Freshwater fish tend to be hardier than their saltwater counterparts, which potato chips production line manufacturers makes a freshwater aquarium easier to care for. Still, you have to follow some basic rules in setting up your aquarium. You need a tank, of course, as well as substrate or rocks to line the bottom. In addition, a filter and lighting is required.The fish in your tank must be compatible in terms of temperature, P.H. and food requirements. You should also keep in mind a basic fact of nature --fish eat other fish. If this happens, don't be discouraged, but learn from it. You can keep this to a minimum by keeping fish of roughly the same size.You should feed freshwater fish twice a day. Use only a small amount of food, that the fish can consume within five minutes. Excess food will quickly become debris and make the tank dirty. The water in the tank must be regulated and tested weekly. Correct and discrepancies in water temperature and P.H. immediately to reduce stress to the fish.Stress is one of the most common causes of illness in fish. Signs of stress are fairly obvious if you consistently monitor the activity and overall well being of your fish. Are any of your fish slow-moving or lethargic? If so, they will require a stress coat, which you can buy at a pet shop.Change about a third of the water in the aquarium at a time, because this type of change will cause the least amount of disturbance to the fish and other inhabitants.  This will need to be done every two to three weeks.  Use either a bucket or a siphon to remove the water from the tank.  Try to remove any loose or floating debris at this time.  When adding the new water to the aquarium, be sure that it is within approximately two degrees of the tank water.Clean the sides of the aquarium regularly, scrubbing away any algae. Be careful not to disturb the fish when doing this. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly prior to and after touching your aquarium. Also, do not forget to change the filter, according to the recommendation of the manufacturer. Filters perform the vital task of collecting fish waste and left over food, but they cannot function properly unless they are clean.Start your aquarium with hardy fish such as danios, barbs, gouramis and live bearers. These kind of fish are able to withstand the higher nitrite levels that are present in a new tank. Before adding fish, check with your pet store or other expert, as acclimation times vary per species. As a rule, do not add more than three or four small fish per week.