Starting Your First Fish Tank? Josh to the Rescue!
Find someone knowledgeable
When someone is starting their first aquarium, the most important thing to do is to find a knowledgeable source to help you out. The clerk who has to read tags at the pet store to figure out what fish you want doesn’t count. This is where I come in.
When I started working at a family owned pet store in Colorado, my boss was my mentor. While I had kept several tanks before working there and dabbled with breeding, I quickly learned there is a lot more to fish keeping than sticking a few fish in a tank. I also found out that I really enjoy helping people with their animals, providing advice and troubleshooting their problems. So please, use me as a source for information.
Build a good relationship with your local pet or fish stores
Before you buy a tank, it’s always a good idea to build a relationship with your local pet or fish stores. Hang out and get a feel for your locals. Volunteer to clean tanks. This will let you know if you’re ready. If it’s your child wanting a tank, a few hours of cleaning tanks builds character and helps stop the “I wants”.
Things to know about your local pet or fish stores:
- When they get new stock
- The return and refund policies
- Where to find the best deals
- If they can special order
- Which employees can properly identify fish by sight
These tips will make it easier to get good prices, healthy animals, and to avoid the clerk that might give misinformation.
More space equals happier and healthier fish
Bigger is always better when it comes to starting a tank. Larger tanks are more forgiving when it comes to mistakes. The larger the volumes of water, the more stable the environment. If you have to go away for a weekend or two, and forget a water change, your tank won’t turn green or smell like your local pond from a buildup of waste. More space equals happier and healthier fish. They need the room to spread out and get some exercise, (yes, even fish need exercise) claim territory, or hide from their unruly neighbors. Plus, it’s just fun decorating a big tank.
Once you do these things, setting up a tank won’t seem so difficult or like such a daunting task. You won’t have to struggle alone to set up your tank. There will be someone, like me, to offer advice and answer any questions that may come up. You won’t have to go searching for quality fish or equipment, because you already know where to go. Maintenance will be second nature if you spend a little time volunteering to help clean your local stores tanks. Plus, the big payoff is when somebody says, “Wow. That’s a cool tank!”
Photo credits: Danielle Cochrane
I noticed something too about this topic on another blog.Amazingly, your linear perspective onto it is diametrically opposite to what I just read before. May I post part of this on my page if I post a mention of the this site?
Well technically you can set up nano-tanks of only a couple of gallons, but they are VERY difficult to maintain. People do it just to prove it can be done, not because it”s easy, or cheap. A larger tank is MUCH easier to maintain. 20gal is about the minimum you should consider, and that will only hold a few small fish. A 30-50gal is a better option to start out with.
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I degasrie that smaller tanks are harder to take care of! If you are having a problem you can do a large percentage water easily. You change 8 Gallons and you have just done an 80 % water change. As long as salinity temp and ph are the same as the tank water this is not a problem.Topping off due to evaporation has NO effect on a tanks salinity level. Salt does not evaporate. Only water is evaporated out, NO minerals at all . What happens is salinity increases with evaporation, but it happens so slowly it does not affect fish at all. Also you can go to walmart and get a 5 gal bucket of Rodi water instead of having to buy an RODI filter for your house. If you do not do corals you do NOT need better lighting. Put the live rock in at the beginning. This will help cycle the tank faster!You will need a hang on the back filter, some live rock, A power head for water movement, salt and a hydrometer to measure the salt and a test kit. Follow my advice and you may be able to add a clown fish in as little as 4 weeks.