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Setting Up Your Aquarium
The Community Aquarium
Most frequently found aquariums are community aquariums. They are beautifully planted and decorated with rocks, roots, plants, and a variety of fish. A community aquarium should contain at least 70 liters of water, and even more if possible.
Remember, a larger aquarium is actually easier to maintain than a smaller on since the water in a smaller aquarium become murky much faster.
When preparing a community aquarium, you must remember that plants and fish have certain needs, so we must be able to meet those needs when planning our aquarium.
When planning our aquarium we should make sure that we use fish and plants that have the same light and temperature requirements. While it is much easier to combine plants by this method, it is a different story with fish, as some fish that have the same requirements cannot be put together!
It is difficult to put too many plants into an aquarium at the start, but it is quite easy to put in too many fish. We must always avoid the temptation to purchase more fish than our aquarium can sustain.
There are no hard, fast rules to combining fish in a tank; however, there are a few basics that need to be observed. Schooling fish should never be kept alone or with only a few of their variety.
There are fish that fight viciously with others of the species, especially males when it is time to spawn; these should be kept singly or in pairs. Since they are normally quite accepting of other breeds, it is suitable to put these fish together.
When stocking your aquarium for the first time, it is advisable to obtain a book from your local pet store that has a section on stocking.
These books will not only provide you with information on how many fish can be put into a specific-sized aquarium, they will also give you information on the types of fish that can be safely combined.
See Also:
Buying an aquarium | Practical Fishkeeping magazine
Verify that individual groups of plants have not sent stringers into other groups of plants and become twisted.
The purpose of thinning your plants is to allow more light into the aquarium, thus allowing the plants to grow more.
Remember that each time you transplant a plant from one location to another it needs time to acclimate to that location. The thing to remember when your aquarium is well established is to transplant only when it is really necessary.
The plants that float on the surface absorb a lot of the light, and the plants in the lower layers have to fight for light. As pretty as floating plants are, they take away a lot of light from the lower plants and should be kept to a minimum.
Thin only when it is absolutely necessary, usually because you have too many plants. At the same time try to preserve the combination of the plants as you originally planted them.
In the first few months after planting, it is important to touch the plants as little as possible. But once your aquarium has become established, you can exchange those groupings that you don't like or are not attractive with other, more decorative plants. |
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More articles:
The Importance Of Aquarium Lighting
Aquarium Plants planting techniques
Aquarium Decorations Creating Homes for Fishes
Washington Academy : Weekends & Vacations
Fish & Chips August 1999
The danger is less when it is ignored than when it is fussed over, but you don't want to completely ignore it, either.
The most beneficial thing you can do for your aquarium is to simply sit in front of it and observe it, become familiar with the fish, and how they should look, the kinds of plants you have and how they should be growing. This part of our hobby isn't work, but can be a very relaxing and important part of maintaining our tank.
Don't let anything interfere with the 10 or 15 minutes you spend each day in front of your aquarium! Sit quietly and enjoy it -- that is, after all, why you have it! You decide when you want to spend this time -- early morning, or afternoon, late in the evening when everyone is in bed -- and you can have the quiet time you need.
Related Topics: Setting Up a Specialized Aquarium ,
Fish for Your Aquarium , The Pleasure of the New Orleans Aquarium
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