifteen min- utes before plugging it in to allow the temperature of Add water conditioner according to the manufacturer’s the glass tube to acclimate to the temperature of the recommendations. Some freshwater fish need aquarium water. This will prevent the glass tube from cracking salt and this is the time to add it. due to a rapid change in temperature. (Note: If you are going to keep live plants, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when adding salt.) STEP 11 Topping Your Aquarium Cut openings for the filter and heater in the plastic parts of your hood or glass tops. The openings should corre- spond with the heater and filter placement. Place the hood/glass tops on the aquarium, plug in the light and turn it on. For aquariums with live plants plant to have the light on from 10 to 12 hours each day. If you use artificial decorations run your light 6 to 8 hours each day. It is best to run lights dur- ing the day and turn them off at night. If the light re- mains on 24 hours a day the water will eventually turn At this point your aquarium is completely setup. Now an unsightly pea green or even reddish which is simply is the time to learn a little about water quality before the color of free floating algae. you run out and pick up some fish. Light fixtures and bulbs that come with most starter kits are designed to make fish look pretty not to grow live plants.