It is important to know about the general setup of aquarium in our homes. There are typically two types of aquarium:
Tropical
It has high fish-stocking density and high variety of species
Cold water
Low fish-stocking density and low-variety of species.
Start-up equipments for tanks include hood, aquarium tank, water conditioners, substrate, filters, test kits, stand, heater for tropical fishes, thermometer and proper decoration.
With our very first aquarium, we should choose proper tank. There are many types of tanks available in the market, but tanks with rectangular shape are typically the one preferred generally. Rectangular tanks have a large surface area for gas exchange and they could be up to 3 times as spacious as tanks with other shapes. The bigger the aquarium the better and smaller aquariums could become cramped rather easily. Larger tanks can hold more fishes, while providing appropriate support and sustainment. Larger aquarium could also provide a more stable water condition than smaller models.
Hood of our aquarium is typically used as a place to accommodate lighting, unless we prefer an open design. Aquarium with hoods, typically don’t get dirty as easily and the rate of water evaporation is also lower. In some cases, fishes could jump out if the tank is not covered with a hood.
Filter is an important life support component in any aquarium and it is important to maintain the well-being of our fishes. Aquariums require filtered water to keep pollutants away. Build ups accumulations can be harmful for the health of our fishes. Unless we have the time to change the water every 3 or 4 days, we should add filters in our tanks. Fishes could get poisoned by waste that they produce each day. There are three types of filters:
Mechanical
Wastes will be passed into a mechanical filter to trap waste and unwanted particles. The actual filter could fine wool or sponge, which are readily available and affordable. Mechanical filters must be cleaned regularly or they will become a source of dangerous microorganism.
Biological
It is simply a specialized area to let micro-organisms to thrive, instead on other areas of the tanks.
Chemical
Pollutants, traces of metals and harmful chemicals will be absorbed by special granules and resins. We need to replace and discard the media, once chemical filters become saturated. As an example, aquarium-grade carbons should be able to remove odors, chorine and dyes from inside the tank.
Substrate is any material placed at the bottom of the tank. Gravels and sand are common substrates used in aquarium, because they are also available in most bodies of water. It is important to choose inert substrate that don’t leach or dissolve additional elements to the water. Improper substrate could also change the pH level of the water, which affects the health of fish.
Depending on the weather and our location, we may need to install heater, especially if we have tropical fishes inside our tank. These fishes need to live in a temperature between 24 and 30°C.