Setting up an Aquarium (part 1)

Setting up your aquarium! Useful tips for beginners!

Introduction

The latest findings show that watching an aquarium is relaxing, reduces stress and has a calming influence. It provides an opportunity to observe natural events closely, leading to a greater understanding of the natural processes and how they are related.

At the same time, an aquarium can simply be beautiful and fascinating. It can be a decorative feature in your home... The list of benefits is endless. However, you will only be able to enjoy them if you provide your plants and aquatic life with the proper care that meets their needs which, or course, entails a certain amount of work. Otherwise, the advantages may quickly turn into disadvantages, such as when the aquarium suddenly turns into cloudy algae soup, bringing the hobby you began with so much enthusiasm to an abrupt end...

So this post should be helpful for those of you considering getting an aquarium.

Since the aquarium is a micro system of living creatures which react to each other, you will not find simple instructions which simply needs to be followed for everything to run like clockwork. Make sure you have the correct size aquarium for how many fish you intend to add.

1. Cleaning the new aquarium

After placing your new aquarium into the selected location, wash it using lukewarm tap water. JBL has developed a special nontoxic aquarium cleaner. DO NOT use detergents or cleaning agents.

2. Adding the substrate

You can get a few different types of substrate for aquariums, including the following;

- Sand

- Soil

- Gravel

- Pebbles

- Slate

It is a highly beneficial idea to invest in some bacteria balls, which are packed full of beneficial bacteria, which helps sustain your aquarium as it adds purifying bacteria that break down pollutants such as ammonia, nitrite and nitrate thus preventing any potential problems. I personally recommend you add this bacteria before you introduce your aquatic life to their new home. Don't forget to wash any substrate, hides, driftwood etc before adding them to the aquarium as they can potentially have bad bacteria or life on them, this could risk your fish's health. If you choose live plants remember to put soil under whatever substrate you have chosen for your plants. 4-6 cm of soil is recommended and then 2 cm of substrate.

3. Installing a heater and filter

Make sure you follow the manufacture's instructions. Install the appliances at the rear of the tank so they can later be hidden by decorations and plants, more on filters and heaters in parts 12 and 13 of this mini series.

4. Decorative elements

So now it's time to add decorations!!! It is recommended to only use one of rock as to avoid a rock desert. Remember to wash everything! When adding rocks and hides it is a good idea to place them slightly under the substrate as it helps keeping them in place. Remember to ask or research the appropriate plants for the kind of aquatic life you intend on placing in any aquarium. Don't use too many decorative elements as it will crowd the aquarium. You can also place some moss into the mix, however, research is key and DO NOT crowd your aquarium.

5. Adding water

Now fill the aquarium with tepid tap water (if fresh water fish) 25 degrees Celsius, until almost full. I recommend using a siphon as this can help with cleaning also. It will help you avoid disturbing the substrate whilst filling the aquarium. You can then adjust the positions of decorative elements if needed.

6. Starting up the technical equipment

Switch on the heater and filter, install any lighting required, making sure you follow the manufacture's instructions. If lighting is required, it is recommended to connect the lighting to an adjustable timer/ time switch.

7. Adding plants

- When the equipment is working properly you can add some plants.

- When adding plants dig out holes in the substrate to plant them as the need soil to grow and it keeps them in place.

- Remember to ask or research the appropriate plants for the kind of aquatic life you intend on placing in any aquarium.

8. Introducing aquatic creatures

First do your research if these creatures are compatible and can live in harmony.

48 hours after adding beneficial bacteria, you can now go ahead with the creatures make sure to acclimate them first as the water can be a shock and potentially kill your creatures.

Make sure you add the creatures over the course of a week or so. Obviously put them in another tank or holding container whist doing this as the creatures can die in left the bags too long, as there's not enough water or air as it is just for transport.

Location -

Thanks to more sophisticated modern lighting equipment, the window sill is no longer the standard location for an aquarium. Daylight, with seasonal fluctuations, is difficult to regulate and inevitably leads to the problem of undesirable algae growth.

Select a location which is furthest away from a window as possible. So it will get as little daylight as possible, but put it somewhere that still be viewed from your favourite place to sit. Special aquarium lighting available from your specialist aquarium suppliers provides suitable light conditions and will keep algae growth to a minimum.

At the same time, you can perhaps bring to life and light to previously dark and dull corner of your home. The selected location also have a electrical power point or easy access to power. You will need 3-4 electrical connections, depending on the equipment used.

There should be sufficient space above the aquarium for you to comfortably carry out maintenance jobs (e.g regular partial water changes of aquarium water) without you getting into contortions.

A sufficiently sturdy piece of furniture will be required to support the aquarium. A shelf, table or something similar is adequate for a small aquarium. Larger tanks of about 80 - 100 liters upwards should be on a special tank stand available in a wide selection from from specialist aquarium suppliers.

It goes without saying that the aquarium and its support stand must stand absolutely level. A sheet of expanded polystyrene should be placed between the stand and aquarium (polysoft), available from aquarium suppliers.This will prevent any unevenness and insulate the tank, preventing any loss of heat from the bottom of the tank.

When installing an "open aquarium" under a sloping ceiling, make sure that there is sufficient space between the surface of the water and any light used. Open aquariums are highly decorative and have a positive effect on the climate of the room.

Size

Bigger is better!

The conditions in a larger aquarium remain more stable. Minor things such as unintentional lapses in upkeep does not result in immediate catastrophe. An aquarium of 80 cm long, which contains 50 - or 80-100 liters of water is not too demanding, both from the financial point of view and level of maintenance needed and aquarium suppliers often sell aquariums of this size completely sets with all the necessary accessories at a very reasonable price.

Construction and shape

Practically all tanks sold nowadays are all - glass or acrylic tanks with a rubber adhesive. Make sure you buy a brand name tank with a guarantee on the adhesive bonding. This way, you can be sure that it will meet all the necessary criteria safety and stability.

The economical methods now used for bonding sheets of glass/acrylic open up new opportunities for new shapes. Aquariums no longer are restricted to rectangular cuboid and cubes. These new shapes can be incorporated into modern house designs. One point that we must not forget is that the interior must meet the needs of the inhabit these magical lands (for the creatures...).

Useful Tools

There are a few useful tools that will make the upkeep of the aquarium much easier, let's take a look:

- A clean bucket purely to use for maintaining your aquarium.

- A suction hose (siphon) which sucks water up to put it in the bucket during water changes.

- A slit guard for the siphon has been proven to be very useful.

JBL sells a complete kit, of a siphon with a slit guard on the end called AquaEx

- Magnetic Sponge to make cleaning the glass/acrylic easier.

Thanks for reading and the next part will be coming tomorrow x