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How do I set up my new Fish Aquarium?

Right i have the Tank which is 2ft length. 1 1/2 ft deep and 1 1/2 ft high. I have a thermometer and the light. This is it. Now what do I need to get and do to set up my aquarium for tropical fish. I have read about the cycle but not sure about pumps filters and stuff like that. Please help.

Public Comments

1. Filling it with water is a good idea.
2. Get some gravel to cover the bottom.Give it a good wash so it doesn't cloud when you put it in the tank.Get a filter.The shop will tell you the best size.I would say a Fluval 2 will do you.Fill it with water and switch your pump on to filter it.You will need to get Fresh Start or the like to put in the water.Read the chart in the booklet in the package to find how much to use.Don't worry if it is cloudy as the filter will sort it.Leave it for a few days Take out your filter and wash the filter pads in some water taken from the tank.Or if you wash under the tap have some water from the tank to rinse them in.Always use tank water at some stage as the fish are used to the bacteria.When you feel the water is right put some plants in.You can usually get 3 for £5.If you live near the beach pick some shells wash and put them in.Also some wood(from pet shop)looks nice and gives the fish a place to hide.If you get it soak it for a week or so before putiing in the tank.It makes the water a rust colour if you don't.Although it doesn't harm fish.Then select the fish which will live together and put them in.Look at some set ups in the pet shop and decide how you want yours to look.Check the expense.It doesn't all have to be done in one move.Unless you can afford to. Enjoy and remember not to put the tank in direct sunlight as that makes the water go dirty more quickly and the fish get to hot and die.Also don't have the tank light on more than 8 hours a day or it does the same as sun.Enjoy.
3. You will need a heater if it is for tropical fish. You are allowed so many fish per inch to avoid overcrowding. Stones on the bottom. Chlorine free water - either add something to the water to remove this or let water stand for 24 hrs before adding it to the tank. I personally recommend a canister filter, a lot less heartache that way. Also a google on fishless cycling would be a great start else start with a couple of fish as the cycling of the water is firstly about ammonia then nitrate I think and they can die. Good luck!
4. You will need some form of heater to keep the temperature correct. You will need something to keep the water clean. You can either go for an under gravel filter which will need an air pump and air stone or you can get one of the internal filters such as a fluval. The internal filters are quieter. If you are going to populate your tank with fish that come from still water, don't give them the equivalent of a force 9 gale to swim in. You will probably want some plants too. Get all your equipment and set the tank up. Fill it up with water and leave it without any fish for a couple of days. If you are putting plants in, do that before you put the fish in. Make sure you give the plants a rinse in fresh water before you put them in the tank to try and remove any nasty things from the plants. Add your fish. Learn about the fish before you buy them. Some are more aggressive than others. Some won't tolerate others of their species. If you want to bread guppies in the tank, without some sort of shelter, Angle fish will probably eat the fry faster than they can be produced. Ask in the shop. They are usually very willing to tell you everything you need to know.
5. For Tropical Fish, you will need to also purchase a Filter (internal or External), Internal Filters are Cheaper but you need to constantly wash the filters,external are better but expensive,your going to need a heater, Tropical Fish like warmer water, your also need various treatments like "water conditioner" and a biological aquarium supplement to put beneficial bacteria into tank. After purchasing everything and adding water/plants etc, you need to let it run for 2 weeks without any fish in,then slowly introduce fish to Aquarium (2 or 3 at a time) Freshwater fish,you have all the parts (maybe need a filter) Good luck, but if your not sure of anything speak to the Aquarium shop, who will be able to help
6. Ok Do this before anything else (experience talking) 1st make a choice do you want to have plants, how many fishes Do you want What type of fishes that will go well with each other ..(ask local pet store for advice) if you want real plants ,get soil, fertilizer and both do not have the same purpose get the ready mix fertilizer and soil is the best advice !! cycling means getting the tank full of plants ready to take on fishes ..it is more serious for saltwater fishes but since your not experience my best advice to you is get the fresh water type for fresh water tank cycling will take at least 4 days the best will be a week depending who you talk to .. my advice is get a hang on filter air filters Don't really work cause once you reposition them the dirt and fish waste will go back to the tank..(not efficient) if you want plants you should ask for plants that are not demanding for lights as well as co2 if you need a cheap co2 system try to make it your self cause co2 (compressd tank form) will be $$$ expensive and the tablet form will not work. so try Diy yeast Co2 systems !!
7. Firstly, get your hands on some gravel, I prefer natural colors but that's really a personal choice, the fish don't care. The get a filter that filters about 200-300 GPH and set it up. Put in some fresh tap water and add some de-chlorinator ( Tetra Aquasafe ) Do you have lights? You will need those. If you are keeping tropical fish ( Cichlids, Tetras and Gouramis ) than you will need a heater, set it at 78-81F. Get an air-pump and hook it up, put the air stone in an unnoticeable area. Let the tank run for 2-3 days and let the water clear, the heater get the right temp, the filter get a feel for the water and the bubbler to fully oxygenate the water. After everything is right you can start cycling, do a fishless cycle as it doesn't take as long and is more humane. Get your fish food and add 2 flakes twice daily, let the filter deal with it and let the food turn into ammonia, keep doing this and check for ammonia daily, you should see it go from 0.0ppm, to about 1.0ppm and then drop down very slowly, than the nitrite go up very high and then drop even slower and than a very harmless version of ammonia and nitrite appears, it is only harmful in high amounts, that's why we do weekly 25% water changes and keep real plants. Good fish for that tank are: Neon Tetras Serpae Tetras Guppies Dwarf Gouramis Zebra Danios Cory Catfish Platies Mollies Bristle nosed plecos Good live plants are: Hornwort Java Fern Java Moss Anubias Fish NOT to get for that tank: Oscars Pacus Giant Gouramis Pirhannas Arowanas Red tailed catfish Good luck!!
8. well its easy to get your head round stuff like that .First of all the filter (you nead one so your fish can breath) all that does is clean up all your fishes mess and bits of uneaten food and it also pumps oxgyen in your water so fishes can breath. second is your heater this only has a simple job and that is to heat the water to tropical tempreatures and you can set the tempreature(ask at pet store how to do so) i recomend to 22c to 26c. and thats all you nead its not nessacery to have a pump so good luk on your new aquarium
9. you should filter the water with phosphate pads so it will reduce the chances of algae spikes. They will remove the nitrates and phosphates from the water. visit my site for more info on water changes and preparing water. since your tank is not salt water do not add salt like it says on the forum.