Setting up the aquarium: necessary requirements

Any new aquarium tank should first be given a thorough test to ensure that it is watertight. If after 12 hours there are no leaks, it may be emptied and placed in its final position.

Now all is ready to set up the aquarium, for this work we shall require various items such as sand, rocks etc. For making the bottom soil you need first of all some sand, the most suitable is called 1/16th grade and it is about the size of the average pin-head.

The gravel to be used must also be graded; that is, the gram must be of uniform size. Sand and gravel sold in aquarium supply stores are always graded, but if you buy elsewhere they may not be. Gravel grains 2-5mm work best.

If you use nothing but sand, it must be well washed in buckets, under running water until no more dirt or foam comes to the surface - and spaced out on the bottom of the tank in a layer running from 3- 6cm thick sloping upwards from front to back. If you decide to mix the sand with gravel to make at least a layer 6cm deep on top of the subgravel filter since less than this amount reduces the filtering capacity of the tank.