Murphy's Tropical Freshwater Fish Tank

My starter aquarium kit came with a bag of smooth edged gravel, (essential if you want to get some catfish which are bottom dwellers so they don't get hurt), a plastic but realistic looking plant - really! The heater, filter, air pump and light already installed and a small book called 'Your First Tropical Fish' by Dr H. R. Axelrod ISBN 185279172-1. It has some nice photographs with information about various fish and a bibliography at the back for further reading.

A few days later I also bought (at Pets at Home):


• Dry-Tab Master Test Kit by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals to test the aquarium water for Ammonia (NH3/NH4), Nitrite (NO-2), Nitrate (NO-3) and PH.
  
  
• Stress Zyme to remove chlorine from the water before adding it to the tank. Chlorine kills fish.
  
  
• Stress Coat (contains Aloe Vera supposedly to reduce the fish stress, don't know if it works) which also removes Chlorine, neutralises Chloramines and detoxifies heavy metals.
  
  
• Safe Guard Dechlorinator because I discovered that I would need a basic dechlorinator that wouldn't interfere with the Ammonia levels for the first water change after my fishless cycle. I think this will do.
  
  Guess who won't be buying dechlorinator any time soon!
  
  
• SpeedRange Aquarium Thermometer, which sticks to the side of the tank, (opposite and far away from your heater), to let you know how hot or not the aquarium water is. The little Tropical fish don't like to be cold.
  
  
• Mini Aquarium gravel cleaner by Hagen. This helps you clean any gravel in your tank without disturbing the fish, that's the theory anyway. I'll let you know after I try it!
  
  
• Syphoning set by Algarde to do those pesky water changes, also without disturbing the fish. Mine has an on/off tap and a no hands bend/hook thingy. It's a bit big for the tank, but was the smallest I could find.
  
  
• Large plastic yellow bucket, colour is optional. For the water changes and
  
  
• Two large plastic bowls, one for washing the filter sponge and other odds and ends from the tank if necessary, (only in used aquarium water or you might kill off any beneficial bacteria you have in your tank) and the other just in case.
  
  
• Jeyes Kleen Off Ammonia Household Cleaner. I found this at the Chemists. This is not a specialist product, the Chemists just happened to have it in. It was difficult to find an Ammonia product though. Read more about Ammonia on The Tropical Fish Centre's Fishless Cycle Page.
  
  
• Eye dropper thingys, you'll need them to add the Ammonia to your tank. I don't know where you can buy some, a friend of my brother's gave me four proper plastic droppers and they're great.
  
  
• Two live plants of uncertain origin. They may be Elodea densa, but who knows - the person at the Pets at Home certainly didn't.
  
  
• One mini lava rock said to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in your tank.
  
  
• Cover backdrop sheet thingy for the outside of the tank. Apparently covering the sides of your tank, (except the front of course) makes the fish feel more secure. You can get all kinds of tropical scenes that make a nice backdrop for your tank, but I prefered an almost plain blue.
  
  
• AmmoLock to render Ammonia harmless until it changes to NitrIte, also a de-chlorinator. This was a late addition to my tank equipment and recommended by my local tropical fish store, 'Fish Alive'.
  
  
• Aquarium Salt almost forgot to mention this. You don't need to add much to a freshwater tank, but it can help keep your fish healthy and apparently you do need it.

• Murphy's Tropical Freshwater Fish Tank - Dedicated the fish in our lives. What, where, when, how. Links to interesting and useful fish sites and more...
  
  
• Me, My Tank and Murphy - You Are Here!
  
  
• Fish, Oh Fish, Where For Art Thou Fish? - Trying to decide what fish to buy proved to be difficult. You just think you've found your sole mate when another little aquatic temptress bats it's fins at you! Includes, 'Fiendish Fishless Experiments' and 'Women and Fish First - A Beginners Guide to fish'.
  
  
• Useful Links - Helpful links and books.
  
  
• TaLeS fRoM tHe FiSh TaNk - General ramblings and the occasional words of wisdom about fishkeeping. If so many monkeys can eventually type the entire works of Shakespeare, I can get in the odd pieces of good advice, somewhere, somehow ...
  
  
• Back Home.