Setting up your new aquarium

s
Ru
fu
2
Now place the tank onto its stand, making sure that
7
there is a solid smooth contact to both surfaces
your gravel
3
Rinse your gravel well in fresh water
4
Place the gravel in your tank in a gradient sloping
8
product manual
tank. You should have about 6cm - 8cm of gravel at
the back of the tank and about 3cm at the front
9
• If you are using an undergravel filter you will
10 Now turn everything on and make sure that it is all
have to place it in situ on the bottom of the
11 Add a water conditioner such as AquaPlus or
• If you have an internal background display you
StressCoat to de-chlorinate your water
will have to place this in situ prior to adding
12 Add a beneficial bacterial agent such as Cycle your gravel
or StressZyme.
Add your heater but leave it unplugged at this stage
Your water will appear murky for the first couple of days
until it settles. Once all is okay and the temperature
• Place near the bottom of the tank and as
has come up to the required temperature for your fish
horizontal as possible
6
How to set up your aquarium
choice then:
Place your ornaments where you think they may look good (rinse all of these in fresh running water)
Once you get your new aquarium home follow these
•
Begin the cycling process
•
Follow the instructions on the “Nitrogen Cycle
Care Sheet”.
steps when setting it up:
1
Set up your lighting system
working okay
tank prior to adding your gravel
5
Set up your external filtering system / air pump and internal filter as per the instructions in the
from lower at the front to higher at the back of your
Adding
AquaPlus or
StressCoat
to the tank
can limit
the stress
on your
new fish.
Now add water – just cold tap water is fine.
Pour this in gently so you don’t create wells in
Choose the place you are going to place it carefully, it needs to be:
• Out of direct sunlight
• In an area which won’t be too disturbed by
people running past
• Near a power supply
• In a draught free, relatively constant temperature area
Place the gravel in your tank
in a gradient sloping from
lower at the front to higher
at the back of your tank.
Using a test kit at
home is the easiest
way to monitor your
aquarium’s health,
and keep your
fish happy.
www.animates.co.nz
Ru
fu
s
Setting up your
new aquarium
Fish
keeping
can be a very
rewarding hobby.
It is fascinating
to create an
environment that
houses these
wonderful
creatures.
We recommend that you set up
a small quarantine tank, this can
be used for the introduction of
new fish and the quarantining
of unwell fish.
Quarantine tank
These are the basic requirements for an aquarium set up
•
20L to 50L tank with lid
•
Fish net
•
50 Watt heater (tropical only)
•
Thermometer
•
Plant or ornament.
Tropical
Cold Water
•
Tank with lid
•
Tank with lid
•
Stand (optional but recommended)
you want to keep fish successfully. These can be
•
Stand (optional but recommended)
•
Cabinet (optional) but great for hiding the filter etc
relatively reasonable to set up and can save you
•
Cabinet (optional) but great for hiding the filter etc
money and heartache in fish losses.
•
Gravel
•
Gravel
•
Ornaments / rocks / driftwood
•
Ornaments / rocks / driftwood
There is no need for substrate but an ornament or
•
Fish nets
•
Fish nets
plant to give security can be added.
•
Backing paper or background
•
Backing paper or background
•
Light and lighting unit
•
Light and lighting unit (optional)
•
Heater
•
Filter
•
Thermometer
•
Filter media
•
Filter
•
Test kit
•
Filter media
•
Water conditioner such as AquaPlus or StressCoat
•
Test kit
Determine the space that you have for this at home
•
•
Water conditioner such as AquaPlus or StressCoat
Biological active bacteria such as Cycle or
StressZyme
Decide what you want to spend
•
Biological active bacteria such as Cycle or StressZyme
•
Algae cleaning pad or magnet
•
Algae cleaning pad or magnet
•
Gravel syphon
•
Gravel syphon
•
•
Basic treatments (optional) such as Melafix, Prime,
aquarium salt
Basic treatments (optional) such as Melafix, Prime,
aquarium salt
•
Variety of foods
•
Variety of foods
•
Book about fish care / care sheets
•
Book about fish care / care sheets
•
Multi-plug with a power overload switch
•
Multi-plug with a power overload switch
•
Safe and easy glass cleaner
•
Safe and easy glass cleaner
•
Bucket.
•
Bucket.
Please note that fish and plants can be added after
Before you embark on your new hobby
please consider these essential factors:
Decide what kind of habitat you want to keep
Check the fish compatibility sheet
Realise that you have to “cycle” your new tank
This is a hobby that requires patience, time and a
long term commitment.
Please note that fish and plants can be added after
the cycling process has been completed.
the cycling process has been completed.
A quarantine tank is highly recommended when
Your quarantine tank needs to be “cycled” as per
your normal tank.
Animates
starter kits are an
economical way
to set up your
new friend’s
home.
Ru
fu
s