15 Easy Steps to set up an Aquarium at Home

Set up an aquarium is the first step you need to start your aquarium fish keeping hobby. While there are more than just one way to set up a fish tank, depends on the type of aquarium you plan to have. The general idea is the same. Since some procedures can’t be reversed. To make things simpler, we will simplify the process to a list of 15 steps.

First of all, please make sure you have all the necessary equipment and supplies ready. To see the complete list of what you need, refer to the article of Aquarium Equipment and Supplies.

Now we get back at how to set up an aquarium.

15 Easy Steps to Set up an Aquarium

1. Find the ideal location for your home aquarium.
The location of an aquarium is quite important. Just like where to buy your house. Fish can live happily after only if the aquarium is set up at an excellent location.

2. Place your aquarium stand.
Since your fish tank can’t just sit on the floor, you need to put it on the top of something. An aquarium stand is the first choice. However, if you have a strong furniture with a leveled, smooth top, and ideal height, then, by all means, use it. I have used a dresser for my 40-gallon fish tank for years without a problem.

Put a piece of foam on the top of the aquarium stand. (optional)
In the case the top surface of your aquarium stand is not smooth enough, a piece of foam will help to absorb the pressure directed at the bottom of the fish tank to prevent it from cracking.

3. Put your fish tank on the top of the aquarium stand.
Gently place your fish tank on the top of the aquarium stand. We do not want to break anything. Make sure it is at the center of the aquarium stand to evenly distribute the weight since a fully installed aquarium can be very heavy.

4. Put aquarium substrate/gravel into the fish tank.
Without the water, it is easier to arrange the substrate in a way you like. Therefore, we need to add the substrate before we add the water.

5. Place a plate on the top of the substrate.
It is to prevent the substrate being pushed away when we add the water to the fish tank later on.

6. Fill the fish tank to no more than ½ of the water from the top by dumping it on the top of the plate.
With the plate in place, the water will not push away the substrate when we add it. Otherwise, you might see the bare bottom of the fish tank after you are done.

The reason not to fill the fish tank all the way to the top is for easier placement of the decorations. This step is even more important if you have live aquatic plants to plant.

7. Place your aquarium decorations into the fish tank.
Let it be artificial caves, rocks, tree logs, driftwood, castle, artificial plants, use anything you like as long as they are made for aquarium use. With only less than half the water, you do not have to get your entire arm wet by placing the decorations at the bottom of the fish tank.

8. Fill the fish tank all the way to near the top.
If you can, aim the water at the plate or one of the large, solid decoration. Add the water more slowly than before in order not to affect the substrate or any other objects in the fish tank.

9. Place the aquarium equipment (such as filter, heater, thermometer), into the fish tank.
Setting up the aquarium heater and thermometer are the easy part. All you need to do is to make sure they are in the water. Make sure read the instruction of the heater. Some of them are not fully submersible (which is not recommended). For fully submersible heaters, you have to place them entirely under the water, or they might burn out once it is on.

The installation of the filter could be a little more tricky. It depends on the type of filter. Read the manual carefully and follow it exactly.

The air pump is optional. You do not need it if you have a hang on the back power filter which creates a waterfall. Otherwise, you will need to set up a “bubbler” with an air stone, air tubing, and connect them to an air pump (make sure the air pump is outside the fish tank from a safe distance).

Do not yet turn them on, or even plug them in just yet. It is for your own safety since the water is conduct.

10. Use the aquarium water conditioner.
Since the aquarium water conditioner is for neutralizing the chlorine and chloramine in the tap water, you need to use it. Follow the instruction on the bottle. The ration could be different with different brand/type of water conditioners.

11. Place the canopy or hood on the top of the fish tank.
Easy, right?

12. Plug everything electrical in.
The filter, the heater all need electricity. From this point on, we no longer need to put our hands in the water anymore. So now we can safely plug all the electrical equipment in.

13. Turn everything on.
We have to make sure everything works. There is no better way to make sure of it than turn them all on and observe. Make sure the water is going through the filter continuously. The heater has its light on. Air stone is creating bubbles. Finally, the water circulation is not too strong or too slow. The heater needs to distribute the heater evenly throughout the fish tank. As a result, it must be at where the water circulation is.

Furthermore, check back in a few hours. Check the water temperature, and adjust the heater settings accordingly.

14. Use your aquarium live bacteria seeder. (Extremely Important)
It is to jump-start the aquarium nitrogen cycle. All the commercially available live bacteria products make it so much easier. Tetra SafeStart, Dr. Tim’s One and Only, are known working live bacteria products with great feedback.

If you plan to get the fish within a day or two, go ahead dump the whole bottle of live bacteria into the fish tank at once. Make sure the filter is running 24/7.

Note: If you plan to fully cycle the new aquarium first, then you need a source of ammonia to keep the live bacteria alive and growing. The best source of ammonia is to use a pure ammonia product. Dr. Tim’s Ammonia Chlorine works well for this very purpose.

If you simply plan to add the fish at a later date (later than two days), do not use the live bacteria until within two days of introducing new fish to the aquarium. Because the live bacteria will starve and decrease in number if there is no food source.

15. Add the fish
24 hours after you have added the live bacteria, you may add fish to their new home. Please do not go overboard with too many fish. Even with heavy seeding from a live bacteria product, a new aquarium is not yet well established. Therefore, it might cause ammonia and nitrite spike if you add too many fish at once. Start with a small number, and work up from there.

In conclusion, set up a new aquarium is not rocket science. Since there is the first time for everything, just follow the basic steps will make things easier. If you have any question or concern, feel free to ask.