Starting a Tropical Fish Aquarium
I started this hobby a couple of years ago. I'm writing this article to give you some tips that may help you to avoid making some of the mistakes I made. I also want to give you some tips on some of the products I use that have made my aquarium successful. I remembered having goldfish and betas for my children when they were young, but I wanted some tropical fish in a bigger tank. I was talking to my sister about starting an aquarium, but I was apprehensive because I thought about changing the water to clean the tank. I felt that was going to be too much for me to do on a regular basis. My sister shared with me a new product that makes it so much easier to change the water to keep your tank clean. She told me about "Python" https://www.pythonproducts.com/products.html#Gravel This gravel cleaner makes the job so much easier. When you are ready to clean your tank and do your water changes, you attach Python to your faucet, and the tube goes inside the tank. They have various tube sizes. You can remove the water from the tank, and fill the water with Python. Now that I knew about Python, I was ready to go to the pet store and begin starting my fish tank. I must admit, I had dreams of grandeur when thinking about what type of tank I wanted. There are so many different shapes and sizes. I also had to decide whether I wanted freshwater or Saltwater fish. I decided on freshwater because after speaking with the experts, I learned that saltwater fish tanks were much more work. Also. saltwater fish are much more expensive. There are such beautiful varieties of saltwater fish as well, but I wanted to keep it simple since I was a beginner.
One day, I went to the pet store and observed all the different fish and tanks. I really did not understand how much work it was to set up a fish tank, and I didn't have anyone to ask questions to except for the pet store employees. After speaking with the pet store, I decided that I would start out with a 20 gallon tank. I bought the tank, gravel, air filter, heater, and accessories for the tank. They told me to set the tank up with all of the items I bought. They explained that it could take about a week before I should start trying to add fish. They said I could bring in water samples for them to test the water ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. I started bringing my water to the pet store a couple of times a week. After about a week or so, they said I could start to add a couple of fish. I was so excited, and couldn't wait to see my new tank with fish in it. A few days after adding my fish, they began to die. I couldn't imagine what I did wrong, and felt awful about losing the fish. It turned out that my water was not cycled yet, and that's why I lost those fish. It was at this point I decided to buy my own testing kit to test the water before buying anymore fish. There are all different kinds of testing kits, but the one I use is "Freshwater Master Test Kit". I have been very happy with it, and seems to be quite accurate. Having your own test kit allows you to keep better track of how your water is doing. It ended up taking about 3 weeks for my tank to completely cycle, and being ready to add fish.
I added a few fish at a time, and I now have seven fish. I have an angel fish, two mollies, and four golden danios. There are a couple of problems I ran into after adding the fish . One problem was my water was very cloudy at first. After talking with the pet store, they advised me to start using a carbon filter. After adding the carbon filter, my water cleared up after awhile. Another addition I was advised to get was an air pump (bubbler). They said the air pump keeps oxygen in the water, and is good for the fish. Another tip I would like to offer is that I bought a rechargeable air pump (bubbler). This rechargeable air pump saved my fish when we lost power during the hurricanes we had here in Florida. I was able to keep the fish alive until the power was restored. I never thought I would need it, but I am so glad to have it, and I would suggest you purchase one just in case you lose power.
I am truly a beginner with tropical fish, but I learned a lot through trial and error. I thought I would share my experience in hopes that it will help you if you decide to start an aquarium. It's a good idea to do a lot of research on this project because it's a lot to learn. Talking to people at your local pet store is a good idea because they can give you great advice on how to have a good experience setting up your fish tank. I added a video so you can see my fish. They have grown so much and are healthy and happy. I hope to one day get a 50 gallon tank, but right now, I'm enjoying my fish. I would definitely recommend getting one. They are a peaceful and calm addition to my home.
One day, I went to the pet store and observed all the different fish and tanks. I really did not understand how much work it was to set up a fish tank, and I didn't have anyone to ask questions to except for the pet store employees. After speaking with the pet store, I decided that I would start out with a 20 gallon tank. I bought the tank, gravel, air filter, heater, and accessories for the tank. They told me to set the tank up with all of the items I bought. They explained that it could take about a week before I should start trying to add fish. They said I could bring in water samples for them to test the water ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. I started bringing my water to the pet store a couple of times a week. After about a week or so, they said I could start to add a couple of fish. I was so excited, and couldn't wait to see my new tank with fish in it. A few days after adding my fish, they began to die. I couldn't imagine what I did wrong, and felt awful about losing the fish. It turned out that my water was not cycled yet, and that's why I lost those fish. It was at this point I decided to buy my own testing kit to test the water before buying anymore fish. There are all different kinds of testing kits, but the one I use is "Freshwater Master Test Kit". I have been very happy with it, and seems to be quite accurate. Having your own test kit allows you to keep better track of how your water is doing. It ended up taking about 3 weeks for my tank to completely cycle, and being ready to add fish.
I added a few fish at a time, and I now have seven fish. I have an angel fish, two mollies, and four golden danios. There are a couple of problems I ran into after adding the fish . One problem was my water was very cloudy at first. After talking with the pet store, they advised me to start using a carbon filter. After adding the carbon filter, my water cleared up after awhile. Another addition I was advised to get was an air pump (bubbler). They said the air pump keeps oxygen in the water, and is good for the fish. Another tip I would like to offer is that I bought a rechargeable air pump (bubbler). This rechargeable air pump saved my fish when we lost power during the hurricanes we had here in Florida. I was able to keep the fish alive until the power was restored. I never thought I would need it, but I am so glad to have it, and I would suggest you purchase one just in case you lose power.
I am truly a beginner with tropical fish, but I learned a lot through trial and error. I thought I would share my experience in hopes that it will help you if you decide to start an aquarium. It's a good idea to do a lot of research on this project because it's a lot to learn. Talking to people at your local pet store is a good idea because they can give you great advice on how to have a good experience setting up your fish tank. I added a video so you can see my fish. They have grown so much and are healthy and happy. I hope to one day get a 50 gallon tank, but right now, I'm enjoying my fish. I would definitely recommend getting one. They are a peaceful and calm addition to my home.
I just got a new guppy. It's the little fish with the pretty tail.
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