I say this for a reason. Some manufacturers produce starter kits that are labeled as complete outfits, but lack gravel, food or numerous other necessities. They may also include inadequate air pumps or filter systems in order to keep the kit price low. Remember: You cannot buy a compete aquarium outfit for $19.95!

I am amazed at how many people want to buy just the bare necessities to start out. They want to purchase the cheapest filter, even though it may be an antique that is incapable of handling the waste load in the size tank they are setting up. Their logic is that if they’re lucky and things go well, they will buy better or additional equipment later on. Unfortunately, good luck does not keep fish alive, good equipment does.

In essence, these people have committed themselves to failure, and their aquarium is destined to collect dust in a garage or attic instead of being enjoyed in the living room. I’ve often seen people kill off $100 worth of fish rather than spend an extra $20 on equipment!

Before going any further, I should make it clear that if you think of your fish as being disposable, you don’t belong in this hobby. Your fish deserve a chance to live long, healthy lives just as much as you do. Just because a fish costs only 39 cents doesn’t mean that is all it is worth.

As an inexperienced hobbyist, you are likely to wonder what equipment you really need to properly set up your first freshwater aquarium. To help eliminate the confusion, I have listed below the items I consider necessary for an aquarium and some helpful hints for selecting them.

CHOOSING YOUR AQUARIUM
Purchase the largest tank you can afford. A larger tank is a more stable environment and is safer for your fish. A few extra flakes of food can pollute a tiny tank but will not affect a large one. The maintenance time is nearly identical no matter what size aquarium you own. Perhaps more importantly, if you enjoy your first tank, you will want more fish and you’ll wish you had a bigger tank or two, or more.

Unless you are an experienced hobbyist, avoid mini-tanks. There has been an amazing proliferation of these things in recent years. You can buy them practically anywhere. They typically hold only a gallon or two of water and are, at best, safe for perhaps one or two very small fish. Heaters won’t fit them either. The tanks shaped like bubble-gum machines are the worst. If you’ve got one of these, do your fish a favor. Get them a real aquarium and use the bubble-gum machine for a night light.

In addition to the size considerations mentioned above, there is also the matter of shape. Most aquariums are rectangular, but there are also hexagons and other shapes. The important point here is that it is the dimensions, not the shape, that matters. A wide, low tank is preferable to a tall thin one. That is, a tank 24 inches long x 12 inches wide x 12 inches high 61 x 30 x 30 centimeters is preferable to one 12 inches long x 12 inches wide x 24 inches high. You can see that although they both hold the same volume of water length x width x depth, the surface area (length x width) of the water in the first tank is twice that of the second tank. This is important because oxygen enters your aquarium at the surface of the water and carbon dioxide escapes there.

Therefore, the more surface area, the greater the capacity of the tank to hold fish. At the same time, there will also be more bottom area for a larger undergravel filter.

CHOOSING YOUR FILTER
This is the most important piece of equipment in fish keeping. In the wild, there are often thousands, even millions of gallons of water for each fish. In the aquarium, a fish will probably be lucky to get one gallon to itself. The fish survives this situation only because of filtration and water changes.

There are several types of filter systems available. Undergravel filters, outside power filters and canister filters are the most popular. Sponge and box filters are also common. A very large book could be written about filter systems alone there are so many models, and variables, to consider.

Suffice it to say, in my opinion, you should have both an undergravel filter and an outside power filter or canister filter. However, if you can only afford to buy one filter system initially, I would go with the undergravel filter and add the outside power filter later.

UNDERGRAVEL FILTERS
These are my favorites. An undergravel filter should be present in every aquarium, with the possible exception of tanks housing substrate- moving cichlids. Typically, these filters are powered by air pumps. The flow of bubbles and water up the filter lift tubes pulls water down through the gravel bed. As water passes through the gravel, debris becomes trapped by the gravel.

This is known as mechanical filtration. Keep in mind that mechanical filtration is not the primary purpose of an undergravel filter and that the trapped debris will eventually clog most of the gravel bed, significantly reducing the flow of water.

The real purpose of the undergravel filter is to provide biological filtration. Bacteria living on the surface of each particle of aquarium gravel break down waste products from the fish. A flow of water containing lots of dissolved oxygen is crucial to how well these bacteria function. Therefore, you don’t want the gravel bed to become clogged. Later in this article I will describe an important piece of equipment that will prevent this from happening.

OUTSIDE CANISTER AND POWER FILTERS
The outside power filter hangs on the back of the tank and is powered by a built-in motor that pumps water directly through the filter media. The filter media usually consists of disposable cartridges, usually a combination of activated carbon and sponge or polyester floss. The activated carbon adsorbs many waste products that are not removed by the undergravel filter. This is known as chemical filtration. Of the many excellent brands of power filters on the market, the AquaClear line is my favorite because they have reusable sponges rather than disposable polyester inserts.

Canister filters are available in several designs, each using various types of filter media. these filters also have a built-in motor. Canister filters work in a manner similar to outside power filters, except that they sit underneath the aquarium and are connected to it by hoses. Some models can be converted to diatomaceous earth filters.

CHOOSING YOUR AIRJPUMP
An air pump and airstones are used to move water through an undergravel filter. In addition, they can be used in the tank to provide additional circulation of the water, which ensures an even temperature throughout the tank and promotes effective gas exchange at the surface.

There are many brands and sizes of air pumps available. Be sure to pick one large enough to do the job.

For aquariums using an undergravel filter with one lift tube hexagon tanks up to 27 gallons; 102 liters, a single-outlet air pump, such as the Whisper 400, should be sufficient. I recommend a double-outlet air pump, such as the Whisper 600, for tanks up to 30 gallons 114 liters that have two lift tubes. For larger aquariums using three or more lift tubes, a Whisper 700 will probably do the job. It is about twice as powerful as the Whisper 600.

An alternative to an air pump is to use a powerhead to run your undergravel filter. These are small, sealed motors that mount inside the tank on top of the undergravel filter lift tubes. Rather than using bubbles to move water up the lift tubes, the motor pumps the water directly.

Is a powerhead better than an air pump? It depends on who you ask. If you choose a powerhead, it should have an aeration attachment or you will also need airstones to provide agitation of the water at the surface. Surface agitation is extremely important for maintaining adequate levels of dissolved oxygen in the water.

CHOOSING YOUR HEATER
When buying a heater, you want approximately 5 watts of heating for each gallon of water. For example, a 10-gallon 38-liter aquarium would need a 50-watt heater. For tanks of 55 gallons 208 liters or larger, approximately 3 watts per gallon is about right. Aquarium heaters are available in sizes from 25 to 300 watts.

Cautious hobbyists often buy two heaters that total the needed wattage so that if one heater malfunctions, the other will continue to operate. Also, because each heater has less power, if one of them sticks in the on position, the water temperature will not rise to lethal levels before you have a chance to notice the problem.

There are three types of heaters: economy, deluxe and submersible. The economy heaters are fine for most uses, but they are not made for tanks larger than 20 gallons 100 watts. The deluxe heaters are available up to 200 watts.

Basically, they are similar to the economy heater except that they have some extra electronics in them to prevent radio and TV interference. Even the economy heaters do not usually produce this static. It occurs mainly in older homes where the wiring is already being pushed to its limits by the number of electrical appliances being used.

While we’re on the subject, contrary to popular belief, an aquarium draws very little electricity. It will not cause a large increase in your electric bill.The typical 10-gallon aquarium with a fluorescent light will use about 3 cents of electricity per day.

Economy and deluxe heaters clip onto the back of the aquarium. Submersible heatersQavailable in sizes up to 300 wattsQare probably the best, containing all the features of the deluxe heater but with additional waterproofing that allows them to be positioned completely underwater.

Some heaters come with suction cups to mount them to the glass. If you pick a brand that doesn’t include them, you should purchase suction cups separately. The suction cups anchor the heater securely so that water current or a quick flip of a big fish’s tail doesn’t bang the heater against the aquarium glass, breaking it.

CHOOSING YOUR FULL HOOD
The full hood covers the entire top of the tank and contains the light for it. It is often the most expensive piece of equipment in your setup, but it is worth it. Because the hood covers the entire top, it greatly reduces evaporation, saving you the work of frequently topping off your tank with replacement water.

It also keeps your fish in the tank, many like to jump, and it keeps cats and small kids out.

Of course, the main function of the full hood is lighting. The built-in light makes it much easier to enjoy the sparkling beauty of your fish. Full hoods come in two different styles, incandescent and fluorescent.

Incandescent bulbs have the same threaded base as any household light bulb but are longer in shape to provide more even lighting of the tank. Fluorescent tubes require their own special hardware.

An incandescent hood will be cheaper initially, but in the long run the fluorescent hood will be your best buy. Fluorescent tubes are less expensive to operate because they use much less electricity while providing more light.

Also, the fluorescent tubes generally last much longer than incandescent bulbs, which often burn out in a few months. If you have live aquatic plants, they will do much better with the brighter fluorescent lighting.

CHOOSING YOUR AQUARIUM STAND
The tank must sit on a surface that is strong, flat and level. more often than not, your best bet is an aquarium stand built for that purpose. You can safely assume that your aquarium, when set up, will weigh about 10 pounds 4.5 kilograms per gallon 3.8 liters! If the tank stand does not reliably support this kind of weight, you could end up with an expensive mess on the floor.

The stand must also be flat and level. Modern glass aquariums are made completely of glass, including the bottoms. If you put your tank on a stand that is not flat, and then add the weight of water, gravel and soon , the glass will twist and break.

Although you could put an aquarium on top of the television or on a strong bookshelf, if you buy a commercial aquarium stand you can be certain that it is strong enough to support the tank. Besides, the inevitably spilled water that goes hand-in hand with having an aquarium is more likely to cause damage when the tank is on furniture or a bookshelf.

There are several types of aquarium stands available. The wrought iron stands are probably the most popular because they are the least expensive. There are also the stands that resemble a backless, two-shelf bookcase. Both of these types of stands can hold a second aquarium on the bottom shelf. The most expensive, and most beautiful, are the cabinet stands. Although they will hold only one aquarium, they are designed to better match the decor in a living room or den. A cabinet stand also has the advantage of hiding air pumps, fish foods, nets and other items.

MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES
We’ve covered the major pieces of equipment for your aquarium. What else do you need?

First, you’ll need aquarium gravel. The undergravel filter cannot function without it. Some pet stores sell larger sizes of aquarium gravel called pebbles. Avoid these. Choose gravel with a particle size of about 1/8-inch.

If the pieces of gravel are larger, the spaces among them will be too. This makes it easier for food to be drawn into the gravel bed before it is eaten. Uneaten food spoils quickly and pollutes the aquarium! Also, large gravel has less surface area per pound, which means less surface area for the bacteria that provide biological filtration.

Aquarium gravel comes in all the colors of the rainbow and more. Choose what you like, but your fish will be happier with natural colors. The colors of the fish also show up better against darker-colored gravel. In nature, most fish want to be inconspicuous to avoid predators. If you put fish into a tank with white gravel, for example, their colors will fade. They are trying to camouflage themselves. You can help neutralize this effect by putting in lots of plants, dark- colored rocks and driftwood.

You’ll need enough gravel to make a layer at least 1.5 inches 3.8 centimeters deep. This generally means at least 1.5 to 2 pounds 0.6 to 0.9 kilogram of gravel per gallon. If your aquascaping plans call for terracing, you’ll need more.

You may need an air line gang-valve to hook up your undergravel filter. For example, a Whisper 700 air pump has only two outlets, but it can run four lift tubes in a 55-gallon aquarium. The gang-valveQin this case you would need a 4-gang valve, allows you to accomplish this. Although you can hook any size gang valve to any size air pump, it is important to note that your pump must be a model with enough power to drive that many outlets. Gang valves divide the power of your air pump, they do not multiply it!

Flexible air line tubing is needed to connect the air pump to the undergravel filter. Buy enough to reach from the air pump’s location to the gang valves and/or filter lift tubes. Be sure to allow some slack.

If you plan on situating the air pump in a position lower than the water level in your aquarium, you should get a check valve for each pump outlet. When inserted in an airline, the check valve allows flow in one direction only. In the event of a power outage, it will prevent water from back- siphoning into the air pump.

An accurate aquarium thermometer is absolutely essential. You will need it to calibrate your heater. One choice is the old-fashioned glass thermometer, the kind that stands on the bottom or floats but it is not very accurate and will often drift to a position in the tank where you can’t easily read it. The best thermometer is the newer digital type. It doesn’t cost much more than the glass variety and is significantly more accurate. It attaches to the outside glass of your tank.

You will also need high-quality fish food. Flake foods are the most popular, but variety is the real key to successful nutrition. Besides the flake foods, you can choose from frozen, live, pelleted and freeze-dried foods. I like to keep several of each around for my fish. The I can feed them something different for each meal.

You’ll need a net for catching fish. For most tanks, a 4- or 5-inch 10- to 13-centimeter wide net should be about right.

A good water conditioner is necessary. Unless your water comes from a well, you will need to dechlorinate your tap water. Municipalities normally add chlorine or chloramine to kill bacteria, but it also breaks down gill membranes in fish. A simple dechlorinator works for chlorine, but a one-step water conditioner is needed for chloramine.

Even well water can cause problems. Some water contains high levels of ammonia or various metals, such as iron. Therefore, regardless of the source of your water, you should use a water conditioner. There are several brands on the market. Some of the better ones, such as NovAqua and Stress Coat, remove some heavy metals and buffer the pH a bit.

You will need a good beginner’s book. Actually, you should read several books. No single book is likely to contain everything you need to know. Also, many books are quite outdated. The books published by Tetra Press are quite good, although beingJBritish imports, they do occasionally refer to brands of products not available in this country. Several of the softcover books from Barron’s translated from German editions are also useful.

Finally, there is one other piece of equipment that you will definitely need. It is a gravel-cleaning device referred to as a gravel or hydro vacuum. It is used to clean the gravel and make water changes. If you use this device, you will never have to tear down your tank for cleaning. It should be used every two weeks while you are making a 25-percent partial water change.

Basically, the gravel vacuum is a modified siphon hose, with one end much larger than the other. While using it to siphon water, you simply shove the large end down into the gravel. The flow of water through the tube is strong enough to swirl the gravel around inside the tube, releasing all of the detritus. Because the gravel is heavier than the detritus, it is not siphoned from the tank. The water quality will be much easier to maintain because you are removing solid wastes from the gravel, thus allowing the undergravel filter to operate more effectively while reducing the amount of waste material in the tank. In addition, by making a partial water change, dissolved wastes are also being removed at the same time.

So there you have it, a list of the items I consider essential for the basic freshwater aquarium. Of course, this doesn’t cover everything you need to enjoy your tank. You still have to buy the aquascaping materials and, or course, the fish.

In the next issue of AFM I will take you through the process of actually setting up the tank. Until then, happy shopping!