In this first article of the Aquarium Care 101 series, I discuss the fundamental concepts behind creating aquariums inspired by nature.

It is my strong opinion that aquariums ought to imitate the native environments of the fish we plan to keep. This article begins a discussion about key concepts: such as biological filtration, water chemistry, and the ways in which the physical aquarium environment affects water quality and the health of our fish.

In this Aquarium Care 101 article, I discuss some methods for providing topical fish with an aquarium environment that is both balanced and stable!

In particular, I’ll discuss aquarium size. I’ll explain, in detail, why large aquariums promote overall cleanliness (saving you hours of maintenance labor) and the sustained health of your fish.

When you consider what type of aquarium filter to use for your fish tank, you’ll be confronted with many choices. Hang on power filters, under-gravel filters, sponge filters, and canister filters are the most popular.

I, however, will discuss the fundamental filtration process – biological filtration – and which filters best accommodate this natural backbone of any stable and healthy aquarium. I’ll explain how biological filtration works, why it’s important, and how you can take advantage of this naturally occurring process for the benefit of your fish.

This aquarium care article covers the most commonly made mistake by people new to the hobby: adding too many fish, too fast.

When setting up a new aquarium, we often run to the nearest aquarium shop and pick out as many fish as our budgets allow for. But, doing so will most likely end in disaster! That’s because a newly set up aquarium lacks a sufficiently large beneficial bacteria population that’s able to handle the amount of waste your fish produce: this bit of advice applies to all aquariums, no matter what filtration method you use!

In addition to properly cycling your aquarium (covered in Aquarium Care 101: Part 4), you should also consider some safe methods for physically adding fish to your tank.

So, in this Aquarium Care article, I’ll cover “acclimation” – the process by which you let newly bought fish slowly and safely adjust to your aquarium temperature and water chemistry (including pH and hardness). By acclimate fish to the physical parameters of their new environment, you’ll greatly reduce the chances of disease.