photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar
There are certain things in life that should never be rushed. A good bottle of wine is just one example. And another, rather more appropriate to this website, is setting up a new aquarium.
The simple fact of the matter is that setting up an aquarium properly takes time and those people who are in a hurry and want to cut corners are typically the kind of people who have problems when it comes to keeping their aquarium fish fit and healthy.
Let’s look at a few examples together…
When it comes to decking out your aquarium with various plants and aquarium decorations it is worth taking the time to consider what you are doing. Spend a few days coming back to your aquarium before you consider adding any fish to check that your design really does look as attractive as you initially thought. Also consider how the plants are going to grow up and try to imagine your aquarium in a few months time as it gets established to see whether any changes will be needed.
Various aquarium decorations themselves may require patience. No matter how well you wash everything before adding water to your aquarium you some decorations may still dirty the water to a degree. Dust from gravel, tannins from wood and minerals from some rocks may still cause your aquarium water to go cloudy when you fish fill it up and so again having the patience to wait a few days for all the particles to separate out can be a very smart idea indeed.
The water that you place into your aquarium is likely to be high in chemicals such as chlorine which has been added to the water to keep us safe but may cause harm to your fish. Whilst dechlorinating solutions are now available if you opt not to use them you really need to leave your aquarium water to stand few a couple of days so these chemicals can dissipate before adding it to your tank.
And then of course there is the sensitive issue of fish tank chemistry. We know more now than ever about the complex bacterial cultures that build up over time in our tank substrate and in our filter media and how these cultures help to break down harmful chemicals that our fish secrete.
These bacterial colonies take time to build up and therefore for our filtration system to become fully functional. “Seeding” our aquariums with fish flakes and/or a small number of very hardy fish will allow the bacteria to grow slowly before we start adding other, more sensitive fish and even then fish should ideally only be added a few at a time to allow our filter to deal with all the extra work that will be required of it.
The worst possible fish-keeping situation is one where you try to set up an aquarium in an afternoon and fill it with fish the next day. In contrast the best situations are those where the aquarium keeper is fully aware of the patience required of him or her and takes the time – often weeks – to slowly introduce all the elements necessary for a healthy fish tank.
If you’re just setting up your first aquarium and are chomping at the bit to create a completely planted and stocked aquarium just try to remember how important your patience is and appreciate that this small initial investment of your time will be rewarded for years to come.
