Checklist of Essential Aquarium Equipment

An aquarium makes a wonderful centerpiece of the room. However, for its proper upkeep installing some essential equipment is necessary. While the fish and plants make the aquarium look appealing, these equipment ensure their survival.

There are few essential and a few not-so-essential aquarium equipments. Generally, it’s the beginners who get confused regarding the same. Therefore here we have provided a checklist of aquarium gadgets and supplies to get you out from the dilemma.

Essential aquarium equipment

There are a few machines custom made only for the aquariums. Without them, the survival of fish is questionable. If you are new in fish keeping, you ought to have the following products:

Fish Tank

Having a fish tank is the prerequisite for fish keeping. It will be an artificial abode of your swirling creatures now.  If you are thinking to try your hands first on a bowl, glass jar or container, then we will suggest you drop this idea. It is not only unhealthy for the fish, but their survival also becomes hard. There is nothing that can beat a fish tank while planning for a home aquarium.

The major drawbacks of using jar or container are:

• You will not be able to maintain the desired water parameters like pH, temperature, hardness, etc.
• Sudden fluctuation in temperature may give them shock due to which they may die
• You will not be able to install the essential equipment in a small jar or container
• The fish will not get enough space to swim or swirl and get stressed easily

Therefore, it is always recommended to prefer a conventional fish tank. You can start with a small size tank measuring at least 19 liters. Once experienced, you may switch to bigger tanks as they are easy to maintain.

Aquarium filter

It is highly essential to install an aquarium filter if you want to increase the survival rate of your fish.  It is considered an inhuman practice to keep fish in captivity without an aquarium filter. There are some essential functions that filters perform like:

• It maintains the purity of water by filtering the toxicity
• Fish waste releases ammonia which only this device and filters out
• It retains the water’s purity by working on food leftovers that pollute the water

All these functions are highly important to keep the fish healthy, the absence of which may leave them dead. Make sure you invest in getting a high-grade aquarium filter which consists of good quality of materials. Filters call for regular maintenance also. So, get the one which is good in quality and work properly.

Water Conditioner

When fish are in their natural habitat- sea, lake, river or ocean, they adjust themselves accordingly. However, in the home aquariums, you have to adjust the water quality as per their needs. We all use tap water for the aquariums which generally consists of certain chemicals like chlorine and chloramines. Although they do not harm us in any way, fish are susceptible to them. This is when aquarium water conditioner comes in handy.

The most important function of an aquarium water conditioner is neutralizing the chemical compounds present in the water and making it safe for the water creatures. You can easily find this essential product in the market in the form of liquid. Once purchased, all that you need is to add a few drops in the bucket, and it will neutralize the water instantly.

Fish Food

Before introducing the fish in your aquarium, you must get fish food from the market. Fish have special diet requirements, and it is your duty to let your water creatures get the proper food. You can splurge on commercial foods that are readily available in the fish stores. Or else you can also make your fish food at home which is different from what we eat.

Some people try feeding what they eat like bread and rice and skip getting the fish feed. If the fish is starving it will munch on all that you have given, but it will do more harm than help them. Fish require food which is high in protein and fat. Bread and rice are rich in carbohydrates which are not enough for the fish to thrive well. Eventually, they may die of malnutrition.

It is a big NO to feed human food to fish. Instead, getting a bottle of fish feed which is custom made for them is the right choice. The bottle will last for a long time, and your fish will remain in good health.

Aquarium heater

Generally, the fish in trade for aquariums are tropical. However, there are a few species that are acclimatized to cold temperature as well, but their number is less. So, if you are having an aquarium and living in non-tropical areas, installing an aquarium heater is a must. It will ensure that the temperature of the water is as per the requirement of your fish.

Once adjusted, the heater will maintain a constant temperature and do not let the fish get disturbed due to temperature fluctuations outside. As soon the desired temperate is reached these heaters get automatically shut off. So, you don’t need to worry about the fish coming in shock.

Aquarium Air Pump

Everyone needs oxygen to survive, and the fish are no exception. To maintain proper gas exchange, installing an aquarium air pump is essential. It keeps an adequate flow of gases between the atmosphere and water without which the fish may die.

In most of the cases, the aquarium filter does the needful. The power filters that hang on the back allows the waterfall which creates a good surface movement. It helps in proper gas exchange. So, if your filter creates the waterfall, there is no need to get an air pump.

Live bacteria to establish the aquarium nitrogen cycle

It is a prerequisite only for the newly established aquariums. Being un-cycled, the continuous accumulation of fish waste produces an excess of ammonia. On the contrary, well-established aquariums already consist of good bacteria that feed on ammonia and neutralize its level.

The accumulation of ammonia in an un-cycled tank may make the water highly toxic for the fish. Without introducing live bacteria colony, it will take around one month to develop the good bacteria. By that time your fish may die of the toxicity. Therefore, if you are getting a fresh aquarium, it will be good if you introduce commercially available live bacteria for the tanks.

Wrapping up

The success of any aquarium depends on how much you invest in getting essential equipment. Right from the selection of apt size tank to the procurement of high-quality filter and pump- everything counts. Therefore, getting every crucial thing and installing them before running the aquarium is important. It will not only make the tank well-equipped but also make your creatures healthy endowing them a long life.