Beginner’s Guides - Keeping Tropicals

An aquarium full of tropical fish is really a living ornament

so the tank needs to be placed where it can be seen - and

with easy access to a mains electricity point.

You will need to keep the water at a constant tropical

temperature, usually 24 degrees Centigrade (75 degrees

Fahrenheit). This requires a heater--thermostat. The

aquastore can advise you on the correct wattage for your

size tank. Rena make a range for all sizes of aquaria.

Set-up the aquarium with sand or gravel, ornaments, a

Filter of choice and the heaterstat. An overhead light Is

needed to see the beauty of the fishes. You can add

plastic plants or real ones if you want to be an underwater

gardener too. An airpump is not essential but does bring

the aquascene to life with its stream of bubbles.

Leave 24 hours to settle down and check that the heater

gives the right temperature. To remove chlorine (or

chloramine in some tapwaters) use a treatment such as

API’s StressCoat.

Then add fish of your choice such as community species

for a mixed species aquarium - or specials such as Discus

or Oscars...or a themed aquarium such as an Amazonian

Tank. The choices run into thousands so do read about

them (and their needs) first.

But only get two (if large) or three (small) fish and no

more for at least a week. Then add 2 or 3 more, again

leaving for a week, and so on up to the maximum

recommended for your size tank. This avoids NTS

(New Tank Syndrome) which can kill your new fish.

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