How to Get Started With Minnows

Minnows are members of a large group of fish that includes the carp family. These typically small fish feed principally on tiny insects and aquatic vegetation. Minnows are frequently used as a bait fish, but are also kept in aquariums. A minnow tank need not be very large, but the water should be filtered chemically, mechanically and biologically.

Things You'll Need

  • Styrofoam
  • 15-gallon aquarium, including stand and canopy
  • Aquarium gravel
  • Water
  • 2-oz. bottle of Tetra AquaSafe chlorine neutralizer
  • Plastic rod
  • Hang-on filter
  • 8-oz. nylon bag of activated carbon
  • Bio balls
  • Aquarium filter floss
  • Commercial liquid bacteria culture
  • 8 to 10 aquatic plants
  • 12 minnows
  • Plastic peg
  • 1-fl.-oz. plastic container
  • Soft aquarium net
  • Aquarium flake food
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay a thin piece of Styrofoam onto a tank stand and place a 15-gallon aquarium on it. Do not position the aquarium in front of a window that receives full sun, as this will encourage the growth of unwanted algae.

    • 2

      Place a 1-inch-thick layer of aquarium gravel on the bottom of the aquarium.

    • 3

      Pour tap water into the aquarium and add 1 fl. oz. of chlorine remover. Stir well with a plastic rod.

    • 4

      Position a hang-on filter onto the back rim of the aquarium.

    • 5

      Rinse a nylon pouch of activated carbon under running water until the water is clear and free of carbon dust.

    • 6

      Place the carbon pouch into the chemical filter compartment of the hang-on filter.

    • 7

      Fill the biological compartment of the hang-on filter with bio balls.

    • 8

      Fill the mechanical filter compartment of the hang-on filter with filter floss. Replace the top of the hang-on filter and turn it on. Leave the water to circulate for a day.

    • 9

      Add a commercial liquid bacteria culture to seed the biological filter.

    • 10

      Place eight to 10 aquatic plants along the back of the aquarium.

    • 11

      Open the plastic bag in which the minnows arrive and attach it to the front rim of the aquarium, using a plastic peg.

    • 12

      Fill a 1-fl.-oz. plastic container with water from the aquarium, and pour this gently into the plastic bag that contains the minnows. Add 1 fl. oz. of aquarium water every 10 to 15 minutes, for an hour, to acclimatize the minnows to your aquarium water.

    • 13

      Carefully catch the minnows in a soft aquarium net and release them into the tank. Place a canopy onto the aquarium to prevent the minnows from jumping out.

    • 14

      Feed the minnows on a commercial aquarium flake each day. Feed only as much as the fish will accept in a five-minute period.