Freshwater Aquaria in Your Home
The first thing you will need (obviously) is a tank. You want all-glass, and I think the 20 to 30 gallon range is ideal - big enough to keep your water fairly stable and small enough to be affordable. An Amazon stream system is thick with vegetation. This makes for a healthy tank. Plants absorb nitrogenous waste from the fish. And plants photosynthesize during the daylight hours, creating oxygen which the fish need. Perhaps best of all, a well-planted tank looks beautiful in your home. I chose a "29 high" for my freshwater tank because it allows for tall vegetation and makes an attractive shape. (NOTE: if using a "high" tank, you will need to base your number of fish on a 20 gallon "regular", since the surface area is what matters most. You will also need very strong lighting in order for your plants to thrive. More on that later.)
Glass tanks are not tremendously expensive, but if I had it to do over again I would watch for garage sales or classified ads for a second hand tank. They can usually be had for a song, just make sure you fill them with water to check for leaks before you buy.
You will need to choose a filtration system. Read as much as you can, because there are differing opinions out there, but most agree that undergravel filtration is NOT good for live plants. I use a medium-sized power filter that fits on the outside of the back of the tank. It has a mechanical filter which contains activated carbon and floss, and it has a "biowheel" which is kind of like a small waterwheel. It turns as the water passes under it, allowing for aerobic bacteria to do their work. (True biological filtration involves two steps: anaerobic bacteria and aerobic bacteria.)
Other equipment you will need: a heater, a stick-on thermometer, a cover, a hood (or two), and lights. If you are planning a 10-30 gallon tank you can line two flourescent strips along side each other. I use a Triton bulb with an Actinic 50/50. If you really want to create an Amazon-type system, you will need STRONG lighting to support heavy vegetation.
One or two interesting pieces of driftwood and a couple of interesting rocks will add character. You can buy driftwood which is attached to a piece of slate, but it's a little pricey. I don't see why you couldn't find your own interesting piece of wood, boil it for a couple of hours, let it dry, and glue it to a flat rock with some non-water-based epoxy. Could this be harmful to the fish? MAYBE! I've never done this, and I would appreciate hearing from anyone who knows whether this would be safe!
Choose dark colored gravel and rinse it well. Never use soap or detergents in your tank or on its decor. Just water, and a lot of it, to rinse clean.
Speaking of water, you will probably need to test your tap water. A cheap alternative is to take a clean sample of your tap water to a good local fish store. Most will be happy to test it for you, for free. They can help you decide whether you can improve your water with a water softening agent or whether you should consider buying distilled water for your tank. For a freshwater tank, most tap water is okay as long as you're sure it doesn't contain lead or copper or other heavy metals. What you want for an Amazon system is soft, slightly acid water. Use a water hardness test. If your water tests at 60-80ppm or lower, it's fine. More hardness will require a water softener. The best way to get your water a little on the acid side (pH or 6.5-7.0) is to buy aquarium peat (not garden peat) and bury it under your gravel. Your plants will love you for it, and it will help to give your tank the ideal pH.
Simon and Schuster (you know, the guys that make the guides to everything?) have a great book on Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Fishes. This book (about $15) also has a great section on aquarium plants. Choose plants which prefer soft, acid water. Amazon Sword Plants (obviously) are great. They're hardy and they provide good cover for the fish. A 20-30 gallon tank will really look its best with about 30-40 plants. Plant the taller and bigger ones toward the back. They can also help cover heaters and filters for a more natural look. Use progressively smaller plants up front. Rocks look great with grass in front of them. I like to plant with about six inches of water in the tank. You should have your peat and gravel in there first, although you might want to keep a little gravel aside to help cover the roots. Cut off the dead and rotting parts of the roots first. After you plant them give the plant a gentle, upward pull so that the roots point downward. It's not a bad idea to put aquarium fertilizer tablets (broken into pieces) here and there around the roots, but I would recommend doing this AFTER your tank has cycled, preferably after your tank is a few months old and your water conditions are stable.
Now that you've got your hardware and your decor, you're ready to fill the tank and add two or three starter fishes. Don't get attached to these guys. They might not make it. Goldfish are pretty good for starters. I ended up using four, tiny neon tetras in my 29 high, but I would not recommend this. It's what happened when I didn't know what I was doing and asked the kid at PetDumb. :-) My neons survived, but they are sensitive to nitrites, and you will experience rising nitrites as your new tank "cycles."
Once your starter fish have been in there for three or four weeks, and your water tests show very low or no nitrates, ammonia, and nitrites, you can GRADUALLY begin stocking the tank. If you don't want your starters, most fish stores will take them back. Don't just flush them. It's not nice. They die a slow, nasty death that way.
For the Amazon stream system, these are some great choices: almost any kind of tetra (lemon, neon, bleeding heart, cardinal, emperor, congo, etc.) A really beautiful setup would be a species tank. Choose one kind of tetra (they like to swim in schools) and gradually stock to fifteen to thirty fish, depending on the fish capacity of your tank. Even in a species tank, two or three catfish are a good idea to help with cleanup. And plecos will keep algae and slime off the insides of your tank. Other kinds of fish good for the Amazon system are barbs, and some ciclids. Be aware, though, that ciclids are sensitive to water conditions, need a good bit of room, and tend to dig up plants. Keep in mind in choosing your fish that you will be most likely buying juveniles but you need to know how big they're going to get as adults! The most important thing to remember when stocking is to be patient! Even for a 20-30 gallon tank, it takes about six months of very gradual stocking to reach a healthy capacity. Don't rush the process.
This is just an overview, based on my experience. I plan to provide some good links which you should explore as you learn the hobby.
© 1997 janisb@mindspring.com
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