Setting Up A New Aquarium

Location of your aquarium
So, you bought your very first fish tank. And you very certainly already decided where to place it. But keep in mind that a fish tank filled with water is much heavier than it seems. So , place it on something strong and stable.
It is also advisable to keep your fish tank away from direct, or even indirect, sunlight. Long hours of sunlight will induce algae, something you do not require in the event you require to keep your aquarium pretty.

Any gravel?
Skip this part in the event you plan to have a simple bare-bottom fish tank. Personally, I feel that gravels make an aquarium looks a lot nicer. Having gravels also helps hide your fishes' wastes.

Before you start pouring your gravels in to your fish tank, cease! Take a bucket, pour your gravels in to it in lieu. Start washing them over and over until the water is decently clear. This is important, as you don't require your fishes to be swimming in chocolate milk.

Preparing your water
Water is the single most important element of an aquarium. It is important to prepare your water before adding any fishes, as most tap water contains chemicals like chlorine and chloramine, which are harmful to fishes. So be definite to receive a bottle of water conditioner from your favourite pet shop that neutralizes both chlorine and chloramine.

In the event you have gravels, be very gentle when pouring water in to your tank, so as not to fire up the gravels. A useful tip is to pour your water onto a floating plate or saucer, so as to divert the force of the falling water. Fill water to your preferred height, and add measured amount of your anti-chlorine-and-chloramine water conditioner.

Setting up your filter
Setup your filter according to your filter's manual. Make definite that it is working properly as intended, as the filter is a very important part of an aquarium. Your filter provides water circulation, and also oxygenates the water, if your type of filter causes water surface disturbance. If your aquarium is heavily loaded with fishes, and your filter fails for even a few hours, it could be deadly.

What is cycling?

"Cycling" is the process where bacterias break down ammonia(NH3) into nitrite(NO2), and from nitrite to nitrate(NO3). Ammonia and nitrite are both very toxic to fishes, and nitrate being the least toxic of the three. Therefore this process is the most important for any aquarium.

The nitrosomonas species of bacteria starts forming when ammonia is present. They form all around our fish tank, the driftwoods, the substrate, and especially inside our filter. Slowly, they will form into a colony large enough to efficiently breakdown ammonia into nitrite. When nitrite in the water has reached a certain level, the Nitrobacter species of bacteria starts forming. Slowly, they will breakdown the nitrite into nitrate. And finally, nitrate in the water can be removed via the most common and cost-effective method, water changes.

In a nutshell: Ammonia > Nitrite > Nitrate