Setting up a basic aquarium for your fish is a pretty simple task if you take the time to match the fish to the type of tank that you want to purchase. A simple aquarium tank requires some very basic components to make it a happy home for your fish.
A simple first question is whether you want to start a salt water or fresh water aquarium. There is a dramatic difference between salt water and fresh water tanks as there is between the fish that inhabit those tanks. If you are looking for a simple, cheaper solution, I would recommend fresh water fish and that you start with a basic starter tank.
The basic starter tank will most likely be a glass aquarium that will include a filter, heater, tank gravel, and a tank light. It is best that this tank sites on an aquarium stand. Your pet store probably sells a kit, but be careful here because you want to buy the right tank for the right fish.
Determine the type of fish you want – most people start with tetra fish because they are friendly with each other and are usually less expensive as starter fish. Find a tank that will look nice in your home and will also fit properly. Start off with two or three fish until they are acclimated into the tank. Do not be surprised if a fish or two die during the start up of your tank which is why we recommend purchasing cheap fish to start.
Once your tank gets going, feel free to experiment with your fish and plants for your tank, however make sure that you purchase the right mix of fish as some fish can be very aggressive and regardless of how much time you spent setting up your tank, you can find yourself in a situation where one fish is feeding on another.
Well it used to be a aquarium, but after a bad case of ich, all the fish died. I kept gerbils in it for about half a year, and its been sitting in my laundry room for quite some time. I washed it with dish soap and rinsed it out before it was in my laundry room. Should I get a new tank or is there anyway to disinfect all that nastiness?
Cleaning vs. Disinfecting?
Some distinction must be made between the two as they are not one in the same. For our purposes, cleaning will simply be the act of removing dirt, algae and other extraneous matter so as to improve the overall appearance. Disinfecting is the process of eliminating bacteria, viruses, and other undesirable organisms from the tank. Both of these can be accomplished while the tank is filled with water and in use, but for the methods described here, we will assume that you either have the tank setup dismantled already, or are willing to do so. For instructions on how to clean the tank while still in use, there are a plethora of good articles out there already.
My Method
The very first thing I do is move the tank outside. It is possible to do a good cleaning indoors, but I find the task to be a lot less stressful if you can do it in the back yard. Once outside, I first like to give the tank a good rinse down with a regular garden hose and get any large debris, dirt, etc out of the tank. I then fill the tank up with water as if I were going to set it up. I will let the tank stand, filled for at least an hour or two. After the short wait, I will go to work cleaning. This is not an essential step, but it will help to loosen a lot of that stubborn stuck-on algae. I find this does a great job on tanks that have had algal growth and then sat dry for a long period of time. While keeping the water in the tank, I use an old rag or fairly hard sponge (make sure whatever you use has not come into contact with any kind of detergent) and wipe down all the glass and the seams. I will then drain out 80% of the water and continue scrubbing. I do not use any cleaners for this. If there is any particularly stubborn algae stuck on, a good razor blade can do wonders. Note: be careful with razor blades, they can easily cut up your silicone seals or scrape up the surface of an acrylic tank.
Once you have removed the stuck on mess, rinse the tank once or twice and make sure the water standing in the tank is clear. If it is still dingy, keep scrubbing and keep rinsing. After rinsing comes time to disinfect. For this, there are lots of methods which employ the use of chemicals that are expensive and sometimes difficult to obtain for the aquarist. I prefer to simply use bleach. Make sure you use regular, pure, unscented bleach though. What I do is fill the tank to the top again. I will then add bleach, slowly, stirring often, until the water has the smell of a fairly strongly chlorinated swimming pool. I will then let the chlorine water stand in the tanks for anywhere from 3-24 hours depending on how much time I have (the more the better in my opinion). Once they have sat, dump the water and rinse religiously. I will usually rinse each tank for a good 15 minutes. After this, I let them air dry.
When you put the tanks back into use, it is important to treat the tanks with a chlorine removing water conditioner. Even if you are one of the purists who does not believe in the use of chemicals, doing so will insure that any traces of chlorine have been removed. As I mentioned, this is not the only way to get the job done. But I have been doing this for years on my many tanks and have yet to find a better, quicker, cheaper way to do it.
Does putting two layers of folded copy paper between the aquarium light to dim it cause a fire hazard?
Someone suggested masking tape, but I don’t have any on me at the moment. I may go fetch some. But..does placing a layer or two of printer paper between the glass hood of the tank and the aquarium light cause a fire hazard? I’ve toutched the bulb and it doesn’t get very hot. There’s about a 1 inch clearance between the bulb and the paper.
Is it this safe and okay?
That would depend on what kind of lights and the heat they generate. Usually it is ok, but you never know.
Easiest solution and quickest, your local auto parts store sells tail light, head light tinting tapes around $1.99 a roll. The smoke color for fog light works really well and is fire resistant. This tape comes in many colors and is guaranteed not to melt while near even halogins.
This will work until you decide to change bulbs. If you are really worried, tape the glass of the hood, not the light itself. You can add as many layers as you wish to get the dimness you need.
