How to Set Up a Rain Forest Aquarium

Rain forest aquariums, also known as tropical aquariums, are renowned throughout the fish enthusiast community as a crown jewel for aquarium setups. Specializing in fish that hail from tropical waters, such as tetras or angelfish, rain forest aquariums are a unique and rewarding aquarium to create regardless if you are a seasoned aquarium junkie or a new fish enthusiast.

Things You'll Need

  • 20-gallon aquarium
  • Sponge
  • Bucket
  • Aquarium sand
  • Airlift filter
  • Aquarium heater
  • Foliage
  • Personal decorations
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Instructions

  1. Building a Rain Forest Aquarium

    • 1
      Be sure to use a sponge that hasn't been previously exposed to cleaning agents.

      Wash the 20-gallon aquarium with hot water and scrub the sides of the tank with a sponge. Make sure that your sponge and cleaning water does not have any cleaning agents in it as they can be devastating and even fatal for your fish and plants.

    • 2

      Fill the tank with your natural water (found in lakes/ponds) or tap water. For tap water, fill the tank and place it outside for one week -- doing this allows chlorine to erode and natural algae to develop to create a living microsystem for your rain forest aquarium. If you use natural water, simply fill the tank with the water and proceed with the tank's setup.

    • 3

      Disperse sand throughout the bottom of the filled tank to create an even plane along the tank's floor. With your sand in place, dig in your airlift filter into one of the tank's corners by running its filter line on the side of the tank's wall. Before that, examine the airlift filter's box information for the maximum tank size the filter supports (20 gallons for the tank you are using). Turn on your airlift filter and ensure it is flowing properly, and if so, let it flow for 30 minutes.

    • 4

      Stick your heater to the back side of the tank's wall (your heater will come with suction cups) and set the heat to 75 F to 80 F. Always check the temperature at least once a day to ensure your fish are in this comfortable temperature range.

    • 5

      Add your natural foliage into the tank by placing the roots into the sand of the tank; doing this will ensure they naturally anchor over time and not be uprooted. Place any other decorations you wish to add to your tropical aquarium, although be sure you do not block your airlift filter.

    • 6

      Add fish into your now prepared aquarium.