4 Best Tips for Starting Your Aquarium

aquarium

You’ve finally decided to go ahead and build an amazing aquarium. it keeping is an enjoyable and rewarding activity. When getting started, keep the following important factors in mind to help you make the best decisions to start an aquarium:

# Aquarium Tip 01

What kind of tank are you looking for in the first place? This is probably the most logical, but difficult, place to begin. Be wary of outdoing yourself in your first aquarium and taking on more than you can handle.

A good tip is to start small and gradually increase your investment as you gain more experience and expertise in the hobby. 10 gallon, 20 gallon, and 29-gallon tanks are all good starter sizes.

# Aquarium Tip 02

How much money do you have set aside for this aquarium? From the outside, this may appear obvious, but it is easy to get caught up in spending hundreds of dollars on your first visit to the store.

To avoid purchasing unexpected items, make sure you plan out your expenses before going shopping. This budget will also help you decide what type of aquarium you can build.

Freshwater is generally easier and less expensive to construct. I built a healthy 20-gallon freshwater aquarium for less than $150, but your mileage may vary. Make sure you do your research on product costs and maintenance costs before purchasing a saltwater aquarium. It is not uncommon to spend more than $1,000 on a reef aquarium.

# Aquarium Tip 03

Building an aquarium is a marathon, not a sprint. Time is the most important factor in creating a beautiful and desirable aquarium. Your new aquarium will require time to filter the water and build the proper levels within the tank in order to maintain a viable and healthy environment.

Time is especially important in saltwater reef aquariums. Be patient and enjoy your journey, even if your aquarium isn’t turning out the way you want it to.

# Aquarium Tip 04

Recognize that maintenance is a recurring task. Keeping an aquarium in good condition can be difficult. Just as you work to keep your home clean, an aquarium requires the same amount of effort from you to ensure that its environment is sustainable.

Make sure you have the time to invest in aquarium maintenance or hire an aquarium maintenance company to do it for you.

Investing in equipment to help you clean your aquarium can also be beneficial. Filtration systems are almost always required; for saltwater tanks, protein skimmers can be used, and live rock and sand can be used as an additional level of filtration.

Common Mistakes When Starting a New Aquarium

#Starting Too Small

With the availability of mini-aquarium packages, going small may be appealing. Choosing a small aquarium, on the other hand, is a recipe for disaster for newcomers. When the volume of water is small, key water parameters change quickly, leaving no room for error.

Adding Fish Too Soon

New aquarium owners are eager to add fish, often the same day they set up the tank. Some are fortunate, but many will quickly lose some, or all, of their fish.

The water in a new tank must be stabilized. Gases dissolve in water, as do minerals, heavy metals, and chemicals added by local water treatment facilities. The water itself can harm the fish.

Adding Too Many Fish at Once

You may be eager to fill the tank with fish, but adding too many fish at once is another common mistake made by new owners. The aquarium cannot safely support a full load of fish until the beneficial bacterial colonies have become fully established in the bio-filter.

Hopefully, these 4 simple steps will assist you in starting your aquarium journey.