The first step in setting up an aquarium is deciding what size you want. As a first freshwater aquarium I
recommend at least a 10-gallon tank, but larger is better if you have the means. Also if you are planning on setting up a saltwater aquarium I would recommend at least a 29-gallon aquarium to start with. You should also think about where the tank will be going, and whether or not you will need to purchase a stand as well. If you plan on setting up your aquarium on a piece of furniture you already have, keep in mind that it will need to support a lot of weight (water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon), and it may get wet from time to time.
Most aquariums will come with a light hood that will work well unless you want to keep aquatic plants. If this is your first aquarium I recommend you keep it simple and stick with just fish for now. Getting plants to grow brings a whole new set of challenges. I recommend a timer to automatically turn your lights on and off. Your lights should run for 8-10 hours a day.
Next, you need to decide on a substrate. For a tropical aquarium, either sand or gravel will do fine; however, some species of fish prefer one or the other, so if you have a certain type of fish that you would really like to keep, check to make sure they will be okay with whichever substrate you choose.
There are a million different types of filters, and each of them has its pros and cons. For a small to medium size aquarium, I like the Bio-Wheel type that hangs on the back of the tank. Filter manufacturers almost always overrate their filters. A lot of times they are advertised to clean an aquarium about 2x what they can effectively clean. So when you go and buy your filter, don’t go by the manufactures aquarium size rating. What you should go by is how much flow (measured in Gallons-Per-Hour) the filter has. You want your filter to have a GPH rating of at least two times the size of your aquarium.
If you are going to keep tropical fish you need your tank to stay around 78 degrees. You will probably need a heater to keep the aquarium stable at that temperature.
Aquarium decorations are entirely up to you. Most likely the fish you are keeping won’t really mind if you want a bubbling scuba diver in the tank with them, but they would probably like a place to hide. So, for the most part, as long as there are places for your fish to run to when they are frightened then they will be happy. If you like a more natural look, be careful with what you put into your aquarium. I don’t recommend putting a piece of driftwood you found into your aquarium because over time it will break down and give your water a yellowish tint, as well as lower your PH. Anything you buy at a fish store should be safe, but I still recommend rinsing any aquarium decorations before you put them into your tank.
Now you should be ready to begin setting up your aquarium. If you would like to have a painted background, now would be the time to do that. Set your tank up where you want it, because once you put water in it you shouldn’t move it. After you have the tank in place, you can put down your substrate. If the substrate says you should rinse it, be sure to rinse it well before adding it. Even if it doesn’t say to rinse it, you should probably rinse it just in case.
With your substrate down you can add your decorations (decorating an aquarium is also called aquascaping. When you have the tank aquascaped how you want it you can start adding water. Most public water sources have chlorine or chloramine added to the tap water. This can kill your fish if it is left untreated, so make sure to treat the water. Now install your filter and lighting setup, and plug them in. Let the tank run like this for a while (I suggest at least 24 hours) to ensure there are no leaks or any other problems.
Finally, your tank is ready for you to slowly add fish. You don’t want to add too many fish, because your tank is not yet cycled. This first group of fish should be hardy and inexpensive. I recommend starting with 3 small fish for a 10-gallon tank. For the first few weeks your tank will be cycling, so feed lightly and watch the fish for any signs of stress. If you don’t add too many fish, and you feed sparingly, your tank should cycle without you losing any fish. Generally, it will take about a month to complete the cycle, so that is how long you should wait before you add more fish. Alternatively, you can try a fishless cycle.
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