10 gallon aquariums need as much setting up as you would have to do if you owned a much large size aquarium. Certainly if you want to see the fish and marine life you put into a 10 gallon aquarium to thrive then creating their ideal environment is essential.
As with any size aquarium including a 10 gallon one you are able to keep either freshwater or saltwater tropical fish in them. When it comes to setting up a 10 gallon aquarium or a much larger one the principles remain the same. Below we explain just what one is required to do when setting up a freshwater 10 gallon aquarium.
10 Gallon Aquarium – Things To Do Before Anything Else
Once you have got your 10 gallon aquarium home the first thing to do before you do anything else is clean it out thoroughly. To do this take some warm water in a bucket and add to it a small amount of detergent (washing up liquid is fine) and scrub the all parts of the tank completely (inside and out). This way you are getting rid of any airborne contaminants, dust and debris that are in contact with your 10 gallon aquarium and which you cannot see.
After you have washed the 10 gallon aquarium with the detergent mixture then rinse it out well. You should actually pour and get rid of the freshwater to rinse it out several times to remove any debris but make sure that all detergent residue is removed as well.
Along with cleaning the 10 gallon aquarium you need to wash any piece of equipment that is going to be situated in the tank also. Remember to rinse them all thoroughly several times in order to ensure that detergent residue and debris is removed from them. If you don’t you could actually cause health problems for the fish and marine life you place in the aquarium and could lead to some dying.
To clean gravel that is being placed in a 10 gallon aquarium the quickest and most effective way of getting rid of dirt, dust and contaminants on it is by placing it in colander and then putting this under a running faucet for a while. As for plants whether they be natural live ones or the plastic varieties again they need to be cleaned. Ideally you should place them in a bucket of freshwater and allow them to stand in it until such time as you are ready to put them into the tank.
Other Things You Need To Do When Setting Up Your 10 Gallon Aquarium
Something one must do before you actually set up your 10 gallon aquarium after it has been cleaned to make sure that it isn’t leaking. Do this by filling it completely with water and monitoring it over several hours. If after this time everything is okay then you can now move on to the stages for actually setting your aquarium up for real.
The first thing you need to put into your 10 gallon aquarium before you add any water (which must not contain chlorine) is to put in place the filtration system (side or under gravel one) and the gravel. To ensure that the water you are putting into your aquarium contains no chlorine is to add to it a product known as chlorine remover. It is crucial that you follow the dosage instructions to the letter provided by the manufacturer when adding this product to the water.
To avoid you disturbing the gravel too much when adding the unchlorinated water to the 10 gallon aquarium first put a dish on top of it. Now rather than pouring the water directly on to the gravel slowly and gently pour it into the dish and let it gently flow over the sides. Once you have filled the 10 gallon aquarium with water don’t forget to remove the dish.
