This encyclopedia - revised and updated to reflect the latest developments in current fishkeeping - takes a fresh look at the popular topic of setting up and maintaining a tropical freshwater aquarium. New hobbyists are often impatient to complete the aquarium and add their chosen fish as soon as possible. This can have disastrous results and discourage beginners from ever trying again. To curb such impatience, this book presents clear step-by-step practical advice in a week-by-week progression that starts with the first day, when the substrate and 'life-support' systems are installed, to the point at which the first fish are added two weeks later. The book then follows the tank's development as it turns from an artificial environment into a living community over a period of ten weeks. This crucial period in the life of a new aquarium is often beset with problems that fishkeepers find alarming. Throughout this part of the book, the emphasis is on providing the answers to common questions and offering practical advice to keep the system working smoothly. When plants and fish are added, there are profiles giving detailed descriptions of 50 suitable plants and 100 recommended species of fish.