Step 1Pleasure, but duties, too.

Before purchasing an aquarium you need to be aware of the responsibility resulting from having one.  Aquaristics is a hobby which requires less involvement than having a dog or a cat.  Nevertheless, it also involves a certain amount of work.  Fish and other aquarium creatures are very sensitive animals, so let us take good care of them!

Step 2Think, what size of aquarium you would like to have.

Deciding on the size of the aquarium remember, that the bigger the container, the easier it is to keep biological balance inside.  So try to buy as big an aquarium, as you can afford.  

Step 3Decide where and on what to put your aquarium.

An ideal place for an aquarium should be on the eye level, possibly far from the source of natural light (i.e. the window).  It’s good to keep our fish in peace and quiet.  So put the aquarium away from the TV set or the door.  You will also need a good access to the electric socket.  The aquarium should be placed on an even and stable surface, slightly bigger than the container itself.  Remember that 1 litre of your aquarium equals about 1 kg of weight.  Therefore the cupboard under the aquarium must be solid.  
Step 4Plan the purchase.

Having decided on the size of the aquarium, you can plan the rest of the things to buy.  Products that should be on your list are:

• Lighting cover

• Mattress under the aquarium

• Filter

• Heater with thermostat

• Thermometer

• Gravel (or sand)

• Food

• Plants

• Optionally:  cupboard for under the aquarium, background, decorations, landing net, cloth to clean panes and water-conditioning preparation.

Important:  don't buy fish until your aquarium is completely arranged and water has been there for several days.  

Step 5Prepare the aquarium for further work.

When you have everything you need to set up the aquarium, you can start the work. Place the mattress where you are going to put the aquarium.  If the aquarium is small, wash it with clear water.  Larger aquaria are to be thoroughly wiped with a damp cloth, which has never been used with detergents.  

Step 6Arrange the inside of the aquarium.

If the purchased gravel has not been washed (this information should be given on the pack), you have to thoroughly wash it with clear water.  Form the gravel in such a way that it slopes down towards the front pane.  The layer of gravel should be between 5 and 8 cm.  Pour in several centimetres of water in a delicate manner (it’s best to pour it on a flat plate placed on the gravel).  This will protect the gravel from being washed away.  Fix the filter and the heater on aquarium walls, so that they are as little visible as possible.  If you have any decorations, this is the right time to fix them.  Half-fill the aquarium with water.

Step 7Plant the plants.

Start the planting.  Cut the roots  of the plants and, while planting them, be careful not to make the roots go in different directions.  You can fertilize the soil with fertilizers placed between the plants.  Plant the lowest plants in the foreground, average ones – in the middle, and the tallest ones – at the back pane.  Pour in the rest of the water, while being careful not to destroy the decoration or uproot  the plants.  

Step 8Activate the equipment.

Turn on the filter and the heater, put on the cover and turn on the light.  If you bought water-conditioning preparation, use it according to the guidelines and place the fish inside after the time specified by the producer.  Otherwise you have to wait two weeks, which is the time necessary for the created environment to become biologically active.  During this period the lights should be on for about 12 hours a day, and the heater and filter should be on all the time.  That is natural that the water in the aquarium should be cloudy at first, but it will clear up after several days of the filter being in operation.  

Step 9Buy the fish.

Your first purchase of fish should be moderate in amount – it’s better to buy too few than too many of them.  Deciding on the number of inhabitants of your aquarium you should remember that 1 cm of adult fish requires 1 litre of water.  It’s best to choose fish from one family, of similar size and depending on the species:  in pairs or in groups.  Watch the fish for a while before you buy them, to make sure they are healthy.  If the fish swim in an unnatural manner, do not breathe regularly, are thin, have a white rash or ulcers on skin, fragments of mould on the body, have fins which are ragged or stuck together – do not buy them!  When you have selected your fish, make sure that the plastic bag in which they will be transported has no corners (this will prevent the fish from being blocked there) and has enough air.  You will save the fish a lot of stress if you put them in an additional paper bag, and packed this way transport them as fast as possible to their new home.

Step 10Putting the fish in the aquarium.

Carefully put the bag with fish in the aquarium (so that water does not flow over the brim of the aquarium).  Wait a couple of minutes, so that the water inside the bag reaches the same temperature as the water in the aquarium.  Then pour some water from the aquarium inside the bag, wait another couple of minutes, take the fish from the bag and let them free in the aquarium.  While doing that, prevent the water from the bag from getting into the aquarium.  Leave the light on until the next day, which is when you feed your fish for the first time.