How to Set Up a 55-gallon Aquarium

Setting up a 55-gallon aquarium is a subject that could fill an entire library. Furthermore, writing on the topic can focus on information as specific as what species you wish to place in the tank. There is, however, a common set of things that need to be maintained despite the species that you may be raising.

Common Concerns Setting Up a Tank

The first obvious concern about setting up a tank is what stand to place it upon. You can purchase a stand separate from your 55-gallon aquarium or possibly find one in a kit. Made sure that you do not use an unapproved piece of furniture for your aquarium stand since these tanks can become very heavy once they are full of water and fish.

Filtration System is Necessary

The most important component of setting up your 55-gallon aquarium is the filtration system. This system is broken down into three different types that include biological, chemical and mechanical components. Filtration devices use a subset containing all three of these.

Biological Filtration

This is naturally occurring and refers to how bacteria converts very poisonous compounds that are produced inside the fish tank transforming these into much less poisonous or non-hazardous material.

Mechanical Filtration

This is the process for forcing tiny particles of unwanted matter through a physical filter that removes them. This type of filtration system uses a machine operated pump to conduct the process.

Chemical Filtration

This is where a chemical or compound such as activated charcoal or ferric oxide is introduced to neutralize poisonous and unwanted matter found in the water. Typically, water through the mechanical filtration is pumped into the chemical compound where it neutralizes the unwanted material.

Common Filters

Most beginners will to setup a common type of filter which is one that would hang over the back edge of the tank. These are very inexpensive and easy to set up. Advanced aquarium owners may want to get involved with the more complex system such as a canister filter that pumps water through an intake into the canister were several stages of both mechanical filters and chemical compounds circulate the water through an area that has been primed to house chemical compounds that produce natural filtration. They're probably just as many more complicated and complex filtration systems as there are aquarium tanks but the two mentioned here are excellent choices for beginners.

Lighting Might be Necessary

Use of lighting may be dictated by the fish livestock you select to keep. You'll only need to use inexpensive lights if all you plan on keeping in the tank is fish. However, if your aquarium needs include growing live plants, or you plan to raise saltwater species such as anemones or coral, you'll need some very expensive and high powered intensive lighting. This is needed to produce photosynthesis.

Other Considerations

Again, depending upon the species you have as well as other conditions, you may need both temperature control and water movement to generate oxygen. There is a vast variety of air pumps and water pumps ranging in both power and price serving this function well. An inexpensive set up employees a common air pump with an air stone that will spit out very small bubbles in the water stream producing the necessary oxygen need.

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