Tropical Fish Information – Your Fish Tank Guru

Hello, Patty here.

Everyone has heard the old saying “you are what you eat” and, when considering your diet, we all know which foods we’re supposed to eat (not that we always do) to keep our bodies happy and live long and healthy lives. The same goes for our pets; even our fish! Just as we supplement and vary the diets of dogs, cats, and other pets, it is important to vary the foods we give our fish, so that they can develop to their full potential with regards to color and size and so they can get nutrition necessary for breeding, fighting parasites and diseases, and for looking their best for years in your aquarium.

Tropical Flake Food. is a staple

Flake Food There is a plethora of foods in the market today for feeding aquarium fish. Most of the foods aquarists are accustomed to are in flake, pellet or granule form. These foods are the staple diet most people feed their fish as they are economical, well preserved, easy to store and convenient to feed. They are formulated with ingredients like fish meal, wheat flour, and a laundry list of other ingredients including added colors and vitamins to make up for the natural nutrients lost in the preparation of these foods. These foods are often sold as complete diets, and will keep fish alive and well-colored, but may ultimately be lacking. Kind of like one of us eating ramen noodles or some similar packaged food, every meal of every day.
Fresh is best, Frozen is still better

Frozen FoodSo what do you do if you want to give your fish a diet upgrade? There are very few fresh or live fish foods available to consumers, but earthworms, blackworms, ghost shrimp and some others can be a nice treat for some fish if you can find them. A terrific alternative is choosing frozen foods and formulas to supplement the flake food regimen several times through the week. These foods are harvested and frozen at the peak of freshness, preserving the naturally occurring vitamins and nutrients. Many of these foods are (or are very similar to) foods that the fish in your aquarium would seek out in their natural environment. Today, there are varieties of frozen foods available to suit the needs of just about any type of fish you keep. These high-quality, high-protein food items increase the vitality and color of your fish, and allow you to see the fish develop and thrive.

Frozen FoodMany of the frozen foods on the market are aimed at marine fish and corals, but not exclusively. There are brine shrimp, mysis, plankton, baby brine shrimp, clam, mussel, and more which give you lots of options for variety and each with its own benefits. Baby Brine, for example are very tiny but high in nutrition and ideal for fish fry and filter feeding inverts and corals, while clam, mussel, and squid come in larger pieces for larger fish. Whole silversides and sand eels are great for groupers, eels and other larger fish with big appetites!

Freshwater options include bloodworms, glass worms, and beef heart, though mysis shrimp, plankton and brine may also be fed.

Frozen FoodThere are also several formula foods available, which are combinations of these proteins which may be suspended in a gel with other foods such as spirulina, sponge or other specialty food bits to enhance the diets of specialty feeders like marine angels and omnivores. Consider the fish you’re keeping and what they might eat on the reef or in the river bed to select what’s best.
Some Things About Frozen Foods

Frozen foods are available for purchase online or in retail stores. Being frozen, these foods are shipped with dry ice to keep them in that state. The foods must be thawed before feeding, but this is easy as the foods are usually in cube serving form or in thin flat packs that can easily portioned and the appropriate portion snapped off from the body of the pack. The food portions can be placed in a small vessel of cool water (never warm or hot water as it will cook the food and break down the nutrients) and will be thawed in minutes and ready to feed. You may even choose to soak frozen foods in additional vitamin supplements like garlic extract or Selcon as they thaw to enhance them even more.

Frozen foods may be a bit more expensive and perishable, but the benefits to the food will outweigh the disadvantages. Give it a try – your fish will love you for it!

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions about feeding frozen foods or feeding fish in general let us know!

Until Next Time,

Patty

From That Fish Place – That Pet Place

Owning an aquarium is not that easy as it may seem from the first side. If you think that it is not a big deal and all you have to do is just to buy a fish tank and fill it with water and fish – you are deeply mistaken. Starting up an aquarium, you create a small ecosystem, which needs to be maintained and supported. You cannot just install a fish tank with fish in your room and forget about it. There are many more things to be done. You are probably feeling frustrated at the moment, so, let us start from the very beginning and tell you what steps you have to undertake in order to arrange your aquarium the right way.

1. To begin with, decide on what type of aquarium you want to have. There are two major types – the saltwater and the freshwater aquariums. Freshwater aquariums are much better for your home, because if you have a saltwater aquarium, you probably have to hire a special person, who would take care of it. You have to have much knowledge about saltwater aquariums. If you don’t have them, you can have real problems with maintenance. So, don’t you experiment with this and choose the freshwater aquarium. Suppose, you have already chosen a freshwater one.

2. Choose the right type of fish tank. You have to understand what size is better for your room, so that it looks proportional. Modern manufacturers produce fish tanks of different shapes such square, round, elliptic, rectangular fish tanks, etc. The most popular ones are rectangular.

3. Choose the proper filter for your aquarium. It would be great if you had a friend, who could advice you the type of filter, but if you don’t, well, examine some literature on this question and consult a pet shop assistant. In general, the expensive filters are better and more durable comparing them to the cheap sponge filters.

4. Buy all needed measuring devices like thermometer and PH level measurer. You have to know the requirements for the species you have chosen. Be sure that you buy species, requiring similar temperature and PH conditions.

5. Buy the gravel you like more. It can be artificial colored gravel or natural one. Irrespectively of the time, you have to boil the gravel thoroughly not to infect the water and species in it.

6. Get lighting equipment. It is considered to be one of the most important issues, because the lighting is to provide the habitat for you fish as much similar to their natural one as possible.

7. Get the species you like in the nearest pet shop and let them into the assembled fish tank, filled with water.

For the information about fish aquariums, freshwater aquarium tips and resources to get fish tank table – please visit this blog.

And use your golden chance to find the best bargain on the market. We are living in the world where knowledge makes life easier.

That is why if you are properly armed with the knowledge in your sphere of interest you can rest assured that you will always find the solution to any bad situation. So, please make sure to get back to this site on a regular basis or – the least time consuming way of doing it – sign up to its RSS feed. Thus you will have your hand on the pulse of the freshest info updates here. Blogging can be helpful, you just need to understand how to use them.

Setting up the aquarium is a very important step in the life of any person. The thing is, aquariums serve not only as the great nerve soothers, but they also give a beautiful and cozy touch to your house. Whatever room you choose, an aquarium must look wonderful there, especially if we are talking about bed room – the room, where you are far from the outer world, having precious time for your favorite book and hours of the calm and solid sleeping. What can be better than aquarium right in front of your bed? Imagine that you wake up in the morning and the first thing you see is the schools of beautiful fish swimming inside of your fish tank. It will cheer you up right in the beginning of the day, being like a gulp of fresh air in this severe and aggressive world. Well, if you read this article, it means that you try to make a decision on owning the aquarium. We are just about to help you.

The first thing you have to know is what type of aquarium you want to have. On the one hand, small aquariums are handy and they don’t require so much strength to change water in it or to clean decorations and all accessories inside of it. On the other hand, large aquariums seem to be better, at least because you have a greater option of breeds with such fish tank and you can get fish, which tend to live in schools (like incredibly beautiful neon fish). However, large aquariums have a lot of pitfalls, which may seem difficult to you in the course of maintenance. To begin with, large aquariums require much space to place them. Unlike small-sized aquariums, large ones cannot be put on the cupboard or desk. Large aquarium full of water can weigh up to several hundred pounds, which is unbearable burden for some objects of your furniture. It means that you have to go to a store and choose an appropriate stand for your aquarium. Of course, you have nothing to worry about, if you live on the ground floor, because the chance to flood someone is equal to zero, whereas if you are a dweller of the 8th or 9th floor, you cannot worry about his, because reliable stand is a reliable aquarium. The second great thing about large aquariums is the number of decoration and accessories you can put inside. You can create a real underwater world, maximizing your artificial environment to the natural habitat of your species, not to mentioned background options presented in the market today. 3D background pictures will help to create the three-dimensional effect, which will always please your eyes.

For the info about fish aquariums, freshwater aquarium tips and resources to get fish tank table – please visit this blog.

And use your golden chance to find the best bargain on the market. We are living in the world where information quickly enhances the quality of our life.

That is why if you are properly armed with the information in your topic you can be sure that you will in any case find the solution to any bad situation. So, please make sure to visit this blog on a regular basis or – an ideal solution for you – sign up to its RSS. Thus you will have a direct shortcut to the latest informational updates here. Blogging can be helpful, you just need to understand how to use them.

Want to start up your own aquarium? Want it to be as much beautiful as your friend’s one? Well, then you have to understand what you are going to get and the main thing you are to know is the types of aquariums and peculiarities of their maintenance. Moreover, there are thousands of breeds you can choose from and numerous factors influencing your possible choice – from their color to their size. Don’t forget about their behavior. If the fish is intolerable to other species (of the same gender or of another breed), you have to think twice before buying it, because careless choice can give you many troubles and you will either have all your species eaten or have problems with keeping. Remember. That aquarium is not just a fish tank with your pets, but also an important part of your interior d?cor. Choose the right type of aquarium, considering all peculiarities and color gamma of your furnishing. The better your fish tank matches your interior, the greater enjoyment you will have from admiring it and its dwellers.

The most important thing you have to take into account when buying your first fish tank and accessories to it is the price. Don’t try to save your money if you have already decided to start up a beautiful and healthy aquarium. The cheaper is the device or an accessory, the worse it works and the worse it maintains your aquarium. Of course, there are cases, when even the most expensive devices doesn’t work properly or when the high price is conditioned by the known manufacturers’ names, labeled on it. However, such cases are single. Let us take aquarium filters as an example – the price range is really diverse. You can buy a filter for your aquarium practically for nothing and they will serve you a month or two and the water will still be greening and clouding, whereas filters that are more expensive can serve the same period, but the quality of water cleaning will be much higher. So, don’t be a niggard and buy better equipment to keep your fish safe and sound. When you choose the species for your aquarium don’t follow a principle ‘the cuter, the better’. It happens that beautiful colored species are pretty much fickle and need a corresponding attitude and care. There are a lot of breeds, which are going to require a minimum of attention and care and will give you a joy with their cheerful swimming in your fish tank. Among such breeds are guppies and neon fish.

To sum up, never feel ashamed to go to the local pet shop and ask for an advice if you have any troubles with your aquarium, because only specialist are able to give the right advice.

For the info about fish aquariums, freshwater aquarium tips and resources to get fish tank table – please visit this blog.

And use your golden chance to find the best bargain on the market. We are living in the world where info makes life easier.

Due to this if you are properly armed with the info in your topic you can be sure that you will in any case find the way out from any bad situation. So, please make sure to visit this web site on a regular basis or – the easiest way to take care of it – sign up to its RSS feed. Thus you will have your hand on the pulse of the freshest info updates here. Blogging can be helpful, you just need to understand how to use them.

There are advantages and disadvantages in any possible situation. The same thing can be said about aquariums. There are pluses and minuses about both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Let us talk about freshwater aquariums in detail. It has already been proven that freshwater aquariums are much more comfortable in maintenance and aquarists usually have much less problems with them comparing to saltwater aquariums. Freshwater aquariums are a great decision not only for your interior decoration, but also for the decoration of offices and other premises in business centers and private rooms.

Experiences aquarists, who start up their aquariums either as a hobby or as a part of interior, are sure that there is nothing difficult about keeping aquariums. Believing them, beginners usually start aquarium as a perfect alternative to a cat or a dog. They think that it is unnecessary to care for an aquarium, but believe us, nothing is that easy, as it seems when it comes to aquariums. Don’t you believe those people, who try to convince you of acquiring aquariums and saying that it is going to be nothing, but a joy for you and your children. Of course, it cannot be denied that aquariums are beautiful and you will admire them, but you have to talk to competent people in order to get the proved information.

The aesthetic joy is going to be great if you have your own fish tank filled with a clear water and with colored fish living inside. Aquariums are considered to be a nice cure of psychological tensions and depressions, which can strike you everywhere – from your work to your home. They are advised and used to ease the nervous states and rather helpful when curing heart diseases. Now, imagine that you come home after a long and tiresome business day. You feel distressed and exhausted. You can easily ease your state by spending a half an hour, sitting in your favorite armchair in front of your fish tank and admiring a small beautiful underwater world, you have created with your own hands. Wonderful perspective, isn’t it? So why don’t you just examine several books on aquarium maintenance and go to the nearest pet shop? You will be offered a great option of species, which will make your aquarium look beautiful. Choose an average-sized aquarium, requiring o special place in your house. You will be able to install it on a solid wooden coffee table, on your desk or wherever you wish. If you want to have a larger fish tank, you will have to take care of a separate base capable of holding even the heaviest fish tanks. Such bases are even more comfortable, because you will not have to move objects or a fish tank itself in order to feed your species or clean your aquarium. Whatever fish tank you choose, it will become an inalienable part of your interior, making it cozy and comfortable.

For the info about fish aquariums, freshwater aquarium tips and resources to get fish tank table – please visit this blog.

And use your golden chance to find the best bargain on the market. We are living in the world where information makes life easier.

That is why if you are properly armed with the information in your sphere of interest you can be sure that you will always find the solution to any bad situation. So, please make sure to get back to this blog on a regular basis or – the easiest way to take care of it – sign up to its RSS feed. Thus you will have a direct shortcut to the latest informational updates here. Blogging can be helpful, you just need to understand how to use them.

Hey I got an great deal on API products. API is a great product line with a very excellent Water Testing Kits that I would highly recommend. That Pet Place has a sale 10% Off Selected API Water Treatment products.

Check out these deals it is only for a limited time.

Exotic Freshwater and Saltwater Fish, Coral, Live Rock and Plants at That Fish Place

Having the aquarium decor will improve your creativity and imagination to design a pleasurable and peaceful place for the fish to live in. Most people think that decorate the aquarium is an interesting and enjoyable activity that they can do in their spare time.

If you go to the pet stores, then you will find that there are possibly hundreds of dissimilar decorations for your tanks. You can in fact pick one aquarium decor that appropriate for your kinds of fish you have in the tank and ideal for your tank. The trouble is how do you know which one’s your fish will like? To solve that trouble, this article will give you some ideas on how to set up your aquarium decor.

Rock And Roll

At first, you must pick some gravel for the bottom of your aquarium. Gravel is an essential part of the aquarium decor. There are many dissimilar and interesting colors of the gravel out there that you can pick from. The gravel color really does not matter since the colors will usually match with most of the aquarium decor. remember one thing that once you pay for the gravel, you should soak it in warm water in order to take out any dust before putting it into the fish tank.

Plants and Weeds

Plants and weeds are one of the a variety of aquarium decorations. This aquarium decor can beused to beautify your tank. Plants and weeds can be made from plastic and also from the real plants. You can pick one of them based on your requires.

Beside that, you will require to leave enough room for your fish to swim. Before you decide to pick what types of plants you’ll pay for, remember that live plants will require more care and maintenance that plastic plants.

The Background

Next, you may require to pick a background for your tank. Most of the pet stores usually have some neat aquatic backgrounds available. You can pick a background that will appropriate for your tank gravel. The background is usually placed to the backside of the tank and adds extra beauty to the interior look and feel of the aquarium decor.

Odds And Ends

There are also lots of odds and ends that you can use to the aquarium decor. For example, there are small ships that move with the air pumps, treasure chests, skulls, and fish figures. Some of them light up or called glow in the dark with the motion of the water and air pumps, whereas some have small swim through that their fish love to play in.

Since many people do not want to over stock their tank, you can pick only a few odds and ends. After that, you can change them later. Odds and ends are a fun part of the aquarium decor.

In order to beautify your aquarium and make it grow to be attractive and stunning, you should pick the right aquarium décor which is appropriate for kinds of fish you have and the size of your aquarium. You are suggested to have the simple and nice aquarium decor than the complicated one.

Don’t keep yourself trapped in doubt. Have more knowledge about aquarium decor and get yourself updated with aquarium decor by clicking the links here!

Using Nano fish tank aquariums

When we think of aquariums, we think of maintenance that are relatively easy to maintain. However, a nano fish tank requires a bit more maintenance.

Should you start a nano reef aquarium?

A nano reef aquarium can be a smaller system or a larger one. In some cases, it’s recommended that especially if you’re a beginner, you start with a larger tank, such as one that’s at least 24 gallons. Smaller systems can also literally “tank” very fast, whereas a larger tank gives you a bit more leeway when it comes to maintenance. This may be advisable if you’re just starting out.

Investment

In general, a nano reef is probably going to cost you a bit MORE than another type of system will, although your final investment will probably be less once you get going. Coral collecting is probably going to be a bit pricier for you, which may up the cost of the nano reef if this is something you get into.

Are they difficult to keep up?

Nano fish tank aquariums are not really difficult keep up once you know what you’re doing. However, you should research thoroughly so that you know what you’re getting into before you decide to start one. As long as you stay on top of things, you’ll need between 5 and 10 minutes a day to keep to keep things functioning on most days; you also have to be careful about any additions you make to your aquarium, as this can upset the balance you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Change your water frequently

Nitrates can build up very quickly in a small body of water, so you have to make sure you keep your water changes up.

What fish or other creatures can you put in your nano reef?

Some good hearty fish for beginners are the pajama cardinals, cardinals, clown gobies, royal grammas, fire fish, pseudochromis, most damsels and basslets. “Clean up” creatures include hermit crabs like red legs and left-handed, astrea snails and turbo snails. You should have a snail for every one to 2 gallons your tank holds, and one crap for every three to 5 gallons. Cleaner shrimp are also good because they will clean your fish of parasites and will help your other “clean up” creatures do their jobs, too.

What coral should I keep?

You can pretty much keep any type of coral, but some will need more light than other kinds. Be careful about coral that puts out sweeper tentacles, because it may affect other coral negatively. Don’t overdo the coral, either, because the coral needs enough room to grow.

Sterilization

Using a UV sterilizer is recommended to keep “bad bacteria” down, or, you can buy an aquarium with a built in wet dry filter. The polycarbonate cover should be left in place over the lights so that UV transmission is properly done. A separate internal filter with a UV sterilizer is still recommended Cured live rock broken up into 1-inch fragments is also a good way to purify.

Finally, change water and check water regularly, including alkali reserve, if necessary. In a nano aquarium, water characteristics change quickly, so you have to keep on top of this.

Filtration is important

For a good marine aquarium, you need good filtration. Filtration turnover should be at least four times per tank per hour, with in tank circulation at eight times an hour, at least. Live rock also performs its own filtration.

Models

Some good models for nano fish tank aquariums include the TRUVU Micro Series NANO Model 6, Model 12, or Model 25 fish tank aquariums. These particular models have easy to remove filtration systems and room for protein skimmers, for easy maintenance.

Aquarium Filtration

Hang on filters:

1. Aqueon Power Filter, made by Central Aquatics
For good strong circulation, more media space than most other hang on filters, and sturdy, easy design, the Aqueon Power Filter takes #1 for me. The pump is submersible and sits into the water, which makes for less risk of leaking and a stronger current. This also helps in the prevention of running the filter dry and damaging the impeller inside the pump.
This is not a good filter choice for weak swimming fish or fish who desire less water current, such as betta splendins, neon tetras, hillstream loaches, etc.
Noise level is dependent on water level. In a completely filled aquarium any noise is minimal. Lowering the water level is limited to that level where the pump sits as it must remain submerged. The telescopic intake tube makes it easy to adjust to just the right level.

2. Whisper Power Filter, made by Tetra ranks #2 on my list of effective, easy, and quiet. Tetra has designed their power filters with easy to read coding to match up correct filter media based on model size and they spend a lot of time and effort in marketing to make their replacement cartridges easy for the customer to find. The water current from a Whisper power filter is more conducive for a low circulation environment.

3. Aqua Clear Power Filter made by Hagen gets the #3 slot on my list. With a large box for media and sponge insert to promote biological filtration and chemical filtration at the same time, Aqua Clear beats all other filters for its biological abilities (when used correctly). The one drawback with Aqua Clear is the noise. While not extreme, it is more than some people can tolerate. Because of the design, even with a full water level, there is known to be some water noise.

Canister Filters:

1. Eheim gets the #1 slot for both effectiveness and sturdy product. Eheim canister filters are designed to make the most of biological filtration, and they use ceramic parts to ensure durability in saltwater environments. The drawback of the Eheim canister filter is the expense. German made and seldom offered at sale prices, Eheim rules store shelves as the overall #1.

2. Cascade Canister Filters made by Penn Plax make #2 on my list. These filters are durable, sturdy, and offer the ultimate in space for filter medias. Cascade has a good strong motor that handles heavy waste loads well (provided it is maintained properly). The Cascade has quickly become popular due to the smaller price tag it carries. In a freshwater environment the Cascade is a great bargain for the price.
Cascade is not suggested for use in saltwater do to erosion and clogging of the parts from the salt content.

3. Filstar made by Rena ranks #3 on my list of the best canister filters. Like the Cascade the Filstar offers ample space for media, but is not quite as good with heavy waste loads. This filter is best for low to moderate waste level situations. Filstar is also sturdy enough to use in saltwater, although it will require a bit of extra maintenance to ensure the life of the filter due to the erosion and buildups from salt and other mineral deposits.

Internal Filters:

1. The #1 spot for internal filters goes to the Whisper I Series made by Tetra.
Whisper I Series filters are great for submersible or hang on type of filtration. These filters are easily mounted via bracket that hangs on the frame of the aquarium or the suction cups supplied to mount it to the inside wall of a tank. These are great filters for keeping amphibian environments and make for great waterfalls for anyone with a little bit of imagination and some rock work supplies. These filters do take up a fair amount of space, so are not always good for nano aquariums (under 20 gallons) and they do not have a strong current from the output. Like their Whisper hang on cousins, filter media is rather easy to find in most pet stores and is coded for easy identification. The Whisper I Series is one of the few adjustable internal filters available and work wonderful for fish who require a low circulation environment, such as bettas, neon tetras, and hillstream loaches.

2. Eheim holds the #2 spot for internal filters. Slightly more unattractive than the Whisper I Series, don’t let the looks deceive you. Eheim still holds true for its level of durability and maximum use of biological filtration. For a tank that needs a bit more power in a filter, the Eheim is a great choice. The latest Eheim design offers baskets that can be added later to increase level of filtration in any of their internal units. This is great for tanks starting out young fish, it enables the filter to increase with the growth of the fish while not having to purchase an entirely new unit each time.

3. The Hyrdo Sponge Filter made by Lustar makes the #3 spot for internal filters. This filter does require the use of an air pump and airline tubing, but is the safest and most effective form of filtration for fry tanks. The Hydro Sponge Filter is great for that added circulation, aeration, and biological filtration for tanks with high waste levels, but should be used alongside another filter type in high waste situations to ensure healthy water chemistry. These filters are easy to maintain, and last for years if properly cared for. Simply rinse the sponge in a bucket of dirty fish tank water to preserve bacteria culture, slide it back onto the base, and set it back into the tank and you’re done. For simple yet effective and easily adjustable with a simple air line control valve, the Hyrdo Sponge filter is a bang for the buck. This is one of the least expensive forms of aquarium filtration available.

To learn more join our email list, and stay tuned for our radio show on Tropical Fish.

Keeping fish is a popular hobby for a number of reasons, because fish are fun pets to keep and also exciting to learn about. There are numerous considerations that need to be made when it comes to setting upup your own fish keeping hobby, including selecting the tank aquarium, selecting the environment, choosing your fish and setting up the right accessories.

The initial step to setting up your aquarium is to decide what size aquarium you want to begin with. There a quite a few tank aquariums to choose from but even as a beginner, larger is usually better. So while you may be able to begin with a 10 gallon aquarium, the smallest that is recommended is closer to 25 or 30 gallons.

Where are you going to put your aquarium? Ensure that you have adequatespace on a surface, or that you are prepared to buy an appropriate stand. If placing your aquarium on another piece of furniture, keep in mind that a single gallon of water weighs 8 lbs.

Most tank aquariums will already come with a basic light and a hood that will work on a general purpose basis unless you plan to grow a few aquatic plants. If your hood and light are not already running on a timer, it would be advantageous to purchase one when you buy your aquarium. Depending on the species of fish you keep, your aquarium lights should only operate for between 8 and 10 hours a day for the best results.

Your aquarium will also require a filter and a heater. There are a number of choices to consider, and the choices that you make for these pieces of equipment should hinge on what type of environment you are looking to create. Each filter type, for example, has pros and cons associated with it.

Bio-Wheel filters are popular for small and medium sized aquariums. What you should think about when buying an aquarium filter is the gallons per hour flow that the filter has. Your GPH rating should be 2 times the size of the aquarium that you are purchasing for the best results.

Heaters are important if you need to keep the water above 78 degrees, which is essential for tropical species of fish.

Another important consideration to make is the substrate that you will use for your aquarium. If you are looking to create a tropical fish aquarium, then sand or gravel is usually ideal. Some species of fish tend to prefer one or the other, so make sure that the fish you are going to buy will work well with the substrate that you want to use.

Aquarium d?cor is completely up to you. Ask someone at your local pet store before you add anything that you did not purchase from the store. The d?cor you buy at a pet store is designed to be safe for your aquarium, but bringing home random shells, driftwood or other d?cor may cause problems with your aquarium.

Setting up your aquarium is the next step before you buy your fish. Set your tank up exactly how you like it, fill it with water, and apply the necessary water conditioners and treatments. Your aquarium should be allowed to run just as it is for at least 24 hours before you buy your fish, though longer is always preferred.

The last step is to add your fish. Choose community fish and always ask a professional before you mix different species, because even some community fish are aggressive towards other species. Generally you should stick to 1 inch of fish per gallon of water, based on the full grown length of each fish. Start with a small number of fish when your aquarium is still cycling to make sure that everything is working right before you add too many new bodies to your tank. After about a month you can begin to add more fish in, when you know that the water has properly cycled.

Go green – read about heirloom organic seeds.