Whether you are looking to purchase one as a living decorative addition to your home/office or if you just want a pet that is relatively maintenance free, an aquarium is a great thing to have around. Contrary to what you might think though setting up a successful aquarium isn’t as easy as dumping a bunch of fish in to a bowl and calling it a day. In order for an aquarium to be a proper living space for a variety of fish, it’s extremely important that you make sure the tank is set up correctly otherwise chances are good you’ll literally end up pouring money down the drain.

The first thing you need to do after you’ve cleaned the inside of your new tank with a cloth and fresh water is to decorate it. Add a layer of rock at the bottom, place a few shells here and there to give your fish a place to hide, include some decorative plants, and you can even attach a piece of scenery to the back of the tank so it looks like your fish are swimming off the coast of some hidden paradise. Regardless of the how it looks, make sure it’s someplace level and once you fill it with water, keep a close eye out for leaks.

Next up you need to make sure the water has been cleaned. Water filters come in a variety of shapes and sizes but basically they all perform the necessary task of getting all the chemicals and bacteria’s out of the water. Don’t forget to add a heater so you can maintain a desired water temp and let your new system run a few days before actually adding fish.

Finally it’s time to add some fish to your fish tank. This however doesn’t mean you go to the store and load up on the most expensive types…..patience is the key here. Start out slow with a few Tetras and algae eaters, once these have had a few weeks to establish themselves and you are comfortable with how they are responding to their new environment then proceed with adding a few more. Don’t go overboard though! Give your fish room to move and grow.