So you want to set up a fish tank, well the first thing that I will tell you is that you have to be patient and should not jump right into putting fish in your tank. In this article I will be explaining all of the steps to setting up a fish tank for tropical fish only.

When you are selecting an aquarium to buy you must know what kind of fish that are going to be living in it and how big the fish will get. As a simple rule, for every inch of fish that there is there should be 1 gallon of water.

The items that you will need to set up a fish tank are the aquarium, filter pump, heat pump. Optional items that you should get also are gravel, thermometer, lamp, decorations, and a back up filter pump in case the main one goes bad.

Now that you have all the items you need next is to set up the stand and put the tank on it. Make sure you choose a good spot that will not be blocking anything you will need to get to later on like receptacles, air vents, etc.

Now that your tank is positioned right it is time to leak test it. Do this by filling the tank up completely with water and let it sit for a day or two. Inspect the surrounding area for any signs of water, nothing is worse than a leaky aquarium, bad for your home and the fish. Once you are sure there are no leaks go ahead and empty the tank.

While you are leak testing your aquarium you can start filling up jugs of tap water. Mix the tap water with water conditioner as fish do not like plain tap water. I also add bacteria supplement to the water also. Make sure you follow the directions on the water conditioner bottle exactly.

Next you can start adding gravel, make sure that you rinse the gravel very good. Since the tank is still empty you can start putting in the gravel and decorations. It is very important to make sure that everything that you put into your fish tank is washed well, as it only takes a little bit of dish soap to kill fish.

Start setting up the filter pump and the heating pump. Add the water solution from the jugs that you already pre-mixed, fill the tank up to about an inch from the top. Put the overhead lamp on if you have one and turn on the heater and the filter pump, you now want to be patient and let the water cycle for a week at the minimum.

Let the fish tank cycle the water for at least one week. After that one week you can add a couple of fish to get the tanks ecosystem in action, but do not add anymore fish for at least 5 weeks. Be patient and your fish will be healthy and live for a long time.

The author has been setting up fish tanks of all types for many years and has great knowledge on fish tanks. You can visit his store if you need to purchase a home fish tank. Fish Tanks For Sale

• Choosing the Right Aquarium Tank by Leonard Standeley There are many things to consider when selecting an aquarium tank. One of them is the size of the aquarium. To determine the ideal size for you, you have to know the kind of fish that you are putting in the aquarium and exactly how many of......
• Buying an Aquarium Tank by Leonard Standeley When buying an aquarium tank, the first thing you have to consider is how many fish you want and what type of fish they are. This will determine the actual size of the tank that you need to buy. The fish you start with may grow to......
• Proper Fish Tank Water Treatment For Healthy Fish If you want to have healthy fish, you need to have the right type of water in your fish tank. Many people who are just beginning to set up a fish tank don't understand how important it is to test your water and treat it for any imbalances. You......
• Keeping Marine Fish Tanks - What You Need to Know by Edmundo Tabatt Salt water environments are described as marine environments. Marine fish need different environments to tropical fish so you need different equipment to keep a marine fish tank than to keep a tropical fish tank. The biggest difference between fresh and salt water tanks is the salt. This......

• Maybe Asking Santa for a White Christmas was a Bad Idea What a snow storm! Three days plus 90 minutes without electricity, 3 days without tap water (after power was restored), and 6 days without cable TV & Internet service. Not to mention pulling two people out of a ditch, shoveling 2 rather long driveways by hand, and the personal......
• The Canister Filter - Any Use In The Marine Aquarium? The canister filter has been in use for decades. Freshwater aquarists were the first to make use of them and they still do. Then along came the marine aquarium and the canister filter was employed to support those to. Canister filters have been around for so long that they are......
• Best Central Air Conditioners Choosing a new central air conditioner is often a task that waits until there is an immediate need - your air conditioning system goes out on a hot day in the middle of the summer. At that time, you may not think about the best central air conditioner, you just......
• Filter Pur, The Best Filtration System, Water Thats Great by Zachus J Winestone Water is a pure and natural element that will help to clean and hydrate your body, helping you to maintain your organs and muscles working at their optimum level. A Filter Pur filtration system, which is just water brought to you in its most natural form,......

	Tropical Fish (Complete Pet Owner's Manual) List Price: $8.99 Sale Price: $4.00 Used From: $0.88
Aquarium owners will find valuable information on maintaining correct water chemistry and temperature, and creating an optimal environment for tropical fish varieties. Titles in Barron’s extensive selection of Complete Pet Owner’s Manuals are filled with useful information and heavily illustrated with high-quality photos and anatomically accurate line drawings...

	Midwest Tropical AquaRound Aquarium List Price: $149.95 Sale Price: $119.99
8 Gallon AquaRound tabletop aquarium (12.25" L x 12.25" W x 21.5" H) magnifies your underwater world for an illusion of great space. Complete with filter, pump, gravel, lighting and plant decorations. Tabletop aquariums add living art to your surroundings...

Written by James Conley using tags: aquariums, Fish, fish tanks, hobbies, Home, pet supplies, Pets, tropical fish