You have just picked up a brand new aquarium tank at the pet store, and have the decor left. The tanks were beautiful at the pet store, but that's not what you bought. You only have the tank without the decor. It's up to you to decorate it.

The first thing to do is decide on a theme. You can choose anything between sunken ships, plants, and Disney theme. The theme you select for aquarium decor is simply a matter of what you want. After that it is a good idea to create a rough sketch and scale everything to size. By doing this, you will help fit everything in the new tank. You will also make sure it looks good. A little planning goes a long ways.

There are a lot of different types of aquarium decor out there. There are hundreds, even thousands, to choose from. Driftwood, gravel, rocks, ceramic decor, and plastic plants are just a few types that you can choose from. Once the theme has been chosen, filling the tank is the easy part. There are so many options out there you can find most anything. One thing to keep in mind is to arrange the larger object in the back and smaller in the front. This will ensure you can see everything.

You will want to avoid putting random, yet good looking, items into your aquarium. They may look good, but are not always healthy for the fish.

Before placing everything in the aquarium, you will want to wash them. Average household bleach, soaps, and other cleaning productions can actually harm the fish. Your aquarium decor should be cleaned about once a month with cleaner made for cleaning aquariums. You will want to look at cleaners that remove biological deposits, and mineral deposits.

Some tips to keep in mind when choosing your decorations, are to go with a variety of decorations. You will be creating more flexibility in the types of fish you can put in the tank. And by variety, I mean that when you setup your decor, try and leave plenty of caves, nooks, tunnels, and shelters for your fish to explore. And they wont just explore them, some fish will actually retreat to shelter when they feel threatened. You will want to keep plenty of free swimming room as well, so don't over do it.

When you first start deciding on how to setup your aquarium decor, keep in mind the types of fish. Some fish prefer certain setups, while others don't. A little research prior to building your aquarium can help you a lot in the long run.

Your aquarium decor isn't just there for looking good. You can also use them to disguise ugly pluming and other fish tank necessities. Some fish with enjoy the relaxing in the shelter, and may even lay their eggs.

Fish will sometimes create territorial boundaries out of the rocks and structures. Fish love to explore, and the more ridges and holes the better. Whenever you clean your tank, it is a good idea to rearrange the aquarium decor. In turn, keeping the aquarium fun and new for the fish, and you!