Fishkeeping Guide For Beginners - How To Set Up An Aquarium?

Fishkeeping is a hobby known across the whole world. Watching fish swimming among plants is a very relaxing activity. First aquarium setup is an incredible experience for a beginner fishkeeper. One needs to do it the correct way, otherwise the fish might not survive.

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How to set up an aquarium?

Before starting your first aquarium setup, you have to show some patience. You should wait 2 weeks before putting any fish in the tank - the water needs to settle down. It is simply a process in which biological balance develops.

Bacteria need enough time to multiply. Thanks to this, they will be able to decompose metabolism products. If you put the fish in the tank too early, nitrogen concentration will be too high which might be deadly for them.

At the beginning, you should pick the right aquarium. At least 25-liter tank is a recommended volume for beginner fishkeeping. Of course, it is easier to retain biological balance in a larger aquarium. In a 25-liter tank, you can keep fish of the length no more than 4 centimeters. For larger fish it might be too small. This volume is also good for shrimps.

Once you have chosen an aquarium, you should buy:

  • substrate,
  • plants,
  • bacteria,
  • filter,
  • heater,
  • thermometer,
  • lighting.

It is recommended to buy a pad for the fish tank. The substrate should be rinsed several times. Put it at the bottom and pour a few centimeters of water. Put some plant and fill the tank up with water.

Apart from the plants, you can put other deecorations in the aquarium, e.g. coconut houses.

Finally, attach the heater and the filter. Then, pour the bacteria, adjusting the amount according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The filter should work the whole time the tank settles.

First aquarium setup - what fish to choose?

Many beginner fishkeepers start from the Siamese fighting fish. It’s an easy fish to take care of, but you can keep only one in the tank. Siamese fighting fish are very territorial and they will fight even in a large fish tank until one of them dies.

Other beginner-friendly fish for fishkeeping are:

  • guppy,
  • danio,
  • cardinal tetra,
  • Green swordtail,
  • veiltail,
  • king tetra.

You can keep maximum of 3-4 fish species in one fishtank. Of course, if you have a large aquarium, you can increase this number. Veiltails, also known as gold fish are good for beginners, but they need a large tank. When you choose certain species, make sure they have similar needs.

Beginner fishkeeping - how to take care of fish?

It is relatively easy to keep fish. Just feed them every day and change the water regularly. You can buy fish food in every pet shop. It has a form of flakes, granules, or pills, which are for groundlings such as bristlenoses and cuirasses.

Flakes are good for every fish species. Granules are best for fish that swim in the middle of the aquarium, e.g. scalars. Apart from this, some fish species need frozen food. You can buy it in the eform of cubes - just defrost them before feeding the fish.

Apart from feeding, you should replace some partts of the water regularly. The larger the aquarium setup, the more often you should do it.

📍 What fish to choose for the first fish setup?

First aquarium setup needs fish that are not very deemanding. Siamese fighting fish and veiltails are a good choice. All you should rremember is the size of the tank. Make sure to create the right environment for your fish.

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