Gravel comes in a variety of colors which can really enhance the beauty of your tank. Although all of my tanks use the most natural colors possible and in my Angelfish/Discus tank I used sand as this simulated the most natural environment to these fish. You can buy plain colored gravel in either light or dark tones. The color of gravel you choose can bring out the color in your fish as well. The color is really up to your own personal taste.

The gravel can be purchased in very small up to large bags at your local pet/aquarium store. You save money by purchasing larger quantity bags. The gravel comes in different sizes as well. For the most part I have small gravel in my tanks as it seems to work the best. The gravel is not inexpensive so you may not want to opt for the color gravel which is the most expensive. One other alternative that we had was to go to a company here locally that sells sand, gravel, rock, sawdust, etc. They sold us 5 gallon buckets of pea gravel for 50 cents a bucket. You can use this as the bottom layer of gravel in the tanks and then put the colored gravel on top of that. Through cleaning it all gets mixed up, but it still looks very nice since there is more colored gravel than regular gravel.

The amount of gravel you should put in your tank will vary according to the size of tank that you have. 5-15 gallon tanks should have 1 inch of gravel. 20-40 gallon tanks should have 2 inches of gravel. 50-75 gallon tanks should have 2 1/2 inches of gravel. 80-120 gallon tanks need 3 inches of gravel and anything larger needs around 3 1/2-4 inches of gravel. In the beginning we tried to save money and put just a small layer of gravel down. Bad mistake. The UGF was not able to work properly. Once we added more gravel to the tanks it was greatly improved.  Now I tend to use much more that the recommended amount when setting up new tanks.  Sometimes as much as double the amount.  If you have a planted tank the more bottom strata the better.

Before putting your gravel in your tank you need to wash it thoroughly. We use a strainer. We pour the gravel in the strainer, place it under the faucet, stir it around for a few minutes and then put it in the tank. You can also put it in a bucket and do the same thing. No matter how long we wash the gravel though it seems that there is still some residual dust/dirt that never quite gets washed away. But for the most part it is clean. In about a day the tank filter should finish the cleaning process for you. 

When placing gravel in your tank the front of the tank should have less gravel than the back. This aids in the waste matter collecting in the front of the tank for easier cleaning. Some fish, however, do not like this. They much prefer to decorate their tank in the way they want it. In my 45 gallon tank my fish kept constantly moving the gravel and piling it up where they wanted it. The same with their plants. I happened to like the way I had my plants arranged and thus, every morning I would get up and put the gravel and plants back where I wanted them. The next morning I would get up just to find the tank back the way they wanted it. After about 2 weeks of this I just gave up in frustration. I let them have their home the way they wanted it.

Buy ONLY aquarium decorations. Do not buy ordinary every day ceramic figurines that you can buy in any store. This can be very dangerous. There are certain chemicals in the paint used on them, such as lead, that can kill your fish instantly. Aquarium decorations can be more expensive, but better than losing an entire tank of fish. The simple ones, though, are pretty cheap whereas the elaborate larger ones run into a lot of money.

Many fish like to get inside of things and hang out. Here again I prefer to decorate my tanks with more natural plants, driftwood and rocks.  If these are arranged correctly the fish can have little nooks and crannies to hide in and call home.  Some of my fish love to get in these and kind of hang out. Some fish get very protective of their "homes" and won't let other fish get near them. The decorations can be great places for a fish to run and hide if they happen to be getting chased by other fish. You may prefer to use the castles and other commercial decorations, that's up to you.  Whatever you choose, you should have something for them to hid in as this reduces stress.  I have found that the #1 killer of fish is stress.  Even if stress doesn't kill then outright, it can weaken them and leave them susceptible to disease.

Decorations can also add to the beauty of your tank. They come in all colors so you can color coordinated your tank if that's your style. There are even some that you can hook an air tube to and water bubbles come out of them. Some have animated things that move with the air flow from the air tube. These are a little costly, but are entertaining. I would recommend having something with the air tube in it as this helps to aerate the tank.  In some of my tanks I simply use a large rock and have the air tube buried in the sand behind it.

I personally favor live plants as the fish love them and they help to keep the tank healthy for the fish. There are several problems with live plants though. The fish sometimes eat them and where this is healthy for the fish it can mean constantly replacing the plants. I will admit I seem to be buying plants all the time! Another problem with live plants is if you have to medicate the tank for any reason, often times it kills the plants. In most of my tanks I use a mixture of live and plastic plants. This seems to work well. Although in my Angelfish/Discus tank I only use live plants. This is again to simulate the natural environment the fish are use to. Most of these fish are wild caught rather than domestic breed strains so the more natural decorating seems to make them happy and keep the stress down. A good design for the beginner might be to decorate the back of the tank with plastic plants and put a few live ones towards the front. Also I have seen silk plants that are made just for fish tanks. These look more lifelike than the plastic ones. The benefit of plastic or silk plants is that when you notice algae forming on them that is not being eaten by your algae eaters you can pull them out and throw them in the dishwasher. They come out bright as new. I would recommend hand washing for the silk ones though. I want to stress here that if you choose silk plants, please only buy the ones you find in the fish store that are made for fish thanks. Never use any other decorations as these have colors and chemicals on and in them that will kill your fish.

I only use driftwood in my Angelfish/Discus tank as the tannins that will leek out in the beginning will color the water slightly. It will look like very light tea. This is best for these fish since they like slightly murky water, but I prefer clear water in my other tanks. If you do decide to use driftwood it should only be purchased from your aquarium store. Ask first to be sure that it has been properly cured before placing it in your tank. If you want to use driftwood in a tank and don't want the water to discolor just soak it in a bucket or tub for a few days prior to placing it in the tank. I recommend this anyway to cleanse the driftwood. Also be aware that driftwood is a collector of algae which does not keep it looking pretty very long. It will need to be cleaned occasionally.

Drawbacks to driftwood are:
The wood may change the pH which can be bad for your fish if they can not live in that pH. Driftwood can also put acids into the water (much like peat moss), possibly softening it and lowering its pH. Again, this can be harmful to your fish. After placing the driftwood in the tank monitor the pH for several days.

Note:  I was having trouble keeping the pH at the right level in my Angel/Discus tank and the man at my fish store recommended I add driftwood.  It worked.  The pH was at the right level in a day and stayed there the whole time.  So sometimes driftwood is right and sometimes it will work against you!  Try it, but monitor the results closly.

Most all fish stores carry a variety of backings to put on your tank. They range from natural looking backings to the more elaborate foil shiney backings that come in a large variety of colors.

The foil backings are more costly. Here, in Florida, they cost around $4.99 a foot. My 150 gallon tank is 6' long so you can see how much that type of backing would cost. The natural looking backings are around $1.59 a foot, a much more reasonable price indeed. Again, this is a matter of preference and budget.

A friend of ours used the colored aluminum foil that you find in grocery stores to make their backing. It turned out really nice and you couldn't really tell the difference. Another friend used the foil Christmas wrap to cover his tank. His looked equally as good. These types of materials are far less expensive than backing designed for aquarium usage.

When putting the backing on tape it all around. When we first started out we only taped it here and there. After a while the backing started to draw away from the tank and it looked pretty bad. Since then we have moved the tanks around so much that we ended up replacing most of the backing on our tanks. We have taped all edges completely and it looks much nicer.

We have one tank (150gl saltwater) tank as a room divider so we left off any backing and since you can see through the tank from both rooms (family room and sitting room off the kitchen) it really looks nice.  All the rock is piled up at one end and tapers out to about 3/4 of the tank.  The fish love the hiding places this creates as well as the free swimming area.

An essential part of any fish hobbyist is a thermometer. A thermometer should be kept in your tank at all times so that you can monitor the water temperature. The other time you will use your thermometer is when you are refilling the tank after a water change. It is important that you put the water back into the tank at the same temperature as the tank is currently at. Thermometers are very cheap. They cost around $1.59 at most stores.

There are three types of thermometers on the market. One is a strip type thermometer that sticks to the outside of your tank. These have worked fine for me.

The second type has a lip on it and hangs on the side of the tank in the water. These are pretty good and accurate. I don't care for them too much because they are constantly getting bumped and fall into the tank. It's a pain to have to fish them out of the tank. I do own one that I use to check my water temperature before adding it to the tank after cleaning the tank. They are real handy for hanging on the side of a bucket to check the temperature.

The third type goes right inside your tank. There is a suction cup attached to it that allows you to stick it on your tank anywhere you want. This is the type I use and the type I prefer. The suction cup wears out after a couple of years or so, but since they are so inexpensive it really doesn't matter much. Most of my tanks has one of this type in it.

GRAVEL CLEANERS/WATER CHANGERS: There are many types of water changing hoses at the fish stores. They basically work by siphoning the water out of your tank. There is a gravel cleaner on the end that is connected a to the end of the siphon hose. When the tube is pushed into the gravel, the water flow stirs up the gravel. The gravel is not sucked up and out the tube, instead the dirt, waste matter, feces, etc is siphoned out. These are fairly inexpensive, but a must. NOTE: The water that you take out of your tank makes excellent fertilizer for your flower or vegetable garden because it contains nitrates.

There is another product on the market for cleaning tanks called the "Python". It comes in hose lengths ranging from 25' to 100'. This is an excellent product as far as filling is concerned, especially if you have a large tank. However, for removing the water, personally I feel it leaves plenty to be desired.

The Python works in very much the same manner as your regular gravel cleaners. It siphons the water out of your tank. However, how it does it is completely different. You attach one end of the hose to your faucet and the other end goes inside of your tank. In order for the siphon to work you have to turn on your water full force and let it run down the drain. The water running out of your faucets begins the siphoning process. Needless to say, you waste a lot of water this way. If you are on a well system this would not be costly at all. However, if you are on city water and have to pay for your water it can add up real fast as gallons and gallons of water go down the drain. In addition, the power behind the siphoning is not much. Your tank does not get as clean as when you use the standard gravel cleaning systems.

SPONGES/GLASS CLEANERS: For cleaning the inside of the tank use a sponge that is specifically designed for aquariums. They will not scratch the surface. Most aquarium cleaning sponges come with a sponge side and a scouring pad side. The scouring pad side can be used to clean any algae buildup in your tank, whereas the sponge side will clean the water spots off your tank. These can be used to clean the outside of your tank as well.

I suggest buying and using only sponges designed specifically for aquarium use. Commercial home scouring pads will scratch your tank. The commercial home sponges will break apart and leave little bits and traces of sponge in your tank which can be very harmful to your fish, possibly even killing them. The aquarium sponges are very reasonably priced and last a long time.

NEVER put soap or any other cleaning solution on your sponge. Never use a sponge that has been used to clean anything else. Soap residue will KILL your fish quicker than anything. No matter how hard or how long you rinse your sponge, there will always be traces left in there. So ALWAYS buy a new sponge and never use an old one.

There is also a Magnet Cleaner. I never had experience with one of these until we got one with the 150 gallon tank we bought. I truly couldn't see how such a thing could work very well. I was VERY surprised at how easy and well it worked.

One half of it is a magnet. This goes on the outside of the tank. The other half is a scraping block that goes on the inside of the tank. Moving the outside magnet moves the scraping block thus cleaning and removing algae without having to put your hands and arm in the tank. When you are done cleaning you rinse the scouring part off, put the 2 halves back together and it is ready for the next time.

One word of caution though... the magnet is very powerful so be very careful that you don't let it snap together or it can break the glass of your tank.

TUBE CLEANING BRUSHES: There are many different tube cleaning aquarium brushes on the market. I will say though that they don't hold up very well. One of the best tube cleaners is a plain ordinary household toothbrush. They work great for removing the algae from the insides of your plastic tubes. They are stiff, last a long time and most importantly cheap. Another thing that I use is household cleaning brushes or baby bottle brushes. These are also very stiff and last a long time. You can find many different sizes at the store. I have a wide assortment of them and just love them.

BUCKET: You will need a bucket for adding and removing water from your tank. Use the biggest bucket you can handle. This can save you a lot of trips to and from the sink. Use this bucket ONLY for your aquarium and don't ever put any soap or other type of cleaning solution in it. AGAIN: Soap residue will KILL your fish quicker than anything. No matter how hard or how long you rinse your bucket, there will always be traces left in there. Plastic gets little nicks and scratches in it the the soap can stay in. So buy a new bucket from the store and never use an old one that you perhaps used to wash your car with.

CLEANING SOLUTIONS: Once again I stress not to use any types of household cleaners in your tank. One of the best cleaners you can use is salt. Plain old ordinary NON-IODIZED salt. (Use Non-Iodized salt as Iodine will kill your fish.) This acts as an abrasive, much like Comet Cleanser does and it will not hurt your fish. The only time, however, that you would need to use a cleaner would be when you first set up a tank, especially if it is used and the prior person did not clean it out or if you were sterilizing your tank.

NETS: You will need at least one fish net. I prefer having more than one. Catching fish is so much easier if you use one net to chase fish into the other to actually catch it. Nets come in several sizes. I use only large nets.  They are less harmeful to the fish than being caught in a small net.  Also it is much easier to catch a fish in your tank with a larger net. Never take a fish out of the bag with a net. 

MEASURING SPOONS: These are an essential part if you have an aquarium. The chemicals that you need to put in your tank are measured in 1/2 teaspoons, teaspoons and tablespoons. AGAIN: Make sure they are new and only used for your aquarium to avoid harmful residues.

I know that I keep going on and on about using supplies that are new and only used for your aquarium. I do this because one of the most common causes of fish death is soap residues in the aquarium. Most new fish hobbyists don't buy new products and instead use the things they have around the house. Thus, introducing the harmful chemicals into the tank. So, I hope that you will bear with my constant reminder of using new equipment throughout all my pages. ;)

TOWEL: Ok, I know you are probably going to laugh at a towel as being part of your equipment, but it is necessary. There is nothing like sticking your hand and arm in the tank and pulling it out all dripping wet and having nothing to dry it on. It sure is handy to have a towel hanging on a holder right next to your tank. That way if you have to put your hand in the tank, you have one there right at your finger tips to dry off. It's also great to have for the water splashes that occur when adding new fish or water to your tank. It's great for cleaning the glass right up.

In the next section I will address the additives that you should put in your tank,

cleaning of your tank, test kits, the natural biological cycle your tank has to go through,

and adding fish to your tank.

Please feel free to drop me a line if you have any additional questions or

would like to have anything explained further that I may have not made too clear.