Okay here goes. I have an aquarium with no lid but I will find one very soon. Here is what I have so far, a 10 to 15 gallon aquarium(rectangle) and a lot of tiny rocks for the floor( not as tiny but pretty big enough). So what are all the supplies needed for a tropical aquarium. And if you can name some brands for easy access. Thank You.
Tags: rectangle, tiny rocks, big enough, tropical aquarium
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For that tank probably 2 bubblers
5+ hiding places
1-2 filters
Dechlorinator ( if you are getting your water from the tap, usually 1 drop per 1 liter
If you want to get rocks from outside then boil them for about 20 minutes and then let cool down and then boil them again for 15 minutes if you want you can do this 3 times
1 powerful heater
2-3 real plants
4-5 fake plants
10 fish or so
A light
A place for the tank.
Out of cats or dogs reach.
If you want an under gravel filter ( not recommended ).
Algae scrubber ( use an old credit card if it is a plastic tank so you don’t scratch the plastic.
A siphone ( its like a vaccum to get all the bad junk and old food out of the tank without having to do a full aquarium clean ).
Quarantine tank ( for when the fish get sick or are aggressive )
A breeding tank
A sponge filter if you are planning to have fish babies and don’t want them sucked into the filter.
fish food. ( duh!! )
Fish treats ( blood worms etc )
Koi ball if you are planning on getting a Koi fish.
You will need to cycle all tanks including the quarintine and birth tanks.
Floating plants if you are going to have fish that make bubble nests ( Dwarf Gourami, Betta etc )
A mirror so the fish think they have more buddies ( this helps with Neon Tetras )
a background so the fish think they are in their natural habitat.
Hope this helped!!
heater
filter
thermometer
decorations and hiding places
thing to get oxygen in the water.
You can find these all at petco or even walmart.
make sure you are not only well supplied but also well informed about the fishes youre interested in. my favorite pet store for info about all of the above is Pestsmart. the folks there are awesome! ihad not had new cory cats for years…mine seem to live forever, they help me choose and gave really great new info on cory cats i did not know!
best supplies…info!
don’t get it at walmart bro or you’ll be in for a head-ache
just spend a few more bux to buy it at like big als or a pet superstore at least.
walmarts stuff is wreck i bought my stuff there once and in 5 days everything busted.
Heater
filter system
conditioner
air pump/air rock (optional but good to have)
decor and bigger rocks
thermometer
ich medicine ( its good to have just in case)
waste control drops (also optional but great for getting rid of shit)
extra filter cartridge and carbon(a must )
net
extra 10 gallon tank (optional in case of disease or emergency)
that’s all can think of
happy fishing buddy
It depends on the kind of fish you are getting.
There is Latin American and Asian and few North American and African fish as well that have very similar water parameters.
There however is also African Cichlids from the rift lakes.
Regardless of the kind of fish you get. This is the minimum you need:
Filter
Filter cartridge with carbon
heater
thermometer
substrate (gravel or sand)
dechlorinater to get ride of chlorine and other harmful stuff for fish found in tap water
Also if it is a brand new tank, it is recommended to fill it up with water and let it sit for a about a month. The reason is allow bacteria to grow within the tank. This bacteria is good since it will help the bad stuff nitrate/nitrite. There are bacteria packages you find at local fish stores. It helps speed up the biological process in the tank. Just DON’T buy a brand new tank and fish the same day. There are some hardier fish that handle it, but I wouldn’t recommend doing it.
Water Test Kit, get the actual kit, not the test stripes. The kit is more accurate. Hence the higher price cost
If you are getting non African cichlid fish. I’d recommend buying live water plants. Plants help provide oxygen in the tank and help remove "nasty stuff" from within the substrate
Gravel vac. You need it to go through the substrate to remove poo, uneaten food and other nasty stuff. You got to do this at a minimum once a month, though every 2 weeks is better. If you don’t gravel vac, your fish will DIE a slow death. Because all that stuff will cause high levels of nitrate/nitrate. For gravel vac, I recommend getting the ones where you can connect it to a faucet, its more convenient.
Lights are not necessary. Fish can see just fine with the light from the room. However I’d buy one so you can see your own fish fine. Just don’t leave the light on too long or it will cause too much algae growth. algae isn’t a bad thing, but it makes it harder to see your fish through the glass if its growing on the sides of the glass. Lights are necessary for live water plants. Green water plants usually don’t need that much light, red/pink water plants need a LOT of light. Some light bulbs are more powerful than others
If your going for African Cichlids, you need rocks/caves and that sort. Don’t bother with live plants. Some African Cichlids will tolerate plants, but some won’t and will uproot the plants.
However since you have such a small tank, there are very few choices for African cichlids you could have. Such as multies http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Neolamprologus_multifasciatus.php
I personally prefer cichlids since they are more intelligent fish, but I have had south american/asian fish as well.
If your going with 10-15 gallon tank, you will probably be limited to fish such as danios, tetras. You can’t get larger fish such as clown loaches.
Ich medication, just in case your fish get ich which looks like white salt specs on them.
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