Skip to content
Fish Supplies

Chapter 1Tanks and setupsChecklist

Fish Tank Supplies Checklist: Everything a New Aquarium Needs

What a new freshwater aquarium needs before fish: tank, lid, filter, heater, light, conditioner, test kit, substrate and food, with sizes from vets and makers.

By Fish Supplies editorial teamUpdated 5 min readHow we research

We earn from qualifying purchases through links on this page. How we make money.

A clean, well-lit community aquarium with sand, plants and small fish

A new freshwater aquarium needs a tank with a lid, a filter, a heater and thermometer for tropical fish, a light on a timer, a water conditioner, a test kit, substrate, food and a gravel vacuum. VCA suggests 10 or 20 gallons for a first tank and a 4 to 6 week cycle before any fish go in.

The checklist, in the order you set it up

Item Why it matters Where we cover it
Tank and lid VCA suggests 10 or 20 gallons for beginners; bettas jump, so the RSPCA wants a lid Tank sizes
Stand Aqueon says to use a stand designed for the full weight Tank sizes
Filter The RSPCA says no fish should be kept without a working filter Aquarium filters
Heater and thermometer Tropical fish need steady warm water; VCA lists a thermometer as essential Aquarium heaters
Light and timer The RSPCA suggests 8 to 10 hours of light a day Aquarium lighting
Water conditioner VCA says most tap water contains chlorine, so it must be treated Cycling a tank
Test kit Ammonia and nitrite readings tell you when the tank is ready Cycling a tank
Substrate and decor Rinsed before use, per the Aqueon and Marina setup guides Substrate and decor
Food Sized for your fish, fed sparingly Fish food
Gravel vacuum and scraper For partial water changes Cleaning a tank

Aquarium kits that bundle the tank, filter and light

Shop aquarium kits with filter and light

Opens eBay in a new tab. Check condition, seller feedback and returns.

Kit or separates?

A kit bundles a tank with some of the basics. The Marina LED kits from Rolf C. Hagen, for example, come in 5, 10 and 20 gallon sizes with a matched Slim filter and a light built into the canopy, while the manual treats the heater as something you add. Check any kit’s box list for a heater, a test kit and a gravel vacuum before you count on them.

Buying separates lets you size each piece to the fish you plan to keep. Either way, check the filter’s rated tank size against your tank and add whatever the kit leaves out.

Pick the tank for the fish, not the other way around

Different fish need very different setups. The table uses the sources on each species guide:

Fish Tank Water temperature Heater Source
Betta 5 gallons or more; kept alone 76 to 81°F Yes University of Illinois vets
Goldfish No smaller than 20 gallons; 29 is best 10 to 21°C (50 to 70°F) Usually not NC State vet via Vetstreet; RSPCA
Community tropicals 10 or 20 gallons to start Typically 22 to 28°C (72 to 82°F) Yes VCA; RSPCA

For stocking, VCA gives the rule of 1 gallon of water per 1 inch of fish and warns against overcrowding. The RSPCA puts it as 1.5 to 2 liters per centimeter of tropical fish, and much more for goldfish: 2 liters per half centimeter. Count the adult length, not the size in the store. The betta setup and goldfish setup chapters go further.

Filters sized for 10 to 20 gallon tanks

Shop aquarium filters: canister, hang-on-back, sponge and internal

Opens eBay in a new tab. Check condition, seller feedback and returns.

Cycle before fish

A new tank has no colony of the bacteria that turn fish waste into less harmful compounds. VCA says the tank must cycle for 4 to 6 weeks before fish are added, so that ammonia and nitrite reach acceptable levels.

The makers’ guides are much shorter: Aqueon says fish should not go in until the tank has run for at least 48 hours, and the Marina kit manual says to wait 3 to 4 days for the temperature to settle. We follow the veterinary advice and test the water. The cycling chapter shows how, with a test kit and a conditioner.

Electricity and water

The Marina kit manual says to unplug every appliance before putting your hands in the water, and to leave a drip loop in each cord, dipping below the socket so water cannot run along it into the outlet.

Water conditioners and liquid test kits

Shop water conditioners, test kits and bacteria starters

Opens eBay in a new tab. Check condition, seller feedback and returns.

The first six weeks, week by week

RSPCA Australia’s guidance for a new tank gives a workable timeline:

  1. Day one: set up the tank, filter and heater, treat the water with conditioner and start the cycle.
  2. Every 2 to 3 days for the first six weeks: test ammonia and nitrite.
  3. When the readings allow: add fish gradually, never large numbers at once, so the bacteria can adapt.
  4. After that: weekly partial water changes of 10 to 25 percent, and testing every one to two weeks.

The same page says the biological filter usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to establish. If you buy everything on the same weekend, the fish come a month or more later, and that wait is part of the plan.

Placing and filling the tank

VCA says to put the tank somewhere shielded from direct sunlight and not under an air conditioning vent; the RSPCA adds radiators and smoky rooms to the list. Aqueon estimates a tank filled with water, gravel and decor at about 10 pounds per gallon, so a 20 gallon tank is roughly 200 pounds. Set it on a stand built for that weight before you fill it.

Rinse the gravel and decor first, as both the Aqueon and Marina guides say, and never use soap or detergent on anything that goes in the tank. Treat the tap water with conditioner as you fill.

Where to go next

Choose a size in fish tank sizes compared, then pick a filter, a heater and a light. Plan your substrate and decor, learn how to clean a tank without undoing the cycle, and see fish food by fish. For presents, see gifts for aquarium keepers.

Frequently asked questions

What supplies do I need for a fish tank?

A tank with a lid, a filter sized for the tank, a heater and thermometer for tropical fish, a light on a timer, a water conditioner, a liquid test kit, substrate and decor, food and a gravel vacuum. VCA adds that the tank must cycle for 4 to 6 weeks before fish go in.

Is it cheaper to build a fish tank or buy a kit?

A kit bundles the tank with basics such as a filter and light, but not always a heater: the Marina LED kits, for example, ship with a filter and treat the heater as an add-on. Compare what a kit includes against this checklist before deciding.

What size fish tank should a beginner get?

VCA says most beginners should start with a 10 or 20 gallon tank. The RSPCA advises nothing smaller than about 40 liters (roughly 10 gallons), because larger volumes stay more stable.

How long do I wait before adding fish to a new tank?

The sources differ. VCA says to cycle for 4 to 6 weeks, while Aqueon's setup guide says at least 48 hours and the Marina kit manual 3 to 4 days. Testing for ammonia and nitrite is the way to know.

Where should I put a fish tank?

VCA says somewhere shielded from direct sunlight and not under an air conditioning vent. The RSPCA adds away from radiators, on a sturdy surface, because a filled tank is very heavy.

Part of Tanks and setups

Read next

Affiliate disclosure

Fish Supplies is reader-supported. Some links on this page are affiliate links: when you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase through our links. Commissions never decide what we recommend or how we rank it. Listings and prices come from our partners and change often, so check the price, condition and seller on the retailer's page before you buy. Read how we make money.