When setting up a home aquarium for a small child always remember…

Safety First!

If you’ve decided to begin the wonderful hobby of fish collecting for a small child then a glass aquarium is probably not the best bet. Banging the aquarium sides with toys will have dire results. Not only is it nerve racking and unhealthy for the fish, but also broken glass, water and flopping fish on the carpet can be a stressful and difficult thing to clean up!

One gallon of water weighs approximately eight pounds, therefore ten gallons weighs around 80 pounds. That’s not including the aquarium, the fish and all the accessories! So as a general rule of thumb, to determine the approximate weight of a completely set up aquarium, I figure 10 pounds per gallon.

I highly discourage buying a one-gallon tank for your goldfish!

People have the concept that “a cute little child needs a cute little fish tank”. Believe it or not, a one-gallon aquarium is very difficult to maintain. The reason being is the amount of cleaning, mechanical filtering and water changes are more than double a 10 gallon or more tank. The most dangerous tank is a glass fish bowl.

What Size Tank?

Many fish guides claim, “If you are new to fish collecting I would suggest you start with something small…”or they say things like, “stick with ten gallons and under to keep your expenses down until you decide this is for you”. We both know this IS for you or you wouldn’t be reading this.

Do it right the first time.

I highly recommend starting with nothing less than a 20-gallon tank. Many fish get much larger than when originally purchased and a larger system really is easier when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. But at the end of the day it is what you want to do, and that is the joy of starting an aquarium.

A small aquarium can later be used as a breeding tank, sick tank, behavioral evaluation tank or food tank (fish kept as food). So realize that a small tank will not be wasted money should you decide to start with the smaller size aquarium.

These days there are many nice, small aquariums for a first timer or someone who merely lacks the room. Half-gallon fish containers, Hexagonal 2 gallon tanks and when it comes to 5-gallon and 10-gallon tanks, there are so many different designs I could write an entire ebook on the topic LOL!

So before you get started setting up your home aquarium there are many aspects that must be considered before a single dollar is spent. Here is a good example: I go to the local pet store and buy a 10-gallon tank for the kids because I can afford it. Then I buy some goldfish for the kids and throw them in there.

What now?

• What do I feed them?
• What environment do the fish feel most comfortable in?
• How big will they get?
• What types of fish will my new fish get along with?
• Where should I place the tank?
• What do I do if they start fighting?
• What type of aquarium stand will support the weight?
• What type of filtration system should I use?
• How long can I keep a fish in a small tank before I have to up-grade to a larger tank?

Lots of research is necessary for a healthy, well balanced tank.

The first thing is planning on exactly what your goal is going to be. Visualize what you want your home aquarium to look like and write it down.

• What size tank…
• What variety of goldfish…
• What kind of filtration system…
• The desired lighting…
• And what chemicals are needed…

Plan everything that is required for the aquarium installation and then start with the steps one by one.

That’s why this highly informative blog is such an opportunity. I have spent thousands of dollars on store bought guides and e-books and have developed the perfect system for setting up an aquarium. This saves you the time, money and frustrations due to standard mistakes because of inexperience. Fortunately for you, this blog does all of the research and leg work for you!!

The 4MyFish Blog will help you come to the conclusion that an aquarium doesn’t have to be hard to maintain. Keeping a healthy aquarium can actually be easier than you may think and are effective healing tools for sick and hyperactive people, if a few basic strategies of aquarium care are followed.

Maintaining a home aquarium has become a tremendously popular hobby for all ages as well as all levels of income. You don’t have to be rich to enjoy the luxury and self-accomplishment of creating a tank of your own.

Different people are attracted to the hobby for many different reasons. Some appreciate the decorative value of a tastefully assembled aquarium and when maintained properly becomes a beautiful addition to the family entertainment.  Others are drawn to the peaceful company that fish provide along with the self-made oasis that allows you to melt into the couch, gaze into the glass and swim with the fish after a stressful day at the office.  Some are attracted to the opportunity of observing the fascinating behavior of salt and fresh water fish first hand and then there is the dedicated group of fish enthusiasts who breed.

I can remember as a child, my family had a 100-gallon octagonal tank. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen! The fish seemed to be as large as Moby Dick with the ability to suck me into an imaginary underwater world. There wasn’t a single fish in that aquarium without a name or a fish home.

My mother would tap on the on the top of the aquarium and the fish literally ate out of her fingers!
The fish were another part of the family, just like our three cats.

Our family had decided to leave for a winter vacation and entrusted our fish to a neighboring teenager. Needless to say, when we returned, the house was 50 degrees and all the tropical fish were floating. I was devastated. I truly believe that is when my passion for the aquarium hobby began.

The wealth of knowledge I have accumulated for more than twenty years presents a unique opportunity for you to NOT repeat the same mistakes I use to make.

That is the incredible part of this blog… Fish become family members! We clean their room for them, buy them medication when they get sick and even separate them to different tanks when they fight and harm each other. I’ve even gone as far as giving the troubled fish a firm verbal lashing before I place her in the “corner tank”, just like I punish my children LOL!

There are nearly 15,000 different species of marine fish. Their appearance, nutritional needs, environmental requirements, reproduction habits, compatibility with other tank mates, and survival adaptations of these different species vary significantly.

To successfully maintain an aquarium you need to understand all of the above aspects of a fish before considering adding the marine fish to your tank. Understanding these characteristics of a fish before acquiring it, and knowing its origin, is extremely important in order to effectively provide the conditions in which marine fish thrive. Also be aware that a fish may have multiple common names, and multiple fish may have the same name. Comparing the genus and species of the fish may help avoid some confusion.

Here is a short list of some popular marine fish, but remember, the learning curve to properly maintain a healthy tank environment is pretty steep.

Kaudern’s Cardinalfish
The Kaudern’s Cardinal is highly sought after for its ease of care, attractive color pattern and distinctively long and elegant fins. The Kaudern’s Cardinal, also known as the Banggai Cardinalfish or Longfin Cardinalfish, is metallic silver highlighted by rich black stripes and white, celestial spots on the body and fins. This sophisticated color pattern of the Kaudern’s Cardinal makes it a visually striking and memorable addition to most saltwater aquariums.

Christmas Wrasse
Distinctive for their stunning coloration, the beautifully ornamented Christmas Wrasse from Fiji is also known in the hobby as the Red-Lined or Biocellate Wrasse. A 50 gallon or larger aquarium with a tight-fitting lid, a 2-3 inch sandy bottom to hide under if frightened, and other peaceful wrasses, including its own species, is an acceptable environment.

Porcupine Pufferfish
The Porcupine Puffer is also known as the Porcupinefish or Porcupine Pufferfish. It has spiny appendages which cover most of its body, which may vary from light gray to mottled tans, sometimes with dark spots. Its teeth are actually a fused beak-like structure.

Yellow Hawaiian Tang
The Yellow Hawaiian Tang is for many aquarists, the definitive fish of home saltwater aquariums. With its oval-shaped, vibrant yellow body, it brightens any marine system. The Yellow Hawaiian Tang is an active swimmer that will glide throughout your aquarium in near constant motion.

Freshwater fish are certainly the most popular variety of fish for aquarium hobbyists but don’t be fooled if you’ve decided to create a home aquarium for the first time. The Freshwater fish classification also includes Tropical Freshwater Fish which are much more challenging for beginning hobbyists. Here are a few popular varieties of freshwater fish that are ideal for someone just getting started in this killer hobby.

Zebra Danios
These very active schooling fish are also among the sturdiest of aquarium residents. Their small size, no more than two and half inches, and peaceful nature, make them well suited for a 10 gallon community aquarium and are the healthiest when kept in a school of 5 or more. All its cousins, the Leopard, Pearl, Blue, and Giant Danios are just as durable.

Red Eye Tetras
A pretty silver fish with a black band at the beginning of the tail and iridescent red eyes. Again a schooling species, Red Eyes tend tend hang out near the surface of the aquarium and will reach lengths of 2.75 inches.

Rosy Barbs
Possibly the most peaceful of the medium sized barbs towards unrelated fish. An easy to care for fish the Rosy barb has a lot going for it. Feeding is never a problem as it will eat all flake frozen as well as live food and water conditions are not to critical as they will adapt to almost all variations.

Goldfish
The goldfish is usually classified as a coldwater fish, and it can live in an unheated aquarium. The unfortunate reputation of goldfish dying quickly is often due to poor care amongst uninformed buyers looking for a cheap pet. The true lifespan of a well-cared-for goldfish in captivity can extend well beyond 20 years.

These are just a few of the many varieties of freshwater fish available for someone looking to get into the home aquarium hobby and their hardiness will make it easier for you to succeed, enjoy!

This is the last of the LA Fishguys four part video series about installing a 460 gallon cylindrical aquarium. Pay attention to this video, they give some great advice. For instance, even though this is going to be a saltwater aquarium they started out filling the tank with freshwater so they can check for any leaks or drips. Once they okay the piping and are positive nothing will spring a  leak they THEN add the salt to the freshwater.

The LA Fishguys also cover a power outage. An aquarium that size can cause an awful mess once the pumps stop working. They will actually siphon themselves empty if the proper precautions aren’t taken.

Things are getting pretty exciting in Episode 1 pt3, Cylinder Aquarium Installation,  LA Fishguys. You see, I love when it comes time to fill up the aquarium because you’re one step closer to putting fish in it!!

Unfortunately this can be an extremely stressful time as well. This is when you check for any leaks in the plumbing system and the aquarium itself! 

In this episode the LA Fishguys step it up a notch and install the aquarium lighting system and what is referred to as the Durso Stand Pipe which is masked by the artificial coral reef. But how do you stop the splashing noise caused by the overflow?