Setting up the decor can be made at the beginning. It's easier to install your rocks before pouring the water. And don't forget, you have to wait some weeks before introducing fish in your aquarium, time for water and biological elements to settle.

Reminder:

* Choose place of the aquarium in the room, no direct light.

* Make sure your aquarium is very stable.

* Prepare all material: filter, heating, sand... buckets and floor cloth...

Décor

Different methods are possible :

* Improvise: not easy

* First build your decor outside of the aquarium (on a cardboard piece on the floor).

* Make a rough plan of what you wish. This will help in your construction.

Don't forget what will be added to the rocks and where: plants, roots and in reef aquariums: live rocks...

Take lens effects into account.

In aquariums, a lens effect creates the impression that a 60 cm deep aquarium is only 40 cm. So it's important to create different levels of decor to give a good effect: low pieces in the front, higher on the back.

Avoid symmetry.

Avoid symmetry and try to create triangular shapes (like in a picture).

For aquariums with 2 visible sides (separating 2 rooms), create different levels, keep a free space : with a big arch or a big opening.

A nice reef decor will be irregular in lines, don't build walls which are too massive and heavy.

Create territories.

It's important, according to different species, to create territories and shelters (where fish can reproduce, develop and where the smallest will be protected), and on the other side to keep large swimming areas.

Make water circulation easy.

In reef aquariums, it's very important to organise water circulation to avoid sedimentation ; live rocks have to be raised. Some of our rocks have 5/ 7 cm feet that insure a good water circulation. Fish like to swim around among the different ways in the lower part of the décor.

Take light into account.

Inverts have different needs in light ; prepare your arrangement to settle the different species according to the light, their size, cohabitation problems...

Protect glasses of the aquarium (with cardboard or blanket) not to scratch them during the setting up.

1 Install the rocks on the glass and not on the sand. Then put sand around the rocks.

2 Water: put the tube in a plastic bag, to keep the water clear.

3 Fill up to only 10 or 20 cm.

4 Check that pumps, filter, heating and light work correctly. Fill up with water. Add bacteria to start the aquarium...

5. After a few days, plant, in the sand, or in the planting areas of the rocks.

6. Very important: leave your aquarium for 3 weeks before introducing fish.

7. Check water parameters (temperature, pH, quality..) before bringing the fish in.. Respect ratio: number of fish - volume of aquarium.

All décors will become green with algae in a few weeks. Algae develop with light and elements of water: it's natural.

You should consider it as positive: an aquarium is not a sterile milieu; it's full of life with fish, bacteria, plants and also algae. Important is to have the right ones: that do not invade the aquarium and are kept under control by fish and snails ...

Proliferation of algae often comes from tap water with too many nutritive elements and/or a bad lightning : time of lightning, quality of tubes, aquarium near a window...

In marine aquariums, sea water has to be prepared with osmolated water to avoid bringing nitrates and phosphates that one can find in tap water.

Very often, after a few weeks, equilibrium is found thanks to cleaning fish and competition between plants and algae. Respect nature, don't interfere too much in your aquarium.

Don't clean you filter too often as you will destroy good bacteria, same for the rocks. Rocks interfere in the biological equilibrium of the aquarium and, if you clean them, their action will be reduced.

Cichlid fish :

Some of them do not accept plants (they eat them), nor cleaning fish (they are aggressive with them) ; proliferation of algae can't be fought by plants but can be reduced by following methods : regular changes of water, turn the rocks, change position of the décor.

Cleaning :

New rocks: just rinse (except if you want to glue them with silicone rubber)

When you set up a new aquarium with old rocks: if you don't want to keep bacteria of the old rocks to start the new aquarium, you can clean your rocks with water + 20 % chlorinated water. Rinse thoroughly.