# Freshwater Aquariums > New To the Hobby ? >  Preparing Tropical Fish Aquariums Before Adding Fish

## lost

While keeping tropical fish is a lot easier than say marine, if you follow a few simple steps you will stand a far better chance of succeeding in your new hobby and having many hours of pleasure from your new pets

Owning tropical fish can be a fun and enjoyable hobby for anyone,but
For one thing most tropical fish aquariums have been sitting around  for some time or have been packed in boxes to get sent to your pet  supply store.  Theyre usually pretty dusty or even dirty when you get  them home; if theyre used of course theyll need to be cleaned under  any circumstances.  But one mistake that many people make with tropical  fish aquariums is using harsh cleansers or bleach to get them clean.   Any cleanser you use and especially bleach is going to leave a residue  no matter how much you rinse and wipe it away, and this residue is going  to be very bad for your fish.  A damp rag and lots of hot water is  usually best for cleaning tropical fish aquariums, and remember that  acrylic ones cant be scraped with a straight edge the way you can  scrape glass as this will scratch them.  Avoid steel wool rags and pads.
 Its also important to prepare your decorations and any wood youre  going to add to tropical fish aquariums.  Sometimes the substrate or  gravel you purchase will have dirt and debris, so put it in a bucket and  fill it with water just enough to cover everything.  Give this a stir  and let it sit overnight; the next day, empty out the water and then add  more, stirring it again.  Repeat this process until the water is clear  and this will tell you that all that residue is gone and you can now add  the substrate to your tank.
 Of course adding your accessories to your tropical fish aquariums is  also important.  You want to attach your filter and your heater and make  sure theyre both working properly, and give them a few days to treat  the water in the tank, before adding fish to any tropical fish  aquariums.  Even if the tap water youve added feels warm to you its  important that you get an accurate temperature reading, and that your pH  levels and other chemicals are healthy for your fish.  
 If you do all of these things before adding fish to tropical fish  aquariums and then work to maintain it after with regular cleaning,  maintenance, and a check of the water chemicals, youre sure to have  happy and healthy fish.

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