Freshwater Aquarium Setup
What you Need
Setting up your aquarium is a very nice and exciting task, especially if you’re just beginning to explore the micro-world of fish in a controlled aquatic habitat. It would be very good and advantageous to know several key ideas and some basic rules for your freshwater aquarium setup.
Your Substrate
The extreme bottom of a fish tank is what we call the substrate. There are three types of substrates categorized by size: namely, small substrates, medium substrates and large substrates.
Small Size Substrate
Fish naturally prefer small substrates over other substrates, because it is easier find a good nest within these kinds of substrates. The most common material used for these substrates are tiny rocks mixed with sand.
Medium Size Substrate
The medium substrate can be beneficial in a lot of different ways, but there is actually no general advantage or disadvantage. Several materials used for medium substrates include rocks of average size and pebbles.
Large substrates
Large substrates are commonly used in tandem with other substrates (because they can’t be used technically by themselves), and are often added to present an artistic look of the aquarium’s substrate. River rocks and other similar materials are commonly used for large substrates.
Substrate and Your Fish
Substrates sometimes have a direct effect on the water in your tank, and of course, if it affects the water then it indirectly affects the fish as well. For example, crushed corals can technically raise the pH levels of the water (and when there is a rise in pH levels, we now refer to any substance as acidic). Aside from indirect or direct contamination of the water, other substrate materials may also have some other effects on the water, so you must do your research using any material for an aquarium substrate.
Substrate to Avoid
As a side note, never use materials such as:
- Limestone
- Geodes
- Shells
- Dolomite
- Granite
- Slate
- Quartz
- Lava rock
- Sandstone
- Onyx
Application of any of these materials as a substrate is an absolute taboo, and if you don’t want your fish to die DO NOT apply them as substrates.
Test, Test and Test
If you are unsure of whether a certain material for a substrate would be harmful to your fish or not, you may conduct several self-tests at your own home. Place a few drops of vinegar to a rock or stone sample that you intend to use as a substrate. If it foams or fizzes after a short while, then it’s not safe to use. Another alternative is to soak the rock samples in a bucket of water, measuring the pH levels of the water before leaving it for about a week. If you see no significant change in the water pH levels after a week, then it’s most likely safe to use in your aquarium.
The other problems that you have to consider when reducing the risk posed by different materials to be used in your aquarium are the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels of the water when these materials are used.
Ammonia is generally beneficial only during the startup cycle, so you have to watch out for the ammonia levels of a mature tank often. Nitrites are toxic byproducts of organic waste breakdown in the water, and the levels of this in the water should be less than 1.0 by unit measurement. Nitrates are mildly poisonous, not really that harmful, but can really hurt you fish if it goes over 300ppm.
Testing kits are available at local specialty shops for you to test the various levels of toxicity of the water in your aquarium. Remember, though, it is important to detect these toxic substances early, so you have to practice these detection countermeasures frequently, as part of your regular freshwater aquarium setup procedure.
Power Strip
We suggest you purchase a waterproof power strip for youe aquaeium setup to protect against surges, as we are working with water as well as electricity.
