Setting up my old aquarium



A dim purple light highlights the color in
some fish. Picture; Toni Cotter



After more than two years of our 90L fish tank sitting near the kitchen, empty and with the same gravel it had before we moved (although cleaned!) I have recently decided to set up and run it again.
This size tank for the size of the house seems ideal but if you have more space get as big a tank as you can as how many fish you can have is dictated by surface area and not how many liters of water your tank can hold so  taller tanks are generally ill advised though space saving.



the tank setup under a brighter green light,
you can change the flourecent tube lights for
differing effect
Picture; Toni Cotter



 After years of keeping and breeding various freshwater tropical fish (and a quick check to see if the floor was level and even)  I decided on cold, fresh water fish, anything but goldfish and generally anything that could look nice in a small aquarium. So off to the internet I went in search of some freshwater temperate fish, after that I called my local stores to see what they had in stock and for any advice.  



Some of the products we use in setting
up the tank including nets we used to
remove floating leaves and for the fish.
Picture; Toni Cotter

Setting up the tank is the easiest part, getting the water to an inhabitable level however takes a small amount of skill (remembering that I’m not putting in any goldfish) and time if you want your new slimy little friends to survive. There won’t be any fish in the tank for at least the next week or two (in order to let the ph settle and for any detrimental gasses to dissolve through aeration) so I added some aquarium plants in the meantime. There are some things you need from your local store (I’m not advertising here so choose one with friendly knowledgeable staff) including a PH test kit (which you will need over time anyway) a net for handling your fish and the most important some water ager. You can get food the day you bring your fish home and other supplies like an ammonia or hardness test kit when they are needed.  I found either Stress Coat +or Aqua + are decent water agers but again I advise that you find what works for you and do your homework (same goes for choosing a tank in the first place).  

Paradise Fish, Picture; google

 I have found that the hardy Paradise fish, a Labyrinth fish related to Gourami’s and Fighter Fish can live in cooler waters (16-26˚C) and will be the eventual tank mates to some different Danios. I was told I can get different colored Danios (other than the Zebra and Leopard variants but not glofish) and they will school together and keep the Paradise fish busy. Paradise fish can be a little aggressive towards its own kind so having a smaller schooling fish would be beneficial.

 In a week or two I will add my Danios to cycle the tank well before the paradise fish arrive and to give them a head start. It’s always a good idea to cycle a new tank and information on cycling your fish tank can be found Here

In a few weeks I should be able to post some pics on this very blog of the new fish.