Getting started
Fish keeping can be complicated, but the benefits from it are
countless. Having a well-established fish tank is like having a whole other
world in your house. A lot of people are interested in fish keeping, but they
often make critical mistakes which lead to disaster. The most important thing
about keeping fish is that you must have patience. Patience is the key to being
successful.
Tank Size
The first
thing you must decide on is what size tank you want. There are many different
sizes and shapes that tanks come in, such as rectangle (most common), hexagon,
bow front, corner, etc. If you would like to get a tank that is rather large
(100+ gallons), you have to make sure that your floor can support the weight.
When estimating the weight of a tank, you figure about ten pounds per gallon,
including substrate (gravel/sand), decorations, filters, etc. So, a 100-gallon
tank can weight around 1000 pounds.
Substrate
After deciding on what size tank you want, you must choose
what type of substrate you want, either sand or gravel. If you are going to have
live plants, sand would be better for them. Also, you do not want to make the
substrate too thick as this can form anaerobic spots. Anaerobic spots form when
there is little or no circulation in the substrate, or if the substrate is too
thick. When the spots form, they make toxins that can kill the fish. Moreover,
if you are going to have live plants in your tank, you can choose to add some
sera or fluorite as a bottom layer of substrate with a layer of gravel/sand over
it to act as a fertilizer which will help plants flourish.
Heaters
Next, you must pick out a heater(s) that can heat your tank. A
good rule to use is 5 watts per gallon, but it depends on how warm the room with
the tank is. If the room is relatively warm (75-80 degrees) 2 watts per gallon
is a good rule to follow. So, for a ten-gallon tank, you would need a 50-watt
heater (25 watt if in a rather warm room). If you have a larger tank, you may
choose to have two heaters, which will more efficiently and evenly heat if you
place them on either ends of the tank. Also, having two heaters can prevent your
tank from boiling if one breaks and stays on without you knowing. The other one
will just not go on. If you do choose to go with two heaters, you simply
multiply the number of gallons of water in your tank by 5 (or 2 depending on
room temperature) and divide by two. So, a fifty-gallon tank would want to have
two 50-125-watt heaters (depending on room temp)
Thermometers
You will also need to pick out a thermometer so you know the
temperature of your tank at all times. It is better to use a thermometer that
will be inside your tank water because these kinds of thermometers are more
accurate than the ones that stick on to the outside of the tank. If you have a
larger tank, 2 thermometers would be better so you know what the temperature on
either side of the tank is. You should place the thermometer/thermometers about
midway (vertically) in the tank.
Filters
Then, you must pick out
the right filter/filters for your size tank. Some larger or overstocked tanks
will need multiple filters to adequately clean the water. On filter packages, it
states what size tanks that the filter can sufficiently clean. Remember, you
really can’t have too much filtration. A lot of filtration is good.
There are different types
of filtration, such as biological and mechanical. Biological filtration is a
term used to describe the beneficial bacteria that is established during the
initial cycling of the aquarium (don’t worry, I will explain in a little bit).
There are two types of bacteria. One bacterium breaks down ammonia (fish waste)
into nitrites and the other converts nitrites into less toxic compounds called
nitrates. This bacterium is built up on substrate, décor, glass surfaces, and
bio-wheels, which are where the water returns to the tank from the filter.
Filters without bio-wheels have the good bacteria on their media (sponges, etc.)
Mechanical filtration removes solid particles from the water. It does not remove
or convert ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate. Mechanical filter media would include
sponges (good bacteria grows on also), filter fluff, and floss. You will need to
either clean or replace each of these often, about 2-4 weeks, so that gunk
doesn’t build up on them preventing your filter from working efficiently. If
you are planning on cleaning them, use water from your tank or dechlorinated
water so that you do not lose your beneficial bacteria that established.
Air Pumps/Powerheads/Testing kits
In addition, you may want an air pump to help aerate the
water, but they are not a necessity. If you have a larger aquarium, you might
want a powerhead for extra water circulation. A powerhead circulates the water
and helps prevent anaerobic spots. Lastly, you will need ph, ammonia, nitrite,
and nitrate testing kits available at all local fish stores to check your water
parameters.
Cycling
Once you set up your tank, equipment, decorations, and added
dechlorinator, you have to cycle your tank. A tank that is fully cycled is able
to break down ammonia (fish waste) into nitrites, and change the nitrites in
nitrates, which are less toxic, all in the course of 24 hours. You can either
cycle your tank with or without fish. Cycling your tank without fish can take
about 2-4 weeks, while cycling your tank with fish can take 4-6 weeks, it
depends on how well you tend to your tanks and the kind of fish you have. Again,
the time it takes a tank to cycle will be different for everyone. This is where
patience is important.
Fishless cycling is done by adding pure ammonia or clear ammonia directly to
your tank (a good way to check if the ammonia is good to use for your cycling is
to shake the bottle and if there is white foam at the top, it is not good to
use). On the first day, add ammonia until a test reads 5ppm. Keep testing daily
thereafter until the ammonia starts to go down. When it does, add more until the
test reads 5ppm. Also, take nitrite tests with your ammonia tests (not within
the first couple of days, no reason to). When you start getting Nitrite
readings, then your tank is beginning to break down the ammonia and your cycle
is coming along. Your cycle is complete when, after twenty-four hours adding
5ppm of ammonia to the tank, a test reads 0 for both ammonia and nitrites. Check
out this good article
for further assistance and benefits from fishless cycling.
Fishy cycling (with fish) is done by adding a few hardy fish to the tank and
feeding them lightly. They will produce waste (ammonia) and the tank will begin
to cycle. There will be ammonia readings in your tank because it is not able to
break down the waste. This is why it is imperative to do frequent water changes,
so that you can lower the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates in the water before
they are at a fatal level. Once your test is at 0 for both ammonia and nitrites,
your cycle is complete. Fishy cycling puts a lot of stress on your fish, which
is not good, so don’t forget those water changes.
Once your fishless cycle is complete, you can slowly add fish and live plants.
Keep adding the 5ppm of ammonia until a day before you are going to get the fish
and plants. Doing this will prevent your bio-load from getting smaller. On the
day before, do a large water change (50%-75%) to lower the nitrates, which
depict poor water quality.
Adding Fish and
Plants
If you are going to be adding live plants to the tank, you
should make sure beforehand that you have adequate lighting. For planted tanks,
a good rule of thumb is to have at least 1-2 watts of light per gallon of water.
Depending on the plant, you might need more lighting. It is always best to do
research on the fish and plants you want to make sure that you have the right
environment for them, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Remember, the only
stupid questions are the ones not asked.
Weekly
Maintenance
Once a week, you must change about 30% of the water in
the tank to keep the nitrates down and improve water quality. You ought to clean
the substrate of waste with something like a gravel vacuum sold at all local
fish stores. If you don’t, over time, waste builds up and can be hazardous.
When you are filling your tank, you have to add dechlorinator to the water
because water companies put chlorine and chloramines in water to sanitize it,
but they are toxic to fish. Also, chlorine will kill your good bacteria, which
is the last thing you want. A very good, popular declorinator is Stress Coat. It
works very well and can also help with sick fish.
Special thanks to everyone at AC for all the help. J
