How to Start a new Cool Water Aquarium

1. How to Start a new Cool Water Aquarium
An aquarium is actually easier to care for than a fish bowl. The first thing to know is that you should not get all the equipment and the fish on the same day.

Equipment. You'll need an aquarium, an aquarium cover, and an aquarium stand. Cool water fish prefer room temperature water and don’t need an aquarium heater.

You should buy an Aquarium Filter with a BIO-Wheel.

You’ll also need a 5-inch fish net and a bottle of Water Conditioner.
Finally you will some food to feed your fish. We recommend floating goldfish food such as TetraFin Goldfish Flakes.
Take all these items home and carefully read the instructions that come in the box with your filter, then hang it on the back of your aquarium.

Fill the aquarium with tap water from the faucet and add the amount of Water Conditioner that is specified on the bottle of Water Conditioner.

Plug your filter into an electrical outlet, and let it run for three days without fish in your aquarium.
2. First Fish for a Cool Water Aquariums
After your new aquarium equipment has been running for three days without fish, buy three inexpensive medium size (about 2" to 2.5") comet goldfish not expensive fancy goldfish. Do not add more fish for three weeks.

During the first three weeks, the water in your aquarium may get cloudy or foamy and have an odor. If this happens, click here to read about what to do. These first three weeks of starting an aquarium is a risky time for fish. The cloudy and foamy water is often called the "new fish tank syndrome".

After three weeks if your three fish look healthy, the water is crystal clear, and smells clean, you can add another fish. Even better add some ghost shrimp. They will improve the water quality by finding and eating small bits of food.

Be careful not to add too many fish to your aquarium. Add a couple of new fish every few weeks. A maximum of 1" of fish per gallon of water is a good rule of thumb for beginners. By this rule, you'd keep 10 inches of fish in a 10-gallon aquarium. For example, five fish each 2" in length, making a total of 10 inches of fish in a 10-gallon aquarium.

Summary: Set up all the equipment and let it run for three days. Then add three inexpensive medium size comet goldfish, and do not add more fish for three weeks. Later gradually add more fish until you have a maximum of about 1" of fish per gallon of water.

3. More Good Fish for a Cool Water Aquarium
Fancy Goldfish are available in many interesting shapes and beautiful colors. White Clouds, Crabs, Ghost Shrimp, Tadpoles, Aquatic Snails, and Live Plants all do well in a Cool Water Aquarium with Goldfish, and all can eat the same food such as TetraFin Flakes.

If you are looking to add a bizarre fish, a Dragon Fish may be just perfect for your aquarium. But keeping a Dragon Fish requires more skill than keeping Goldfish, and Dragon Fish need to eat live food such as Ghost Shrimp.
4. Pick a Good Place for your Cool Water Aquarium. Sunlight will contribute to green algae growing in your aquarium, so pick a place for your aquarium that is away from windows. Locate your Cool Water Aquarium away from the heater, the vent from the heater, and anything else warm. Put your aquarium on something flat and sturdy such as an aquarium stand.