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Buying Your First Aquarium, What To Look For

By: Kathy Strander

If you are interested in buying an aquarium and keeping several varieties of fish as pets, there are several things you should know before you start looking. Some factors to keep in mind are type of fish, number of fish, and what type of decor would you like. Buying an aquarium can end up costing a great deal of money but if you shop smart you can get a nice aquarium for a good price.

If this is your first aquarium you may be thinking that you should start off with a small tank and just a couple of fish. However, this may not be the way to go. When you are setting up an aquarium you are essentially trying to setup a mini ecosystem with the proper pH balance and even living plant life. The smaller the tank the harder this is to accomplish. Twenty gallons is a good size to start with. This may seem like a lot but you certainly don't want your fish to be cramped.

When choosing the fish it will have to be decided whether you want salt or fresh water fish. The tropical fish are fresh water fish. They both cannot be kept together. You can start with a few fish, say four or five. You can always increase the number when you desire.

It is essential to understand the compatibility of the fish with each other. Some fish do not get along with others and eat the smaller fish. Take the advice of the employee at the pet store or you can look for this information on the Internet.

The next step is determining what you would like to go into the tank for decorations. Anything from the pet store is fine; it's really up to your own taste. However, you should never put anything you have found at the beach into the aquarium, especially gravel. The gravel you buy at a pet store is not the same gravel you find at the beach or in nature. You can jeopardize the integrity of your aquarium's balance by adding objects which haven't been treated for an aquarium.

Now that you have your fish and your aquarium all setup its time to add the water. The most important thing to know when adding water is you must treat tap water before adding it to your aquarium. This is because chlorine is added to most drinking water and this is very harmful to fish and plants. You must use a chlorine remover before adding it to your aquarium and your fish.

Maintaining the correct water temperature is another important consideration for your aquarium. It needs to be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so be sure to purchase a thermometer. If the temperature isn't just right, your fish could die.

The next thing to be considered is the food for the fish. Most fish are not fussy about the food they are given, fish flakes and pellets are both fine with the fish. Recommendation for any special food can be ascertained from the pet store.

Establishing and maintaining an aquarium can bring you special rewards. Too many people think you just buy a tank, add some water, and toss in a few goldfish. A true aquarium is much more than that, so enjoy your new project.

Article Source: Main Articles

Kathy Strander runs a very interesting website at Rock Aquarium, visit there today for the latest Aquarium advice, and while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. For more quality articles on Aquarium why not visit: www.rockaquarium.com/articles
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