Choosing the right aquarium accessories is one of the most fun parts of the hobby. However, researching which equipment is best for the fish in saltwater or freshwater tanks may be daunting. But the effort is worth it for a healthy and happy aquarium in years to come.
There are so many supplies available today that choices and options seem endless. Some are essential to all setups while others are optional depending on the type of habitat you want. This article covers the tools that most setups need to provide a safe environment for the fish.
What Equipment Is Needed For An Aquarium?
Seasoned aquarist or new to tank keeping? Having the right fish aquarium equipment is key to the ecosystem’s success. Let’s check out the accessories for setting up freshwater and marine tanks.
Saltwater Aquarium Equipment
When planning habitat, you might not need all these items listed below. Consult with a dealer to see what exactly you need to build the tank of your dreams.
Marine Tank: Pick a model from 50-500 liters to start, but get a 300 liter and 120cm long minimum to adjust Tang fish.
Aquarium Filter Carbon: Coral reefs have clean water in nature, so use carbon to absorb any impurities in the water. Change it every thirty days.
Lighting: Good light is essential for live corals and anemones. Choose high powered controllable LED that mounts to the tank rim. Reef Spec LED lighting makes some coral colors pop and glow neon.
Marine salt: Not just any salt, marine salt has dozens of extra elements in it to keep corals healthy. Buy enough to fill the tank and have some spare for regular water changes.
Substrate: Live sand or aragonite is suitable for reef aquariums to provide a base for corals and beneficial bacteria. The substrate also plays a part in nutrient cycling and pH buffering in the tank.
Phosphate Remover: Bright light means lots of nuisance algae so use phosphate remover in a reactor to absorb phosphate and starve algae.
Algae Magnet: Algae grows on the glass daily so wipe algae while keeping your hands dry with an algae magnet.
Refractometer: This is a must-have for measuring salinity in marine aquariums, especially reef aquariums where water parameters are critical for corals and other marine life.
Aquarium Test Kits: Testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate is important if you just want Nemo. But for a full-blown reef habitat with live corals, get test kits for KH, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate, and Phosphate.
Heater: They are important for tropical setups where the water temperature needs to be higher than the room temperature the tank is in. Go for the best and get a Titanium heater and a separate temperature controller.
Thermometer: It is handy to check the water temperature (a good digital thermometer is recommended). These will help check the accuracy of the thermostat on the heater (some can be a little off, but it’s worth checking). Make sure the heater is in the right spot for even water temperature.
Gravel Siphon: Use this to vacuum the sand but also to siphon water from the main tank during water changes.
Protein Skimmer: An extra pre-filter used by 99% of reefkeepers. Choose a top-notch protein skimmer that can filter a double tank’s volume.
Wavemakers: The water is always moving on coral reefs and corals use water flow to feed and clean themselves. Choose a controllable wavemaker with variable flow.
Coral Sand: This is the foundation of every marine aquarium. Add enough to get a thin layer, 3cm deep on the bottom of the enclosure. Vacuum regularly to keep it clean.
Rock For Reef Tanks: Choose dry rock to shape the aquascape before filling it with water. Make the structure open to allow for good water flow.
Biomedia: Biological media is needed to break down ammonia and convert it into less harmful substances. Choose ceramic media to undergo the bulk of the biological work.
Bacteria Additive: They break down ammonia into nitrite and then nitrate. Bacterial additives are most commonly used during the initial setup and the cycling process. Add bacteria to the system and it’ll be ready for fish.
Algae Magnet: Algae grows on the glass daily so wipe algae while keeping your hands dry with an algae magnet.
Freshwater Aquarium Equipment
Done selecting the tank location? Now get the following supplies for the freshwater aquatic habitat.
Fish Tank: Research the basic needs of your new pets and choose the right size and shape for them.
Water Conditioning Chemicals: Stock up on the water conditioner before setting the aquarium up and running it. Such chemicals remove chlorine and chloramine from tap water.
Bottled Nitrifying Bacteria: Good bacteria keep the pet fish in the tank alive. They remove organic waste from fish waste, food leftovers, and decaying plant matter in the aquatic water and turn it into ammonia and nitrite.
Water Test Kit: Testing the water parameters regularly is crucial for fish to live in a safe environment. Water test kits allow you to monitor the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels and the pH of the water.
Water Filter: Aquarium filters can trap debris (mechanical filtration), keep the tank water toxin-free (chemical filtration), and promote the ongoing Nitrogen Cycle (biological filtration).
Heater: The water temperature in such aquarium setups is adjusted by heater between 75°F to 80°F (23.9°C to 26.7°C).
Thermometer: Even if your heater has a built-in thermometer, use a separate thermometer to compare readings.
Substrate: Most freshwater species will need some sort of sand or small gravel in their setup. Some species of small aquatic snails will hide in the substrate during the day and come out at night time.
Lightning: It is important for the sleep cycle of pet fish, growing aquatic plants, and the aesthetics of the tank.
CO2 System: The plants in the tank will grow faster, denser, and with more color if supplied with adequate CO2.
Airstone: An airstone will create small bubbles in the water column, providing oxygen to pet fish.
Air Pump: This fish-safe plastic tubing is great for connecting an air pump to an airstone, an under-gravel filter, or an aquarium ornament.
Decor: Adding these ornaments and decorations will keep the stress of fish as low as possible.
Gravel Vacuum: It helps maintain a natural balance in the aquatic environment and cleans debris from gravel for a pristine habitat.
Essential Tools For Aquarium Cleaning
You can’t ignore tank cleaning and maintenance. Get perfect tools for hygiene, water changes, and fish handling.
Siphon hose: Siphoning is the easiest way to remove water from a tank. For large tanks, using a “water python” or other long hose means you can ditch the bucket and siphon water directly into a drain or outside garden. When siphoning water, try to clean or “vacuum” gravel. Many “water changing” hoses have a gravel cleaning attachment. The idea behind them is to attach a wide-mouthed tube to the end of the siphon hose that can be used to stir up the gravel. The gravel is too heavy to get sucked into the hose, but stirring it up frees up detritus which is light enough to be siphoned out. Note the “dirty” water of the tank has nitrates which make great fertilizer for flower or veggie gardens.
Scouring Pad: To remove algae from the side of the tank, a plastic non-soapy scouring pad can be used. If you have an acrylic tank, be careful the pad isn’t too hard and scratch the side. Many types of algae can be wiped free with the floss inserts made for whisper filters.
Razor Blade: Some of the slower-growing algae can’t be removed with a scouring pad without a lot of work. A razor blade is best at this point. Buy a scraper that has a long handle with a razor blade on the end. It can be used to remove anything from the side of a tank but can scratch glass if you’re not careful.
Magnet Cleaners: A scraping block on the inside of the tank is held in place by a magnet on the outside of the tank. Moving it moves the scraping block, removing algae without putting your entire arm in the tank. The best magnet cleaners are those with a strong magnetic field and work best on smaller tanks with thinner glass.
Toothbrush: A toothbrush is one of the best tools for removing algae from plastic tubing.
