Your New Tropical Fish Tank Setup

An aquarium can be fun to decorate. A series of plants, bright-colored tubes or rocks, and other inanimate objects will beautify an aquarium and provide your tropical fish with a comfortable environment. Use the following guidelines to help you set up your tropical aquarium fish tank.

Fish Species

The first thing you should contemplate when purchasing tropical fish is the type of natural environment that a particular species is known to live in. Tropical varieties that live in shallow waters may be more accustomed to being surrounded by densely-growing plants. Fish varieties that are found in deep, swift-moving waters may be familiar with rocks, logs, and other hard-surfaced items being located within close proximity to where the fish reside.

Your fish supplier can better familiarize you with a particular species, providing insight about the size that a fish may be when reaching maturity. You may also be advised to purchase a set number of fish, which would closely mimic the number of fish that would typically be found together in a natural environment.

Decorations

Once you have made up your mind about how many tropical fish you will be buying and the actual species that you will purchase, it is time to set up the tank. The objective is to make the tank look appealing, but also prevent the decorations from looking as if they were purposely placed within the confines of the tank. Purchase one or two large decorations that will serve as the focal point of the tank. A waterwheel, a brightly colored rock, and a textured log are some decoration types you may like.

Choose aquatic plants that will provide plenty of coverage. Avoid purchasing too many different plant species, unless you are certain that all of the species of interest grow naturally within the same areas. If you stick to one or two plant varieties, the tank setting may look more natural. Plants can be used to provide your tropical fish with somewhere to hide. Plants can also be used to add softness to the tank and to conceal bulky items that are essential in keeping the tank's water filtered.

Long plants can be used to cover a side wall filter or any other accessories needed to operate the tank. Place the focal point materials within the tank and build upon them. Arrange plants on either side of the main items. Use lush plants to cover the edges of inanimate items, such as castles or logs.