How to Start an Aquarium

Starting an aquarium requires more than just tap water and a tank. Filters, heaters, plants and substrate (gravel) all play a role in maintaining a healthy aquarium ecosystem. When starting up a new aquarium, the most important thing is the establishment of the "nitrogen cycle." Fish waste and decaying, uneaten food breaks down into ammonia, which must be broken down by "good" bacteria into nitrites, and then nitrates. Tank size, filter type, tank population and maintenance all affect the nitrogen cycle and the overall health of your tank. This is true whether your starting a freshwater or saltwater aquarium. For the neophyte aquarist, a freshwater tank is the best place to start, as they are less expensive and much easier to maintain.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium tank
  • Tank stand
  • Filter and filter media
  • Heater
  • Thermometer
  • Water conditioner
  • Lid with lighting system
  • Gravel substrate, 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per gallon of water
  • Plants (real or artificial)
  • Decorations such as rocks, driftwood, treasure chests, scuba divers (optional)
  • Water
  • Aquarium test kit
  • Fish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the tank on a secure, sturdy stand. It should be strong enough to support a fully loaded tank and provide enough room so that you can work around it. Don't place the tank in direct sunlight. That can encourage algae growth. Wipe the aquarium down with a clean, damp cloth.

    • 2

      Rinse the gravel. Put the gravel in a colander and place it in the bathtub. Run the water over it. You'll notice that the water is cloudy as it drains out of the tub. Do this in batches. After one batch is clean, pour it into a clean pail. Take your time, make sure the gravel is free of grit and dust.You will need about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of gravel per gallon.

    • 3

      Place the gravel in the tank. Grade the gravel so that it gets deeper toward the back of the tank. Add the plants and decorations.

    • 4

      Add water to the aquarium. Place a small saucer on the gravel and pour the water in slowly on top of the saucer. The saucer will prevent the water from disturbing the gravel and wrecking your aquascape. Once the tank is full, remove the saucer. Add water conditioner per package instructions to remove chlorine, chloramines and other harmful chemicals.

    • 5

      Install the filter, heater, and lid with lighting system according to the manufacturer's instructions. Use an electrical strip to connect all your devices for easy access and plug into a GFCI-protected outlet. Turn on the equipment.

    • 6

      Cycle the aquarium. Establishing a biological cycle requires either adding bacteria from another tank (called "salting") or by growing your own bacteria. There are many ways growing your own bacteria, including some over-the-counter products. Some aquarists use a small piece a of shrimp and allow it to decay to kick-start the cycle. Others add a hardy fish right away, such as zebra danios, which will begin producing ammonia that will kick start the cycle, but many consider this cruel and unnecessary. It can take as long as five or six weeks to fully cycle the tank.

    • 7

      Test the water parameters with an aquarium test kit. Check the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, as well as the general hardness and pH of the water. If these parameters are within the proper range, you can be begin to add fish. (Keep track of your readings for comparison purposes, as you'll be taking readings on a regular basis to monitor the heath of your aquarium. Make any adjustments necessary for the kind of fish or tank inhabitants you'll be keeping.)

    • 8

      Add your fish, but only a few at time. You need to build the popular slowly. Add on a few fish every couple of weeks. Do not add the fish directly from the pet store bag into the aquarium. Let the bag float in your aquarium so that the fish can gradually acclimate to the temperature. Add water from your fish tank to the pet store bag (about 20 percent more than is in the bag) every 10 minutes for 30 to 40 minutes. Then capture the fish from the bag (or pour the contents of the bag into a net over a bucket), and place the fish gently into the aquarium. Don not let any water from the pet store bag into your aquarium. If there were any diseases in the pet store water (and there often is), you would add them to your aquarium.

    • 9

      Change out 10 to 20 percent of the aquarium water every week. Changing the aquarium water will remove waste build-up and restore water quality. If your aquarium test kit shows readings that suggest uncontrolled build up of waste, exchange greater volumes of water.