Getting started: Tank setup

Ok, so you thought long and hard about how much money you want to spend on your new hobby, and about where you plan to have your tank. The spot you decided on is out of the way of heavy traffic in your house, not directly under or over any vents, and is never in direct sunlight. You bought your tank, and maybe all the other equipment you think you will need and got it home. Now what?

The first thing you should do is fill the tank with water while it is outside and check for leaks, whether it is new or used. A tank that leaks or even falls apart under the pressure of the water outside makes much less of a mess than one that leaks in your living room. Remember that essentially all that is holding your tank together is glass and glue, or a thin layer of injection molded plastic, and this has to support hundreds or thousands of pounds of water. Another very important safety tip is to NEVER try to move a tank that has more than a thin layer of water on the bottom. A tank is designed to hold the huge mass of water it contains while fully supported on all edges and stationary. If you try to move it while it is full of water, a perfectly constructed tank can split down the seal, or the glass can crack in two from the pressure. Always siphon as much water as possible from the tank before moving it at all.

So, your tank you now know is structurally sound and you have it set up on its stand in your house. The first thing to do is to fill it with water. For a freshwater aquarium, especially for a beginning hobbyist, tap water is the best to use. Fill the tank with water from a garden hose or from the sink using buckets if your tank is not that large. Treat the water with dechlorinator if you get your water from a municipal supplier (anywhere other than an untreated well). Before you add gravel or any decorations, make sure you rinse them off in tap water to remove any contaminates that may be present, and to remove the dust that is often on gravel. Do NOT use soap on anything. Set the tank up with your power filter (make sure you do this before adding gravel if you have an under gravel filter :-) ) and start it running. Set the tank up with the heater, thermometer, air pump and bubbler and anything else you have to put in the tank as far as equipment and decorations go. Your tank should run with just water and decorations and equipment for at least a week for the chemistry to stabilize. After that amount of time, test the KH and GH of your tank water, as it may be different than that of your fresh tap water after running in your tank with items and substrate that may be seeping chemicals into your water. Now, after the water has aged, your tank is ready to be cycled!