Setting up your First Fish Tank

For starters you need to find a good spot to put your tank, you will need access to a power point for your filter, heater and a light.

You will be placing gravel on the bottom of your tank, most pet stores sell different coloured gravel. Just make sure to wash it out first before you use it, get it nice and clean or your tank water will be murky/dirty.

Fish tanks all sizes and for all budgets.

Fill the tank with clean water, then place any plants you may have in the tank. Again most pet stores sell the correct type of plant to use for a fish tank, these are not your typical garden plants. It can look nice if you put some ornaments in the tank, or pieces of log and larger stones/rocks. Make sure you wash all items off before you put them in the tank.

Next install the filter, there should be a how to setup instruction with the filter. You will need to put the heater, and a thermometer in the tank, find a good spot and follow the instructions that come with these items.

Fish tank plants

We are ready to start working on cycling your tank. This is a process of building up the good bacteria in your tank to support your fish, without this good bacteria your fish will not last too long. Use a good quality neutralizer, this will take out any chlorine and balance the Ph. level, most fresh water fish like a Ph. level of 7.

Let your water sit for about 2 days before you put in a few fish, introduce your fish to the tank slowly. Let them adjust to the water temperature by placing the bag the fish came from the store in the water unopened. This will let the water surrounding the bag to heat the bag water to the same  temperature. 

When you feed your fish do it sparingly you don't want too much uneaten food to spoil the water. Leave the tank with just a couple of hardy inexpensive fish to begin with, so that the good bacteria can build up.

After about 4 weeks your tank should be stable and you can introduce new fish, just a few at time so as to not upset the tank cycle. Every week you will need to take out about 1/3 of the water and replace with fresh water, make sure you treat the water first with the neutralizer, let it sit in a container for about a day before you introduce it to the tank.  

There are numerous websites on keeping fish as pets, the following link is a good one for those who are not sure on what to do when you are starting your hobby: For beginners and advanced aquarium info.  http://aquariuminfo.org

Some pretty Silver Dollars