So you want to keep tropical fish and have a stunning aquarium sitting in your living room or anywhere else in your house for that matter. If you want your fish to thrive like the Asian carps instead of quickly vanish like the Roman anemones, it is important that you take the time to learn the basics about maintaining fish and proper aquarium maintenance before you set up your first fish aquarium.

The first decision you must make when you decide to start an aquarium is whether you plan to keep freshwater fish or saltwater fish. It's up to you whether you want to keep saltwater or freshwater, but if this is your first aquarium, then I suggest you start with a freshwater aquarium. As they are a bit easier to maintain and the results are easier to achieve.

Before you go out and buy some tropical aquarium fish you must take into consideration what will be required to get your tropical fish aquarium up and running smoothly. A simple 10 - 20 gallon aquarium will be big enough for most people and provide enough living space for 15-30 fish depending on the breeds you chose, as you purchase more tropical fish you will need to move up to the next sizes of aquariums. The next thing you will need for your aquarium is an Aquarium filter this keeps the water filtered so water stays pure and your fish stay healthy. When buying your aquarium filter be sure to also purchase some extra filters for it as you will need to replace them when they become dirty or clogged.

The next thing you will need to purchase to keep your tropical fish healthy and living well in your new aquarium is an aquarium heater. The aquarium heater keeps the temperature at one steady temp. There are many brands of aquarium heaters and they all work differently so be sure when you purchase one you read up on how to set your heater properly, because if it is not set properly this can be detrimental to your fish.

The next thing you will need to buy for your tropical fish aquarium is aquarium gravel. Now this might not seem like an important thing as most people tend to think that it is used for decoration but there are many other reasons to use aquarium gravel. One reason is the gravel provides a place for food to be hidden by some types of fish so that they can come back and eat later. Also it provides a way for the excrement from your fish to be sifted away from the base of their living environment.

A few other things that will be needed to make you aquarium beautiful and healthy are a few aquarium plants as they provide beauty as well as some good hiding places for your fish when they want to be secluded from the other fish in the aquarium. You can purchase fake plants or live plats for your aquarium, my preference has always been live plants.

Proper water conditioners and bacteria fighters for tropical fish aquariums are also a necessity as they keep the chlorine levels in order and they prevent your fish from developing unwanted bacterial infections. You can purchase these items at your local pet store and most of them will be able to explain to you the correct amounts to be added to your tropical fish aquarium.

Keep your tropical fish happy and healthy and you will reap the rewards of a relaxing and beautiful aquarium that you will be proud to display.