Your first aquarium

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Your first aquarium...

If you are setting up your first aquarium or pond, there are some very important points of which you should be aware. This is intended as a very basic guide - ask your OATA retailer for specific advice.

Before you begin

Think about what sort of fish you want to keep, and what kind: coldwater, tropical or marine. Are you intending to keep any other animals or plants in the aquarium? Are the species you have chosen compatible?

size of aquarium - remember the bigger it is, the more stable the water conditions, but it will be heavier and require a more robust stand
filtration system
stocking - when to do it and how many fish
feeding regime
cleaning and preventative action against disease

What to do

Thoroughly check that how you intend your aquarium to be is possible, as are the time scales and equipment involved in achieving your aim.

Seek guidance on buying an aquarium. The vast majority of aquaria are made of glass, and it is imperative that the aquarium is situated correctly; not only in terms of fish health (away from drafts, not in a place where it is likely to bumped), but also that it is on an absolutely level and even surface. (Usually this means not on floorboards, and often not in an upstairs room, depending on the construction of the building. Concrete is a good surface to start with, and carpet will help to cushion any irregularities, as will polystyrene tiles between the tank and the furniture on which it sits.)

WATER! Add the water, SLOWLY. During filling, ensure that the aquarium remains level. If the aquarium does not remain level, then it should be emptied. The stand and the floor should then be checked again. Be careful not to overfill your aquarium. Ensure the filter/aerator is in correct working order. Add some fish food or other organic matter. This will help to establish your living filter.

When fitting electrical items special care should be taken.

Safety

make sure your hands are dry
make sure that electrical items are switched off when your hands are in the aquarium
ensure that all electrical connections are positioned so that they cannot get damp. (When an airpump is installed it should either be above the level of the water or else a non return valve should be fitted)
a correctly rated fuse should be fitted
an Earth Leakage Trip, or similar device may be fitted

Water quality

Regularly, perhaps daily, carry out water quality checks, ideally AMMONIA content, NItrITE content, NItrATE content and pH. When you have readings of zero for Ammonia and Nitrite and a pH reading suitable for the fish you wish to keep then it is time to introduce some fish. This should be done slowly, both in terms of slowly introducing each fish and also slowly introducing numbers of fish. Two is sufficient initially.

On introduction of the fish, the nitrite and ammonia levels will significantly increase. The bacteria in the filter must be given time to catch up with their increased resources. Further fish should not be introduced until the nitrite and ammonia levels have returned to zero. The time this takes will depend on many factors, but you should expect to wait at least a couple of days.

The final aquarium

With attention and careful water quality monitoring you should have the aquarium you dreamed of within a couple of months or so...depending on your dream!