Aquarium Care & Maintenance
Instructions and Supplies
Initial Aquarium Set Up Instructions
Location: Put your aquarium somewhere that can hold the weight (about 10lbs per gallon of water), support the entire bottom of the tank, and be as level as possible. Make sure the aquarium will not receive direct sunlight in this location. Rimless aquariums come with a mat to help protect the bottom of the aquarium, and sometimes it helps to put the mat down first, then place the aquarium evenly over the mat. Also make sure you choose a location near an outlet. You will need three plugs to support your tank.
Unwrapping: Once in place, remove the plastic wrap from the top, then remove any bags that are holding the hard scape in place.
Adding Water: Fill the one gallon water pitcher with tap water and add water conditioner into to the pitcher. Use a baffle, like a bowl or plastic bag, to divert the flow of the water. Adding water directly into the soil will cause a muddy mess, so add water back in slowly and carefully. The dosage instructions for the water conditioner are on the bottle; always dose water conditioner for the entire volume of the aquarium.
Electricity: Plug in your pump/filter, your heater, and your light. The filter should start right up. The heater should be set somewhere between 75 - 78F. The heater and the filter should be on at all times. We have included a Govee light timer, that can be controlled from an app and connected to your wifi. Set the timer so the tank gets 8 hours of light.
Water Treatments: Once everything is running, add in Microbe Lift Special Blend. Before you go to bed, dose with Microbe Lift Nite Out. Use the bottle’s dosage instructions for maintenance. (Note: Special Blend has a sulfuric odor, but it dissipates quickly).
Acclimating Fish
When you bring home fish from FFP, they will be carefully bagged with plenty of oxygen. When transporting the fish home, keep the temperature stable by adjusting the vehicle environment to stay somewhere in the 70s, or place the fish bag in an empty cooler. To get your fish settled into your new aquarium, float the bag on the surface of the aquarium and turn off your aquarium light. After 20 minutes, open the bag and release the fish into their new home.
Aquarium Maintenance: Daily Tasks
Feed your fish. Observe them for any listless behavior, lack of appetite, or anything abnormal. Bettas should only get about 5 pellets every other day. Shrimp get fed twice a week, and all other tropical fish can be fed small amounts of food daily.
After 30 minutes, remove any uneaten food that remains to prevent spoiling the water quality.
Make sure the water temperature is between 75 - 78F, and that all equipment is functioning properly.
Dose fertilizer and Excel:
Fertilizer: __2__ ml/day
Excel: __1__ ml/day
Aquarium Maintenance: Weekly Tasks
10 Steps to Performing a 10 - 20% water change.
Step 1: Unplug your heater and filter.
Step 2: Remove the water by siphoning it into a 5 gallon bucket. You can estimate the amount of water to remove, or use the 1 gallon water pitcher to get a more accurate measurement.
Step 3:Remove the sponges from the filter, and use the aquarium water you just removed to clean them. Sort of squish them in the water repeatedly until they are clear of debris. Put the sponges back in the filter. (Tip: Dirty fish tank water is excellent for watering house plants.)
Step 4: Trim any stem plants that are getting too tall. Stem plants will re-grow new “heads” from any leaf node, and can grow roots there as well. When you trim a stem plant, make sure you trim off enough to be able to re-plant it. If you need help figuring this out, just get in touch with us or take our Aquascaping 101 class for detailed tutorials.
Step 5: Scrub the algae off the glass with a magic eraser or algae sponge.
Step 6: Dispose of the dirty water (or water your house plants with it) and refill with tap water. Make sure this water is as close to the current temperature of the aquarium as possible.
Step 7: Add the water conditioner to the aquarium just before filling; dose for the entire volume of the aquarium. Then, fill the aquarium using the pitcher, slowly filling to avoid stirring up the aqua soil or sand.
Step 8: Plug your filter and heater back in.
Step 9: Dose with Microbe Lift Special Blend.
Step 10: Dose with Microbe Lift Nite Out before bedtime that same day.
Recommended Maintenance Supplies
Water Conditioner
Microbe Lift Special Blend
Microbe Lift Nite Out
All-In-One Plant Fertilizer
Flourish Excel
Fish Food
5 Gallon Bucket(s)
1 Gallon Water Pitcher
Fish Net
Algae Sponge or Magic Eraser
Siphon Tube
Plant Scissors
Plant Tweezers
Towels
Shop Maintenance Supplies
Additional Set Up & Maintenance Support
If you are having trouble with any stage of setup, contact the Green Brook store at (908)420-9908 or email Jenn at jennifer@fitzfishponds.com and we will be able to walk you through any steps and troubleshoot any issues.
Each week, you should only have to spend 1 hour doing maintenance. Being consistent helps keep the tank looking its best.
We do provide maintenance services if it gets too out of hand, so feel free to reach out for help if you need it. Contact Jenn at jennifer@fitzfishponds.com for any questions about our aquarium services.
