Setting up a Goldfish Aquarium Tank Guide
Ok, so you’ve bought all your equipment and now it’s time to set up your tank. The following can be applied to any freshwater setup but I’ve specifically included some points relative to fancy goldfish as they do need some extra precaution.
It helps to draw up a plan on some scrap paper of how you want the tank to look before you start. I know that sounds incredibly dorky but it really helps later when you’re arranging everything.
Finally don’t start setting up a tank too late into the evening, in fact it’s best to do it during the day. I once foolishly started setting up a tank at around 9pm and was still going at 2am… I was exhausted by the end of it.
Anyway, let’s get on with the guide.
Cleaning the tank
If you’ve bought a new tank and the shop you bought it from didn’t look dirty (ie. dust everywhere) then you can probably get by with a good rinse out. Don’t use any chemicals and avoid using a sponge that has been exposed to chemicals (ie. soap detergent/bathroom disinfectant).
If you want to use a sponge and I do recommend one for the long term for cleaning algae and wiping the inside of the glass when needed, get a “micro cloth” from the local supermarket. I use the “Scotch-Brite High Performance Cloth”, which is basically marketing jargon for a re-useable blue fine cloth.
Fill the tank up maybe a 1/3rd and give the inside a good wipe down with the water. Then drain it as much as possible (your syphon will only pickup so much water) and then you can either get a small scoop to collect the rest of the water or just run a plastic glass along the bottom to get 99% of it.
For a second hand tank the process is a bit more involved. You can get away with the same level of cleaning as a new tank but given you have no idea what nasties might be in the tank it’s a good idea to be a bit more thorough.
Mix a one part bleach to 10 parts water solution, ie. if you use a 2L bottle of bleach fill the tank with 20L of water. Then put on some new rubber gloves and go to town scrubbing down the glass. Use a sponge you are going to throw away after you’re done for this task. Make sure you get to all the corners and underneath the top braces.
Bleach is obviously extremely toxic to fish so after you’re satisfied you’ve scrubbed enough drain the tank out and fill it up with water and add 10x the normal dose of your dechlorinator (I recommend Seachem Prime).
Let the water sit for an hour or so and then drain it out again. Then fill it up once more with water and drain and then finally allow the tank to air dry.
The tank should now be spotless and bleach free.
Cleaning the Gravel
If you’ve bought your gravel new and even if it looks spotless it is still worth rinsing it under tap water. There is nothing more annoying then setting everything up and then seeing the water go cloudy as you fill it because you didn’t rinse the gravel.
The best method I’ve found for gravel cleaning is to use a laundry mesh bag otherwise known as a bra/underwear/delicates bag. The easiest source I found for these was at Coles, they were under the ‘In Living’ (I think, it was definately “something” living) brand.
Coles do a few things under this brand like toothpicks, bamboo skewers and other random items that are scattered throughout the aisles so you might have to ask someone where the mesh bags are.
Once you’ve got your mesh bag put in a decent amount of gravel, not enough to tear the bag under the weight but enough that you won’t be repeating the process 100 times. Then simply jump in the bathtub and rinse the gravel in the bag under the tap.
You can also alternatively just fill the bath with water and let the gravel soak in the water for a while if you have a lot of gravel to wash as this allows you to do multiple bags at the same time. Be sure to swish the gravel around in the bags as it’s easy to wash the outside but still have dusty gravel on the inside of the clumps, sort of the same concept as making sure a marinade runs through all the meat with your hands.
Finally you can either dump the gravel straight into the tank if you aren’t setting up a Walstad Planted tank or alternatively place the washed gravel in a bucket until you are ready to add it.
Putting it all together
Ideally you want the gravel sparse in the front of the tank and built up at the back. This creates a nice look inside the tank and if you are planting plants allows your larger plants to get a good grip in the deeper gravel. Don’t stress too much about it though as goldfish will naturally rearrange the gravel over time and make it a bit of a random mess anyway.
If you’re including airstones and/or bubble wands in your setup now is the time to add them. Keep in mind you don’t have to be too precise as they are easy enough to move around once the tank is full of water.
I’ve found a good inconspicuous way to place airstones is to bury them about halfway into the gravel and run the air hose under a small thin PVC pipe from Bunnings cut in half completely submerged under the gravel. This way you only get the air line hose running along the back wall of the tank and don’t see messy line running all over your gravel.
Add any filtering input/output hoses and heaters that you are going to use into the tank at this stage. Keep in mind that it’s more aesthetically pleasing to try and hide them behind other decor such as rocks and/or plants so be mindful of where you decide to place your equipment.
Whilst I prefer the natural ‘forest’ look I appreciate some people just love having ornaments in their tank. Make sure you give them a quick rinse under tap water and then place them as you see fit.
When choosing appropriate decor it’s important to note that if you plan on keeping delicate goldfish (black/gold/red/calico moors, celestial or bubble-eye fish) make sure you do not have any decor that has sharp edges.
These particular goldfish fish have poor eyesight and are prone to damaging themselves on sharp decor. Note that this rule applies to any wood, rocks or other natural decor you add to the tank as well, not just plastic ornaments.
I’d even possibly extend this rule to Orandas, Ranchus and Lionheads that tend to have wen growth on their heads impairing their eyesight. As a blanket rule try to avoid sharp pointy or edged decor altogether. Even with the less delicate goldfish accidents can happen, so why take the risk?
Adding Water and Plants
Now that you’ve got things placed in the aquarium roughly where you want them it’s important not to disturb the placement when you add water. The best way to avoid this is to place a saucer or bowl in an area that is just open gravel and pour the water into this area. The bowl/saucer will diffuse the water and make sure the gravel and any nearby ornaments aren’t displaced.
If you’re adding plants start adding them when you’ve filled up the water approximately one to two inches high. I dig a little hole with my forefinger and place the plant and then fill the hole with the displaced gravel again ensuring that the plant is relatively snug. Don’t smother or bury the plant too tightly however as you might damage the roots which will then rot and eventually the plant will die.
Continue to fill the tank and once about halfway full take a step back and have a look at how everything looks. Move/re-arrange decor, plants, rocks, airstones and equipment if required until you’re happy with the layout.
If the water is heavily cloudy at this point it’s worth draining and refilling again.
If it’s only slightly cloudy or clear if you’re lucky, proceed to fill up the tank entirely and add an initial double dose of water conditioner appropriate to your tank volume. You can now turn on your filter, air pump and heater and let the tank run for a few hours to make sure everything is running smoothly.
If all goes well you’re not ready to add your goldfish, congratulations!
July 26th, 2009 at
[...] up or what’s the best order to do everything in I’ve previously written a guide on setting up a goldfish tank. Note that even if you’re not keeping goldfish many of the steps are the same and it should [...]