WORLD PET NETWORK
FRESHWATER AQUARIUMS
Freshwater tanks are a great choice for those wishing to start their first one. They are much easier to set up, maintain & adjust imbalances than a saltwater tank.
As a beginner, it is much easier and more convenient to purchase full aquarium kits. These kits contain all you need to get a successful and eye-catching tank set-up in your home. They come with almost everything you need to get started with the exception of fish, food, water, and some basic medications.
You will find you will need some additional small items over time such as a scrubber, etc.
Many people keep an aquarium in their homes. They can be beautiful if maintained properly. You can find them in sizes of 1-gallon (3.8 liters) to any custom size you wish. Whatever size you choose it is best if on your first purchase you buy a complete kit. 10 gallon is a great starter size. Keep in mind,
The Bigger The Tank - The Greater The Weight
Make sure that whatever you are putting the aquarium on is very strong, stable and easily capable of holding the weight of the aquarium when filled. The combined weight of a 10-gallon with gravel & water is around 110-112 lbs. Give or take a few ounces. A 20-gallon aquarium is around 225 lbs. A 30-gallon tank full is around 348 lbs. Gallons are the standard sizes used for aquariums.
Basic Medications
Basic medications I would recommend to have when starting a freshwater tank are
1) Ick Medication - Ick are little white spots all over your fish. Usually curable within 24-48 hours depending on your medication.
2) Fungal/Bacterial Medication - These meds can usually be found combined to treat multiple issues such as tail rot, gill rot, cotton wool disease and more.
3) Stress Reducer - Eases the stress of water changes and introduction of new fish, etc.
The best way to minimize risk of infections or problems in the aquarium is to keep it clean.
Aquarium Size & Factors
Aquarium size is a factor in the fish you choose. The bigger the aquarium the larger or more numerous inhabitants you can have.
A basic rule of thumb you can go by is 1" inch of fish per gallon of water. This way you can calculate how many fish and what sizes can live without stress due to overcrowding. Therefore you could have ten 1" fish, two 5" fish in a 10-gallon tank or a mix of different sizes that come to 10" total length.
Other items to consider in sizing the tank are pumps, heaters, etc. The larger the tank, the more pumps or larger pumps you will need. As well you may need additional heaters for the volume of water that needs to be controlled. You may not need heaters in warmer climates so this may not be as much a concern in those geographical areas.
Filters, Heaters & Lighting
Filtration
The filtration system is a critical component in any aquarium. The size of the filtration system you need varies on the size of your tank. If your filtration system is inadequate for your size tank than you will have nothing but problems or will be constantly cleaning it.
Heaters
A heater is important to keep a stable temperature within the saltwater environment. The fewer fluctuations in temperature, the healthier it is for your tank residents. Since an aquarium is only a small body of water the temperature can rise or fall quickly within it.
Lighting
There are many different options for lighting now.
LED's, metal halides & T5 are some to list a few and each has an advantage & disadvantage over another. Heat, cost, the life of the bulb, loss of brightness, etc. Most smaller aquariums come with a lid and bulb included.
Top-Ups & Water Exchanges
A necessary routine in any aquarium. Top-ups keep your water levels where they need to be. A lot of experienced hobbyists keep a bucket of water, 5-gallon and up, off to the side. This is used for top-ups and when an exchange is done. The "reservoir" is kept oxygenated and away from direct light with an air pump. This is usually room temperature water with no heater. If it is to be used for an exchange, a heater can be put it and regulated to the temperature you need prior to doing the exchange.
Top-Up
A top up on your freshwater aquarium is done frequently. It is done between regular cleanings and usually multiple times. During your top-ups it is a good idea to check your filters.
Exchange
When doing a freshwater exchange there are many things to keep in mind. The readable link above and videos to the right should help you save time and do it properly.
Set-Up Your Own 10-Gallon Aquarium
If you want to try your hand at setting up a 10-gallon starter aquarium, start by purchasing the kit to the right and following the link for a video to assist in setting it up.
Set up your own 10-gallon tank by clicking the button below
WORLD PET NETWORK
SALTWATER AQUARIUM SET-UP
For the more advanced hobbyist, saltwater tanks create a more challenging investment in time, resources and risk. It is very easy to have a saltwater tank come to over a $1500 price tag and lose it in a day or two if you lose power. An investment you should get with any saltwater aquarium is a back-up power supply or generator to get you through at least 2-3 days if you do lose power. *BE AWARE OF FUMES (If using a gas generator)
Setting Up & Establishing A Saltwater Aquarium
From start to finish it will take approximately 8-12 weeks before you can add fish into your tank. You should have nothing living in your tank (No Fish, Crabs, Coral, etc) for the first 4-6 weeks while the nitrogen cycle establishes itself with a semi-cured or fully cured live-rock.
Saltwater Aquarium
Nitrogen Cycle
Bacteria, it's what it's all about. By properly staging the nitrogen cycle you create a balance with a variety of biodiversity throughout your tank as colonies of beneficial bacteria establish themselves.
In a small way, I suppose you are watching creation in the process of happening. Is this what happened millions of years ago on our planet but on a global scale? I'll leave that up to you to ponder.
What you need to know here is how it works in your saltwater aquarium.
Setting Up For The First Time
That first saltwater aquarium can be very intimidating but remember that everybody was a beginner once. With the availability of the internet, no longer is it as risky as it once was. At one time you had maybe a couple of aquarium shops to go and talk to the owners or employees. Very few of which were all that educated in the hobby enough for you to stake a few hundred or thousands of dollars into it.
Below is an off-site walk-through with all materials you will need to set-up, start a nitrogen cycle, introduce your choice of predetermined species and have it fully running in 5 steps over 10-12 weeks.
Specific Gravity & Salinity
Use this chart to get optimal readings for your aquarium.
Click the image to view
Specific gravity and salinity in a saltwater aquarium are important factors in maintaining a healthy environment within the tank. Influences on these variables can be temperature, pressure and evaporation rate.
-Specific gravity refers to the density of the water. The temperature of your medium (In this case, water) has a direct influence on specific gravity. (As does pressure) You always want your aquarium running at optimal temperatures to keep these factors consistent. 75 - 82 degrees Fahrenheit is good with reef aquariums and marine aquariums. Reef aquariums prefer 75-78, whereas marine aquariums prefer 78-82 If you combine these two then your optimal temperature is 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
-Salinity can be affected by evaporation or the addition of fresh water. Water is considered fresh when its ppm(parts per million) of salt is less than 1000 ppm. Ocean saltwater averages at 35,000 ppm.
Water Exchange vs Top-Up
It is important to know the difference between top-up and water exchange. When adding water daily due to evaporation and you are only adding enough to top it up, just add fresh temperate water. Check salinity shortly after and adjust it then if necessary. The link below has some tips on how to save time during your water exchange.
When adding top-ups or exchanges, make sure the temperatures of the water being added is very close to the same temperature as that in the tank. During top-ups, you rarely need to adjust for salinity as you are only replacing the water that has evaporated. *See common beginner mistakes below.
Filters, Heaters & Lighting
Common Beginner Mistakes
A heater is important to keep a stable temperature within the saltwater environment. The fewer fluctuations in temperature, the healthier it is for your tank residents. Since an aquarium is only a small body of water the temperature can rise or fall quickly within it.
A few common learning curves that people go through are dealing with salinity levels, improper topping up, incorrect water changes and more. For a detailed list of some of these common mistakes and more, click the link below to be directed off-site.
Cautions To Prevent Human Illness
-
Be aware that fish and their aquariums may carry germs.
-
Wash your hands before and after cleaning or maintaining the aquarium or aquarium water. Plan to wear gloves when working with rough rocks or spiny fish to avoid injury.
-
-
If you have any cuts or wounds on your hands, wear gloves or wait until your wounds are fully healed before working with your fish or aquarium water to avoid possible infection.
-
Avoid cleaning fish aquariums in areas where people with weak immune systems may be affected.
-
Don’t allow children younger than 5 years of age or people with weak immune systems to clean aquariums.
-
Don’t use kitchen sinks to dump aquarium water into or to wash aquariums. If you use a bathtub to dump aquarium water into or to wash aquariums, clean the tub thoroughly afterward, and use a commercial disinfectant like bleach according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not mix bleach with other cleaners, especially ammonia.
WORLD PET NETWORK