Once you have added the gravel, rocks and any other decorations, you can add the water to your tank. Although you will use water from your tap to fill your tank, fish cannot live in tap water and you must do a couple of things before you can add any fish.
Tap water contains chemicals used to make it suitable for human consummation. These chemicals are not at all good for your fish. A chemical additive known as a water conditioner should be added to neutralise the water.
The pH of the water should be neutral (about pH7), and you can buy a test kit to check this. Some fish prefer a lightly higher or lower pH level so it is important to know the level in your tank. Don’t worry you wont need a degree in chemistry to maintain the water levels in your tank, it is easy to use the test kits available.
It is also important that the water is the right temperature for the fish you want to keep. Cold water fish will live in water at room temperature and tropical fish will need the water heating to about 24-26 degrees with a water heater. Make sure the water is the right temperature before you add any fish.
© Fresh Water Fish Keeping.com 2006
