Whether you are a fish enthusiast or looking for a way to add a little extra color at home, an aquarium is a great solution. With an aquarium, you can easily keep a pet that is easy to manage in fish while also adding to your home aesthetics. Fish have also been known to help reduce stress and blood pressure so they are actually beneficial for your health. As wonderful as having an aquarium sounds, setting it up isn’t a simple job. We have a step by step guide for you to help you set up that aquarium you’ve been wanting.
Step One: Start with the stand
You want to start by setting the base, stand of the aquarium first. Once you have placed the stand in the spot you want, you can put the tank on it. Make sure the tank is placed perfectly on top.
Tips: When picking a spot for the aquarium in your home, you need to ensure it is not exposed to direct sunlight. You also want to ensure there is at least 5” space from the aquarium to the wall it is “against.” This will provide enough space for the filter and ensure the stand is completely leveled.
Step Two: Add the gravel to the base and then water on top
Once you have placed the tank on the stand, you need to add the gravel in along with any decoration piece you want in the tank that will be on the gravel. Then place a plate on top of the gravel and pour water on the plate, this will ensure that the gravel is not displaced while the tank fills up.
Tips: To ensure the gravel is clean when you put it in the tank, you want to rinse it with clean water. If you decided to use tap water which has chlorine, then you should also use a chlorine neutralizer. Make sure you also clean all the decoration objects you place in the aquarium beforehand.
Step Three: Install the filter and the heater
You can now install all the equipment that comes along with the aquarium but make sure not to plug it in just yet. You start by hanging the power filter first on the back of the aquarium. Place the thermometer where you can easily read it within the aquarium and then install the heater, not too far from the filter.
Step Four: Add the fish
Once you have everything setup, plug it in and let it run for about 15-20 minutes. Then you can add the fish to the aquarium. You can then add the canopy and light to it also. If you are planning on adding a lot of fish then we recommend you add 5-6 first, for the first 4 weeks. This will allow you to test the nitrite and ammonia in the tank. Allow them to go to zero and then you can add more fish.
This is a general setup for a 55-gallon aquarium. You can have a total of 55 inches of fish in this aquarium, this is all the sizes of the fish added. Adding more will overcrowd the tank.
