How often have you been somewhere and seen a beautiful aquarium and thought I wish I had one of those? So after thinking about it you decide you would like a freshwater tropical fish aquarium in your home or office. I have to agree that is an excellent decision. An aquarium is a fun hobby that is a perfect accent to any room and will provide hours of entertainment for people of all ages.
Before going out and buying any tanks or equipment decide where you are going to place your freshwater tropical fish aquarium. Choose a location that is not in direct sunlight, we will discus why in later posts, and in a location where you will be able to enjoy your handiwork. Your first questions will most likely be, how big of a tank should I buy or what type and how many fish should I have. There is no set rule as to what size is perfect. The type of fish or how many to put in your tank we will discus after you have your aquarium up and running. My first tank as a youngster was twenty gallons and was no more or less work than the fifty five gallon I maintain today. A forty to sixty gallon tank will give you enough water and area to set up a beautiful aquarium with plants, rocks and other accessories you may want. Although not necessary, you will want to choose a theme. I prefer a natural look so I only add plants, gravel and rocks. If you want a more fun or fantasy type of look you may want to add underwater castles, sunken ships or even the proverbial scuba diver blowing bubbles.In this article and in future articles I may refer to a fifty five gallon community setup but my ideas will apply to all sizes. A community tank is simply a tank with several different species that will co-habitate. We will discuss species tanks later.
Once you have decided what size you would like the next step is choosing a filter, heater, light, cover, power bar with a timer and gravel. If this is your first tank, I would suggest buying a kit which will usually include everything that you will need except for the gravel and power bar. I will discuss gravel and the power bar with timer in my article titled Live Plants In A Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium.
Another good reason to buy a complete aquarium kit is that the heater, filter and light will be correct for the size of tank you choose. For example a heater with too low of a wattage rating will not keep your tank at a steady temperature and the filtering system needs to move enough water to keep the water clean and safe. The last thing you will require to get started is something to put your tank on. You may use any solid structure for this. Aquarium stands are sold at most pet stores or can be purchased online. If you are good with woodworking you can even build one, but remember when you add water and gravel it will become extremely heavy. Water weights approximately ten pounds per gallon and I recommend one pound of gravel per gallon of water. When you calculate this out a twenty pound tank has become a six hundred pound aquarium, before you add the rest of the accessories. In my next article I will describe setting up your new freshwater tropical fish aquarium. In my next post I will describe setting up your new freshwater tropical fish aquarium.
