After you have completed setting up your aquarium, you may wonder what comes next.
Well here are some tips from our aquatic experts on what you can expect.
Water Quality
After you have completed the previous steps, and you think you are ready to add fish, then it would be a good idea to
test your water first. You can do this by buying the appropriate test kits, or by taking it to Petsmart where they will test your water for free.
Nitrites should be at 0. Ammonia should be at 0, and pH usually varies depending on your area, as long as it is not too acidic, it should be fine.
Nitrite levels between 0 and 0.2 are normal for new tank setups. Also check your temperature and make sure it is at desired level, which is 78 to 82 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Cloudy Water
You may notice a whitish cloudiness during the first 2 weeks after setting up your tank, this is normal, do not restart by changing the water, it may make it worse, or the stage will just start all over again. Give it time, and it will clear up.
If you have any other type of cloudy water, with a greenish or brownish color, it is probably time to maintenance your tank. If you find yourself doing that constantly, then it is probably a lack of filtration. You may also be over feeding, or there may be too many fish in the tank. Visit our
Maintenance section for more information.
Filtration
When choosing a filtration system for your aquarium, try to buy something that does more filtration than you need. You could never have too much filtration, and it keeps your tank maintenance low.
Buying Fish
When buying fish, it is usually best to buy them from a large retailer, because they are usually healthier, and some even offer guarantees, such as Petsmart, which offers a 14 day guarantee. That means if your fish dies, you can take the fish back with your receipt for an exchange or a full refund.
For information on adding fish click here.
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