First get a decent size tank 20imp gallons or more any less is just not worth it.
Look at Exchange and MartorLoot For some bargains.If it`s second hand
clean with hot water and salt,don't use any kind of detergent it kills fish. It`s a good idea to do this with new tanks as well.Right you have your tank as I said before 20gal or more,you can pick
up a 3ft or 4ft tank with filter`s and hood and light for anything from £70to£100.Make or buy a good stand and place it so no direct sunlight will fall on the tank.Place your gravel in
the tank,the best size of gravel is 3mm.Put about 2ins to 3ins in and slope it from back to front.Now arrange your decorations,stone,wood,plastic plants ect.Get all your decorations from pet shops
not from the local pond and start off with plastic plants as there isn't enough plant food in a new tank.
OK you have your tank set up on its stand all the gravel and decorations are in, next you need to put your filters and heater in.I have found it better to have two small internal power filters instead of one large one.The water flow is better and if one pack`s up you still have one to keep filtration going until you can fix or replace the other.There are other types of filters,under gravel,outside canister,wet∓dry, but these can get a bit expensive apart from the UG and are not really needed for basic tropical fish keeping. Always over filter,in other words if you have a 30gal tank make sure your filters will be able to handle 50gals between them.There are any number of makes of filters but three I have found to be good and reliable are,Rena,Eheim and Fluval.I dont recommend UG filters all the sludge gets sucked under them and they are a pain to clean
Get yourself a good quality heater,you dont want it sticking in either on or off witch some of the cheaper models can,and if you dont notice it`s goodbye to your fish.Get the fully submersible type about 100 watt rating is OK for a 30gal tank,the bigger the tank the more powerful the heater needs to be.Set the Heater to 78f 26c and place it at the back on the bottom of the tank.You can hide it with plants and decorations
Ok you have got this far the rest is easy.Fill your tank the easiest way for you,a good tip is to put a plate in the tank and pour the water on to it so your gravel is not disturbed. When your tank is full plug the filters heater and light in and switch them on. If you are no good with electrics get someone who is to do this
Right the tank`s full the heaters on the filters working, clean up and leave every thing alone and running for two week`s.Two weeks yawn, I know it seems a long time but it`s
essential if you want your fish to survive it gives the bacteria your tank and filters need time to establish themselves. After the two weeks are up you can add
some fish. It's up to you what you buy but add the fish two or three at a time over a few week's. It's a good idea to get some advice about the type of fish you buy
some of them just do not get on and don't put to many fish in. Clean the tank every two or three weeks.Just a few tips on cleaning
1 Clean the inside of the glass with a soft cloth.
2 Stir up the gravel with your finger.
3 Empty some of the water from the tank into a clean bucket.
4 Take out the filter's and clean them in the tank water in the bucket.
5 Replace the filters.
6 Empty 50% of the water from the tank.
7 Before you replace the water make sure it is at the correct temperature.
8 Also before you replace the water add some Tetra Aquasafe to get rid of the chlorine.
Thats about it it's that easy. You can get much more detailed advice from the site linked below, but if you stick to the basic rules above you should have very little trouble. Good Luck.
Click here for the best advice on every thing. . Why you need Filtration Sometimes we forget that fish kept in an aquarium are confined to a very small quantity of water as compared to their natural habitats in the wild. In the wild, fish wastes are instantly diluted by river flow and rain. But in an aquarium, waste products can quickly build up to toxic levels. These waste products include ammonia released from your fishes' gills, fish crap, and scraps of uneaten food. The food and the crap will also eventually decay, releasing ammonia. Even small amounts of ammonia will kill your fish.
Obviously, the more fish the more sources of fish waste, the quicker and greater the ammonia problem. A small heavily-fed tank with lots of large fish will have much more ammonia than a large tank 20 gal or more with about 15 fish. But for both these cases you need some form of aquarium filtration to control the toxic ammonia.
Some aquarists try to control ammonia levels exclusively by changing the water. This is stupid because of the frequency and size of the water changes required 50% every day.It will also stress the fish to death. Fortunately, there is an easier way! In fact, the world is full of bacteria that want nothing more than to consume the ammonia and convert it into less toxic substances. For many an aquarist, this process occurs without their knowledge or help. Just leave a new tank alone for two week's and the bacteria start to grow all on there own. However, the smart aquarist will learn how to take advantage of this beneficial bacteria by maximizing its growth.When you start a new fish tank, colonies of beneficial bacteria have not yet had the chance to grow. For a period of several weeks this is hazardous to fish. You must gradually build up the source of ammonia (i.e., start with only one or two small fish) to allow time for the beneficial bacteria to grow. This is called ``cycling'' your tank. Read more about this in the BEGINNER FAQ Remember that the bacteria break down the ammonia into substances (first nitrite, then eventually nitrate) that are merely less toxic, rather than non-toxic. Many fish can tolerate reasonably high levels of nitrates, but over time the nitrates will accumulate until they, too, become toxic. Also, because nitrate is a fertilizer, high nitrate levels can lead to excess algae growth.
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