The purpose of this small guide is to be able to start "carefree" an aquarium by avoiding the errors more frequent. It will be necessary to consult then more supplied sites...

I would not too much know how to advise you to make sure that the power socket which you go to use for your aquarium is indeed protected by one differential circuit breaker of 30 mA . It is indispensable! This circuit breaker cuts the current good before the main circuit breaker of 500 mA. A current of 500 mA can kill, especially in a wet environment... Then, it is necessary to disconnect always all plugs before intervening on your aquarium.

"The more the aquarium is big, the more it is easy to maintain it". Indeed, with a big volume of water, the errors are more easily excusable... An aquarium from 96 to 120 liters is a very good compromise. We can come down to 60 liters but it is really the minimum for tropical fishes. As for goldfish, hide fast your squalid jar! A goldfish needs a minimum of 20 liters of water, 40 liters being strongly prefered!

The filter is a very important element. It brews the water by eliminating particles in suspension and, especially, it accommodates the indispensable bénéficial bacteria "to digest" the organic residues. There are several types there: immersed internal filter, filter interns in settling and external filter.

The internal filter immersed is used in the small aquariums. It is little cumbersome and settles mostly by suction cups. The problem of this filter is the weak volume of the filtering mass (sponge) used. See photo

The internal filter in settling is an excellent choice. It consists of three compartments. The first one contains the pump, the second, the filtering masses and the third, the heating. The masses filtering are constituted so, mostly, in the sense of the inflow of water: a foam block enough unrefined, a coat of said "ceramic" also "noodles" and a coat of "perlon" (Sort of absorbent cotton). Ceramic is small tubes about 1cm ceramic very porous where bacteria develop. See photo

The external filter is especially used in the big aquariums. Two pipes connect it with the aquarium (arrived and brought out of water). This type of filter does not block the aquarium and its cleaning is easy. See photo

The heating is indispensable for tropical fishes. A temperature of 25/26 degrees seems the best adapted to most of the fishes. Goldfish can do without heating in an inhabited premises. See photo

The lighting is indispensable to the growth of plants. We recommend a 1 watt power for 2 liters of water. Tubes fluorescent are the most used because they diffuse a light close to the natural light and they have one big return (5 times a light bulb). It is however necessary to choose a fluorescent lamp conceived specially for the keeping tropical fish. If you have no natural plants, the lighting is not indispensable.

It is necessary to choose fishes according to their living conditions (pH, temperature, hardness of the water) and not in function, only, of your tastes! It is necessary to pay very attention also on their behavior (sociable, territorial, gregarious, etc.). Certain fishes cannot live together without fighting all day long! Put two fighters of Siam together and there will be some blood in the jar!-) pay attention on angelfishes, these magnificent fishes which have an annoying tendency to like too much fishes smaller than them... The bearded men, them, are more players whom nasty but they risk to tire the other boarders by bitting them the tail too often.

Here are some fishes free from problems: cardinalis / neon (in bench of 5 at least), rasboras Harlequins (in bench of 5 at least), danios rerios (in bench of 5 at least), plattys (in bench of 5 at least), colisas lalia (couple), guppies (1 male and female 2/3). It there has many others...

To calculate how much fishes you can accommodate it is necessary to remember itself this rule: "1 cm of fish by liter of water". On the other hand do not order 1,10 metre fish...

Prefer without hesitating the natural plants in the artificial plants. The natural plants are a part of the biotope of the aquarium and they are practically indispensable to the balance of the set. They consume some carbon dioxide and produce some oxygen. They prevent the proliferation of seaweeds and allow to take place to bulleur. It is enough to give to them one few fertilizers regularly. Besides, they are beautiful!

                Click to enlarge

The most frequent error is to give too much food. You should give only what fishes can eat in 1 minute. If it is about glitter, he does not have to fall at the bottom. A daily contribution is enough except when you have babies.

Before being able to put fishes in the aquarium, the "cycle of the nitrogen" has to be ended. This cycle lasts approximately 3 weeks. If you put fishes before the end of this period, they will die all... Having installed plants, the decoration, having filled the tub and having started the filter, the heating and the lighting, having waited 3 weeks...

At the risk of making me hoot by the specialists, I dare to say that we can do without these analyses... I have two friends who never have analyzed their water and everything is well. In that case, it is necessary to respect scrupulously some rules presented here: Regular changes of water, to avoid the overpopulation, the frequent cleanings.

I would not too much know how to advise you to use to use nevertheless strips multi-tests of the business, very easy to use and which measure the pH, the hardness of water, nitrates and nitrites. The deadly enemy of your fishes is nitrites . They are have to be detectable (less than 10 ppm)! Other danger is the presence of nitrates the rate of which has to remain weak (less than 40 ppm). See photo

Do not throw your fishes in the tub! A fish absolutely needs to become used gradually to its new environment of life. It is not good to put it directly in the aquarium, it is necessary to acclimatize it. There are two methods. You can put down the bag plastic above the water of the aquarium during 20 minutes at least then you admit slowly some water of the aquarium to the bag before letting fishes discover their new world. Avoid making them go out by the strength, let them make! The second method is more complicated (see links).

Contrary to the fact that we often hear the keeping tropical fish ask not enough time. The maintenance limits itself to a change of water regular of 10 % of the volume every week, even every 2 weeks. It is necessary to watch the temperature of the added water by making sure that it is close to that of the tub. If you have plants, it is necessary to remove the fallen leaves.

The first foam of the filter cleans itself approximately once a month in a bucket containing some water of the aquarium. Never clean this foam in some bleach or a cleaning product, or even under the faucet of the kitchen sink because you would destroy bacteria! Ceramic never cleans itself or once a year... In that case, we really clean a minimum (in some water of the aquarium especially) and we do not clean, this day, the first foam and we do not make change of water so as to keep a maximum of alive bacteria. It is necessary to avoid replacing the perlon this day also.