Setup

Here are the steps to setting up your own fish tank.  Read it all before starting.

Step 1.   Go to your local aquarium store.  And see if you can pick up a nice kit.  Kits contain a tank, filter, heater and air
             pump (depending on the filter stile).  My local store is "Big Al's" www.bigalsonline.com

Step 2.  Setup your tank by following the instructions that have come with your Kit.  Don't put any plants in the tanks yet.
            Fill the tank with water about half way,  Now put in your plants and fill the rest of the tank.  NOTE! be sure to
            rinse everything well before adding it to the tank.  You also want to add Bacteria starter and slime coat/water softener
            to the water.  You can get that at the aquarium store.

Step 3.  Now that your tank is full Plug everything in making sure to leave a loop in the wires for the water to drip.  That
            Loop is so the water doesn't drip in the receptacle.  Make sure if you have to prime any pumps or Bio wheels that
            you do so.  Also you should get your water to about 78 this will take a couple days to get just right  NOTE! before
            you can add any fish you have to let your tank run for a minimum of 7 days.

            You may notice your tank get cloudy before the 7 days is up.  Normaly people will tell you that's amognia.  But
            Seeing as you have no fish in the water that's almost imposible.  This will occure mostly with undergravel filters.
            This is caused by bacteria suspended in the water.  I recomend getting a powerhead and connecting it to the filter.
            That did it for me.  And the powerhead is good for circulation, filtration and the fish love it.

Step 4.  Now you may or may not want to check the PH of the water.  I didn't do it. :)  The aquarium stor people knew the PH
            of the water in the city where I live.  If the PH checks out then you are ready to add some fish.

Step 5.  Ok so now you have gone to the Aquarium store and spoke to the clerks and determined what kind of fish you want
            in your tank.  Don't forget you need some chemicals in your tank.  I recommend a Bacteria starter and slime coat for
            your fish.  I recommend only adding 3 or 4 fish the first time around.  So now you have them home and you want to add
            them to the tank.

    Step 5a.    Start by placing the bag of fish in the water, so that they are floating.  Leave them there for 15 minutes.
    Step 5b.    Now open the bag and add some of your aquarium water to the bag and let the bag float there for another
                    15 minutes.
    Step 5c.    Ok so now gently tilt the bag and let the fish swim out.  NOTE! Here's where you add some of that slime
                    coat/water softener to the water.  Read the container for the proper amount.

Step 6.  Now that your fish are in the tank you may be wondering how much to feed them.  You feed them twice a day.
            You may also be wondering what kind of food to feed them.    Most fish eat flakes and frozen blood worms.
            For the flakes be sure to buy them a high quality food "allot of flakes have lots of filers that you don't want"
            I feed the fish blood worms and flakes in the morning and only flakes at night.  NOTE!  You don't really want
            to only feed your fish flakes but you can.  It would be like eating ham sandwiches all the time day in and day out.
 

Maintenance

So now you've had your tank setup for about a month and you remember someone telling you that you have to change the
water.  Well that's partialy right.  You should only change at the most 1/4 of the water at one time.  The best way to do
this, is to use gravel cleaner and to simply dispose of the water that is sucked out by the cleaner, then replace the missing
water with fresh water.  When changing the water you want to add some more bacteria starter and water softener.

At this point you should also replace the carbon in your tank.  The carbon is the black stuf in the "3 stage filter"  or at the top
of the tubes of an undergravel filter.

Once a year with an undergravel filter you have to take the whole thing appart and clean the tank.  There will be an
accumuation of black stuff at the bottom "under the filter"

That's about all you have to do to your tank.  It's verry easy.
 
 

Components

Here are some the components that I have in my fish tank.
right click on an image and click on view image to see it biger.

In my tank I have an undergravel filter.

I have a RENA air pump.  It's sooooooooo quiet.  It's the best pump I could find.  It helps to keep the
                              water airated.

I have a 301 Powerhead with mecanical filter by "AcuaClear" (Takes chuncks out of water and draws
                              water through the undergravel filter.

I have a Bio-Wheel by "Penguin"  It helps with bacterial filtration.  (Makes good bacteria that eat the amognia)

              I have a heater in my tank.  It keeps the temp to a level the fish can live in.