Q&A for How to Set Up a Freshwater Aquarium

When cared for properly, aquarium fish can live full and fulfilling lives. Fish in captivity benefit from routine feedings, clean environments, medical care, and safety from predators. Without the constant stress caused by fear of predation, parasites, lack of food, and harsh weather, captive animals frequently live longer than their wild counterparts. Fish are no exception. Furthermore, many ornamental fish have become domesticated, leaving them unable to survive in the wild. Therefore, an aquarium is not a prison for a pet fish, but rather a safer facsimile of their native environment. In a well-maintained tank, you can see fish freely engaging in a wide range of natural behaviors with little stress.

Two weeks is recommended, but if you treat with dechlorinators, and your nitrate/nitrite levels spike and balance, it may be shorter.

When you buy your fish, the associate will give you care directions like which foods your fish prefers. Most freshwater fish can eat dry or frozen foods labeled for freshwater fish. Some are planteaters and some are carnivores (usually aggressive and semi aggressive). Most community fish are omnivores. Don't give your freshwater fish "marine" frozen foods because they may contain saltwater. baby fish need special food because their mouths are so tiny, but adult fish can eat most anything.

Yes, of course! Letting the water stand allows chlorine to evaporate. It's recommended to treat the water and cycle your tank for a couple more weeks before adding fish. You can do a water test for pH and nitrites/nitrates to see if it's ready for fish.

Yes, both treatments are necessary to remove chemicals that might harm the fish, such as chlorine, chloramine, ammonia, and nitrates.

Filters come in a huge range of shapes and sizes, and this will normally come down to a case-by-case basis. However, typically external filters are larger than internal filters of the same litre capacity. While there is a limit to the bigger is better in aquariums (a tank can only sustain a certain amount of bacteria with the waste fish produce), internal filters tend to be so small you are more prone to having problems with ammonia, due to an inadequate amount of bio-media.

Add them gradually, say two a week to let the water quality adjust to the population. Some surface fish spend time in the middle and bottom. Danios are going to be mostly at the top for sure. Tetras might enjoy the rest of your tank. I think you can do it in a 40 gallon. Watch them for signs of stress (faded colors, rapid breathing, clear stool). Sounds like a fun bunch!

Oscars are very large fish, two fully grown Oscars will outgrow even a 200 litre tank (a 4 foot aquarium). Sixty litres of water would be too small for these Oscars. Ideally you should buy a tank that is the right size for your fully grown fish, it works out cheaper in the long run as you don't need to buy multiple tanks as you upsize, and it is kinder to the fish (less stress from changing from tank to tank, they are never in a tank that becomes small for them, and while they are younger they'll love the extra space). Oscars are fantastic fish, but if you plan on looking after them, you should defiantly put in a good amount of research before setting up for them.

An air pump is not required, but it may be helpful for a number of reasons. There is a gas exchange that refreshes oxygen in the tank without the need for a pump, but for heavily stocked tanks, having an air pump can help. Another area where an air pump can be helpful is with cold water fish in warm weather. Warmer water has two main effects: warmer water holds less oxygen, and the metabolism of fish increases in warmer water, resulting in higher oxygen consumption. Adding an air pump can ensure that this does not result in problems.

Yes. No matter the size of the tank, it will need to be cycled before adding fish.

There could be several things going on, ranging from an algal bloom to contaminated water. Perform partial water changes every day without adding more bacteria and see if that clears up the problem. Make sure that the bacterial supplement is not expired. Testing the water chemistry frequently might help you to figure out what's wrong, but be wary of adding more chemicals to a tank like this, as it may exacerbate the problem. When there are no fish, it's safe to just start over completely. Also, check to make sure the water is the proper temperature; if it's too cold, it could be facilitating fungal growth.

Stress Zyme and Stress Coat are useless if not used by a fish immediately. A normal water change should help it.

No, you can't, as you need to put a filter in it (which is nearly impossible for fish bowls) and provide aeration (which a fish bowl cannot provide well). It does not have sufficient room for any fish, confuses any fish in a bowl, and just feels claustrophobic to the fish no matter how large it is.

Yes, it can, but it may take a while. Have a test kit to make sure the rainwater has the correct parameters. While this is easily possible, it's more efficient to use treated tap water, as you'll be performing weekly water changes.

No.

The filter should be on at all times, as it holds the ammonia-eating bacteria, the most important part of your aquarium. You should feed the fish only a little; feed only as much that your fish can easily eat in less than 30 seconds.

Saltwater tanks can generally accommodate more colorful fish, but freshwater tanks are advantageous when considering purchase and maintenance costs.

That depends on the kind of fish and the kind of tank. In a 20-gallon tank, start with maybe three to five small schooling fish and add more fish as the weeks progress. For smaller tanks, or if you don't want schooling fish, start with one or two community fish like guppies, mollies, or platys. If you only have a desktop tank, maybe 2 gallons or less, you should only have a single betta. For saltwater tanks, start with corals and a hardy creature like a clownfish.

Depending on the length of the trip, you may need to take different precautions. If you're gone for less than 5 days, the fish should be fine on their own. If you're gone for over 5 days, you should install an automatic feeder or hire someone to feed them for you.

You can use distilled water but it is recommended that you continue using prime and stability while conducting a two-week cycling to allow the tank to stabilize.

Watch your fish to decide if they need more food or not. If you notice your fish going up to the surface and waiting there like they are begging for food, then you may want to try feed them a little more. Most fish will continue to eat even if they are full so if they get extra food they most likely will keep eating it, even if they're full so be careful not to overfeed them.

Immediately unplug your filter and take the fish out. If you catch it early enough, the fish may be relatively unharmed.

If you put water in for only five hours, because you don’t want to wait, you're running a huge risk of killing your fish. The wait time is to make sure the appropriate bacteria has grown and the water is safe for your fish. Nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia need to cycle properly first.

No, as no fish can live in a bowl. You can get a Siamese Fighting Fish in a tank 11"x6"x7", but you cannot have anything in a tank smaller than that.

A single shoal of small fish (4-8) or 1-2 large fish (that reach an adult size over 4") is a good amount to add,

A great and easy way to control algae is to add an algae eater to the tank. Plecos are great for eating the algae in the tank. Just make sure that you still feed them food like algae wafers. They also need at least 10-20 gallons to live in.

I wouldn't recommend this; they could transmit some nasty bacteria to your fish.

It really depends on the type of turtle and the type of fish, so I would do some research on the individual species to find your answers.

You always need to condition the water when putting it into a tank. Other than that, just make sure that it's cycled.

The goldfish would be very happy if you changed that 1 1/2 gallon to a 6 - 9 gallon tank and added some plants. A goldfish will not thrive in a 1 1/2 gallon tank because goldfish grow over 8 inches if given the chance. They will not grow that big in a small tank, so they should have a nice-sized tank.