Top 10 Aquarium Questions: How do I set up a tank?

How do I set up a tank?

Before you set up a tank, I recommend getting an idea of what your end game is as far as the fish you want. Not all fish can go together, or fit in any aquarium. Resist the temptation to get something small and try to make it work. This almost always ends badly. This isn't to say you can't do it, but most people end up disappointed with what they are limited to. Next, and the most difficult part for most of us, is you need to cycle your tank (this will be explained in greater detail in the another post, but the important thing to note is this is where you can kill your fish and get discouraged if you're not careful). 

When you start to add more fish to your tank, you want to do it in increments; depending on the size of the tank, you can add 3 to 5 fish every couple weeks until you reach full capacity. Speaking of full capacity, know this or you're setting yourself up for heartache later: an easy thing to keep in mind is one inch of fish per gallon of water. It is important to note this only works for small fish. If the fish gets larger (as an example: goldfish), they produce more waste than this simple mantra accounts for.

Another thing to keep in mind when determining your full capacity: the full adult size of the fish you are picking out. Most small tetras will only reach 2 inches when full grown. It's easy to buy these small fish and think one fish per gallon -- avoid this tragic mistake. 

Lastly, once your tank is up and full and doing well, you need to maintain it. A healthy practice is to do 30% water changes once a month, but this doesn't incorporate active participation in your tank's health. Some tanks may need more water changes, and others less. In the beginning, I recommend working with a local pet store, most of which offer free water testing. This is because ammonia testing is important in the beginning but you will likely never need to test it again, so purchasing the ammonia test kit is unnecessary. 

You will want a nitrate test kit.

Nitrates are the final waste product and the least toxic. They will, however, build up and that's why we do water changes. They can still be lethal if left to build to dangerous levels. If you test these monthly, you can schedule water changes according to the results.