last updated 12 Aug 2024

Aquariums can be so relaxing. The sound of gently flowing water and the slow movement of beautiful fish calms the soul.

Contents: Basic Costs (Supplies) | Maintenance | Supply information (tanks, filters, ...)

Costs:
Aquarium Essentials Overview | LiveAwuaria New Fish Checklist: How to Set Up a Fish Tank | aquarium co-op It can take a week or more to set up your tank. getting supplies, Breaking in your tank to establish a healthy ecosystem.
See bio-chemistry below

Cost:

Tank:
Tetra Aquarium, 10 Gallon, Complete Tropical Fish Tank Kit with LED Lighting for Freshwater Fish &109
The starter kit includes one glass aquarium with a low-profile, hinged hood, an LED lighting system, an internal filter and filter cartridge

Filter:
$38 Hagen Aquaclear 5-20 gal 3-stage (mechanical, chemical and biological) filter Replacement cartridges
$6 phospate removal pads for filter to reduce algae

Fish:
49¢ for goldfish at your petco store to hundreds or thousands for Koi or other rare fish.
Koi fish prices range from $10 for a 5” juvenile to over $50,000 for champion level quality.
$180 Standard Grade Koi 8-10 inches - 1 Fish $180
One post said "In my pond right now I paid around $500 to stock my pond with 24 beautiful 7 to 10-inch assorted koi and fantail goldfish."
See fish below:

Bacteria starter
$15 for new aquarium break-in. (optional) $15
Nullifying bacteria break down amonium and nitrate build up from fish waste, uneaten food and other decaying organic matter.
Use it when changing water, adding fish, changing filter media or whenever amonia and nitrite are detected. Plants will also consume ammonia and nitrates
phosphate remover (optional)
$10 Filter pads to remove phospates which contribute to algae growth Test Kit or test strips
$12 7 in 1 test strips - $35 Master test kit
Ammonia and nitrites should be at 0 ppm and nitrates below 40 ppm.
See Pond Nitrogen Cycle below.
Heater
$1250 watt - $40 300 watt (optional)
For cool environments. Many fish need tropical temperatures. Some say 72-76°F others between 74-80°F.
Plants:
For removing ammonia and nitrates and for oxygenation.
Floating plants are especially good for goldfish and koi, which will eat them. $6

Top 10 Easy Aquarium Plants for Beginners | aquariumCoOp.com
Dozens are listed. The ones below were listed on several sites.
Amazon Sword (can grow huge), Java Fern, Java Moss, Marimo Moss Ball,

Ongoing care and maintenance expenses:
Ongoing costs include monthly feeding ($5 to $15) and maintenance ($10 to $30).
Equipment operation may add $5 to $20 to your utility bills.
Budget $10 to $50 for common health issues, with a reserve fund of $50-$100 for emergencies that require a trip to the vet.

Aquarium Fish, Supplies & Equipment | Live Aquaria

Maintenance

Algae Control

How to Remove Algae from a Fish Tank | WebMD

• Avoid too much light
  how to set lights to stop algae
• Watch excess food.
  When feeding aquarium fish, you should give them as much food as they can eat in two to five minutes. You can start with a small amount and see how quickly they eat it. If they finish it in less than two minutes, you can try giving them a little more. After five minutes, you should remove any uneaten food with a net or siphon hose.
• Change the water - While you shouldn’t change the tank water all at once, changing 10%-15% of the water each week ensures that nutrient levels are balanced. Over time, nitrate and phosphate accumulates and can contribute to algae growth.
• Clean your plants. If algae grows on the leaves and stems of your aquarium plants, create a routine of cleaning them regularly. Using a solution of 5-10% bleach, dip the plants for a few minutes as needed to destroy the algae. Make sure they are thoroughly rinsed because bleach can kill your fish.
• Invest in a filter. Remember, if algae persist through regular water changes, you have to do more to combat the problem. Invest in a diatomic filter that helps remove algae from the water consistently.
• Test your water
• Try adding live plants - Live plants need the same nutrients as algae.
  "Plants (real or artificial) can greatly benefit your fishes’ overall welfare by enriching their environment and lowering stress levels, resulting in healthier fish" Dr. Jessica Fox, a certified aquatic veterinarian, told The Spruce Pets.
• Consider algae-eating fish
  Planted aquariums are very popular nowadays because of their natural beauty and amazing ability to consume the toxic nitrogen compounds produced by fish waste.

Supplies

Size
It depends on the type of fish. Gold fish can get up to 6-12" long, so need a larger tank. People usually say 1 inch per gallon but truthfully it’s a completely worthless metric. There’s way too many factors to boil it down to something that simplistic. Aqadvisor is a good tool for stocking. Even then it still depends on a lot of factors.

Reddit comment:
I have a tank that’s like 150% stocked according to aqadvisor but I literally never even need to do a water change because it’s so heavily planted that parameters are always stable.

Fish Tank Size Tips: How To Choose The Perfect Fish Tank Tanks below 5 gallons are often referred to as fish bowls, and while they may seem like a simple aesthetic to suit minimalist style, we do not recommend them. Tanks of only 5 gallons and lower can be dangerous for fish as they commonly experience fluctuations in pH, as well as build-ups of waste materials and harmful chemicals. Not to mention, of course, the very stressful and small living conditions that can be too much for even the smallest of lone fish. Stress in fish resulting from not enough room to swim can lead to fish being vulnerable to disease.

Despite all of this, tanks up to 10 gallons are not entirely useless as they can be home to beautiful and vibrant aquatic life.

aquarium co-op says, "if you house five or six goldfish in a 60- or 70-gallon aquarium, the tank maintenance schedule will be more manageable"

I was looking for a size and hardiness chart for common species, but couldn't find any.

Summary from google search
5 gallons
A good size for a single betta fish or inverts in a small freshwater tank. This size is lightweight and inexpensive, but it can be challenging to keep the water clean and there are limited fish choices.

10-20 gallons
A good size for beginners who want to keep a few fish that are under 3 inches long. However, you'll need to be diligent with maintenance and ensure proper filtration and chemical balances.

20-40 gallons
A good size for keeping 6–12 small fish healthy and happy. The volume of the tank helps to ensure that water quality isn't too sensitive, so it can be more forgiving of less frequent maintenance.

The 8 Best Fish Tanks for Small Aquatic Life and Small Spaces | SprucePets

7 gallons
Allcolor $80 11.8 x 11.8 x 11.8 7 Gal

Small 9 gal
Fluval Flex 9-gallon Aquarium Kit. $119 includes filter and lights
13.19 x 13.78 x 12.8 9 gal

Filter:
If you’re a fish keeping beginner, don’t let the internet convince you to start with a canister filter. They are more difficult to clean and maintenance, and they’re not necessarily the “best” filter out there. We typically recommend a sponge filter because of its gentle flow and reliability.
The Hagen Aquaclear 5-20 gal $38 3-stage (mechanical, chemical and biological) filter is good.

• Mechanical: sponge - Removes solid waste, organic debris, and other particulate matter by trapping it on fibrous or sponge material.
• Chemical: activated carbon - Removes chlorine, odor, and fine particles.
• Biological: Provides a colony for beneficial bacteria to grow.
  The surface of BioMax is made up of a complex pore system that allows bacteria to thrive. Use of the BioMax Filter Insert will provide optimal living space for beneficial bacteria and enhance the removal of ammonia and nitrites resulting in a healthy aquarium environment.

Lighting:
Lighting is mostly a concern for those who are keeping live aquatic plants. If you have no aquarium plants, you can use a fish tank kit that already comes with Lighting is mostly a concern for those who are keeping live aquatic plants. If you have no aquarium plants, you can use a fish tank kit that already comes with a light or choose an appropriately sized aquarium hood with a built-in light. If you are growing aquarium plants, install an LED planted tank light with a power outlet timer to keep algae growth under control. For more help, learn about how to pick the best planted aquarium light.

Substrate refers to the ground covering on the bottom of your fish tank. Some of the most common options include aquarium gravel, sand, and plant substrate.
For a 1 inch bed, you will need roughly 1 lb of aquarium substrate per gallon or 2 lbs per gallon for a 2 inch bed. The substrate, rocks, driftwood, and aquarium decorations can sometimes be covered in dust particles, so rinse them in water to avoid getting cloudy water. (Do not wash anything in soap or cleaning products, since the remaining residue can be harmful to fish.)

Fish
49¢ for goldfish at your petco store to hundreds or thousands for Koi or other rare fish.
Others range from $4-$10
Koi - expensive
Koi fish prices range from $10 for a juvenile to over $50,000 for champion level quality.
$180 Standard Grade Koi 8-10 inches - 1 Fish
One post said "In my pond right now I paid around $500 to stock my pond with 24 beautiful 7 to 10-inch assorted koi and fantail goldfish."

Tropical Fish:
There are dozens of popular tropical fish for small (10 gallon) aquariums:
Most Recommended across a 8 or 10 web pages:

Betta Fish 4 (1 male/aquarium)
Guppy 4
Tetra 7 - Neon 3, Ember 2, Cardinal, blind Cave, Bloodfish, Flame
Barb 6 - Rosys 2, Checkers, Cherry, Golds,
Platy 5 - Good for cleanup. They can find half-buried leftovers.
catfish 4 
Gourami Dwarf 3
Corydoras 3, Cory, Otocinclus, Pigmy
Danios 3 
Loach Kuhli 2
White Cloud Minnows 2

9 Best Aquarium Fish for Relaxation | Aqueon
Neon Tetra, Guppy, Corydoras Catfish, Platy, Molly, Keyhole Cichlid, Kribensis, Kuhli Loach. Zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Best Beginner Fish by Tank Size | Aqueon

Tetras, comet goldfish or shrimp are a good choice for small tanks.
Regular gold fish can grow to 6" or more.
A 20-28-gallon tank is generally enough for one ornamental (fancy) goldfish, but you should add 10 gallons for each additional adult goldfish.
Popular bottom feeder fish:
Shrimp, Clown loach, Zebra loach, bristlenose pleco (stays small)
Many get big. Coast GEM Fish Online
Tetra Care Guide Tetras are a good option for small tanks. It is best to narrow it down to a few species of tetra but avoid the more torpedo shaped tetras like neons and cardinals. When only a few neons or cardinals mixed in with other species are kept in the tank, they do not display their best. If your heart is set on a school of neons, go for a minimum of 12 fish and do not keep any other fish in the tank other than some Corydoras or a bristlenose pleco. Plants:
Rather than setting up a bare tank with very little to no fish, you can immediately add live aquarium plants and then focus on growing them with good lighting, substrate, and fertilizers. In fact, according to microbiologist Diana Walstad, aquatic plants consume nitrogen waste even more effectively than bacteria. All the more reason to go for a planted tank! (That said, the leaves and roots of the plants will contribute some beneficial bacteria, but you can add even more using the tips mentioned above.)
Once the plants (or algae) show new growth, the cycle is complete. Your plants are successfully consuming ammonia and nitrates and converting them into new leaves and roots. Gradually add a few fish, feed them sparingly, and use water test strips to ensure that ammonia and nitrites are at 0 ppm and nitrates are below 40 ppm. Gravel OR substrate - For healthy fish, most tanks need one pound of gravel for each gallon of water. Using natural gravel will provide fish with a suitable ecosystem where they can thrive.
Gravel should be at least two inches deep if you want to anchor plants or cover an undergravel filter. However, if the gravel is too deep, it can trap dirt and reduce the amount of space for fish to swim.
Feeding Fish Plants – What Are Some Plants That Fish Eat

Heater:
While certain fish species (like goldfish, Japanese ricefish, and white cloud mountain minnows) can handle cooler temperatures, the majority of freshwater pet fish prefer warmer, tropical temperatures. Some say 72-76°F others between 74-80°F. Therefore, if your home is lower than this range, you need to buy an aquarium heater to prevent your fish from getting sick.

Decorations:
decor such as rocks, plants, driftwood, sunken ships, coral, and more.

Bio-Chemistry

The Pond Nitrogen Cycle

Ammonia is the main nitrogen waste from your fish and functions as the start of nature’s nitrogen cycle. Ammonia is excreted partly by the fish’s kidneys, but mostly by the gills. Ammonia also comes from uneaten food and other decaying organic matter.
As ammonia (NH₃/(NH₄) increases, Nitrosomonas bacteria, the biological filter, start to consume it and break it down into nitrite. Once nitrite(NO₂) starts to accumulate, denitrifying bacteria breaks them down into nitrates(NO₃.

Nitrifying bacteria seem to be present in all aquatic environments, including new aquarium setups. But in such tanks, there won’t be enough of them to process the waste produced by a full load of fish.
Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) are microorganisms that oxidize nitrite to nitrate, a process known as nitrification or nitratation. Nitrates are then removed from the system by plants, algae, or water changes.
You can use some nitrifying when changing water, adding fish, changing filter media or whenever amonia and nitrite are detected to help the process. High ammonia levels indicate that there are not enough beneficial nitrogen-reducing bacteria living in the pond yet. These bacteria proliferate over time, so ammonia problems are most common during the first six to eight weeks of a pond’s break-in period. Later, ammonia levels can climb again if the filter gets clogged.

See The Pond Nitrogen Cycle

Care Guide for Fancy Goldfish – Housing, Feeding, and More

Contacts - Web Pages:

Supplies Advice | Aquarium co-op 

Aquarium Fish, Supplies & Equipment | Live Aquaria

Tropical Fish Magazine