Aquariums are considered to be one of the best home decorations nowadays. Aside from being able to provide a relaxing home to fishes, taking care of fishes is considered a healthy hobby for your mind and body.
If you’ve decided to get involved in this exciting hobby, you need to know the right things to do to make your project a success.
Aquariums don’t come easy and take a lot of work to care for properly.
Whether you want an aquarium for fun or to follow feng shui tips for good luck, you need to be informed on how to set it up properly.
An aquarium is a multi-tiered system that requires several components to work effectively. You’ll need to have, at least, one pre-existing water supply to set up your aquarium properly.
You’ll also need an air pump, filter system, heaters, circulation pumps, and nutrients, as well as other devices.
Here are some tips to help you set up an aquarium at home:
1. Choose the Appropriate Tank and Filtration System
Check out the type of tank you have and ensure that you have adequate space to set up an aquarium properly.
If you have a large tank, you’ll need to have room for, at least, three to four inches of substrate, which should be made of gravel or coral sand.
Your tank’s size will depend mainly on the number of fish you intend to put in there. If you’re only planning on keeping a couple of fish, then a 15-gallon tank will be sufficient.
Once you have your tank set up and working correctly, ensure that you properly oxygenate and filter your tank.
This is very important, as fish don’t like to stay too long in a low oxygen environment. Proper water filtration and circulation will ensure that all waste materials are removed from your tank and are kept in check.
You can purchase or make the filters for your aquarium, but there are plenty of places where you can buy them cheap, like on eBay.
The filter will help keep the water clean and with the right pH level. It will also remove harmful bacteria from the water.
2. Consider Putting an Automatic Fish Feeder
Suppose you’re a busy person and don’t have a lot of time for maintaining your aquarium and feeding the fish.
In that case, you might want to place an automatic fish feeder as well. This device helps feed your fish even when you’re not at home.
It’s a container that is filled with fish food which releases the food with a programmable timer.
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3, Add Aquarium Lighting
Lighting is one crucial aspect you need to include in your setup, especially if you’ll place the aquarium inside a dark room.
The easiest and most affordable way to improve your tank’s lighting is by using fluorescent or light-emitting diodes (LED).
These are cheap and have excellent efficacy in lighting aquariums. These LED lights are available in different colors.
It’s essential to use other lights for different aquariums and the type of fish you have.
4. Always Include Plants
Your aquarium shouldn’t just be filled with corals or rocks. Fish like to swim amongst plants in the aquarium.
This gives them shelter and a place to hide. It’s essential to choose plants that are right in size for your aquarium; otherwise, they’ll be overcrowded.
It will become difficult for the fish to swim. Once you’ve added plants to your aquarium, you should ensure that they’re placed where they’ll get sufficient light.
Light is essential for the health of all living creatures, and plants need light to survive.
5. Always Position Your Tank Before Filling It
It’s always a great idea to position your tank before you put water in it. This is important, especially for a large tank.
When choosing your tank’s position, make sure that you place it in a location where it’s out of direct sunlight and near a power supply for your filtration and heating system.
It’s also essential to place large tanks on a suitable and robust stand that can carry their weight.
Summary
Setting up an aquarium is not too difficult. Still, there are various things that you need to consider before you jump right in.
Follow these easy tips to set up an aquarium. Your experience will be pleasurable, and you’ll have something to keep you busy for many years to come.
You need to consider your tank and the filtration system. The tank size and filtration system will depend on the fishes you plan on taking care of.
Also, don’t forget to add essentials like feeding systems, plants, and lighting. Lastly, you must position your tank in the right location before you fill it with water.
