Everyone loves an aquarium teeming with lovely tropical fish.  But you can not just get a glass tank, fill it with water, add some vegetation, and call it an aquarium.  Your fish deserves more than that.  You have to go out of your way to get the most essential aquarium supplies in order to keep your fish healthy.

The good news is that finding supplies for your aquarium is easy.  There are lots of hobby stores and online shops that sell these kinds of products.  However, the bigger challenge is determining which items are most essential for your aquarium.  So here is a quick overview about essential supplies that a basic aquarium might need.

The Substrate

Assuming that you already have a tank, the first thing that you need to buy is the substrate material.  The substrate is important because it allows you to plant vegetations in your aquarium.  It also holds and traps some nutrients and friendly bacteria which are needed by the plants.

Ideally, you should use pea sized gravel as your substrate.  The recommended depth of the substrate should be three inches for bigger aquariums and at least two inches for mid-sized tanks.  Small pea sized gravel does not promote rapid hydrogen sulfide concentration.  It means that the build-up of anaerobic bacteria in the water can be controlled easily.

You may also mix sand with the gravel or use purely sand in some portions of the aquarium where you intend to place the aquatic plants.  For aesthetic purposes, you should choose different hues and colors of gravel to make the substrate visually pleasing.

Water Filters

Water filtration is an essential method to keep aquariums in top condition.  Remember that standing water gets too dirty quite easily as food particles and fish waste tend to accumulate quickly.  If you do not have a water filter, your fish will get sick and the aquarium will become a messy wasteland.

You can use a sponge filter or a standard power filter to keep the water clean.  You can easily find good quality water filter in any aquarium shop. For best results, it is always recommended to have reserve filters in case the primary filter fails.

Temperature Control Devices

A typical tropical fish thrives in warm water.  You need a water heater so that you can maintain the natural temperature conditions suitable for your tropical fish.  Ideally, the tank’s water temperature should be between 76 degrees and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Maintaining the right temperature especially during the colder months can be tricky and a bit difficult.  To make things easier for you, you should consider buying a thermostat or an automated water heater from a reliable aquarium supplies store.

Water Treatment and Testing Supplies

You must always keep water quality in good condition.  To make sure that your fish’s habitat is always at optimum levels, it is important to conduct periodic water testing.  You should buy a good testing kit to accurately determine water quality.

A good test kit should be capable of reading ammonia and pH levels and concentrations of nitrates.  The level of ammonia should be zero because this substance is toxic to the fish even at very low levels.  Nitrates should fall below 40 ppm while pH level must be under 6.8.  For quick reading of water quality, you may consider using a test strip.

Plants and Vegetations

There are two options available for you when it comes to buying vegetation for your aquarium.  You can use live plants or artificial plants.  Artificial vegetation requires less maintenance and you can use it forever, thus saving you lots of money.  However, you still need to use live plants to keep the biological balance in the aquarium.

Live plants can also help remove nitrates in the water.  They can absorb the carbon dioxide and give off oxygen which is essential for the fish.  You may consider planting Hornwort and mix it with a few artificial varieties.  This plant can effectively help minimize the accumulation of nitrate and ammonia in the aquarium.

Other ideal aquarium plants that you may use include Giant Elodea, Ancharis, or Dwarf Ambulia.  You may also diversify the flora in the tank by planting African Fern, Java Moss, or Indian Fern.  To add more aesthetic value for your aquarium, you should try using creeping plants such as the Umbrella Plant, Java Fern, or Clover Fern.

Lighting System

Some fish-keepers do not consider lighting as essential part of the aquarium.  However, if you have live plants in the tank, then installing a basic lighting system is very important.  Poorly lighted fish tanks are also susceptible to rapid algal bloom especially brown diatom algae.

When choosing a lighting system for your aquarium, you have to make sure that the lights have a Kelvin rating above 6,500.  This rating is suitable if you have a freshwater aquarium.  For marine fish tanks, the Kelvin rating should be above 10,000.

Maintenance Aquarium Supplies

Aquariums need to be cleaned regularly. So it is important to have a complete set of maintenance tools and supplies.  The most basic tools you need for cleaning the tank should include gravel cleaner, vacuum and pads, glass scraper, and brush.  It is also important to have a set of replacement filter pads for the water filter.  Cleaning the aquarium would be easier if you have the right set of maintenance tools and cleaning supplies.

Fish Foods

Lastly, your fish needs to eat.  You have to feed your stock regularly if you want them to grow healthy.  You can find high quality fish foods from a reputable pet shop.  High quality fish food means that is basically made from fish and plants.  Remember that aquatic creatures do not have the ability to digest proteins from meat sources.

For best results, you should look for fish food that contains spirulina, shrimp, fish meal, and lobster shells.  You may also consider feeding your fish with feeds that are fortified with vitamins C to strengthen their resistance against common diseases.

Maintaining an aquarium is not an easy job but it is worthwhile.  If you want to keep your fish healthy, make sure to buy all the essential aquarium supplies.