How to Set up a Five Gallon Fish Tank

Setting Up Your Tank

Put five gallons of water in a container or multiple containers and let it rest for a day or two.

Add the background, substrate and decorations to your five gallon tank. Try to keep the decorations natural or at least natural looking. Driftwood is common and looks good.

Pour half of the the water you previously prepared in the tank. Use a colander or a plate so you don't ruin your arrangement of decorations.

Install the filter, heater, and air pump. Some fish do not require a heater, but filters are necessary to keep your tank clean.

Arrange and place your live plants.

Add the rest of the water to your tank.

Add several drops of conditioner (water conditioner, not hair conditioner). Follow the directions on the bottle as to how many drops are needed.

Let the tank cycle for at least two weeks and occasionally add some fish food in it. Cycling a tank is important because it lets helpful bacteria form. That bacteria will later dissolve the ammonia from the fish feces.

Adding Fish

Buy the fish! You can also get snails, shrimp or frogs. Don't add them right away. If they're in a bag, let it float in the tank's water for about ten minutes. Mix some of the water in the bag with the water in the tank. Do this every few minutes, and eventually let the fish out of the bag so they can explore their new home!

Feed your fish twice a day. Don't add too much. however. Surprisingly, overfeeding your fish is worse than underfeeding them.