Saltwater & Freshwater Fish Tanks - Aquariums

Building An Aquarium Fish Tank Requires Commitment

January 28th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

Basic Steps To Building An Aquarium Fish Tank

There is a level of commitment involved in building an aquarium fish tank that would-be aquarium owners often overlook. There is time, effort and money involved in setting up the tank and your new fish are going to depend on you for all their needs. Their food, oxygen and livable environment will be your responsibility once you’ve built your aquarium fish tank and stocked it with fish.

Keeping the aquarium clean

As you probably already know, all creatures emit waste materials, which in turn produce nitrogen and eventually turn into ammonia. This chemical is deadly to most animals and the fish in your aquarium fish tank are no exception. Over-feeding your fish is the usual cause of high ammonia levels.

The more they eat, the more waste is created and the higher the amounts of nitrate and ammonia introduced into your aquarium fish tank. This not only gives you a dirty looking tank, but also stresses the fish and makes them more susceptible to disease. Whether you feed your a small amount twice a day or a larger amount once a day, they should be excited to see the food and consume it all in about five minutes.

Do not feed the fish more than they can eat in five minutes. Fish will not over eat, however leftover food settles in the bottom of the tank and produces excess nutrient in the water.

Regular water changes in your aquarium fish tank

The best way to keep your aquarium fish tank clean is to do a partial change of water on a regular basis. Not all the water needs to be replaced, however, replacing about 20 per cent of the water every three weeks or so will be a big help. A simple method to remove and replace about one fifth of the water is to have the amount needed in a container sitting in the same room as the aquarium fish tank for about 24 hours to reach room temperature. Then remove that amount and add the replacement water. If your tap water is highly chlorinated add water ager at the recommended dosage to remove the excess chemicals.

Temperature concerns should not be an issue, even if a 10 or 15 degree difference is noted between your room and your aquarium fish tank as you are only replacing 20 percent. In their natural habitat, aquatic animals see water temperature fluctuations of three or four degrees throughout a single day. If the temperature difference is a major concern to you, a heater placed in the container with the new water can help alleviate those concerns.

Be prepared for the commitment required to build an aquarium fish tank and your fish will bring you years of peace and relaxation.