Aquarium Supplies

Get the right aquarium supplies

Keeping a complete collection of aquarium supplies on hand helps you create a healthy living environment for your pet fish and deal quickly with any unexpected problems or emergencies. Your shopping list will vary, depending on the type of fish you have and whether they’re saltwater or freshwater fish. Tropical pet fish species tend to be very sensitive to water temperature, and the salinity of the aquarium water must be carefully controlled to replicate the marine habitat of saltwater fish.

Must-Have Freshwater Aquarium Supplies

The list of freshwater fish aquarium supplies you’ll definitely need includes a quality air pump, a filtration system and a protein skimmer. You’ll also want to have a good supply of fresh gravel as well as gravel cleaners, algae scrapers and cleaning brushes if you choose to add some rocks for decoration.

Your air pump keeps the water aerated and helps maintain proper pH levels, allowing your fish an optimal supply of oxygen. While most pumps plug into the wall, you may want to look into getting a pump with backup battery power, in case you ever have an electrical outage.

Many different filtration systems are available; the simplest and most affordable are power filters that rest on the aquarium’s rim. Internal filters are a reasonable alternative, providing more efficient water-cleaning power for slightly higher average costs. High-capacity canister filters make good choices for large aquariums, and if you want only the best for your pet fish, you should look into a diatom filter. Though diatom filters are high-maintenance and relatively costly, they are also the most powerful and effective.

Should you opt to include live corals and live algae-growing rock in your aquarium environment, for decoration or because your fish graze on algae, you’ll need to add a few things to your list of reef aquarium supplies. There’s a delicate balance between the right amount of algae and too much algae, so you’ll need an algae scraper and a cleaning brush to keep growth in check and prevent the water from becoming polluted. Gravel cleaners and fresh gravel can also be used to maintain a steady, healthy aquatic environment; aquarium water conditioners are also strongly recommended.

Specialty Saltwater Aquarium Supplies

In addition to the aforementioned items, you’ll also need to pick up some specialized salt water aquarium supplies if you have fish that need salinity to survive. First, keep in mind that under-gravel filters are strongly recommended for saline aquatic environments. When you go shopping for one, make sure you know the dimensions of the bottom of your aquarium so you can purchase the right size.

Since the vast majority of saltwater fish need a strictly maintained water temperature to survive, you’ll also need an aquarium heater or, if your tank is unusually large, multiple heaters. Even slight fluctuations in temperature can make saltwater fish sick, sometimes fatally. For this reason, many hobbyists also keep a second heater on hand as part of their backup marine aquarium supplies.

You’ll also need sea salt mixes and a saltwater test kit to create, test and maintain the proper salinity and pH levels. Ask an expert at your aquarium hobby store if you’re not sure how much salt your fish need in the tank, and always follow package directions closely when mixing in salt and testing levels.

Reef aquarium supplies you’ll need if you have a reef tank include a supplemental refugium tank where you’ll cultivate algae, corals and other microflora. Depending on the complexity of your system, you may also need a sump tank for all the mechanical equipment that maintains your aquatic environment, so the primary tank display isn’t cluttered by filters, pumps and machines.

Finding Discount Aquarium Supplies

The cost of aquarium supplies can quickly add up, so most hobbyists are naturally concerned about getting the best quality for the best value. Retailers of online aquarium supplies generally have lower overhead costs than traditional retailers, so it’s certainly worth doing a price comparison between the products at your local store and those at Internet-based suppliers.