- Aquarium Startup
- Considering a Home Freshwater Aquarium
- Freshwater Aquarium Setup Tips
Too many people believe that maintaining a freshwater aquarium requires knowledge they do not have, when in fact they know more than they credit themselves for! After all, how many of us can remember that goldfish bowl mom always made you clean as part of your weekly chores every Saturday morning. The real truth of the matter is that maintaining a 40 or 50 gallon fish tank is much, much simpler than that old goldfish bowl, and may even take less time!
One of the first road blocks a burgeoning aquatic hobbyist encounters on their first visit to the fish store is the realization that there are positively hundreds of different types of fish tanks to choose from. There are glass ones, acrylic and plastic ones; they are round, square, hexagonal and more. Then we realize that this is just the tank - there is still the lighting, filtration, heating, and don't forget the fish!
It can indeed be overwhelming; your choices range from the basic fish bowl we discussed earlier to the modern hi-tech (and costly), self-contained automated ecosystems. And of course there are saltwater setups, cold water setups, planted aquariums, and so forth.
My suggestion to you is don't get overwhelmed, take it slowly; start by visiting several local fish stores and spend some time talking to the staff. I guarantee you will find several store clerks that are so enthusiastically passionate about the aquatic hobby, they'll turn your brain to mush with all the information they want to share.
First spend some time with the fish tanks themselves, get a feel for the size and design that catches your eye, make a note of the dimensions so you can walk around the house later and plan the perfect spot to put this new aquarium.
Next head for the fish display tanks, browse the fish aisles and take notes on the species that you find fascinating, you will usually find an information tag on each aquarium with a little bit about the fish you're looking at.
You'll want to collect information on the following:
* The adult size of the fish species, males and females are often different sizes.
* Its social ranking - timid, community, semi-aggressive, aggressive, solitary or somewhere in between.
* Its preferred native environment - murky shallows, fast running streams, river deltas, and so forth.
The optimum water temperature and pH levels, plus any other information that is specific to that fish's water habitat.
Be sure to go back and review your list with that enthusiastic store clerk before you leave, first hand information is invaluable.
Now spend some time researching the fish you collected information on and narrow the list down to what will work for you. If you are opting for a community aquarium, it is imperative that you only put fish together that can survive in the same aquarium - this means the same social ranking, water temperature and pH levels; if you don't, both you and your fish will be seriously unhappy!
Once you have a pretty good idea of what you're after, you need to get the aquarium and the equipment to go with it. If your budget is extensive, do return to that store with the enthusiastic clerk and make his day; if this is not the case, you can find some smokin' deals through the online and local add listings. Too often a hobbyist with a complete setup, sometimes even including the fish, has lost interest or is moving and can't take their aquarium with them - their loss is your gain.
- Aquarium Startup
- Considering a Home Freshwater Aquarium
- Freshwater Aquarium Setup Tips
