Of course, you don’t need to draw out a new schedule to incorporate walking your fishes. But you do need to do a bit of planning beforehand and make sure you understand the basics about keeping freshwater fish.

Before buying a tank, consider the following “must-knows” about fish keeping.

Time

by The_Ladd via Flickr

It’s true that fish tanks don’t need your constant care and attention. But it would be faulty to overlook the weekly time needed to maintain a healthy and beautiful tank.

Based on the fishes you stock and the size of you tank you should be prepared to do frequent water changes sometimes up to thrice a week. If you stock oscars or goldfishes who are rather untidy fishes, the water changes may vary. Same is the case if fish/es are ill or are mating.

Resources

by noquarter via Flickr

Make sure that there are resources available before you decide on getting a tank. It won’t work if you go once and buy a tank and a monthly supply of fish food from a pet store all the way across town. It’s always advisable that you have a dependable pet store nearby just in case you need assistance with sick fishes.

Also be sure, that there isn’t any issue regarding water supply in your locality. If you live in a place which has water shortage problems its best that you don’t get a fish tank. Remember, without water there wont be any fishes.

Location

by Sandy Austin via Flickr

Figure out a place where you would like to keep your tank. If you have a table, shelf or any other piece of furniture that you want to use to keep your tank, make sure that it is sturdy enough. Fish tanks are very heavy once filled. Do take into account the weight of the water before you make a decision.

Make sure the floor is leveled. It’s not advisable to place the tank anywhere on a carpeted area. Firstly, it may ruin the carpet when you perform the weekly water changes plus carpeted floor may make the table/furniture unsteady with the weight of the fish tank.

Another pointer to choose a location is to figure out a place where water connection is handy. Its definitely easier to perform water changes by siphoning if you have a handy place to dispose of the water.

Choosing Fish

by Jeff Kubina via Flickr

Even before you enter the pet store, check up on the types of fish online. If you already have friends who are fish hobbyists, then talk to them. It’s necessary for you to know what kind of fish you would like to have in your tank.

Do you want pretty looking and easy to handle fishes, or do you want challenging fishes that need more care? You need to know this before you buy your first fish so that you can plan out your tank accordingly. Do not experiment with randomly chosen fishes since they will die quite quickly, before you know what’s going wrong.

by janiejonesmt via Flickr

As a piece of advice, it’s always better for a beginner to start with a “community” tank. A community tank is a set up where the fishes (also called: community fishes) are easy to maintain and thrive even in a mixed group. There is a wide variety of fishes which are community fishes. The most common of which are the platys and swordfishes, guppy, danios, neon tetras and other few tetras. Most of these fishes are compatible with plants. But you will need to find out more about each species particular trait either online or by asking at the pet store. For help refer to www.fishlore.com or www.ratemyfishtank.com.

If you consider aggressive and semi-aggressive fish there is again a long list of fishes available. Some of these cannot be stocked together, or there are few like the Tiger Barbs which need to be stocked in a school of at least 5-6 to be happy. It always pays to know as much as you can about the fish you want to buy. This way there aren’t any surprises later.

by Mykl Roventine via Flickr

Another reason why you should read in to the choice of fishes is because some fishes, though they look small at half an inch at the store, may grow up to 3 inches in a month. The oscar is a fish that grows at an alarming rate. So if you planning on buying an oscar, you need to know how big would a full-grown oscar be and arrange for a big enough tank right at the start.

Tanks

by jelene via Flickr

Which tank to buy? For beginners it might be daunting to choose the right tank. There are glass aquariums, acrylic aquariums, various sizes, hooded, flat-covered, all-in-one, separately assembled and so on. Its important to know which fishes you want to buy and where you planning on keeping the tank to ensure the size of a tank appropriate for you. The tanks generally start at 5 gallons and can go up to 250 gallons and more. For beginners intending on keeping a community fish tank, about 20 gallons or 30 gallon tank is appropriate.

Once you nailed down the size, other things to consider are the materials. Glass aquariums are heavier than acrylic aquariums, glass tends to corrode or stain over a period of time. Additionally there’s always a risk of cracking or breaking of the glass tank. But glass tanks are comparatively cheaper than acrylic ones. It’s easy to find one in any size you wish.

by Whisper Photography via Flickr

On the other hand, acrylic aquariums are sturdy, light weight and crack proof. But on the down side, acrylic often gets scratchy after cleaning. Once the surface shows scratches, the tank looks untidy and abysmal. Along with this there is the cost to consider. Acrylic tanks are on an average three times costlier than glass aquariums. So its advisable to consider these points.

Additionally there are easy to use, already assembled tanks of a few brands that come along with the most important fixtures like the filter, heating wand, primary water-test kits etc. These are the basic fixtures required for a tank of a certain gallon capacity. But it isn’t necessary that you stick to this combination. There is a huge spectrum of fish tank accessories that will allow you to customize each aspect of you fish tank.

Substrate/Decoration

by theurchiness via Flickr

The thing that most people are excited about when they start fish keeping is the decorations. For a beginner, the attractive tank that they see at their friends’ place or at the dentist is attractive primarily because of the decorations rather than the fishes themselves. And it is a valid idea. Decorations are important.

Some people believe in keeping the tank as close to the natural habitat of the fishes as possible. While other want to add a splash of colour and get  the ruby red pebbled substrate. Its a matter of choice. Fishes do not care about which coloured substrate you choose as long as you don’t keep your tank plain and empty. for eg, most of the fishes need a substrate base and a few hiding spots which can be created by keeping plants, fake plants, rock caves, plastic tunnels etc.

by Katie@! via Flickr

There are many options to choose from. The substrate, ornaments, air stones, pebbles, mermaids, treasure chests, pirate’s ship… you name it and you will find it. Its an endless trail. So be sure of your budget when you plan on getting decorations for your tank.

You should also note that fishes can stay happy without fancy decoration as long as you maintain a proper water balance and help them lead healthy lives. So concentrate on creating a livable and healthy atmosphere for you fishes. Understand that a fish tank is primarily a house for your fishes not a masterpiece in your living room. So make sure you prioritize your shopping accordingly.

Along with this list, you should always consult your pet store for more details about such information. It is necessary to understand what you are getting into before you buy that tank. Fish keeping is a rather expensive endeavour when you consider all the elements involved and it would end up saving a lot of time, patience and lives (of fishes) to know exactly what you need before you purchase anything.