Your First Aquarium: A Beginner's Checklist
Everything you need to set up a healthy first fish tank — the right size, the right equipment, and the one step most beginners skip.
Beginner 6 min read
A home aquarium is one of the most relaxing things you can own — and it’s much easier to get right when you plan a little before you buy your first fish. Here’s the checklist we walk every new fishkeeper through at the store.
1. Pick a tank size (bigger is easier)
It sounds backwards, but a slightly bigger tank is easier to look after than a tiny one. More water means temperature and water quality change slowly, which gives you — and your fish — more room for small mistakes.
- Great first tank: around 2 feet long (roughly 60 litres).
- Tiny bowls: best avoided for most fish. They get dirty fast and swing in temperature.
- Placement: a sturdy, level surface, away from direct sunlight (which causes algae) and close to a power socket.
Tip: Water is heavy — about 1 kg per litre. A 60-litre tank weighs well over 70 kg once it’s set up, so use a proper aquarium stand or cabinet.
2. The essential equipment
| Item | Why you need it |
|---|---|
| Filter | Keeps water moving and grows the good bacteria that break down fish waste. |
| Heater (for tropical fish) | Pune nights get cool in winter. Most tropical fish like a steady 24–27°C. Goldfish don’t need one. |
| Light | Shows off your fish and keeps live plants healthy. 8–10 hours a day is plenty. |
| Gravel or sand | Gives the tank a natural look and a home for beneficial bacteria. |
| Water conditioner | Tap water contains chlorine, which harms fish. A few drops makes it safe. |
| Thermometer & net | Small, cheap, and you’ll use them every week. |
3. Cycle the water before adding fish
This is the step most beginners skip — and the reason many first fish don’t survive.
Fish produce waste, which turns into ammonia, and ammonia is toxic. In a healthy tank, good bacteria living in the filter turn it into much safer substances. A brand-new tank doesn’t have those bacteria yet.
“Cycling” simply means running the tank with its filter for a while so the bacteria can grow:
- Set up the tank, add conditioned water and switch on the filter (and heater, if you have one).
- Let it run for 2–4 weeks. Ask us about bacteria starter products that can help things along.
- Add just a few hardy fish first, then add more gradually over the following weeks.
4. Choose fish that suit your tank
Not every fish gets along, and some grow much bigger than they look in the shop. Good beginner choices include guppies, platies, mollies, many tetras and — for unheated tanks — goldfish (who need plenty of space).
A few rules of thumb:
- Don’t mix goldfish with tropical fish — they like different temperatures.
- Keep one male fighter fish (betta) per tank.
- Schooling fish like tetras are happiest in groups of six or more.
When in doubt, tell us the size of your tank and we’ll suggest fish that will live happily together.
5. Feed less than you think
Overfeeding is the most common beginner mistake. Uneaten food rots and pollutes the water.
- Feed once or twice a day, only as much as your fish finish in about 2 minutes.
- It’s fine to skip a day now and then — healthy fish won’t mind.
6. Build a simple weekly routine
- Every day: a quick look — are all fish active and eating?
- Every week: change about 20–25% of the water with conditioned tap water at a similar temperature.
- Every month: rinse filter sponges in old tank water (not tap water, which kills the good bacteria) and wipe the glass.
Prefer to leave the cleaning to someone else? Our tank maintenance visits cover Wakad, Kalewadi, Dange Chowk and Vishal Nagar.
Ready to start?
Come and see us at the store, or send us a WhatsApp message with the space you have in mind. We’ll help you pick a tank, set it up properly and choose fish you’ll enjoy for years.