Getting ready for your new fish: Firstly, wipe the inside of your tank with a clean, damp cloth to remove any dust. Put your gravel in a colander and rinse under cold water. Rinse any ornaments that you plan to add to your tank too. Place the gravel in the bottom of the tank - 5cm at the back, 3cm at the front, then add your ornaments to your tank. Fill the tank 3/4 full with lukewarm tap water, ask an adult to install the filter following the instructions provided (this cleans the water). Fill your tank with more lukewarm water up to 2-3cm from the top. Ask an adult to add the water conditioner (sold separately) to the water, following the instructions on the pack. Whenever you add tap water to the aquarium, use tap safe (sold separately) to remove harmful chemicals. Once the tank is filled, ask an adult to turn on the filter, you now need to leave the filter running overnight. Ask an adult to add Filter Boost (sold separately) to your aquarium, whenever you add fish, use a Filter Boost product to help establish the good bacteria your filter needs to process fish waste.

Once you have your fish home: It is really important that you add them to your tank gently, to make sure that they are not scared or shocked. Your fish will be packed carefully for the journey to their new home. They should not be kept in the bag for longer than 1-2 hours. When you get them home, float the plastic bag in your tank for about 20 minutes - this will make sure that the temperature of the water in the bag and the tank are the same. After 20 minutes add some of your tank water to the bag and wait for a further 10 minutes before transferring the fish into the aquarium with a net. Throw the old water away and don't mix it with the water in your tank.

Feeding your fish: Your fish may be a bit nervous and hide for a while, let them settle down for a few hours before feeding them. There are a number of fish foods available in flakes or pellets. Flaked food is suitable for all kinds of fish. Feed your fish twice a day, offering just enough food so that it is eaten within 2 minutes. Start with a small amount and then add a little more if it is eaten quickly. Too much food will pollute the water so make sure any left over food is scooped from the tank after feeding. Remember, it's important however to feed your fish very sparingly for the first 8 weeks whilst the nitrifying bacteria grow.

A healthy tank for healthier fish: When looking after your fish, little and often is the best practice. Your cleaning plan will depend on the type of tank you have and also what species of fish you have living in.

As a general rule you should aim for the following -
Daily: Check the filter is working correctly.
Weekly: Clean algae from the glass.
Fortnightly: An adult should help you with this. Carry out a water change of between 10% and 30% of the tank's volume, dependent on how many fish you have in your tank. Clean filter parts & filter media thoroughly to prevent blockages, replace as recommended by the manufacturer. For aquariums up to 68 litres it is recommend that the filter cartridge is changed every 28 days. Replacement cartridge packs available.