Being a first time fish owner can be a little stressful at first, because fish are unlike any other pet you could own. They are completely dependent on you, even more than a dog or cat would be. There are so many things that can affect your fish: stress, fungal infections, bacteria infections, etc. Knowing how to care for your fish from day one is important; granted there are things that you learn with time, but you need to research things thoroughly before buying a tank and fish.

When I got my first fish tank I could not keep any fish alive for more than a week. It took me a long time to figure out what I was doing wrong and correct it, but now I have had the same fish for about two years. In fact, most of the fish that I currently have, I have had since they were born about a year and a half ago.

One of the first things that you should do before setting up your tank is to decide on how much room you are willing to donate to a fish tank. Fish tanks need to placed in an area where there is no draft or direct sun. Most people start out with ten gallon fish tanks, which is a good size to begin with. Remember the bigger the tank the more you will have to clean. It is recommended that you only have one fish per gallon of water; so if you have a ten gallon tank then you should only have about ten fish. Another important note is that a gallon of water weighs approximately eight pounds; so a ten gallon fish tank will have 80 pounds of water plus the weight of the gravel, ornaments, water filter, and heater. You need to make sure that wherever you plan to put your tank it can sustain the weight of the tank.

You can purchase fish tanks at most pet stores and often times they will have starter kits that you can buy. If you don’t want to pay that much for a fish tank you can always go to flee markets, craigslist, newspaper, or other such places and pick one up for a lot cheaper. One thing to keep in mind if you are going to purchase a used tank is that you need to make sure that there are no visible scratches in the glass and the sealant is intact. If the tank comes with a hood and light that would great, but you can always purchase them at a pet store.

Once you have acquired a fish tank you are going to need the following:

• Gravel- one pound of gravel per gallon of water
• A water heater- make sure that you get one that accommodates the size of your tank
• A water filter- again get one that will support your tank size; I personally use a Whisper in my tank, because they are the quiet
• Plants and decorations- only use ones that are specifically for fish tanks, because others could be harmful to the fish
• Water conditioner
• pH 7.0
• Stress Zyme- fish have a tendency to stress out, which can kill them; so I recommend using this to help prevent them from stressing out

Now that you have gotten everything that you need to set up your tank you need to actually set it up. You should rinse off the gravel and then put it in your fish tank first. Then you can add the water filter, heater, and decorations. You can then fill up your tank with water; don’t turn on the water filter until after you have put the chemicals into the water and the pH has dissolved. You will need to let your fish tank acclimate for about twenty-four hours before you put any fish into your new tank. Once you have researched and have decided on the compatible fish you wish to put in your tank you can buy the fish. Once you have the fish you need to place the bag that they came in directly into the tank and let them float there for about 15 minutes; then you can let them into the tank. It is recommended that you only buy a few fish at a time; so that your fish don’t get stressed out. Now that you have successfully set up your tank enjoy the new addition to your household.