Setting Up An Aquarium

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Setting Up An Aquarium

I have wanted an Aquarium for ages, but just never had the time or space to set one up. Then purely by chance as I was checking the latest email from our local FreeCycle group, someone was offering a small aquarium with all the bits and pieces needed to set it up. I dashed off an email, but didn't really think I had much chance of getting it. Then came a phone call - it had been promised to someone else but they hadn't turned up to collect it so it was there if I still wanted it. Suffice it to say that my dearly beloved was dispatched to fetch it as soon as possible. He arrived home with the bundle of stuff you see in the photo and I was on my way to having my longed for aquarium. This lens is the story of setting it up and the arrival of 'The Boys' - it's not technical, it's not the definitive information on how to set up an Aquarium - it is just my way of sharing my pleasure in my new fish tank.

Unpacking The Kit 

I started off by unpacking the kit that we had been given. It was an act of amazing generosity on the part of the donor - but that is the joy of Freecycle.

The tank is only small, 20 litres, but more than enough to start with. Packed inside the tank were the instructions from when it had originally been bought - very useful. There was a filter, essential to keep the tank clean and wholesome. There was also a heater though I wont be using that as I had decided to keep cold water fish which are less complicated. Next, an air pipe, a small net for catching the fish and a huge ornamental 'thing'. So complete was the kit that there was even a pot of food though I decided not to use that as I had no idea how long it had been open. Finally, there was a lid.

The next task was to wash and clean it all, not a long job but one that had to be done with care. You can't use liquid detergents as they are almost impossible to rinse out of the tank, so it was good, old fashioned elbow grease. Added to the need for the aforementioned elbow grease was the fact that you can't use anything abrasive on a plastic tank but with plenty of hot water, it was soon done. The cleaning process also resulted in one further decision - the ornament had to go. It was huge, far too big for the tank and, as I am not a lover of bright plastic things in fish tanks, it just was not something I envisaged in my tank.

The cleaned up kit...

Getting the Extras 

Having got the aquarium all cleaned up, I needed a few supplies to be able to prepare it for 'The Boys' as they were already being referred to. That necessitated a trip to a local garden and aquatics centre so we set off, braving the constant rain that is bedevilling us at the moment.

Having got there I had to have a look at the all the fish as well - I still hadn't decided exactly what I was going to have, and this left me in even more turmoil. The brightly coloured tiny tropical fish are so pretty, I could feel my resolve to have cold water fish weakening.

Ornaments were also inspected but there was nothing I liked, skulls and sunken ships didn't really do much for me and I had already had to make one major decision - coloured or natural gravel for the bottom of the tank? In truth, it wasn't a very hard decision at all, natural gravel it was so a couple of bags were purchased along with conditioner to make the tap water safe for the fish when they arrived.

Final Preparation 

Once having got back with the gravel and so on, the next job was to wash that so it didn't make the water cloudy - vast amounts of water run through it and much rinsing later it was ready. Time to assemble the tank. Before doing that the position of the tank had to be decided. Moving a tank with twenty litres of water in it is not a sensible thing to do, so it had to filled 'in situ'.

Various places were proposed and rejected for any number of reasons but finally a spot on the unit beside my armchair was selected. Judicious rearranging of the Orchids and other bits and pieces made a suitable space, close enough to a power source but still out of direct sunlight.

The filter was duly set up, though we weren't quite sure we had got it right to keep the water aerated but it seemed to be working and everything fitted. so water was duly added and the appropriate amount of water conditioner added. All that had to be done now was wait for everything to settle for twenty four hours before getting the fish.

The Aquarium ready and in situ

Bringing Home The Boys 

Next day came and it was time to go and choose the fish. we had calculated that for the size of tank we could have about 12 cms of fish in total so bearing that in mind we set off. Half an hour later we arrived at Avon Aquatics in Shipston on Stour. It was like a treasure trove, so many wonderful things to see, and so many fish to choose from.

The easy part was to choose a plant to go in the Aquarium, for oxygen and for the fish to hide amongst. I still couldn't find an ornament that didn't look like something plastic and nasty so that went by the board for a while.

We wondered up and down the aisles, debating what type of fish to have and after much discussion it was narrowed down to two - Small Fancy goldfish or Mountain Minnows. Pacing, chewing of finger ends and much time spent staring into tanks, the choice was made - fancy goldfish it was. Three were selected, and prepared for travel. Appropriate food was bought and we set off home, after the kind and helpful gentleman in the shop reduced me to almost unontrollable hysterics when he informed me - in all seriousness - that I 'have very good taste in Small Fancies'!

A brief stop on the way at the garden centre for some bits for the garden also resulted in the purchase of a lump of terracotta to go in the tank. Not quite the normal use for a plant pot stand but it worked for us!

Moving In 

Once home, the next task was to acclimatise The Boys to their new home. Following the excellent instructions given by Avon Aquatics, the bag containing the fish was duly floated in the top of the Aquarium for about fifteen minutes to equalise the temperatures.

While that was going on the newly purchased plant was pushed well into the gravel to hold it steady and to somewhat disguise the filter. It looked quite happy gently moving in the current created by the filter. Once the terracotta lump was in place, it was onto the next stage with the fish.

Having done that, the elastic band sealing the bag was carefully removed and a little of the Aquarium water was added to the bag - five minutes or so later it was time to allow the Boys loose into their new home...

Moved In

Settling In 

The Boys settled in - and acquired names. I have just completed this year's Thirty Day Challenge run by Ed Dale, Dan Raine and Robert Somerville (aka GuruBob) of The Immediate Edge - and somehow the names each seemed to fit one of the Boys. The characters of each of them meant that they almost named themselves. Ed - platinum and orange, and something of a showman. Dan - speckled and busy, darting here there and everywhere. GuruBob - velvety black, carefully inspecting everything, working out just what it will do and how it will benefit. It also seemed an appropriate way to thank the guys for all that they do.

The Boys kept me amused and entertained with their antics, providing a great stress buster but somehow things were not quite right - they were so tiny that even in the small Aquarium, they were a little lost. We had fiddled around with the filter and got that working far more effectively - by dint of copying what we had seen at the Shop and the tank seemed just a little empty still.

Anyone who has done the Thirty Day Challenge will tell you that it couldn't be done without the Interns and somehow it seemed only right that they should be there too so another trip resulted in the arrival of Nez (Andrew Nesbitt) and Asbjorn (Asbjorn Riedel). Again they seemed to name themselves - Nez has a moustache and Asbjorn just seems to sort things out.....

Meet The Boys

Getting The Boys to stay still for a photo opportunity wasn't easy but here they are... superstars every one of them!

Ed Dale

Dan Raine

GuruBob

Nez

Asbjorn

The Boys At Home - The New Immediate Edge Office?

More Photos of the Boys... 

curated content from Flickr

Cold Water Aquarium Stuff 

A Practical Guide to Setting Up Your Cold Water Aquarium (Tankmaster Series)

A Practical Guide to Setting Up Your Cold Water Aquarium (Tankmaster Series)

by: Nick Fletcher

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

An Essential Guide to Choosing Your Cold Water Aquarium Fish (Tankmaster Series)

An Essential Guide to Choosing Your Cold Water Aquarium Fish (Tankmaster Series)

by: Nick Fletcher

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

The Simple Guide to Fresh Water Aquariums (Simple Guide to...)

The Simple Guide to Fresh Water Aquariums (Simple Guide to...)

by: David E. Boruchowitz

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

Nature Aquarium World Volume 2

Nature Aquarium World Volume 2

by: Takashi Amano

Amazon Price: (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

The Inspired Aquarium: Ideas and Instruction for Living with Aquariums

The Inspired Aquarium: Ideas and Instruction for Living with Aquariums

by: Jeff Senske, Mike Senske

Amazon Price: $16.50 (as of 12/17/2009) Buy Now

The Joys of Fish Keeping 

The Boys give me immense pleasure - do share your stories too...

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by flaminglacer

My passion is sharing knowledge - as simply as possible.  You can see how on www.flaminglacer.com - and find out why I go by this weird and wonde...

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