by Frank Mamone

How ever carefully you add the fish to your tank they will look very unhappy for a while. Turn the lights out, and leave them over night to get used to their new home. A feed with fish flakes the next day will make the fish feel at home.

If you already have an established tank, it is advisable to quarantine new fish before adding them to an existing populated one. The cheapest way to do this is to purchase a plastic tank which will need to have gravel or plants. This can be used solely for quarantine and as a hospital tank. Leave the fish in this tank for about three days during which any disease harbored by the fish would be evident for which it can be treated using available chemicals from your dealer. The fish can then be introduced into the tank in the same way as before.

When you add new fish to an established community there will probably be a certain amount of harassment of the new arrivals by the original fish. Try to divert their attention by giving them a good feed when the fish are introduced.

by Frank Mamone

Furnishing your aquarium is another important process in the aquarium set up after getting the tank. You will need to put in components that will make it look more beautiful and attractive. How you do this will now depend largely on the type of fish that you intend to keep.

Aquarium gravel: Gravel is essential to your aquarium, most especially if you are using natural plants. It will help in holding plant roots and provide the foundation for the biological and under gravel filtration. Since gravel comes in different sizes and colors, the advised size is 4 to 6 millimeters. This size provides flow for an undergravel filter and the most popular is quartzite or granite.

Rocks: Adding rocks is very important to your aquarium as it provides an isolated home for territorial fish. Adding rocks can upset your aquarium ecosystem, thus it’s advisable that you take measures to prevent this. Also since you may not know how safe rock you want to add are, it’s very important that you clean them up to remove contaminants.

Bogwood: This is another essential factor that adds to the beauty of the aquarium and it can last a long time. Not only that, aquarium fish need shelter and bogwood provides this. When adding bogwood makes sure that it is well cleaned and it’s not infected. To be sure that its infection free take it through process of poly-vanish.

Plants: Plants also add to the beauty of your aquarium. There are two types of plants - plastic plants and live (natural) plants. It’s very easy to use plastic plants because they need little or no maintenance. You just clean them up with water and soap.. On the other hand live plants help in the biological processes of the aquarium, keeping your tank clean and healthy.