The great thing about starting up a tropical freshwater aquarium is it’s the best system for beginners. Tropical aquariums are
 relatively cheap and the fish are usually hardy. Marine aquariums, with saltwater fish, are more expensive and you will
need a lot of knowledge and good techniques from the outset.

When you have purchased your aquarium you need remember these points:

Wash the gravel:
Put it in a bowl, place it under cold running water and keep stirring the gravel until the water that flows from it is clean.
Stir the gravel around vigorously to make absolutely sure you get it as clean as possible before returning the gravel to
your aquarium.

Decorating material:
Wash any decorative ornaments, plastic plants and rocks thoroughly using cold running water. If you have a background
secure it firmly to your aquarium..

Clean the tank:
Clean the inside of the aquarium with clean water, checking for leaks whilst doing so. Then empty the aquarium of water.

Is everything correct?
Before you fill the aquarium with water for your fish, check the filter (attaching firmly and ensuring no plants or rocks
are in the way), heater (attaching firmly and set at 27 degrees), ensure the light and the thermostat are positioned correctly.
(Do Not Turn Your Heater On At This Point)

Add the gravel:
Make sure that there’s a depth of 4 cm.

Add the water half way:
Now is the time to add your cleaned décor or plants easily. It is best to put the taller plants at the back and the smaller
one’s at the front, but its all in the eye of the beholder.
For ease of maintenance in the future you may want to consider using plastic plants.
Fish-Fish-Fish believe the Algarde ranges are the most realistic. If you use large rocks as decoration, make sure they are
firmly bedded in so that they can never topple.

Add the water all the way:
Watch out because if you fill it right to the brim, then later you want to change the arrangement and put your hands in and
the water overflows- whoops!

Important!! Condition the water:
Before adding any fish to your new aquarium you must remove  all the chlorine from the water.
Chlorine/Chloramine can damage your fish and Fish-Fish-Fish recommend API Aquarium Stress Coat to assist in
treating your water.

Turn it all on:
Turn on your heater, lighting and filter systems. You should get a noise and a flow of bubbles when you turn the filter on.
This will settle to a more steady flow after a minute or two.
Before adding any fish, let the filter run for 5-7 days to let the aquarium settle.
You may notice that there maybe a lot of bubbles clinging to the glass – this is because tap water is pressurised and as the
cold water warms in the aquarium, gasses are released. Let these dissipate as they will disappear when aerated.
Make sure that the temperature is set correct, at about 27C.

Add the fish!!:
Add only a couple of fish to start off with.
Use the Equalising method, by floating the fish using the bag in which they were purchased. Leave them in the bag
floating for 30 minutes before releasing them.
(You must not over feed these fish, 1 small pinch of food every other day is sufficient at this time)

Adding more fish:
Before adding more fish make sure the existing fish living in your aquarium are happy.
It’s a good idea at this time to do a nitrite test and Fish-Fish-Fish recommend Hagen Nitrite Test Kit for this.
If your nitrite levels remain high, please phone Fish-Fish-Fish for advice.  When the nitrite level is okay you can add more fish.
Fish-Fish-Fish always suggest adding a couple of fish at a time, take things slowly as there is no rush!
Once you have added more fish you need to feed them once a day.

If you have any queries or need advice in setting up your aquarium, Fish-Fish-Fish are only a phonecall away and will offer you
free advice anytime.

Maintenance of your aquarium:
Now you have successfully set up your aquarium you now need to keep it maintained.
This is vital to keeping your aquarium healthy and fish happy.

A typical aquarium maintenance schedule is as follows

1. Clean the Glass (every 3 days) :
Aquariums always have algae build up on the glass making the appearance of the aquarium unsightly.
This is very easy to remove using a combination of tools. Fish-Fish-Fish recommend Tetra Aquarium Glass Scraper.

2. Cleaning Gravel (every 2 weeks):
It is very important to clean your gravel to stop waste building up on the bottom of the aquarium.
It’s very easy to clean using a gravel cleaner and Fish-Fish-Fish recommend Rena Telescopic Vacuum Cleaner.
The way this product works is by siphoning the water from the aquarium (into a bucket) and as this is happens you push the
end of the cleaner into the gravel which in turn cleans it!
Make sure you don’t take to much water from your aquarium – 20% is about right.

3. Water Change (every 2 weeks):
This is best done at the same time as cleaning the gravel as you will already be taking 20% of the water out from the aquarium.
Put some fresh cold water in a big bucket to the volume of 20% of your aquarium. Add some API Aquarium Stress Coat
to the water in the bucket and leave to stand for a few hours. When you have done this top up your aquarium with the water
from the bucket  It is very important to undertake regular water changes to dilute the nitrate.

4. Cleaning Your Filter (every 3 weeks):
Take the media from your filter. You will notice there are grades of sponge and some ceramic/plastic biological media.
The biological media must not be cleaned in tap water and instead must be cleaned in the aquarium water to keep the
beneficial bacteria alive. (This bacteria turns the fishes waste nitrite into nitrate. This is very important because nitrite is
poisonous to your fish where as nitrate is only dangerous in high levels). All the other media can be cleaned under tap water.

Knowledge:
Books are a great way of learning the basics and you can find a good selection on our website or you can also contact
Fish-Fish-Fish on 01799 550 943 or e-mail for any free advice you may need anytime.

Having a home freshwater aquarium is one of the most enjoyable activities on the planet. If you have ever seen a aquarium, whether it be large or small, you were probably drawn immediately to the movement of the fish. There is just something about an aquarium that draws young and old to watch colorful fish swim around in their own little water world.

In the word, aqua-rium, “aqua” (from the Latin) means water and “rium” means building. A “water building” is, in fact, a very true literal description of an aquarium.

People have a home freshwater aquarium for many reasons. The number one reason is probably because fish are fun to watch and it relaxes you at the same time. They are also a way to bring nature into the home. And,in this instance, a home freshwater aquarium can serve as a educational tool to help us understand how life works and to recognize the beauty and wonder of the fish themselves. The more understanding we have of the natural world, the more we value and understand human life and all of creation.

Having a home freshwater aquarium is hobby that can be enjoyed by people of any economic level. As you learn more about caring for fish, It is possible to upgrade to larger and larger aquariums with more and more fish. But, if you can’t afford a 200-gallon aquarium, a one- or two-gallon bowl with a couple of fish can still be just as enjoyable to watch.

The great thing about fish is that you don’t have to instantly meet their needs in the same way you do with other pets. For instance, you don’t have to walk them or put up with fish chewing your couch or other treasured belongs. And, when you go on vacation, a home freshwater aquarium can be left for quite a long time with no maintenance at all. If you do have to be gone for a few weeks, it is much easier to ask a friend to feed the fish than to take care of your dog and cat.

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A home freshwater aquarium has many health benefits. In fact, there is research going back almost thirty years that proves watching the fish in an aquarium reduces stress and lowers blood pressure. One of the reasons you see so many aquariums in the offices of doctors and dentists is because studies have proven that watching the fish in an aquarium significantly reduces the experience of pain as much as hypnosis. Watching a video or DVD of an aquarium has exactly the same effect.

Further benefits of aquariums can be found in nursing homes. Senior citizens with Alzheimer’s disease have shown many health improvements from the addition of an aquarium to a dining room or rec room. These seniors ate more, plus there was an overall reduction in stress levels, resulting in less aggression.

Aquariums are not new to the twentieth or twenty-first century. In fact, in China and Egypt, evidence shows that fish were kept in bowls and revered thousands of years ago. Back then goldfish had the most popularity. People started breeding goldfish and by the mid-1800s, big wrought-iron aquariums filled with goldfish were found across Europe. Aquariums gained popularity in the United States at the turn of the century and into the 1920s, the time of the first World War.

Since that time, technology has obviously changed and there now are no limits to what you can do in terms of constructing large and small aquariums with just about every kind of fish you can imagine.

Whether you have a large or small home freshwater aquarium, you will undoubtedly reap the benefits of watching fish, with reduced stress and better overall health. Just do a little research on freshwater fish and in no time you could have a thriving aquarium population.

For those of you who think big, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is the largest aquarium in the world. If you want to be astounded by nature, this is the place to go. This aquarium has eight million gallons of water and the biggest collection of fish and other aquatic animals anywhere. They have whale sharks, and the shark area alone has 6.3 million gallons of water.

The Georgia Aquarium cost 0 million dollars to build and is now a 320 million dollar facility with a million improvement project. The aquarium opened debt-free because it was a gift to the people of Atlanta and the people of Georgia from Bernie and Billi Marcus. Mr. Marcus was the co-founder of The Home Depot chain of stores.

In the first two years, over six million people visited the Georgia Aquarium. If you love fish and you ever have a chance to get to Atlanta, this aquarium is a must-see. In the meantime, you can’t go wrong with any size home freshwater aquarium. Just sit back and relax, and enjoy your fish.

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Dont be fooled: A successful marine aquarium requires an additional skill set and knowledge compared to a freshwater one.
Did you know that by definition tropical fish refers to freshwater species only? Tropical saltwater species are referred to as marine fish (source: Wikipedia, 2008). Therefore any old Tropical fish information is totally irrelevant for saltwater aquariums.
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Related Saltwater Aquarium Articles

“Saltwater fish aquarium or freshwater fish aquarium?” This is the most common question asked by aquarists when they start an aquarium.

This article will explain some terminologies and a comparison between freshwater and saltwater fish aquariums.

It is important to have a basic knowledge of aquarium and fish terms before setting up an aquarium. It will help you to converse with other fish enthusiasts and aquarium store personnel.

Why is it important to know the difference between saltwater and freshwater fish? Fish are found in a variety of climates. Fish from similar climates and water conditions often live together happily. Fishes from different natural environments should never be combined in the same tank.

What are saltwater fish?
Saltwater fish are those that live in seawater and oceans where the water contains dissolved salt. The saltwater fish aquarium must duplicate their natural environment.

What are freshwater fish?
Freshwater fish are those species found in lakes and rivers. The water of their natural habitats contains no or very little dissolved salt.

What are tropical fish?
Tropical fish are found in tropical environments around the world, where the climates are warm and the water temperatures range from 68 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They include both freshwater and salt water species. However fish keepers often use the term “tropical fish’ to refer only to freshwater fish. They call the saltwater tropic fish “marine fish”.

Let’s make a comparison between saltwater fish aquarium and a freshwater fish aquarium.

1. Cost
Saltware aquariums are more expensive than freshwater fish aquariums. This is the main reason why saltwater fish aquarium are generally considered to be for experienced aquarists.  It is quite expensive to make a mistake with saltwater aquariums.

The saltwater filtration systems more expensive than freshwater ones. Saltwater fish and invertebrates thrive in a reef environment with live rock. Live rock costs more than gravel. Marine plants are difficult to harvest and are also pricier than their freshwater equivalent. Saltwater fish cost much more than freshwater fish because they are captured in the wild whereas many freshwater fish are bred in captivity. Saltwater fish tend to need larger tanks than freshwater.

2.  Maintenance
Freshwater aquariums are more tolerant to lack of cleaning but not so with saltwater fish aquariums.  It is easy to add water to a freshwater aquairum, but saltwater aquariums require the water to be mixed with salt first.

Saltwater fish are sensitive to environmental changes. For example, the temperature, salinity, ammonia, nitrate, and the pH must be kept at appropriate levels. This requires maintenance.  

3.Beauty and Variety
Although saltwater fish aquariums are more costly and harder to maintain, why do some aquarists still prefer saltwater aquariums over freshwater ones?

While there are many beautiful freshwater fish, the saltwater species are more brilliant and colorful. Moreover, they offer a wider variety. A saltwater fish aquarium  can have a lot of company in the tank. Salt water offers a host of invertebrates ranging from eels, clams, crabs, corals, to starfish.

If  you are the regimented type of person who can stay true to your commitment of cleaning your aquarium and changing the water regularly, the preferred choice is definitely a saltwater fish aquarium.

More Saltwater Aquarium Articles

Freshwater aquarium snails are purchased for algae clean-up duty and to add variation in aquatic life in the fish tank. Sometimes, snails also hitch a ride into an aquarium as eggs or juveniles on live plants and aquarium decorations. No matter how they get in your tank, many freshwater aquarium snails multiply rapidly and can become a nuisance. Getting rid of unwanted freshwater aquarium snails can be a time-consuming and frustrating task.

Manual removal of existing freshwater aquarium snails is always an option. Adult snails and larger juveniles can be scooped out with a fish net or plucked off glass, substrate and aquarium ornaments by hand. With extreme diligence, manual snail removal can reduce the number of aquatic snails, but may not eliminate the whole problem. Many parts of a decorated aquarium are inaccessible or unable to be properly viewed. Snail eggs and babies will not be able to be removed in this way.

Speed up manual removal by putting shredded lettuce or a piece of cucumber in the bottom of a small glass and lowering it into the fish tank. The freshwater aquarium snails will flock into the glass for their treat and then can be removed easily en masse.

Chemical solutions, which can be purchases at any pet or aquaria store, kill snails and eggs effectively. Most solutions are harsh, copper-sulfate-based chemicals and can also harm fish or other invertebrates in the home aquarium. This method is best used in emergency snail situations only. After application, a large quantity of dead freshwater aquarium snails and eggs will still be in the tank. Vacuuming and frequent partial water changes will be needed to restore healthy water parameters.

Freshwater aquarium snails in excess amounts can be eradicated or controlled with the introduction of snail-eating fish species. Some cichlids enjoy snails, but can only be kept in appropriate aquatic habitats with other cichlids. Other fish that eat snails include gouramis, some catfish and loaches. Clown, kuhli and yoyo loaches are excellent snail removal experts. Be sure these varieties of fish can cohabitate peacefully with the other fish in the aquarium before purchase.

If all else fails, complete deconstruction of the freshwater aquarium may be the only hope for a snail-free tank. Examine and clean all tank decorations, plants and the substrate as well as filter, pump and heater hardware. Boiling will kill snails and snail eggs. This method is a last resort, as it will destroy the beneficial bacteria colonies in the tank. Before re-introducing fish, the tank will need to be cycled again. However, this sterilization method should eliminate freshwater aquarium snails completely.

Find More Freshwater Aquarium Articles

In your quest to finish setting up your freshwater aquarium, you have fully cycled your tank and have already bought the fish from the pet store. You are told that as you get home, you should float the bag first on your tank for the fish to be acclimated to the water in your tank. This is not what acclimation is only about. You need to consider that there might be a huge difference between the chemistry of the water from the pet store and the water in your tank. It is not only about water temperature.

Before, the usual practice of acclimating the new fish to your tank involved pouring the entire contents of the fish bag to your tank. Initially, the bag is floated on the tank for about 30 minutes and after this, the bag is opened and the contents are slowly poured into the freshwater aquarium, fish and water included. This could be very risky. Why? Not only can the fish get shocked with the large portion of new water that it isn’t familiar with but the water from the pet store might contain chemicals, diseases, and bacteria that will contaminate your entire tank.

You would not want this for your clean tank.

First and foremost, what you can do is to test the water from the pet store. Surely, the store would allow you to do this and they may even assist you with this. You have to test the water’s chemistry from their tank: pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Test also the water in your tank where the fish will be transferred. Compare the results. This will give you an idea on how long you should perform acclimation.

Acclimating your new fish with your freshwater aquarium is very essential and should not be taken lightly. This is one of the most important things to do so that you would have a successful management of your new aquarium hobby.

There are two methods of freshwater aquarium acclimation Learn about them.

So you own a saltwater aquarium, time for the fun part – saltwater aquarium decorations are one aspect of marine fish keeping where you can really allow your imagination to reign free. A variety of decorations are available – from ceramic, resin or plastic ornaments and backgrounds, real or false corals and shells and even plants the skys the limit when it comes to making a marine world for your fish..

Marine aquarium decorations are fun to buy because unlike the other inhabitants of your tank they don’t require any special care. You won’t need to feed them, provide special habitats and they can’t get sick or die so they are hassle free! A tank without any décor is dull but that’s not all.

An aquarium without any saltwater aquarium decorations is not very exciting and it can also beunhealthy for your fish. Using tank décor makes it possible to break up the physical environment of the tank and is important both for the biological and psycho-social well-being of the fish in your tank. This is because using tank decorations gives hiding places, areas for food to grow on and microbe activity that keeps your marine tank healthy.

Add to this the fact that marine aquarium decorations are nice to look at and fun to work with and you’ll begin to see that décor is essential in any marine tank. The best way to choose your marine tank decorations is to visit a store that allows you to see saltwater aquarium décors in an working tank, not just on a rack or a table.

Some examples of marine aquarium decorations you might like to try in your saltwater tank are:

Belching clams and treasure chests – These are bubbly and air actuated action ornaments. Spacemen, submarines, clams, and treasure chests are always very popular. Even a frog on a log and airstones, are fun saltwater aquarium decorations. The display should be well lit and there should be plenty of bubbles for the best effect.

So what other options are there for marine aquarium decorations? What about unusual and interesting backgrounds? You can purchase a variety of backdrops like marinescapes, paint-on materials, foils, mirrors and cork stock. You can even buy an in-tank diorama! Display the background effectively and choose a tank décor that suits its theme.

Rocks are another good choice for saltwater aquarium decorations. You can choose from volcanic, sandstones and metamorphic rock or even plastic. Some rocks don’t have any impact on water quality while others improve the water quality. If you aren’t sure of a certain rock, play it safe and leave it out. Try pieces of tufa, igneous, silicious/petrified woods), and brackish and African Great Lakes systems calcareous “base” rock. You can usually buy rocks by the pound or the ‘piece’. Some rock types are artificial while others are natural.

Driftwood is a great idea for saltwater aquarium decorations. It might be self-sinking or weighted and wither chemically or physically inert or live. Don’t try to cure your own woods. It’s just too time consuming and expensive, it’s cheap enough to buy anyway.

Corals and shells can also be used as saltwater aquarium decorations. Always try to use those from a natural marine source.

Marbles are traditional saltwater aquarium decorations. They can be used underwater – whole circular to flat, marbles and crushed glass are popular in marine tanks. However marbles don’t make for a good biological substrate. They do provide vibrant color to any tank, though.

Faux natural saltwater aquarium decorations are another way of pepping up your tank. You can choose from fake rocks, logs, shells, coral, ships and more. Fake they might be but some are attractive when arranged properly; so don’t overlook these decorations.

Plastic plants are another option you might want to make use of for your saltwater aquarium decorations. You can obtain some good likenesses of marine plants like sagittaria-turtle grass for example so don’t overlook them and use them to supplement your real plants while they are growing.

Your choice of saltwater aquarium decorations is up to you but there are some general guidelines to bear in mind when making a choice.

Always make sure that your marine aquarium decorations don’t have any sharp edges on which your fish might cut themselves. Never use any substances (rocks, shells etc) that might give off toxic chemicals into the water. Choose shapes and designs that make suitable hiding places for shy animals and good substrates for the growth of marine plants.

Also make sure that your saltwater aquarium decorations are squeeky clean when you put them into your tank. Never use decorations from a tank where the fish or plants are ill or unhealthy in any way. Make sure that there are no spaces within the decorations where fish might get trapped and die.

The best saltwater aquarium decorations don’t have to be particularly fancy. If you like spacemen and frogs go ahead and decorate your tank with them – it’s your tank after all. If you prefer a more elegant style choose natural, rather than faux ornaments and study other natural systems and try to copy some of these environments in your tank.

You can easily glean this kind of information from books on marine biology or by doing some research on the World Wide Web. The more you learn the more accurate will be the marine world you create and this will make your fish and other invertebrates happy and healthy. The most important thing to remember is to have fun with your marine aquarium decorations.

But don’t forget the health of your marine ecosystem. Try to find the proper balance between the aesthetic value of your tank and the well-being of your fish. The only way to make sure that your stock stay healthy is to study, study, study the fish, invertebrates, plants and make sure you give them what they need to survive, a good cheap online book on everything you need to know on marine and saltwater aquariums.

Good luck in whatever you choose, and enjoy your saltwater aquarium decorations.