1. Larger tanks are easier to maintain than smaller ones.
2. Purchase the best equipment you can afford.
3. Test and cycle your water before adding your fish.
4. Use distilled water instead of tap water.
5. Don't overcrowd your aquarium: 1" of fish for every gallon of water.

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• by Darcy Logan

• An aquarium or fish tank is not just a fun hobby—according to Aquariumsource.com it can even effectively reduce stress.Aquariumsource: Proven Health Benefits from Aquariums Fish tanks also provide you with a source of entertainment while giving you a window into the undersea world. If you are ready to start your own little ocean, this page will help guide you through the process.

• The filtration system is what keeps the water clean and chemically balanced in your aquarium. There are three types of filtration that you should be concerned with:

1. Biological: uses bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrate.VersAquatics: Biological Filtration
2. Chemical: removes chemical impurities, such as phosphate, from the water usually by using activated carbon or resins.VersAquatics: Chemical Filtration
3. Mechanical: removes particles from the water.Aquatics Unlimited: The Undergravel Filter Controversy

• Before you start thinking that you need to purchase three types of filtration systems, don't panic. Most filtration systems cover all three.

• If you purchase any type of aquarium kit, you will notice it comes with an underground filter. However, many aquarium experts advise against using one.Aquatics Unlimited: The Undergravel Filter Controversy The bottom line is that although underground filters are cheaper and can work, they are prone to problems, including dangerous ammonia and nitrite levels that can harm fish.Aquatics Unlimited: The Undergravel Filter Controversy

• Hang-on power filters, also called bio-wheels, are designed to hang along the backside of smaller tanks. They use a pump to suck water into the filtration system. These filters are inexpensive and typically have all three types of filtration systems (mechanical, chemical and biological).VersAquatics: Chemical Filtration

• Canister filters can either be freestanding or hang-on units for larger tanks. They take water from the aquarium using tubes and a water pump in the canister filter. The water is then run through the cannister, which contains all three types of filtration systems.VersAquatics: Chemical Filtration

• Underground, hang-on power and canister filters are not the only types of filters available. However, the others are either designed for advanced users or do not combine the three types of filtration systems. For clarity, here are some of the other types of systems available:

1. Trickle filters are popular among reef and other serious aquarists.VersAquatics: Chemical Filtration
2. Internal or sump filters are smaller and go inside the tank.
3. Foam fractionization or skimming is an auxiliary filtration device used mostly in saltwater tanks to remove toxins.VersAquatics: Chemical Filtration
4. Sponge filters are usually a component of other filters, but can be sold as an individual unit. They are only mechanical filtration devices.

• After the aquarium and filtration system, there are a few more things required to set up your aquarium. These things include a heater, a thermometer, a power strip, gravel and decorations.

• Choose a good quality thermometer that is easy for you to read. You want one that will tell you the exact temperature, since a few degrees can cause problems. Spend the money and buy a nice digital thermometer. They cost about $15 to $20 and will be worth the investment.PetSmart: Little Time or Temp Digital Clock/Thermometer Make sure you purchase one that can be moved around so you can test the temperature of your tank at different spots.

• Your aquarium will have several power components including the filtration system and the heater. Any time that you combine water and electricity, safety should be your utmost concern. Purchase a high quality power strip for this reason. It will make sure that you can hide all the cords behind the aquarium stand and protect your equipment from dangerous power surges. If you want to get really fancy, purchase one with a built in timer. This will help keep your lighting on a set schedule. They are available at most pet stores.

• Choosing the gravel (also called substrate) and decorations can be almost as much fun as choosing the fish. You will want enough gravel so that the bottom two inches of your aquarium are covered. Usually, this means about one pound of gravel for every gallon of water.About.com: How Much do I Need? A twenty-pound tank will require about twenty pounds of gravel. If you decide to use artificial plants, you should select them now. Live plants should be purchased later after you set up and cycle the aquarium. You should only purchase items that are designed to go in an aquarium.

• Before you get started, you will need to rinse everything that is going into the aquarium thoroughly. You will want to take special care to rinse the gravel, as it can contain a lot of dust. Although you can use tap water, purchasing distilled water is a better idea.VersAquatics: Aquarium Setup Distilled water does not have all the chemicals and contaminants that tap water does.

• Here is the order in which you will want to set up your aquarium:

1. Set up the aquarium stand. Check that the stand is level.VersAquatics: Aquarium Setup
2. Set the aquarium on top of the stand.
3. If you are using an underground filter, add it now.VersAquatics: Aquarium Setup
4. Put your heater and filtration system in place, but do not plug them in. This will give you an opportunity to get the cords in place behind the aquarium stand while things are still light enough to move.
5. Add gravel.
6. Add 1/3 of the water to the aquarium.
7. Smooth out the gravel and set your decorations and artificial plants into the aquarium.The Tropical Tank: Beginner Tips: Setting Up
8. Add 1/3 more of the water. Adjust any of the decorations.
9. Plug in the heater and turn it on. The heater should be either fully submerged or partially submerged into the water, depending on the type of heater, or it could break.Insanity Begins at Home: Recipe: 20 Gallon Aquarium
10. Add the thermometer.
11. Plug in the filtration system and turn it on. Make sure it is working correctly.
12. Add water conditioner according to directions.The Tropical Tank: Beginner Tips: Setting Up
13. Wait to add the rest of the water until after you have cycled it.Bluecrayfish.com: Aquarium Cycling For Freshwater: What It Is (And Why It's Important) When you do add the water, it should be at least 1-inch to 1 1/2-inches below the edge of the aquarium.

• This will be the hardest step, although not physically. It requires you to sit and stare at that wonderful new aquarium and not add fish for several weeks. There are several reasons for this.

1. For the first couple of days, water in new aquariums will turn cloudy. This is caused by a harmless bacterial growth and should disappear naturally.Tetra: Aquarium Setup
2. You need to test the water and get it set up for your fish.
3. Your aquarium needs to cycle (see below).

• If you purchased a water testing kit, you will need it now. If not, you need to get one. Purchase a testing kit that allows you to measure the water's pH, ammonia, nitrite and carbonate hardness. Wait a day or two before testing. Then, take a sample of water and put it in a jar. Following the directions on the kit, test the water. Record all your numbers.

• After you have tested the water, take your jar to a pet store that offers free water testing. See what levels they show. This will give you an idea of how accurate your testing was. If your testing was off, check the directions to see if you did something wrong and try again. You are now ready to cycle your tank.

• Cycling is the process all new tanks go through as they grow a colony of good bacteria to remove the ammonia and nitrites from the aquarium. Until your aquarium develops the good bacteria, the ammonia and nitrites will build up to toxic levels that will kill off some of the fish.Bluecrayfish.com: Aquarium Cycling For Freshwater: What It Is (And Why It's Important) Once upon a time, the only way to cycle a tank was to add some really tough fish (usually called "starter fish" or "suicide fish") and wait six to eight weeks while the fish suffered the effects of nitrite and ammonia poisoning. Sadly, most of these fish would die in the process.Algone: Fishless Cycling of the Aquarium The Tropical Tank: More on the Nitrogen Cycle: Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate

• Luckily, a process called "fishless cycling" has been developed that eliminates this process. No matter which way you choose, cycling will take the same amount of time (about six weeks), so we will only cover the more humane approach of fishless cycling. Warning: You cannot avoid this step. If you do, you will only end up killing most of the fish you put into your tank when your fish tank cycles.

1. Set up the tank as normal, but keep the tank only about 50-65 percent full.Bluecrayfish.com: Aquarium Cycling For Freshwater: What It Is (And Why It's Important)
2. Turn up the heater to 80 degrees. Make sure the heater is fully submerged in the water or it could break.
3. Keep the aquarium light on 24 hours a day.Bluecrayfish.com: Aquarium Cycling For Freshwater: What It Is (And Why It's Important)
4. Add fish food or a few drops of ammonia to the tank.Bluecrayfish.com: Aquarium Cycling For Freshwater: What It Is (And Why It's Important) If adding ammonia, use only pure ammonia or ammonium hydroxide.
5. If possible, obtain gravel, filter cartridges, filter media, biowheels, driftwood or rocks from an established tank and add them to your aquarium. The beneficial bacteria will be on these objects and help colonize your tank.Algone: Fishless Cycling of the Aquarium
6. You can also purchase beneficial bacteria at your local pet store.Petsmart.com: Top Fin Bacteria Supplement
7. Continue adding a little bit of food or ammonia each day until you get the ammonia levels up to 5.0 ppm.Bluecrayfish.com: Aquarium Cycling For Freshwater: What It Is (And Why It's Important)
8. Test the ammonia and nitrite level in your water once a week. You should see the ammonia level spike first and then drop to zero. Then your nitrite level will spike and drop to zero.
9. Once your nitrite level has dropped to zero, your tank has cycled.The Tropical Tank: More on the Nitrogen Cycle: Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate
10. Do a partial water change to help reduce the nitrate (not to be confused with nitrite) levels before adding any fish.The Tropical Tank: More on the Nitrogen Cycle: Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate
11. Fill up the rest of your tank with water and lower the temperature on your heater to match the type of fish you plan to get.

• At this point, you will need to determine what type of fish you plan on keeping and adjust the water to fit their needs. Your pet store will be able to help guide you. You are only concerned with the hardness and pH levels of the water. Ammonia and nitrate are by-products of having fish in the tank and should be low at this point. If you need to lower or raise your pH levels or hardness, you can purchase chemicals to do so. Follow the directions on the bottle and test the water again.

• Once you have purchased your fish and/or plants, you may find yourself bringing them home in plastic bags. It is important that you go directly home once you have made your purchase—they cannot survive for long. Once you get them home, here is the proper way to add fish to the tank:

1. Float the bags on the surface of the tank for about 15 minutes.
2. Get a bucket, a net and an extra pair of hands.
3. Hold the net over the bucket. Then, open the bag and gently pour the fish from the bag into the net. This will keep any of the water (which can contain undesirable contaminants) from entering your tank.Tetra: Aquarium Setup
4. Immediately place the fish into the aquarium.

• You should also float plants on top of the water to help them become acclimated to the temperature. They can then be lifted out of the bags and planted into the tank.

• Fishkeeping is a fun way to decorate any room in your home or office. Although it can take some work to set up your aquarium, it will only require some basic care to maintain. The continued enjoyment you'll feel gazing at the aquatic wonderland in front of you will more than make up for it.