Equipment That You Will Need For A New Fish Tank

First of all, you will need a proper tank. Buy one from a specialist supplier and always make sure that you are buying a proper fish tank, not just a glass bowl. How big should your tank be? Well, in fish keeping, the bigger the better. And this is for a very good reason.

The bigger the tank the more water that it will hold and therefore, the easier it is to keep the water quality levels static. It is very easy to over feed a small 20l tank and send the quality of the water plummeting. Go to an 80l tank and the margin of error is a lot greater. Increase this to a 4 foot or even a 6 foot tank and you are getting a stable environment.

Lastly, if you are building a tropical tank then a lot of the plastic tanks on the market, apart from being very small, might not be safe with a heater, so have to be avoided.

That brings me nicely to the heater – essential for a tropical tank! A heater will help to keep the water temperature above a minimum level to keep your occupants happy. Different fish have different requirements, so you have to select them carefully, but for tropical fish you use a heater to maintain the minimum temperature. However, if you are starting a tank for a goldfish collection, a heater should not be used – they need the variance of temperature throughout the year to thrive.

Next, you must have some sort of filter. Under gravel filters are quite often sold with new tanks, but internal and external filters are much better. For a small tank an internal filter attached to the side of the tank just below the water level will work well and can be easily maintained. Whereas, for a large tank it is better to use an external filter, which occupies less water space and can be very easily maintained without affecting the fish.

You will also need a good lighting supply, which is usually fitted into the hood of the tank. Any tank without a tight fitting hood could end up losing fish that jump out of the water. Many fish sometimes leave the water and the underside of the hood will return them safely to the water.

Finally, you need decorations. These are not just to make the tank look nice, but they also help to make sure that the fish are happy in the tank. A few caves and hiding places for quieter fish and those, such as Bristlenose Catfish, that will breed successfully in these locations. Live plants also make an excellent hiding place and are much better than their fake plastic counterparts as they will use waste products in the water and help to keep it clean for your fish.

Now, you just need to add water and dechlorinator and let the tank settle for a while before carefully adding your first fish!

Written by Keith Lunt. If you want to know more about online pets pharmacy [http://www.petsfirstpharmacy.co.uk/], just call in!

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Keith_Lunt/19581