When you first want to get yourself an aquarium, you will probably have a lot of questions. What type of aquarium to buy and how to decorate it? What types of fish are recommended for beginners and how many of them should you buy? All of these questions and more are things that beginners need to know one way or another.

What size aquarium is recommended for a beginner aquarist to start with?

If you have never had an aquarium before, you may think that it is much easier to start with a small aquarium. This opinion is wrong - it is the larger aquariums that are much easier and easier to maintain. The main parameter that affects the maintenance of an aquarium is water, and water quality is much easier to maintain in a large aquarium.

As fish eat food and excrete waste, toxins and organic debris will accumulate in the aquarium, which will affect the water quality. In smaller aquariums, these toxins can have a higher concentration, which will affect water quality to a much greater extent than in larger aquariums. In small aquariums, you will have to change the water much more frequently, whereas in larger aquariums it is sufficient to change part of the aquarium water with fresh water once a week.

Which fish should a beginner start with?

When you first start aquariumkeeping, it is advisable to start with undemanding fish species. Experienced aquarists recommend livebearers such as swordtails, guppies and mollinesias as the first fish because they are easy to care for. Also easy to keep are many species of tetras. The key to getting started with setting up your first aquarium is to start small by purchasing a few fish and add more fish as you gain experience.

How do you keep your fish healthy?

It is very important that the underwater inhabitants of your aquarium do not get sick. To do this, you need to feed them with quality food and provide them with appropriate habitat conditions. The fish menu should be varied and consist of quality dry food (flakes or pellets), supplemented with live and frozen food. Live foods such as daphnia, trumpet fish and moths are an excellent source of protein for the fish. To maintain water parameters, it is necessary to change the water in time, as well as equip the aquarium with a thermostat, aerator and water filter.

Should I plant live plants in my aquarium?

Adding live plants to a freshwater aquarium is not only a great way to beautify it, but will also make it more comfortable for all the inhabitants. Live aquarium plants will oxygenate the water as well as combat excessive algae growth, as live plants and algae will naturally compete for the same nutrients.

While adding live plants to your aquarium will provide a number of valuable benefits, it will also mean extra effort on your part. Aquarium plants require some lighting, and you will also need to purchase the necessary soil and fertilizer. You should also keep in mind that some species of fish eat plants, so it is recommended to plant plants with tough leaves in an aquarium with these fish.

What equipment do I need?

There are three types of equipment that are necessary to maintain a freshwater aquarium: a filter, a heater, and a lighting system. As you gain experience in the aquarium hobby, you may consider installing additional equipment such as a protein skimmer, aquarium chiller, or sump system, but all of these things are not mandatory.

An aquarium filter is a must for maintaining clean water. Over time, solid and dissolved waste and debris build up in the aquarium water and it is the filter that removes them before they can affect the water quality.

If you plan to keep tropical aquarium fish, you will need to purchase a quality aquarium heater to keep your aquarium at a stable water temperature.

In addition to the heater and aquarium filter, you will also need to equip your aquarium with a lighting system. Aquarium lighting will not only brighten your aquarium, thereby improving its appearance, but will also provide the light your plants need to grow properly.

How much food should I give my fish?

One of the most common mistakes novice aquarists make is overfeeding their fish. Aquarium fish don't actually need a lot of food and constant overfeeding can actually lead to a number of health problems, including bloated bellies and upset stomachs. In addition to health problems, overfeeding can also lead to water quality problems in the aquarium. Uneaten food will sink to the bottom and accumulate as organic debris - over time, this debris will release ammonia, a substance that is toxic to fish. The more debris in the tank, the higher the ammonia levels will be and the lower the water quality will be.

If you have problems with dosing the amount of food given out, try installing an automatic feeder to distribute the food at regular intervals.

How many fish can I keep in my aquarium?

The number of fish you can keep in your aquarium depends on both its size and the species of fish itself. It goes without saying that larger aquariums can hold more fish, but even so, you should approach this question consciously.

When considering how many fish can be kept in the aquarium, you need to think about the maximum size that the fish will reach, not the size that it has, having just been purchased in a pet store. It is recommended that beginner aquarists start with a few small fish to see how many of them the aquarium can handle without problems.

What should you do if a fish gets sick?

No matter how much you follow all the rules for taking care of your aquarium, your fish can get sick with some kind of disease. In this case, the first thing to do when one of your fish gets sick is to transfer it to a quarantine tank to prevent the disease from spreading to other fish in the tank. A quarantine tank is simply an additional tank with the same water parameters as the main tank.

A sick fish should be carefully examined to determine the symptoms of the disease and then follow the treatment recommendations. Depending on the disease, it may take a few days to a few weeks for your fish to recover so that it can be transferred to the main tank.