How to Prepare Aquarium Water for Fish

A fish aquarium can be a very relaxing addition to any home. Fish are fun to watch, there is a variety to chose from and they take a much smaller amount of responsibilities than other pets. Setting up a fish tank will take some preparation because there are many things that are needed for the proper usage, cleaning and care. Once set up and running, it will only need to be cleaned on occasion, and the fish will need to be fed daily.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium
  • Stand
  • Aquarium gravel
  • Aquarium plants
  • Water conditioner
  • Decorations
  • Heater
  • Water filter
  • Water thermometer
  • Water test kit
  • Light
  • Fish net
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Instructions

  1. Tank Setup

    • 1

      Wash out the fish tank, using water only. Soap will harm the fish and possibly kill them.

    • 2

      Pick where to place the tank, and put it on its stand before beginning setup. Do not move a tank after it has water in it; this can break the seal and cause the tank to leak or break.

    • 3

      Clean any gravel, plants and decorations, and place them in the tank. Only use water only to clean them. Plants can be plastic or live. Live plants need more care than plastic.

    • 4

      Fill the tank with room temperature water.

    • 5

      Place a small plate in the bottom to pour the water onto so you don't mess up the decorations and gravel that has already been set up.

    • 6

      Attach the heater. Let it adjust to the water temperature for 15 minutes before plugging it in and turning it on.

    • 7

      Hook up the water filter, place a cartridge in it and fill it to the rim with water before plugging it in.

    • 8

      Put the lights into the tank lid, and place it on top of the tank.

    Adding Fish

    • 9

      Let the tank sit over night before adding any fish so that it can go through the nitrogen cycle. Add the water conditioner now, following the package instructions.

    • 10

      Do a test on the water with the test kit, following the instructions on the box. This will tell if the water is correctly balanced for freshwater fish.

    • 11

      Add fish one at a time. If they came in bags from the store, float the bags in the tank for about 15 minutes to level out the water temperature so the fish do not get shocked. Scoop them out with the fish net; do not pour the water from the bag into the tank.