Aquarium Equipment

The size of the tank dictates the number of fish that may safely be kept in it. A general rule of thumb is one inch of fish per net gallon of water.

Your first aquarium will be glass or acrylic. Remember acrylic can scratch very easily.

Popular aquarium manufacturers in the UK include Juwel,Aqua One and Ocean.

Heaters

Tropical fishes need to have their aquarium water maintained at a temperature similar to their natural environment. For most species, 75 - 80° F (24-27° C) is suitable. Virtually all heaters are controlled by a bi-metallic strip thermostat.

If your aquarium is situated in a cold room, you might need more heating than normally recommended for your aquarium size.

Aquarium heaters are available in a range of wattages, the wattage will determine the heat output of the unit and therefore the size or volume of the aquarium for which it will be suitable.


The following is a basic guide to which heaters to choose for various aquarium sizes.

25 Watt Mini Aquariums

50 Watt Aquariums to 18“ (45 cm)

100 Watt Aquariums to 24” (60 cm)

150 Watt Aquariums to 30” (76 cm)

200 Watt Aquariums to 36” (90 cm)

300 Watt Aquariums to 48” (120 cm)

Filters

More or less any waste in the tank manifests itself as ammonia. Nitrifying bacteria go to work to turn the ammonia (very toxic) into nitrite (toxic) and then into nitrate (not so toxic). Your filter, once established, plays a vital role in hosting the bacteria needed to complete the nitrogen cycle. My preferred method is to use a combination of filter media within a combined heater/filter tower.

Lighting

Your plants will thrive with the correct lighting. Choose your flourescent tube carefully, looking for the correct wattage and colour spectrum for optimum plant growth. Growing plants will utilise harmful nitrates, helping to keep them within acceptable limits.