Taking The Plunge Into Aquariums

                        A Crash Course Guide To Setting Up Your First Freshwater tank.

                        Some content listed on this page courtesy of www.wikipedia.org

“I found these sites to have a lot of information about Freshwater Aquarium Fish ,www.badmanstropicalfish.com,if you are interested in keeping fish. These sites also have a great community forum where members are very helpful and take the time to help you out.” So, after reading this article stop by these sites with any questions you may have, these guys are really helpful !!

You can also do a search through this site link,www.google.com enter what you want to know in the search box on this site and click search.

You can find more on aquariums at this link as wellwww.wikipedia.org

Freshwater Tank Set up

1. Picking out The Right Aquarium:
I admit, it is important to choose an aquarium that you think looks good in your living room, there are other equally important considerations that will affect the ongoing expense as well as the health of the inhabitants!
In my opinion the biggest secrete in fish tanks is a stable and consistent environment. A lot of books and papers and studies have been written about the ideal environment for different species of fish, whether they like warm water or cold water, high Ph or low Ph, hard water or soft water, but this is generally useful only if you are attempting to breed the fish or are planning on keeping a highly sensitive fish that are known to be challenging. remember consistence is the key.
One of the first choices you will face is whether to purchase a glass or acrylic aquarium.
 

Acrylic Vs. Glass

1.Remeber consistence. Acrylic is a better insulator than glass so a smaller heater can work for the same sized aquarium and temperature fluctuations should happen slower.

2. Acrylic is clearer than glass. It actually lets up to 14% more light through than glass.

3. Acrylic can have a much greater assortments of shapes.   Acrylic aquariums  have rounded corners (rather than seams like on glass aquariums) and usually have a more "contemporary" look. If you can dream it, someone can build it.

4. One of disadvantage to acrylic is that it scratches much easier (be careful when moving inside decorations) so special cleaning pads must be used. ONLY USE ACRYLIC SAFE CLEANING PADS  (NEVER use the green pot scrubber on an acrylic aquarium].

5. The  second biggest disadvantage of acrylic is the cost. Acrylic aquarium can cost up to 2 to 3 times what a similar sized glass aquarium would.

6. Aquariums can be shipped via postal, UPS, or FedEx. Glass aquariums cannot be shipped by these carriers so you have to purchase them from a pet store or learn to build them .

Size of the Aquarium

    You Should Always choose the largest size that fits your living room and your budget!

   Don't be tricked into thinking that the smaller the aquarium the easier it will be. The truth is, the larger the aquarium is the more stable it will be and in turn the easier it will be to maintain healthy fish. The amount of oxygen that's available (which is imperative to fish survival) is determined mainly by the amount of surface area of the aquarium  since oxygen enters the water primarily at the surface. Although aeration, with an air stone or a power head, seems like it is directly adding oxygen to the water, most of the benefit comes from moving water from the bottom of the aquarium to the surface where oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide.

   Water movement at the surface also increases oxygenation and will generally increase the stocking capacity as well as the health of the fish. Keep in mind that airstones and powerheads can (and generally will) fail at some time or another so don't overstock an aquarium to the point that your fish will die if the power goes out for a couple of hours! It is almost always more desirable to have a few less fish that are colorful and healthy than to push the limits of the tank and risk loosing  your fish. Not only are fish happier,  the maintenance is easier!

   The larger the aquarium, or the fewer the fish, the greater is your chance of having a success!!!

Mechanical and biological filtration

The process of mechanical filtration removes particulate material from the water column. This particulate matter may include uneaten food, faces or plant or algal debris. Mechanical filtration is typically achieved by passing water through materials which act as a sieve, physically trapping the particulate matter.^[1] In contrast, biological filtration relies on primarily bacterial decomposition of mainly soluble nitrogenous waste products, such as ammonia (See: Nitrogen cycle management in aquaria. )^[2][3]

 

 Materials suitable for aquarium filtration

Numerous materials are suitable as aquarium filtration media. These include synthetic wools, known in the aquarium hobby as filter wool, made of polyethylene terephthalate or nylon. Synthetic sponges or foams, various ceramic and glass and silicon products along with igneous gravels are also used as mechanical filter materials. Materials with a greater surface area provide both mechanical and biological filtration. Some filter materials, such as plastic "bioballs", are best used for biological filtration.

With the notable exception of diatom filters, aquariums filters are rarely purely mechanical in action, as bacteria will colonise most filter materials effecting some degree of biological filtration.^[1] Activated carbon and zeolites are also frequently added to aquarium filters. These highly porous materials act as adsorbates binding various chemicals to their large external surfaces^[2] and also as sites of bacterial colonisation.

The simplest aquarium filter will usually only have filter wool and activated carbon. The filter wool traps large debris and particles, and the activated carbon absorbs smaller impurities. These should be changed regularly at suitable intervals.^[5]

 

 Types of aquarium filters

Numerous types of aquarium filters are commercially available, including:

 

 External filters

External filters remove water from the aquarium which is then pushed (or pulled) through a series of different levels filter media and returned to the aquarium.^[1] They are usually more effective and easier to maintain than internal filters.^[6]

 

 Canister filters

Compared to filters that hang on the back of the aquarium, canister-style external filters offer a greater quantity of filter materials to be used along with a greater degree of flexibility with respect to filter material choice.^[2] Water enters the canister filled with the chosen filter material through an intake pipe at the bottom of the canister, passes through the material, and is pumped back to the aquarium through an electric pump on the top of the canister.^[6] A major benefit of this type of filter is that it can be disconnected from the tank for cleaning/maintenance and replaced without disturbing the aquarium.^{[citation needed]} The major disadvantages of canister filters is the increased cost, which is comparatively high compared to other filters, and the relative difficulties in cleaning the long tubes which transfer water to and from the aquarium.^[3]

 

Diatom filters

Diatom filters are used only for sporadic cleaning of tanks, they are not continuously operated on aquariums. These filters utilise diatomaceous earth to create an extremely fine filter down to 1 µm which removes particulate matter from the water column.^[1]

 

 Trickle filters

Trickle filters, also known as wet/dry filters are another water filtration systems for marine and freshwater aquariums.^[6] This filter comes in two configurations, one which is placed on top of the aquarium (and more rarely seen) and one which is placed below the aquarium (more common).

If the wet/dry filter is placed on top of the aquarium, water is pumped over a number of perforated trays containing filter wool or some other filter material. The water trickles through the trays, keeping the filter wool wet but not completely submerged, allowing oxygen-loving bacteria to breed well and aiding biological filtration. The water returns to the aquarium like rain.^[6]

Alternatively, the wet/dry filter may be placed below the tank. In this design, water is fed by gravity to the filter below the aquarium. Once again, it passes through filter wool resting on a perforated plate. After this, the water enters the sump. What is placed in the sump is up to the aquarist. It may contain bioballs, or it may contain a number of compartments, each with its own filtration material. Often, heaters and thermostats are placed in the sump.^[6]

 

 Baffle filters

Baffle filters are similar to wet and dry, trickle filters in that they are generally situated below the aquarium. This type of filter consists of a series of baffles that the water must pass through in order to reach the pump which is returning water to the aquarium. These baffles then act, much like a series of canister filters and can be filled with different filter media for different purposes.^[7].

 

 Internal filters

Internal filters are, by definition, filters within the confines of the aquarium. These include the sponge filter, variations on the corner filter (pictured top right and left), foam cartridge filter and the undergravel filter.^[1] An internal filter may have an electric pump and thus be an internal power filter, often attached to the inside of aquaria via suction cups.

 

 Airlift filters

Sponge filters and corner filters (sometimes called box filters) work by essentially the same mechanism. Both generally work by airlift, using bubbles from an air pump rising in a tube to create flow. In a sponge filter, the inlet may only covered by a simple open-cell block of foam. A corner filter is slightly more complex. These filters are oftenplaced in the corner on the bottom of the aquarium. Water enters slits in the box, passes through a layer of medium, then exits through the airlift tube to return to the aquarium. These filters tend to only be suitable for small and lightly-stocked aquaria. The sponge filter is especially useful for rearing fry where the sponge prevents the small fish from entering the filter.^[6]

 

 Undergravel filters

Undergravel filters consist of a porous plate which is placed beneath the gravel on the base of the aquarium and one, or more, uplift tubes. Historically, undergravel filters have been driven via air displacement. Air stones are placed at the base of uplift tubes which force water out of the uplift tube creating negative pressure beneath the undergravel filter plate. Water then percolates down through the gravel which itself is the filtration material.^[1] Greater flow rate of water through the gravel can be achieved via the use of water pump rather than air displacement.^[1]

Beneficial bacteria colonize the gravel bed and provide biological filtration, using the substrate of the aquarium itself as a biological filter.^[5][6]

Undergravel filters can be detrimental to the health of aquatic plants.^[5] Fine substrates such as sand or peat may clog an undergravel filter.^[6] Undergravel filters are not effective if the substrate bed is uneven. In an uneven gravel bed, water will flow only through the thin portions of the bed, leaving the more heavily covered areas to become anoxic. Because of this, animals that dig, such as cichlids, are best kept in an aquarium using some other type of filtration.^{[citation needed]}

 

 Marine-specific systems

Marine aquaria have specialised needs and requirements, to this end the filtration of the marine aquarium is often more complex than freshwater aquariums.

 

Protein Skimmers

Main article: Protein skimmer

Protein skimmers are filters used to fractionate and remove various organic compounds from marine aquariums prior to their further degradation. The technique uses the chemical polarity of proteins and amino acids to remove the compounds in the foam produced by the filter. Protein skimmers are often used in combination with trickle filters along with various other marine-specific filtration techniques.

 

 

Getting Started In Fish keeping
 

Starting a home aquarium is an exciting venture. While maintaining the aquarium is easy, there is more to starting it than just throwing fish, water, and food into a tank. This information (combined with my opinions) focuses on the needed equipment.

Beginner's Kits
Most beginner aquarium kits contain everything you need to get started. If you're totally new to aquaria, this is probably the best way to start out. Unfortunately, many beginner kits contain low-end equipment, which you usually end up replacing through your first year or two of fishkeeping. You can buy higher quality components individually instead, but it will cost you more.

Ideally, you should try to get a deal from your local fish store (LFS) by purchasing several quality components all at the same time. Many LFS owners will sell you the individual components at a discount if you're making a full initial purchase at their store. Of course, this depends on whether or not they care to make you a regular customer!

Aquarium Tanks
Aquariums come is various shapes and sizes. Larger aquariums are usually better. It's easier to keep the water temperature and conditions stable in a larger aquarium, and larger aquariums hold more fish! Large aquariums tend to be very expensive to buy, and will cost you more for the related equipment and chemical additives. The old advice, "purchase the largest tank you can afford", is really best. Purchasing a large tank can be very expensive. You may want to look for "deals" at garage sales or in your newspaper's classified ads. If you do go with a used tank, be sure to test it for leaks before setting it up in a permanent location. Also inspect the silicon deals to see if there is any obvious sign of decay. It should go without saying, never buy a cracked or damaged tank.

There are two types of material that your aquarium can be made of: Glass or Acrylic. Glass tanks are cheaper per gallon and resist scratches, but are heavier than acrylic tanks. Acrylic tanks are more expensive and scratch easy, but have no silicon seams that will break or leak. Glass aquariums are siliconed together from planes of glass and have the potential to break or leak. Glass tanks have a higher index of refractions than acrylic ones. Most hobbyists prefer glass over acrylic, although there are really good quality acrylic tanks on the market today.

Ensure the tank is set on a level surface. Any twists in the tank will eventually cause the seal to break and the tank will leak, or break open. It's also a good idea to place a piece of carpet (or foam) under the tank if it is sitting on a desk or other flat surface. This will absorb water that gets spilled over the edge of the tank, as well as provide a cushion for the tank on your stand.

The ideal starter size is around 20 gallons. Don't purchase a tank smaller than 10 gallons -- they are just too small to try and keep fish healthy in for the long term. Those 5 gallon tanks you see at the LFS are usually used at fish shows to show stock or as temporary breeding or quarentine tanks. Tanks 10 to 20 gallons are ideal for the beginning hobbyist.

Surface area is more important than total volume in determining how many fish your tank can support. The oxygen exchange required in an aquarium takes place at the surface of the aquarium where the water and air meet. A very tall tank with a small surface area cannot support as many fish as a longer tank with a larger surface area (although tall tanks tend to look really cool in an office).

Gravel, Decorations, And Plants
Decorations are mostly at the discresion of the owner. There should be about an even inch of gravel on the bottom of the tank... just enough to anchor any decorations or plants (real or plastic) you want. Be sure to provide enough "hiding places" in the layout of your aquarium. Most fish like to be able to get away and hide somewhere they can feel "safe" (i.e. away from open view). Conversely, make sure there is also enough open space for the fish to swim freely when they want. This is where keeping plants (real or plastic) comes in very handy. Keeping a good balance will keep your fish happy. Also, don't be afraid to change the layout every few months. You and your fish will enjoy the change.

If you're on a budget, you can go to your local building supplier and purchase stones for your aquarium. A common stone called "river rock" is very nice in an aquarium, but there are several other types you can use. These stones are usually sold by the ton, so getting 20lbs should only cost you a few bucks. You can also stop by your local sand-blasting company to collect gravel or sand at great prices. You'll have to thoroughly rinse and soak anything you purchase to ensure you get all the dust and contaminants out.

Whatever you do put in your tank as decorations, ensure they are safe. Sharp edges can cut or impale the fish. Fish can easilly get stuck in holes or other openings in your decorations. I've had a few fish get stuck in the hole at the bottom of a clay flowerpot. Be sure to thoroughly rinse the gravel, decorations, and any plants you want to put in your tank. If you have anything that's somewhat porus, like a clay flower pot, you should soak it for a day in order to get all the contaminants out. You may also want to clean off plants to ensure there are no pests, such as snails hiding in them. Never place metallic objects in your tank. Metal ions are toxic to fish and will kill them if exposed over a long period.

Hood or Canopy
A hood or canopy covers the top of your aquarium. It prevents your fish from jumping out, keeps the heat in, and blocks unwanted "things" from falling in. The hood helps slow down evaporation of water from the tank. It also usually holds the lights for the aquarium. Most aquariums should have a hood of some type.

If you're on a budget, and your aquarium did not come with a hood, you can go to your local glass company and purchase plexiglass or lexan to cover the top. Plexiglass and lexan are only a few dollars per square foot, plus being clear, you'll have some additional options for lighting that don't exist in a traditional hood. Ensure there is some kind of opening space, or holes, where air can freely circulate over the top of the aquarium water.

Lights
Lights help show off the tank and your fish's colors, and provide energy for plants to grow. Lights can be flourescent or incandescent. Flourescent lights tend to show off the fish's colors the best. Incandescent lights produce extra heat and can affect a smaller tank's temperature, but tend to be significantly cheaper than flourescent fixtures. For tanks without plants, a low watt flourescent does an excellent job. Planning on 1 watt/gallon or less is sufficient.

For a tank with plants, planning on 2-4 watts/gallon of lighting is not a bad "rule of thumb". The actual lighting requirements will vary with the plants and depth of your tank. If you have a tank with no plants, and you put plant lights in the hood, you'll find that algae quickly grows in place of the plants.

Fish also need a day/night cycle. Lighting in an aquarium is primarily for you to show off the tank and the fish, and to grow plants. If you cannot turn your lights on and off at regular intervals to make a day/night cycle, purchase an automatic timer to do the job for you! A simple On/Off Timer can be found for less than $10 at most hardware stores.

Heaters
Most tropical fish like temperatures between 72 and 82 degrees F, although some species have a preference one way or the other. You'll need a heater to maintain the aquarium at a constant temperature through the day, and at night when your home cools down. Heaters come in two forms: Submersible and Hanging. The hanging heater type is often cheaper, but can vary temperature quite a bit. Submersible, thermostatically controlled, heaters are much more accurate. Don't buy a cheap heater. Cheap heaters are not accurate, and prone to failure. This not only causes problems (or death) in your tank, but also can cost you money on your power bill.

Plan on a about 5 watts/gallon to maintain the aquarium temperature in a regular room in your home. You may prefer to use two samller heaters rather than one large one. There's a build in safety factor for your fish if a 50 watt heater gets stuck on, rather than a 200 watt heater. Two heaters can also help balance the water temperature throughout the tank.

Thermometers
A thermometer is vital in any aquarium. You need to know the temperature in your tank at all times, as well as the temperature of water you will use for your water changes.

Purchase a quality thermometer... many cheaper thermometers are highly inaccurate. When buying a thermometer, look at all the thermometers on display and pick the one that has an average temperature. Also ensure the thermometer you purchase has the range that you will need. Not all thermometers show temperatures over 80 degrees.

Filtration
There are three types of filtration: mechanical, biological, and chemical. All tanks must have biological filtration. Biological filtration is the cheapest, most stable, and most efficient method to breakdown toxic ammonia in the nitrogen cycle. Mechanical filtration removes things like plant material or bits of food before they can decompose into ammonia. Chemical filtration is useful for dealing with short-term problems in an aquarium.

There are several types of filters: Undergravel Filters, Bio-Wheels, Sponge Filters, Corner Filters, Fluidized Bed Filters, Wet/Dry Filters, Canister Filters, and Powerhead Filters (to name a few!). Depending on the size of your aquarium, and the fish in it, you may use more than one filter type in the aquarium. Filters are not completely maintenance-free items, they do need to be cleaned and maintained. I prefer to use powerhead or canister filters. I do not recommend you use Undergravel Filters unless you are prepared to a major cleaning job in your tank every few months.

Whichever type of filter you choose, ensure it can hande the size of your aquarium properly. The filter should turn the water over 3 - 5 times every hour. For example, a 200 GPH filter works well in aquariums upto 66 gallons (200/3=66.67). The more filtration you have, the more fish and feeding mistakes you can make without disasterous effects. You really can't filter the water "too much", but going overboard on filtration ends up costing you more money in both supplies and your power bill.

Water and Biological Treatments
Before you put any water in the aquarium, you must remove as many contaminants as possible. This usually means using some kind of water conditioner. There are several commercial products available to remove chlorine and chloramine, and add biological organisms. If you prefer not to use the commercial chemicals, you can "age" your water for several days instead. By storing the water uncovered for 4 - 5 days before putting it in your aquarium, you will ensure that chlorine has dissipated, the naturally occuring Ich has died off, and that the water chemistry has had a chance to stablize since coming out of the tap.

You may also want to add additional additives to the water to control pH, water hardness, add trace elements, or control algea. These kinds of items are optional. Some hobbyists love them, and some never use any at all. A word of warning; You can create many problems for yourself if you start trying to manage water chemistry artificially. Most hobbyists advise not to artificially control water chemistry unless absolutely necessary for the species of fish you are keeping.

Air Pump and Air Stone
Although not manditory, I would recommend you use an air pump and have an airstone in your aquarium. The air bubbles created by the stone will cause agitation at the surface water, where it will help the exchange of gasses between the air and water, as well as create water movement in the aquarium. This will increase the bio-load capacity of the tank. Plus, the bubbles look pretty. If you plan on keeping plants, you may not use an airstone since it will drive CO2 out of the water. Plants will release oxygen into the water, but require the carbon dioxide to flourish.

Not all air pumps are alike. Some are very quiet and some are very noisy. I have found the Maxima/Optima pumps to be the most economical for the quality. They are reliable, quiet, and not too expensive. Eheim, while very expensive, has been known to be the quietest air pump on the market. The new TetraTech Air Pumps are also very quiet, and very expensive! If you have any concerns about the noise an air pump makes, have the store plug it in for you!

Depending on the position of your aquarium and air pump, you may also need check-valves. These little valves stop water from flowing back up the air hose and into your expensive air pump when the pump turn off. If your air pump is below the aquarium, I strongly recommend you put a check-valve in the air hose. Brief interruptions in power are not uncommon, and you don't need to have your expensive air pumps damaged when a check valve costs less than $2.

Test Kits
You should always have three test kits available: Ammonia, nitrite/nirtate, and pH. You'll need to be monitoring the ammonia and nitrite levels while the tank is cycling, as well as when adding fish to the aquarium. It also good to periodically check for nitrates. You will also need to check the pH of your water from time to time, as pH can change over time in your aquarium depending on your maintenance routine.

It's also sometimes helpful to know the hardness (GH and KH) of your water, as well as the Oxygen (O2) level. These are important of you are trying to breed fish, or adjusting the water chemistry artificially. I would not purchase these test kits as a matter of course, but only if you need or otherwise want the information.

Medications
Many different medications can be found at your LFS. Some can be helpful in treating fish diseases. Because of the wide variety of parasitic and biological pathogens fish are exposed to, commercial medications are not always a cure. Many medications themselves are toxic to fish, and can end up doing more harm than good if mis-used.

Nearly all fish will eventually get Ich, or other body parasite or infection. Having a general Ich and bacteria or parasite medication on hand can be helpful for getting a jump start on treatment. Aquarium salt is more effective in treating many diseases, including Ich, and is significantly cheaper than the medications.

Books
Invest in a few good aquarium books. It is always good to have a reference book available when you need a quick answer about some species of fish or a disease. I find it amazing that many people are willing to pay over $1000 for a big tank, supplies, and fish, yet quibble over shelling out more than $50 for a good aquarium book! No book, or website, can cover everything, and having more than one source of information to you will be invaluable.

Other Equipment, Gadgets, And Toys
There are many extra items you can get for your aquarium. A visit to the LFS will reveal all manner of items you can use in your aquarium. Generally speaking; You should have a couple of buckets on hand for the exclusive use of your aquarium. You should also have a siphone hose or other gravel cleaning tube to move water out of the aquarium. You might also find it handy to have an aquarium brush to scrape algea off the glass. You might also want some rubbermaid containers to keep your wet hoses, tubes, or brushes in while you work. You'll eventually collect many different "things" that you find handy to use.

If you have a really large and elaborate set-up, you may want to invest in an Un-Interruptable Power Supply (UPS). In the computer industry, a UPS is used to make sure clean power is reaching the hardware and that no spike or sag in the power level will cause damage. Although somewhat expensive, if you've invested more than $1000 in a tank and fish, I would suggest you spend another $200 and get one. For a good variety of home and commercial UPS's, I recommend APC equipment.

Before you can start adding fish, you'll need to get a clear understanding of the nitrogen cycle and begin the process of cycling your tank.