Step Two: Basic Tank Setup

There are several items in all fish tanks. A heater, filter, gravel of some sort, and a tank. Read through these guidelines before putting the tank together.

The first order of business is the tank. Rinse it out, as often dust has settled from it being stored, which can make your water look dirty if not removed. After rinsing set your tank on its stand. If the place the tank is going is known to be cold, place a piece of insulating foam between the stand and the tank. Ypu can also attach foam to the back of the tank with a space cutout for the filter to negate more heat loss. Glass is not a good insulator.

If you have a background add it now before the tank is full. I prefer a black background on my tanks and actually paint it on the outside surface of the glass. That way it can't get water between the tank and a backing.

A stand can either be a pre made one, or a piece of furniture solid enough to support the tank. Either way make sure it is level. Take into account that water itself weighs 8 lb. (3.62 kg) per gallon. Decorations will only add to that weight.

Next assuming you tank has no leaks, rinse the gravel. There are several types of gravel. Look for "aquarium safe", and you'll be fine. If you are trying to keep hard water species such as African Cichlids you may want to use a substrate that buffers your water, or keeps it stable at a high pH and hardness.

Put the gravel in the tank carefully. Spread it out so that it slopes up in height farther back in the tank. It will give an illusion of depth. Take your heater, and hang it, or suction it to the wall where you want it. You can move it later, we're just checking it out. Click here for more about heaters. Next, get your filter and put it in, or hang it on the back. Click here for more about filters.

If you have a submersible heater, lay it parallel to the gravel and find a decoration that can sit a few inches in front of it, hiding it from normal view. You want water to be able to flow freely around the heater, but hide it from the viewer. You lay it parallel so that the heat rising from the bottom isn't convincing the thermostat that it needs to turn off. The filter pieces need the same cover, also with water flow around them. It is also good if the filter output agitates the water near the heater, so that heat is evenly distributed.

Put the rest of your decorations, wood or rocks where you think you want them then start filling the tank with lukewarm dechlorinated tap water. You want the water to be lukewarm so that you don't get condensation on the exterior of the tank. Use a dish or a hand to to distribute the water flow to keep from digging holes in the gravel. When the tank is about half full you can add plants, live or plastic. For live plants dig holes larger than their roots, and place them there gently.

Finish filling the tank, and plug in the filter and heater, following their directions. Put the canopy or cover on, with the lights and plug them in. Sit back and look at your tank.

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