Freshwater Aquarium
Are you looking for something beautiful and lively to decorate a room in your home? Are you looking for a tranquil little corner of the world where you can sit back, relax and let your blood pressure drop a little? Maybe you want to find a new hobby, one that lets you explore at your own pace a virtually unlimited universe of possible adventures. Whatever your desires, a tropical aquarium may be what you need. A Petland pet counsellor can give you the advice and detailed assistance you need to enter the tropical fish hobby with little effort.
To provide a healthy, happy atmosphere for your fish, Petland recommends the following necessary equipment and accessories. We have listed them as your fish’s 4 Basic Needs: Environmental, Nutritional, Behavioural and Maintenance. When you meet these needs, your hobby will be an enjoyable one!
ENVIRONMENTAL
The Aquarium – A well-made aquarium is essential for supporting the weight of water. Most aquariums consist of glass or acrylic. They range in sizes from 7.6 L (2 gal) to 760 L (200 gal).
Amazingly, the larger the aquarium, the easier it is to maintain! The larger the aquarium, the healthier the environment is for your fish. A tank between 38 L (10 gal) and 125.4 L (33 gal) is ideal for someone starting their first aquarium.
Aquarium Stand – Water is heavy! It weighs more than 3.63 kg (8 lbs) per 3.8 L (1 gal). For example, a 75.7 L (20 gal) aquarium with gravel will weigh approximately 90.7 kg (200 lbs). Many bookshelves or side tables will not support that much weight.
Aquarium Canopy – A well fitting cover protects the fish from outside contaminants and helps to reduce temperature fluctuation and evaporation.
Light Fixture and Bulb(s) – Light fixtures are available in LED, fluorescent or incandescent. LED lighting is an energy efficient light source that produces a bright light, which provides amazing colour and shimmering effects for fish. LEDs are used in aquarium light fixtures as supplementary or independent light sources. Fluorescent lights create a bright, natural appearance to any aquarium. Both LED and fluorescent bulbs operate at a cooler temperature, which is less likely to affect the temperature of an aquarium. Incandescent lights do not illuminate your tank as well, and they create heat. Although they are less expensive to purchase initially, you must replace incandescent bulbs more often.
If you are considering live plants in your aquarium, see our Live Plants Tip Sheet for information regarding lighting.
Substrate – Gravel is the most common type of aquarium substrate. It will retain solid debris and can be used with substrate fertilizer for live plants to grow in (see our Live Plants Tip Sheet for more information). The average amount of gravel required is 0.6 to 0.9 kg per 3.7 L of water (1 ½ to 2 lbs per gal), creating approximately 5 cm (2 in.) on the bottom of the aquarium. Many colours and varieties are available to choose from.
Heater and Thermometer – A heater is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of 24°–25°C (76°–78°F), which is comfortable for most freshwater fish. Fish are sensitive to temperature fluctuations, so investing in a quality heater that is easy to set and adjust is good sense. You need a thermometer to read the temperature of the water.
NUTRITIONAL
A Variety of Food – All fish are constantly searching for food. In their natural habitat they will find many varieties of tasty morsels. Our goal is to offer a well-balanced diet in a variety of foods. Flake foods and pellet foods provide a staple daily diet. Adding different foods, such as freeze-dried tubifex worms, frozen blood worms or algae discs will help to keep your fish healthy and colourful. You should feed your fish two to three times a day. Ensure that your fish eat all the food, since uneaten food may pollute the aquarium (see our Do Your Fish Look Hungry? Tip Sheet).
BEHAVIOURAL
Decorations – These are necessary to give your fish a place to retreat and swim around. Just as you would be uncomfortable in a room without furniture, your fish need their decorations for security. Live, silk, or plastic plants, driftwood, artificial decorations, and aquarium safe rocks enhance the beauty of your freshwater aquarium. The general rule is to create one hiding spot per fish.
MAINTENANCE
Filter Systems – A filter serves to remove toxic waste in the water created by your fish and decaying fish foods. Many styles are available including filters that can be placed inside (internal), hang-on-the-back (external), or sit underneath the aquarium (canister). An internal motor powers these for quiet operation. They have convenient cartridges to clean or replace. Filters use three styles of filtration: mechanical, chemical and biological. Ask a Petland pet counsellor which filter would be best for your aquarium.
Gravel Cleaning Siphon – A gravel cleaner is like a vacuum. It sucks up dirt, debris, and toxins that you may not see, which are present in the water and gravel. Gravel cleaning your aquarium by removing 20 – 25% of the water every three to four weeks will reduce the accumulation of toxic waste. Partial water changes are the single most important procedure that you will perform on your aquarium.
Water Conditioner – This removes the chlorine and chloramine, and neutralizes heavy metals in the water. Many also have a natural additive that replaces “slime” lost by stressed out fish.
Bacteria Supplement – The use of a bottled bacteria additive will help kick start your aquarium by eating up the harmful toxins produced by your fish and assist in developing a biological cycle. It also maintains optimum filtration in existing aquariums.
Net – This is handy to have around to remove debris and to transfer fish.
Algae Scraper – This removes unwanted algae growth that may appear on your ornaments and tank glass. Algae scrapers are available with or without handles or on magnets to make it easier to clean off the algae.
Oh Yes, The Fish!
Since you are setting up a new environment for your fish, it is a good idea to wait a couple of days to allow the aquarium to acclimatize before adding fish. Start populating your tank with just a few hardy fish. As a guideline, we recommend one 3 cm (1") length of fish to 38 L (10 US gal.) of tank water to safely start your new aquarium. Our pet counsellors will help guide you in selecting the appropriate first fish for your aquarium. Your aquarium will take 5-7 weeks to create a healthy biological environment. Be patient, add fish and live plants slowly. Fish keeping is rewarding. Explore the hobby and enjoy the adventure!
Introducing New Fish into Your Aquarium
Travelling from one aquarium to another can be very stressful for fish. Extreme temperature changes (hot or cold) can adversely affect your fish’s health. Try to avoid exposing your new fish to these hot or cold conditions when taking them home.
During this period fish may be unable to produce or repair their slime coat. A fish’s slime coat is their natural protection against injury to skin, scales and parasitic infestations such as Ich (which can be present in established aquariums). To help minimize the stress on your fish and protect its slime coat, adhere to the following steps:
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Wrap up your fish bag in paper or keep them inside your warm jacket. Go directly home to lessen the transport time.
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When you arrive at home, float the sealed bag of fish in your aquarium for 10 – 15 minutes to allow the water temperature in the fish bag to adjust to the aquarium’s temperature.
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While you are waiting, add new decorations or rearrange the decorations in your aquarium to create new hiding places for all your fish.
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Use an aquarium fish net to transfer only the fish from the fish bag into your aquarium. Discard the water and the bag. Then add a bacterial supplement to boost the biological filtration in your aquarium, which will benefit all your fish.
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To help reduce health problems, we recommend adding a full dose of water conditioner as a slime coat additive, and aquarium salt (if permitted) as an electrolyte booster.
Monitor your new arrivals, along with your other fish, for the first 48 hours. Look for signs of stress, such as loss of colour, clamped or frayed fins, unusual grey patches or white spots and a lack of appetite. Contact your local Petland store immediately if you have any concerns.
Pets for Life
We at Petland believe strongly in “Pets for a Lifetime”. We want our guests to be certain the pet they are adopting will remain in their family for the lifetime of the pet. However, we understand that there may be unforeseen circumstances that may interfere with your best intentions to keep your pet. For fish, setting them loose in natural waterways, such as rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, or storm drains, can have catastrophic consequences on ecosystems. The best alternative is to bring the fish back to Petland. As Petland will incur all expenses in caring for and rehoming the pet, the pet owner understands there will be no refund.
Cleanliness and Safety
All pets must be kept in a clean environment to avoid the spread of dirt and contaminants to yourself and others. Always keep your pet’s home clean, and wash your hands before and after handling your aquarium.
CHECKLIST
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Aquarium
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Aquarium stand
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Aquarium canopy, lights and programmable timer
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Substrate (gravel or sand)
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Plants (live or artificial)
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Decorations (i.e. driftwood, rocks or artificial resin-based decorations. At least one hiding spot per fish)
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Aquarium heater and thermometer
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Aquarium filter (submersible, hang-on-back, or canister)
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Gravel cleaning siphon
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Algae scraper
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Water conditioner
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Mineral and pH supplements
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Bacteria supplement (for biological filtration)
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Water test kits
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A variety of fish food
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Fish net