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01 Jun 2014
Setting Up Tropical Aquarium
Posted By : Guest Filed Under : Aquatics | Tropical Aquariums
An aquarium can provide a perfect centrepiece for any room and can be beautiful, relaxing and educational. While setting up a tropical aquarium may seem like a daunting task at first, this can be done with ease after putting a little bit of time aside to plan what you want to include. Before purchasing your aquarium, you need to think about where you’re going to keep it and what you want to include.



It may come as a surprise, but more often than not larger aquariums are easier to maintain as they need cleaning less often and make it easier to regulate the water quality and keep your fish healthy. A larger aquarium also allows more room for fish to grow and live happily. One of the most detrimental factors on a fish’s health can be a small tank.

There are thousands of species of tropical fish to choose from, some of which need more care than others. It’s also worth bearing in mind that some tropical fish may need different equipment inside the tank and some species do not get along well with others, and therefore mixing these conflicting fish can be a bad idea.

Most aquarium owners opt for a community aquarium. These include a mix of different fish, carefully chosen to live in harmony with one another. If you opt for a community aquarium, it’s completely up to you whether you include live plants or artificial ones. The versatility that comes with community aquariums is all part of its charm and is probably what makes them so popular with first-time aquarium owners.

It’s also a good idea to think about the positioning of your aquarium. It’s ideal to keep it in a reasonably quiet area as fish can become startled and stressed by loud noises. Also, avoid keeping your aquarium away from radiators, fridges or anything else that could make regulating the temperature more difficult. In order to prevent algae growth, try not to keep the aquarium in front of a window, where direct sunlight will shine upon it. Finally, remember that you will need to plug in equipment such as the lighting and the filter, and so there is no point putting the tank at the opposite end of the room as the electricity supply.

Now that you’ve got your location sorted, it’s time to decide whether to buy your aquarium and the equipment separately, or whether to buy it as a complete kit. At Pet Habitat you can find a wide selection of aquariums which already come with a filter, heater and some lighting included, saving you the hassle of finding items which are compatible with one another.



Here are a few pieces of equipment which are needed:

Filter

An aquarium filter will process the waste and remove it from the aquarium to keep the fish and plants healthy.

Heater

Most tropical fish thrive in aquariums where the temperature is between 24-27C, anything less than this makes it is difficult to maintain their health and can increase their risk of illness. Most aquarium heaters have built in thermostats which regulate the temperature of the water.

Lighting

Fish and plants are healthier in aquariums where there is a natural cycle of light and dark and so an aquarium lighting unit is vital if you want your aquarium to blossom.

Air Pump

Air pumps are designed to supply a constant flow of air into the water, increase oxygen levels and minimise algae.

Decorating your aquarium

Now that you have all the technical bits and pieces sorted, it’s time for the fun part – decorating your tank! Use your creativity and have a look around at all the different types of substrate, plants and décor available before making any decisions.

Popular substrates include sand, pebbles, gravel and slate.



Setting up your aquarium

Now that you’ve selected your equipment and décor, it’s time to start putting it all together.
  1. Wash the substrate to remove any dust and lay it in the bottom of the tank.
  2. Follow the instruction supplied with your chosen equipment and place the filter, heater, light and air pump as necessary.
  3. Fill a large bucket with water from the cold tap, heat this water using the kettle until it reaches 24-25C. Use an aquarium thermometer to check the temperature.
  4. So that the substrate does not move when you pour the water in, place a plate on top of the substrate and poor directly onto it.
  5. If using real plants, remove the pots that they come in and carefully push the base of the plants into the substrate. You want the growing tip of the plant to appear just above the substrate. If using larger plants, it can help to include tablets to supply them with the necessary nutrients.
  6. Once your aquarium is full, you need to wait a few days before adding the fish. Switch on all the equipment to check that it is working properly. Over this waiting period, the temperature should stabilise and the water will settle down. Switch the aquarium light on for at least 10 hours a day to allow the plants to photosynthesise.
  7. Once you’ve allowed the aquarium to settle for a week, it’s time for you to start adding the fish.

 
Tags : Setting up a tropical aquarium , Fish Tanks South Africa For Sale , Fish Aquarium South Africa
 
  
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