How to Start an Aquarium: The Complete Beginner's Guide

Welcome to the World of Aquariums 🐠

Setting up your first fish tank might seem overwhelming, but it's actually a rewarding and enjoyable experience when you follow the right steps. In this guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know — from choosing your tank to adding your first fish.

Step 1: Choose the Right Tank

For beginners, we recommend starting with a tank of at least 60 liters. Larger tanks are actually easier to manage because the water parameters stay more stable. Avoid very small tanks at first — they require more frequent maintenance and are less forgiving of mistakes.

Step 2: Choose the Right Filter

The filter is the heart of your aquarium. It removes waste, toxins, and harmful substances from the water. There are three main types:

  • Internal filter: Great for smaller tanks and easy to set up
  • Canister filter: Best for medium to large tanks — provides mechanical, biological, and chemical filtration
  • Hang-on-back filter: Popular and effective for mid-sized tanks

Top picks available in our store: Dophin Canister Filter and Sera PrefiX Filter — both excellent choices for beginners.

Step 3: Set Up Your Filter Media

Inside your filter, you'll need multiple layers of filtration media:

  • Sponge/Foam: Traps large particles (mechanical filtration)
  • Activated Carbon: Removes odors and harmful chemicals — try Dophin Activated Carbon
  • Ceramic Rings: House beneficial bacteria — Dophin Ceramic Rings are a great option
  • Bio-Balls: Increase surface area for beneficial bacteria — Dophin Bio-Balls

Or simplify everything with the Dophin 12-in-1 Filter Media — all media types in one convenient package.

Step 4: Cycle Your Tank (Biological Cycling)

This is the most important step that many beginners skip — and it's the #1 cause of fish loss! Before adding any fish, your tank must go through a process called biological cycling, which takes 4–6 weeks.

During cycling, beneficial bacteria grow and convert:

  • Ammonia (highly toxic) → Nitrite (toxic) → Nitrate (much less harmful)

To help manage nitrite levels during this process, use Sera Nitrite-minus.

Step 5: Test Your Water Parameters

Before adding any fish, always test your water. Target values for most freshwater fish:

  • pH: 6.5 – 7.5
  • Ammonia: 0 ppm
  • Nitrite: 0 ppm
  • Nitrate: Below 20 ppm

Use the Sera Quick Test or Aquadene pH Test Strips for fast and accurate readings.

Step 6: Choose Beginner-Friendly Fish

Start with hardy, easy-to-care-for species such as:

  • Guppies
  • Zebra Danios
  • Corydoras Catfish
  • Platies

Browse our Freshwater Fish collection to find the perfect fish for your new tank.

Step 7: Feed Your Fish Properly

Feed your fish once or twice a day — only as much as they can eat in 2 minutes. Overfeeding pollutes the water quickly. Try Sera Vipan Tropical Flakes or Sera Vipagran Granules — balanced nutrition for most freshwater species.

Weekly Maintenance Checklist

  • ✅ Change 20–30% of the water weekly
  • ✅ Clean the glass of algae
  • ✅ Test water parameters
  • ✅ Check that the filter and heater are working properly

Everything You Need, In One Place

Find everything you need to set up your aquarium successfully at our store — from Technical Equipment to Water Conditioning Products and Water Testing Kits. Our team is ready to help you choose the right products for your tank size and fish species.

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