Checklist: starting your 60-litre freshwater aquarium

🖨️ Keep it handy: print this page or save it as a PDF (Ctrl+P then “Save as PDF”) — it is designed to be ticked off as you go.

Step 1 — The equipment, item by item

Realistic total budget: 150 to 250 € all in. The detailed choices (kit vs separate parts, where to save safely) are in our beginner 60 L freshwater aquarium guide.

• ☐ 60 L tank with lid and LED lighting — as a kit: 80 to 130 €
• ☐ Filter turning over 2 to 3 times the volume per hour (120 to 180 L/h) — often included in the kit
• ☐ 50 to 75 W heater with a real adjustable thermostat — often included in the kit
• ☐ Nutrient soil + gravel or sand — 25 to 40 €
• ☐ 6 to 8 easy plants (anubias, vallisneria, Java moss) — 20 to 35 €
• ☐ Driftwood or rocks — 15 to 30 €
• ☐ Liquid test kit (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) — 25 to 40 €, non-negotiable
• ☐ Water conditioner + starter bacteria — 10 to 20 €
• ☐ Net, thermometer, gravel vacuum — 15 to 25 €

Step 2 — The nitrogen cycle, week by week

A new tank does not yet host the bacteria that neutralise toxic waste: adding fish too early is the number-one cause of failure. The detailed readings are in our water tests and nitrogen cycle guide.

• ☐ Week 0: install substrate, plants and decor; fill with conditioned water; start filter and heater (24/7) — then hands off, no fish.
• ☐ Week 1: first liquid-test readings; ammonia rises, which is normal. No fish, no water change.
• ☐ Weeks 2-3: nitrite spike — test every 2 to 3 days; starter bacteria can speed up maturation.
• ☐ Week 3-4 — the only real green light: nitrite undetectable two days in a row. Not before, whatever the calendar says.
• ☐ Stocking: first fish in two batches, one week apart (for example the school first, then the bottom dwellers).
• ☐ Then, every week: change 10 to 20% of the water, check temperature and parameters — about 30 minutes.

Step 3 — The 4 mistakes that wreck a start-up

• ☐ Adding fish on filling day (wait 3 to 4 weeks of cycling).
• ☐ Saving money on the filter or the tests — the only two non-negotiable items.
• ☐ Choosing a goldfish: it needs at least 100 L per individual, not 60.
• ☐ Overstocking: for 60 L, aim for a school of 8 to 10 small fish (neons, rasboras) and 6 dwarf corydoras — see what size to start with.

🩺 The health watchpoints on this page are for information only: only a veterinarian can examine your animal and make a diagnosis.