[Hobbies] [Aquariums] [ Publisher]
Avoiding pitfalls and common
errors when setting up an aquarium. 
This is an attempt to help you avoid the most common mistakes
aquarists make when they begin their new hobby. It is not meant
to be a comprehensive "How To" guide, but will help you
avoid many common pitfalls. You should also read as many aquarium
books as you can. Also, a good magazine will give you lots of up
to date information. I highly recommend "Aquarium Fish
Magazine".
Avoid buying the fish and the tank at the same time. Set up your aquarium at home first, and give it a week or so before adding fish. Check the water temperature every day and make sure the air pump and filters are working properly. Don't rush buying fish.
When adding water, don't forget to condition it. I had a friend who bought a 1 gallon mini-tank and 5 fish at the same time. He took it all home, poured water in the "tank" and dumped in the fish. The next day he asked me why all his fish were dead except the betta. I asked one question. "Did you dechlorinate the water?" He hadn't. The chlorine in the water suffocated the fish in an already overcrowded environment. Even if he had treated the water, the fish crammed into so small an area with limited oxygen probably would have suffocated anyway. The betta lived because of his unique ability to breathe atmospheric oxygen. Use a good quality water conditioner that will remove chlorine. Some areas also have chloramine in the water, if your area does, make sure the conditioner will remove it too. A good water conditioner made by HARTZ called "All-In-One" removes both chlorine and chloramine, plus it removes heavy metals that can be toxic to fish. Leaving the water to sit in an open container for a day before adding it to the tank will also tend to dechlorinate the water.
Another problem my friend had is the tank itself. Avoid mini-tanks and globe tanks. A tank such as the one he had is only good for perhaps one or two very small fish. Most mini-tanks don't have heaters, so they are not good for most tropical fish. About the only thing to put in his "aquarium" would be a single white cloud mountain minnow. With so small an area, the temperature would fluctuate rapidly, water quality would be hard to maintain, and the fish simply have no room. Buy the largest tank that you can afford.
Understand the basics of filtration. Know what your filters are doing. There are three types of filtration commonly used in the aquarium hobby. A good filter system should use all three types. They are mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration.
Chemical filtration uses a chemical filter media such as activated charcoal to remove dissolved substances from the water. The pores in the charcoal trap the substances that cause odors and yellowing of the water.
Mechanical filtration is designed to remove floating particles from the water, usually using filter floss. Box filters, power filters and canister filters use a combination of mechanical and chemical filtration. The water passes through a filter floss to remove large particles, then through the charcoal to remove dissolved impurities.
Biological filters use bacteria to break down toxic ammonia and nitrite into less harmful nitrate. These beneficial bacteria need oxygen to grow. In the case of an undergravel filter (UG filter), oxygen rich water is pulled through the gravel and up through the lift tubes. The bacteria colonize the surface of the gravel, so the more surface area you have on the gravel, the more bacteria it can support. That is why they recommend at least a couple inches of gravel on the UG filter. Other types of biological filters are the wet/dry filter and the sponge filter.
The UG filter will also act as a mechanical filter to an extent, causing the gravel bed to clog with detritus, so when using an UG filter, you should also use a gravel vacuum to clean the gravel during regular partial water changes. The gravel vacuum is a siphon with a large tube at one end. When you start the siphon and thrust the large end into the gravel, the gravel stirs around in the large tube, and all the detritus is sucked out of the tank, while the heavier gravel remains.
Don't spend a lot of money buying a gravel vacuum that hooks up to the faucet. Instead, get a waterbed attachment and a cheap garden hose. With a couple of hose attachments and a regular gravel vacuum, you can accomplish the same setup with much less cost. Set the garden hose aside for indoor aquarium use and it will last much longer.
A combination of filters is usually used to provide all three types of filtration. A box filter is an inexpensive way to provide mechanical and chemical filtration, and an under-gravel filter provides biological filtration. If your budget allows, you can use an outside power filter instead of a box filter, and again, if the budget allows, you can use power heads on the lift tubes of the UG filter instead of air stones and pumps.
My favorite filter? I really like the Emperor by Marineland. It has mechanical and chemical filtration in the cartriges and the bio-wheels provide biological filtration. The large insert boxes allow you to add lots of charcoal or other filter media. If you keep fish that like to dig, the bio-wheels are a much better choice than an undergravel filter
Don't buy all the fish at once. When you first set up the aquarium, the biological filter will not be established. The beneficial bacteria take time to grow, and more grow with an increased fish load to meet the need. If you add too many fish at once, the growth rate of the bacteria will not keep up with the added bio-load, so ammonia levels shoot up and all the fish die. This is known as "New Tank Syndrome" and is a problem faced by nearly all new hobbyist in their eagerness to fill their new aquarium with beautiful fish. To avoid this, add only 1-3 fish per week until the tank is stocked. It should take about four to five weeks to stock your aquarium. By this time the biological filter should be well established. During the first month or so, do a 20% water change once or twice a week to help keep the ammonia levels down.
To maintain good water quality, probably the single most important step is to do regular partial water changes. Use your gravel vacuum to change about 10% of the water weekly, or 20% bi-weekly. Regular, smaller water changes are best, to avoid sudden drastic changes in the chemistry of the water (such as in pH). Remember to condition the new water you add and try to keep it at the same temperature as the existing tank water.
Don't overcrowd your aquarium. An aquarium with a few fish will have better water quality and healthier fish than an overcrowded one. They say you can put up to 3" of fish per gallon of filtered, aerated water. I like to stay nearer the 1" per gallon mark. And remember that every inch of fish is not equal. For example, a dozen 1" guppies does not equal a foot-long oscar. The oscar is much more demanding on the filter system. When stocking, remember that fish grow. Most are purchased as juveniles and will be much larger as adults.
Know how big your fish will get. There are many common aquarium fish that are only suited for very large tanks, not for the smaller ones that most aquarists start out with. Oscars, bala sharks and tinfoil barbs can all grow to be over a foot long and should be avoided unless you have the tank space for them. It is also good to know how big fish get so you don't overcrowd your aquarium. When figuring how many fish to add to your aquarium, use the full adult size, not the tiny size you see in the pet shop. Do a little research about the fish you want before you buy them.
Get compatible fish. This means fish that are the same temperament, have approximately the same adult size and prefer similar water conditions. Don't get fish that are likely to pick on each other or that will eat all their tank mates. Buy fish that prefer the same temperature. Don't mix tropical fish with cold water fish such as goldfish. The goldfish like cooler water. Try to get fish that prefer the same water type (hard or soft, acid or alkaline, etc.) Also, some fish prefer brackish water. They come from an area where sea water mixes with fresh water, so they prefer salt in the water. Such fish are archer fish and monos. They should not be kept with freshwater species. Again, research the fish you want before buying. Try to provide the conditions your fish prefer so they thrive, not just survive.
Don't overfeed. At feeding time, it is recommended to feed the fish no more than they will consume in five minutes. That doesn't mean dump five minutes worth in at a time. Feed a small amount and wait until it is gone before adding a little more, until five minutes is up, or until the fish start to lose interest. You can feed several times a day, just not more than they will eat in a few minutes. Feed a variety of foods, and be careful with live food so you don't introduce disease into your aquarium.
Avoid stressing the fish. Stress weakens the immune system of the fish, leaving them more susceptible to disease. Besides good water quality, you can do several things to reduce stress in your fish. Avoid tapping on the glass. Don't keep fish in noisy areas, such as near your stereo's speakers. Fish can feel every noise you make, every door you slam and every footstep you take through vibrations in their water. Avoid switching on the tank lights suddenly. It helps to turn on the room light and wait a while before turning on the tank lights. At night, turn the tank light off before turning off the room light. This gives the fish a "sunup/sundown" effect that reduces the stress of sudden lighting changes.
Remember:
A well maintained tank only takes about 15 minutes per week to maintain - for a partial water change and filter maintenance. Not much time for the beauty a healthy aquarium can add to your home.
Most importantly, enjoy your new hobby!
This file is for free distribution. It is my attempt to enlighten the beginning aquarium hobbyist, so he/she can avoid many problems that so many of us faced when we were just starting out. Much of what is contained herein is learned from reading, some from sad experience. For the sake of the fish and other aquatic animals we end up keeping, we should all try to learn as much as possible about the hobby. Enjoy and thank you.
Travis Lofthouse
St. George Utah
Other sites:
Aquarium Fish Magazine-In my opinion, the best magazine available for Aquarists.
Drs. Foster & Smith, Formerly Pet Warehouse-Get Pet Supplies Cheaper!
That Pet Place-Another Good Mail Order Catalog!
The Krib-Lots of info on fish and other animals.
Aquaria Central, an all-around site.
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