How To Set Up Your New Aquarium

This is a brief step-by-step instruction that will help you set up your freshwater aquarium for your new fish. This article is for any size tank that uses a filter.

An example of some freshwater fish.

Things You Will Need

Aquarium
Your aquarium rocks
Any plants or display you want to put in your aquarium
Water
A submersible heater
Thermometer
A plug in filter

Step 1

First you will need to put your aquarium rocks in. Before you start spilling them in the aquarium, make sure that you have rinsed them off with water in the sink. If they are brightly colored rocks, you want to make sure that the water runs clear after you have rinsed them enough. Once you have finished this, pour the rocks into the base of the aquarium. You will want about a half an inch of rocks to layer (depending on the size of your aquarium). Once you have poured them in, incline the rocks so that the back side of the aquarium has a steep incline of rocks, moving down towards the front of the aquarium where there will be the lowest incline. This is so that the fish have a sense of direction and you will be able to see them swimming at the front of your tank.

Step 2

Next, you will want to start adding water to your aquarium. If you are using tap water for your aquarium, you need to make sure that you get some Aqua Safe solution to make the water safe for your fish. (I suggest getting a large bowl and putting as much water as you can in that, and then adding the directed amount of solution to each bowl of water so you can mix it in before you put it in the aquarium.) Also, if your fish require certain temperatures, you need to make sure that the water is the right temperature before you put it in, so make sure to measure. Once your water is ready, take the bowl or container over to the aquarium and get a plate. You will want to pour the aquarium water over the plate into your aquarium so the water does not mess up the arrangement of the rocks in your aquarium.

Step 3

Once you have added all of the water, plug in your submersible heater (I find that these kinds of heaters work best) and set up your filter. The filter should have a set of instructions that come with it, so make sure you follow those guidelines. Since all filters are different, you must make sure you are following those directions. Once you have plugged in your heater and gotten your filter working, place the thermometer in the aquarium so that you can keep a good record of the temperature. Once this is finished, proceed with decorating your aquarium with plants! Make sure that you rinse off all plants, castles, or any other kinds of decorations before you place them in the aquarium!

Step 4

After your aquarium is set up, you will want to wait at least a week before you get fish and put them in your aquarium. This is because you need to wait for your aquarium to go through it's natural nitrite cycles. Nitrite is dangerous to your fish and you need to give your aquarium time to adjust its PH levels.

This covers all you need to know about setting up your new aquarium. Make sure you follow each instruction carefully, and enjoy!

Tips & Warnings

Make sure once you have set up your aquarium that you wait at least a week before putting your fish in the aquarium!
Once you have waited and gotten your fish, make sure that you get some PH strips from the pet store so you can keep a close eye on the PH levels in your aquarium, because some levels are dangerous to your fish.
Make sure that after you have your aquarium and fish, that you change out your water every week, at least a 20-30% water change if not a complete water change (although complete might take more time).