Herramientas para un nuevo acuario de peces

Equipment you will need :
An Aquarium 
Aquarium Gravel
Aquarium Filter
Filter Media (For Replacement)
Heater
Decoration (Plants(real or fake) and etc) (Should be certified non toxic to fish)
Fish Food
Aquarium Gravel Vacuum
Fish Net
Aquarium Glass Scrubber (For scrubbing algae)
Water Test Kits
Aquarium Lighting Hood 
Aquarium Stand
5 Gallon Bucket
Biological Supplement (ex: Hagen Cycle or Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Stress Zyme)
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1. Responsibility:
   
   Having an aquarium is like having a dog or a cat as a pet. Having a successful aquarium takes time and care. Every week or 2 weeks you must perform some maintenance in your aquarium. Feeding your fish once a day is the first step to a successful aquarium. Changing 15%-20% of the water in your aquarium weekly is a second step. If you accept these responsibility you are ready for an aquarium.
   
   
2. Choosing an aquarium.
   
   At step 2 it is a good idea to know what fish you want in your aquarium. Knowing what fish you want in an aquarium helps when choosing an aquarium because some fish can grow only 2 inches and some can grow as large as 10-12 inches! So be careful in choosing your aquarium. If you are a novice aquarist you should choose an aquarium that is about 10-29 gallons. But usually the bigger aquarium the better. 
   
   
3. Choosing the location for your aquarium
   
   When choosing a location you should location that won't affect your aquarium. Aquarium should not place near windows, vents, and place with direct sunlight. All these factors will affect the temperature of your aquarium making the temperature inconstant and direct sunlight could produce green algae in your aquarium. Also you will need an area with a strong floor that will support your aquarium. When determining how much your aquarium weighs, the good rule is to determine the total weight of a full aquarium that is 10 pounds per gallon of water including decoration and gravel. For example a 29 gallon aquarium could weigh about 290 pounds when filled with water and gravel. Also remember to find an area with less traffic so you won't bump your aquarium.
   
   
4. Buying Aquarium Equipments and Gravel
   
   At this step you will be buying filters, heater, gravel, decoration, lighting, aquarium stand and all other aquarium accessories for your brand new aquarium. First step on buying equipments is a proper and efficient Aquarium Filter. These days there are a lot of filters to choose but some filter are efficient and some are not. At Aquarium World we recommend power filters and we do not recommend you use filters that are powered by an air pump (ex: Undergravel Filter or Box Filter). Also remember the 3 types of filtration: mechanical, chemical, and biological. The second step on buying equipments is a proper and accurate aquarium heater. Remember the rule on buying an aquarium heater: 1 gallon per 5 watts (ex:10 gallons=50 watts). The next step is buying gravel. Remember the rule on buying gravel: 1 pound per gallon of water (ex: 10 gallons=10 pounds of gravel). Next is buying your Aquarium Light Hood and other accessories. When buying an aquarium hood remember to read the box to confirm the correct size to fit your aquarium. The last step is buying a strong and steady aquarium stand. We recommend you to buy a proper aquarium stand at a pet store that is compatible with your aquarium and please do not put a heavy aquarium on a bookshelf or a dresser.
   
   
5. Setup
   
   Now you can setup the aquarium stand following the instruction provided with your stand. After setting up your stand it's time to setup your aquarium. Now is the time to wash your aquarium with water and please do not wash it with any soap or detergent because if the residue left behind it could harm your fish. After washing your aquarium with water, it's now time to wash the gravel. When washing the gravel you should use a bucket. First pour the gravel in the bucket. Second clean the gravel with water only. Third drain it with a fish net or a good idea is to use a strainer. After finishing all these step, it's now time to add water. When adding water put a plate on the gravel to prevent gravel from displacing. After adding water halfway you can now add plants and decoration in your aquarium. Remember to wash all your plants (fake or real) and decoration before adding any decorations. After adding plants and decoration in your aquarium you can now add the rest of the water and remember to add it gently. After adding decorations its now time to setup the equipment. First install the heater to you aquarium and wait 15-20 minutes before connecting the power. After installing the heater you will have to add water conditioner into the aquarium water to remove the chlorine. After connecting the heater power and adding the water conditioner you will have to prime your filter with water and Biological supplement (ex: Hagen Cycle or Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Stress Zyme). Remember to wash the filter and filter media before installing it. After connecting your filter its time to connect your aquarium light hood and remember to drip loop on all aquarium equipments that are involve with electricity and remember to practice electricity safety. We recommend you to plug all your equipment to a surge protector.
   
   
6. Final Steps
   
   Remember to wait 1-2 days before adding fish to your brand new aquarium. After a day or 2 of running your filter, test the water with your test kit and if every thing is normal its time to add the fish. When adding choosing fish for your aquarium choose hardier species like Zebra Danios, Platies, Guppies, and Cherry Barbs.
   
   
7. Cycling
   
   For more information on the nitrogen cycle in your aquarium, Click here.
   
   
8. Adding Fish
   
   When you bought your fish home float the bag for about 10-15 minutes. After about 5 minutes open the bag and use a cup and add some of your aquarium water into the bag so the fish will adjust to your water. Do not add the water originally came from the pet store. Remember add the fish once at a time.
   
   
9. Maintenance