Fish Guide And Aquarium

Setting An Aquarium

October 20th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

Setting Up An Aquarium.

Aquascape your aquarium using materials such as gravel, rock, driftwood, and plants to make it attractive as well as
functional. However, your main priority should always be to establish a safe and healthy environment for your fishes.
Try to simulate the natural habitat of your chosen species and select your plants and other decorative materials accordingly.
Use rocks and plants to create plenty of hiding places for the more timid species.

Cleaning Equipment For Aquarium Tank.

Whatever materials you use for aquascaping your aquarium tank, they must always be thoroughly cleaned and free from all
foreign bodies. It is worth purchasing cleaning equipment: a sieve to wash gravel; a bucket to wash plants and soak bogwood;
and a scouring pad or brush to scrub rocks. Thoroughly clean any plants that wish to use in your aquarium in order to avoid
the risk of introducing parasites or predators.

Base Coverings For Your Aquarium Tank.

Pea gravel with particle size of around 3 mm is ideal for most freshwater aquarium tanks. Other materials, such as aquarium
peat and coal, are also available if you wish to simulate a specific habitat. Sand or shingle collected from the seashore
are suitable materials for marine tanks. Crushed coral sand is also an option, but it is expensive.

Decorative Materials

Enhance your aquascape and conceal unsightly hardware with rocks, shells, and logs. However, take care that you do not
obstruct the filter pipes. Attach wood to bits of slate using sealant, to prevent it floating to the surface.

Starting Your Aquarium.

The key to setting up your aquarium successfully is to plan everything thoroughly beforehand. Not only do the fishes
need to be compatible, but everything that goes into the tank, including rocks and plants, must be suited to the system
you have chosen. Planning your aquascape on paper before you begin will save you both time and money in the long term.
A good design should hide technical hardware, while leaving plenty of space for the fish to swim freely.

The Importance Of The Plants.

Aquatic plants will visually enhance your freshwater tank and give fishes shade and shelter.
* Plants keep the water conditions pure by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving off oxygen.
* Aquatic plants also help remove another waste product: nitrate. If you have a biological filter installed in your
aquarium, this will break down ammonia (which fishes excrete) into less harmful nitrate, which aquatic plants are then
able to utilize as food.
* For a healthy aquarium, ensure your plants receive plenty of light.

Choosing Plants For Your Aquarium Tank.

Not only do your fishes need to be compatible, plants must also be suited to the particular system that you have chosen.
Some genera contain both coldwater and tropical species but this dose not mean that every species within these genera can
be used in both systems. Some coldwater types, however, can be acclimatized to tropical conditions.

Artificial Plant.

If you keep herbivorous fish species, they will quickly denude your aquarium tank of any plants. Artificial replicas are
available as inexpensive alternatives. Made of supple plastic in variety of colours, they have a base-plate that you must
bury firmly in the gravel at the bottom of the tanks.

The Marine Aquarium

Live plants cannot be kept in a marine aquarium, but you an add synthetic plants and corals to enhance your aquarium tank.
Sea-anemones are suitable for both tropical and coldwater system. Macro-algae, which make an excellent source of food for
many species of fish, are also available. Algae growth can become rampant under strong light, however, and will obscure the
tank if left unchecked.

Adding Plants.

When planting your aquarium, begin by placing the taller around the back and sides of the tank. But don’t hide the glass
completely – by leaving small gaps you will create the illusion of space beyond. Low – growing species look particularly
good in front of rocks and caves. Select a “star” specimen plant, which stands out from the rest of the plants, as a
centerpiece for your aquascape.