| If you want an aquarium that's easy to maintain and | | | | mechanical filters also contain activated carbon, which |
| a popular choice with most households, then a | | | | functions as a biological filter. The chemicals in your |
| freshwater aquarium is what you're looking for. It can | | | | freshwater aquarium need to be kept in balance, so |
| be used to house freshwater fish and plant life. You | | | | zeolites are used to remove ammonia, and water |
| can choose between a glass or an acrylic tank for | | | | hardness is reduced by ion exchange resins. A |
| your freshwater aquarium. Glass tanks are heavy and | | | | biological filter also recycles nitrogen, which is an |
| need to be housed on a sturdy base. Acrylic tanks | | | | essential requirement for keeping your fish alive. It's |
| are much lighter and come in a wider range of styles. | | | | also a good idea to have an air pump, which |
| Freshwater aquariums generally have a capacity of | | | | increases the circulation of oxygen and its |
| between 30 and 60 gallons. You need to have an | | | | concentration. |
| inlet, pumps, a filtration system and an outlet. It's | | | | When you're first setting up your freshwater |
| very important to keep the water cycling through a | | | | aquarium, it's a good idea to buy healthy, young |
| filtration system in order to maintain the fine | | | | freshwater fish. If you want to add more mature |
| ecological balance of your aquarium. The pump is | | | | fish later, that's fine as long as your system has had |
| used to keep the water circulating. You can use | | | | time to stabilize. You might also like to cheer up your |
| normal tap water when you fill up your tank initially, | | | | aquarium with some plants. They add a touch of |
| or to top it up, but it's important to make sure it's of | | | | beauty, but also help with the ecological balance in |
| good quality or has been filtered first. | | | | the aquarium. Some popular plants include: |
| When you're deciding on a filtration system for your | | | | Argentine Sword (Echinodorus argentinensis) |
| freshwater aquarium, there are three main types to | | | | Amazon Sword (Echinodorus amazonicus) |
| choose from. These are: | | | | Java Fern (Microsorium pteropus) |
| Mechanical filtration system | | | | Hygrophila polysperma |
| Biological filtration system | | | | Umbrella Plant (Spathiphyllum wallisii) |
| Chemical filtration system | | | | Vallisneria spiralis |
| Usually, a mechanical filtration system is used to | | | | Take the time to set up your aquarium correctly, and |
| remove particulate matter from the aquarium. Many | | | | you'll have a lot more success. |