It is very important to research the fish you want to keep properly The best way to do this would be to buy a good book on tropical fish The adult size of the fish would determine the size of the tank and the habits and care would tell you what equipment you need and how to set up the fish tank
This will also give you the opportunity to see if the fish would be compatible If their care or requirements are too different or their temperament is wrong you shouldnt keep them together
Determine space
How much space do you have in your home Whats the biggest size tank you can fit Determine where you want the fish tank and see how much space there is Include some space between the wall and the tank for cord tubing etc
Determine your budget
How much money can you spend Remember that this money has to buy the tropical fish tank as well as all the necessary equipment fish plants decorations etc If this is your first fish tank keep in mind that this is a hobby you might decide not to pursue
Select equipment
Go to a local supplier and discuss what would be needed for the setup you require This is partly based on the fish you want to keep Get prices for everything youll need including the fish tank preferably from more than one supplier so that you can get some comparisons
Evaluate your budget against space constraints
How does your budget compare to the costs you got in the previous step Can you get a tank large enough for the fish you want to keep that will still fit in the space available If the setup is too expensive or the space to small look at your fish selection again Is there any specific fish that is causing a problem If you can remove a single type of fish to fit the rest in the space you have available how badly do you have your heart set on that fish Make sure that all the fish you chose are available in your area See if there is maybe a different place you can fit the tank or whether you can increase the budget
Buy the equipment
Once you have sorted out your budget space and fish selection you can go ahead and buy the equipment Do NOT buy any fish yet
Set up your tank
Once you have all the equipment you can start setting it up If this is the first time you are doing this expect to spend a few hours on this
Once everything is set up fill the fish tank with water and let it settle for a couple of days to make sure that the equipment is working properly and that nothing is leaking This also dechlorinates the water
Select starter fish
Select a few fish from your original list that is hardy small and inexpensive You only want to select 1 of fish for each gallon of water but you can determine this based on their current size This is the ONLY time that you will base space required on the current size of the fish The reason for this is the fact that the fish wont grow significantly in the 48 weeks that the tank is cycling
Cycle the tank
Over the course of this 48 weeks you have to be particularly diligent and patient Make sure you are not overfeeding and that you are doing regular water changes For this period DONT ADD ANY MORE FISH
Maintain the tank
Feed and observe the fish every day Check the filter regularly change 1015% of your water weekly and scrub for algae at the same time Check all your other equipment hoses fittings lights etc at least once a month And most importantly Enjoy your tropical fish tank
Right Sized Aquarium
The old adage that says bigger is better holds true for aquariums Greater water volume is always better when it comes to keeping live fish in a glass box Although it is not impossible to successfully keep fish in a small space there is a greater margin of error with a larger tank One thing to consider when buying a larger tank is the cost of operating a larger filter and moving a larger amount of water volume
Consider buying a tengallon freshwater aquarium The tank itself may cost about 15 dollars US the power filter 20 dollars US the heater if keeping tropical fish 12 dollars US ten pounds of sand gravel 12 dollars US water conditioner 10 dollars US a net cleaning sponge and a lid adds another 15 dollars US So for a tengallon tank expect to pay about 80 dollars US without a light
Compare that to a cost breakdown of a 50gallon freshwater aquarium The tank itself may cost about 70 dollars US the filter about 70 dollars US the heater 20 dollars US 50 pounds of sand gravel 40 dollars US water conditioner 12 dollars US net and cleaning sponge 8 dollars US and it usually comes with a lid So for a 50gallon tank without a light expect to pay 220 dollars US
On the onset it looks more appealing to purchase the tengallon tank but this is where most people make the mistake With such a small volume of water the temperature in a tengallon aquarium can fluctuate dramatically with the outside ambient temperature This is very stressful for the fish So what tends to happen is that people will buy the ten gallon tank and save 140 dollars US but then end up buying 140 dollars US worth of replacement fish Or worse frustration sets in and the tank ends up at the next garage sale
A larger volume of water will help to stabilize the changes in temperature during summer months and water changes Generally if only 510 percent of water is changed in a 60gallon tank every 2 weeks the fish tend to do well and parasites do not take over the tank In contrast with a small 10gallon tank a 510 percent water change could potentially devastate the chemistry of the tank A small water change has the ability to alter the temperature more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit which will stress the fish and cause disease Once the fish contract disease it is also easier to treat in a larger tank
Medicating the fish in a 50gallon tank will allow for a less precise dosing of medication When treating fish in a small tank the amount of chemicals being added needs to be measured carefully and doublechecked before being poured into the tank A miscalculation could reveal deadly results In contrast that same miscalculation could go unnoticed in a larger tank That is not to say that medication does not need to be measured when being added to a large tank It is easier to treat fish in a tank with more water but if the guidelines are followed the fish has the potential to recover no matter which sized tank they are in
In a large tank obviously large fish can be kept where they have adequate room to swim and grow A large fish can be kept in a small tank but the fish will grow to the size of the tank If the tank is smaller than the maximum size of the fish the fish will grow up deformed with internal organ dysfunctions Needless to say it is much better for the fish to pair appropriately sized fish with appropriately sized homes People should not keep German shepherds in crates suited for Yorkshire terriers and in the same way Oscars should not be kept in 10gallon fish tanks An appropriate sized tank for a fullgrown Oscar would be 36in x 18in x 16in In a tank this size the fish has the ability to turn around comfortably The adage that 1 gallon of tank water is required for 1 inch of fish does not hold true The fish keeper must consider the total mass of the fish Ten inches of neon tetras does not equate to a 10inch Oscar because the girth of the Oscar is much larger than the tetras Thus when deciding which tank to choose research the maximum size of the fish you wish to keep and buy a tank where the fish can turn around comfortably
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