Things You'll Need
- 135 gallon Aquarium heavy-duty stand water conditioning chemicals gravel or sand filter(s) lighting plants heater food cleaning tools salt (kosher or sea salt)
Instructions
Preparations
Clean the tank. No matter where you got your tank from, you will need to clean it out to remove dust, foreign objects, and bacteria which may be harmful to your fish. Using soap or other chemicals may either leave a residue which will impair your enjoyment of the aquarium or introduce potentially-harmful chemicals. Instead, use water and salt (kosher or sea salt) to clean your tank; the salt will help kill harmful bacteria as well as act as a mild surfactant to loosen dirt or dust but will not harm your fish. Rinse thoroughly afterward.
Place filtration units. This is especially necessary if you are using an under gravel filter, but also allows you to lay out your aquarium before adding over 1,000 pounds of gravel and water. Place your filtration units to maximize coverage and to minimize their visibility.
Place aquarium. Putting the aquarium on a sturdy stand is vital for your aquarium's stability and safety. Remember, water has weight (about 8.5 pounds per gallon) and you will need literally hundreds of pounds of gravel (or sand in a salt water aquarium) as part of the functioning ecosystem of your aquarium. Use only a stand that is rated to hold over 1/2 a ton of glass, water, rock, fish, and electronics.
Place gravel or sand, plants, and water. Wash any gravel or sand (do not use beach sand) before placing it in the aquarium. Use about 135 to 210 pounds of gravel or sand. Place artificial plants, coral, or other decrations--you may need to use artificial plants at first even if you will eventually have live plants; placing "hiding spots" for your fish will reduce their stress when placed in the aquarium. As with any aquarium, but especially with a 135 gallon aquarium, it is important to protect the gravel or sand when putting water in. Placing a bowl under the stream will interrupt the energy transferred by the water and prevent the gravel or sand from moving, yet allow the aquarium to fill up. Once the water is about 1/3 full, you can remove the bowls.
Prepare the water. You need to raise the temperature and treat the water of the aquarium as soon as it is full. Placing heaters and adding chemicals such as "StressZyme" or other water conditioners will give your aquarium's ecosystem a jump start. Chemicals such as chlorine, which is present in most municipal water, is deadly to fish, so run your filters for several days before introducing fish. Additionally, ensure that your heaters are adequate to maintain the temperature of such a large aquarium. Now is the perfect time to experiment without harming the fish.
Introduction
Add biological elements. After a few days, some of the nitrogen-eating and ammonia-removing bacteria should be present in your tank. Introduce a few fish and a few plants at first, being sure to use hardy species which are cheap and tolerant of a wide range of environments. For example, guppies in a fresh water tank are relatively hardy and make a good starting fish. A few live plants may be added at this point, but be careful as some plants may deplete the oxygen levels of the aquarium if there is insufficient carbon dioxide.
Change the water often. In the first month or so of your aquarium's life, it will be necessary to change the water relatively frequently to minimize shock to your fish's system. This is necessary to remove large amounts of ammonia and nitrogen that would otherwise overwhelm your aquarium's ecosystem. Water may turn cloudy at this time, but that is perfectly natural.
Add the fish. These will be the fish you really wanted in the aquarium. Place the fish, still in the bag, into the aquarium and wait 15 to 20 minutes to allow temperature and Ph differences to balance out. Cut a slit int he bag, but do not force the fish out. If after another 20 minutes your fish can not find its way out, it is okay to gently tip the bag to assist it.