Top Freshwater Aquarium Tips

This is a list of top tips for setting up or maintaining a freshwater aquarium

 * Tip 1 - When choosing a tank try to get the biggest you can afford.
 * Bigger tanks are easier to maintain and require less work due to the large volume of water.


 * Tip 2 - Always use a water conditioner that removes chloramine.
 * Whilst Chlorine is popular with tap water companies, chloramine is rapidly getting used instead by most companies as it's tasteless and remains in the water for weeks instead of days. If your tap water company swaps to chloramine don't expect them to inform you before hand. Your chlorine water conditioner will then become useless and your fish will suffer.


 * Tip 3 - Make sure your tank is level.
 * A level tank means there is less uneven stress on the seams of glass aquariums. You don't want a collapsing aquarium one year later.


 * Tip 4 - Never buy a fish from a shop if there is other dead or diseased fish in the same tank no matter how tempting.
 * Unless you can afford the luxury of a quarantine tank, putting a new seemingly healthy fish into your existing tank is gambling that it won't affect the others.


 * Tip 5 - If your tank is snail free and you want it to remain that way, treat new aquatic plants with a short dip into potassium permanganate.
 * It will kill the eggs.


 * Tip 6 - Never use soap or detergent on tanks or any of your aquarium equipment.
 * Even a small amount kills fish quickly.


 * Tip 7 - When transferring fish from a shop to your tank. Place the unopened bag into the aquarium to allow the water temperature to equalise.
 * This takes about 20 minutes and prevents temperature shock killing the fish when you put it in.


 * Tip 8 - When planning to buy new fish measure the nitrate level in your existing tank first.
 * New fish placed in high nitrate (any level above ~60ppm) water may die from nitrate poisoning. Your existing fish will be acclimatised to the high level. So do a water change first and get it below ~50ppm!


 * Tip 9 - Ensure the table you put your new tank on can't rock side to side.
 * It will eventually cause the table to collapse due to the weight of the water.


 * Tip 10 - Don't spray aerosol deodorants or air fresheners in the same room as an aquarium tank.
 * The droplets will settle on the surface of the water and may introduce dangerous chemicals into the water or prevent oxygen dissolving into the water.