| Tropical Fish |
| Tropical Fish are a fun and interesting hobby for people of any age. |
| The Basics |
| Here are some tips for setting up a fresh water fish tank. |
| The Fish Tank |
| Tanks come in many different sizes and shapes. Today you will find that most are made of heavy glass with a plactic frame. They range from 10 gallons to 150 gallons. For most a 10 or 20 gallon will do just fine. |
| The Tank Stand |
| A strong tank stand is essential. Water weighs over 8 pounds a gallon. Plus gravel, rocks and ornaments also add to the weight. So a 10 gallon tank can wiegh well over 100 pounds. Strong metal stands are widely available. |
| Undergravel Filter |
| An undergravel filter is vital for keeping your fish healthy. This type of filter is powered by an air pump and sits on the bottom of the tank covered with gravel. Benficial bactera live on the gravel and help to reduce deadly ammonia. Ammonia is caused by fish waste and is reduced by the undergravel filter and water changes. |
| External Box Filter |
| This type of filter basically keeps your water nice and clear. It contains carbon and a filter sponge. It will remove larger debris from the water. It is best to have both and undergravel filter and an external box filter. |
| Air Filter |
| Your air filter will operate the undergravel filter and any air stones or ornamets that you have. They come in a wide range of sizes and are pretty quite although there is always a little humming. |
| First, go to the pet store and buy a book about fish keeping for beginners. Read and understand the information the book contains. This will prevent disaster and save you money in the long run. |
| Links |
| More To Come |
| There is much more to be added to this page in future updates |
| Send In Your Tips and Questions |
| If you know some tips or have a question please post them on my Message Board. Tips, questions and answers will be posted on this page. |
| Number of visitors since December 17, 2000 |
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| Tip #2 |
| Add only a few fish to your new tank. Wait about a month then you can add more. The reason for this is that it takes several weeks for beneficial bacteria to populate the undergravel filter. Add too many fish and you will overwhelm the bacteria and kill your fish. There are some products available that contain benifical bacteria to quicken the process. One is called bio-zyme another is stress-zyme. |
| Tip #1 |
| As a general rule you can add one inch of fish for each gallon of water. In other words you can have 10 one inch fish in a 10 gallon tank or 5 two inch fish. |
| Tip #3 |
| Never put untreated tap water in your tank. Chlorine and other chemicals in pure tap water can kill fish. Use a tap water conditioner to treat water before putting it in your tank. You can also let water sit for 24 hours, this will allow the chemicals to evaporate. Conditioner offers a much faster solution. |
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| Please Remember - NO FISHING ! |
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