Aquariums are now found in all sorts of different enviroments, from dental and Doctors surgeries to Homes for the elderly and restbite care & Childrens playgroups - infact where any relaxing enviroment will benefit. It is now a proven fact that watching the movement of  fish can be relaxing and beneficial to all.

Here we have listed the nesseccary information to help you become a good Aquarium Keeper

• Don't Rush - It's better to do it all right the first time than have to start over again!
• Decide on an Aquarium - Think realistically calculate the space you have to house an aquarium and decide who inthe family will be resposible for the maintenance ect;(Fish are just like any other pet and need caring for responsibly)
• Take the time to research the sort of fish you want to keep - Many people just go to a shop and buy the first fish that catches their eye regardless of whether their new aquisition is goingto eat it's new tank mates! Always check whether the fish is suitable for your enviroment. We would recommend that as a beginner a comminuty tropical tank is a good choice. You can always move on to more specialist fish later.
• Setting the tank up correctly is vital - All fish need adequate filtration to survive. The bacteria in the filtration needs to be built up slowly, by this we mean not filling the aquarium up with water and adding a tank full of fish immediately!! Slow and Steady are the watch words, Don't rush now because you will cause dissapointment as the tank will not be fully mature for at least six weeks, this is the time when most budding fish keepers give up - Be Patient - You Will Succeed
• Introducing Fish into the Aquarium – This must be done properly – if you just net your fish straight from their bag to their new home they will suffer shock and become stressed - The safest way to introduce fish to their new home is with the “Dribbling” method. This method not only ensures that the fish reach the correct temperature but that any difference in water quality is balanced out. The dribbling method is where you use you fish bucket (a fish bucket is a bucket which is only used for your fish and their aquarium water – don’t use this bucket to wash the car!!) a length of air line which is long enough to reach from the aquarium into the bucket (it is an idea to clip the air line to the bucket and the aquarium to stop it falling about and spraying water every where – you can use a new clothes peg or freezer bag clip for this). Put your new fish into the bucket along with the water that they have come home in and then prime the air line, you can either submerse the whole length of air line into the water to do this and the one end into the bucket whilst the other end stays in the aquarium and transfers water over or place one end into the aquarium water and suck gently on the other end which will start the water flowing through and into the bucket (Be quick otherwise you will end up with a mouth full of fish water!). Once the bucket is ¾ full you can stop the water flow by removing the airline from the aquarium and then gently net the fish into their new home, finally top the aquarium up with fresh de-chlorinated water – DO NOT use the water from the bucket.
• Feeding -In the first six weeks,whilst your filtration bacteria are building remember to feed only a small amount once a day. Overfeeding at any time in an aquarium will cause problems but the first six weeks are more critical. If you overfeed you will find a rise in Ammonia and Nitrite levels which an immature filter will be unable to cope with this build up of Toxins can cause the fish to become stressed and even fatalities.
• Maintenance - The first important thing that must be stressed is filter media does need cleaning BUT NOT IN CLEAN TAP WATER! Only ever clean your filter media in the used tank water which you have removed whilst doing a water change. This applies to any sponge, ceramic or Sinted glass media. Gravel does not need removing from the aquarium to clean, simply use a gravel cleaner to plunge down into the gravel and remove any debris. In the case of sand this can be cleaned by lightly skimming the gravel cleaner over the surface which will remove the debris. The other thing to remember is when cleaning the aquarium stand do not spray polish or any other cleaning product near the aquarium – If cleaning products get into the aquarium Then this can cause fatalities.  

Aquatic World was formed in 1991 originally strating out as a hobby and soon expanding to a 200 sqft shop, this may sound small but strating out it was adequate....Not for long though! In 1996 we relocated to our current location 83 Promenade (Directly opposite Leisure World car park) where things expanded further.

For More Information on Setting up a new aquarium please call into Aquatic World for friendly, Helpful advice or visit www.aquatic-world.co.uk

Watch out for more updates soon...Thank you