Author Topic: Advice for a newbie please (Read 26109 times) 46 replies

Natasha · « **on:** May 21, 2013, 12:15:49 AM »

Hey everyone,
I’m new to keeping tropical fish and wanted to ask some advice from all the experts on here as to what fish they would recommend

I live in Bristol so my water is quite hard, the info I got from my water company gave me these stats:

pH     7.5
Calcium Ca (mg/l)     103
Magnesium Mg (mg/l)     6.5
Total Hardness CaCO3 (mg/l)    283
UK degrees Clark (oC)     20
Degrees French (of)     28
Degrees German (odH)     17
Flouride (mg/l)     0.09
Alkalinity CaCO3 (mg/l)     169
Alkalinity HCO3 (mg/l)     206
Chloride Cl (mg/l)     50.3
Nitrate NO3 (mg/l)     21.7
Phosphate P (mg/l)      1.5
Sodium Na (mg/l)     32.2
Sulphate SO4 (mg/l)     81.81
Conductivity (µS/cm)     593 at 20oC

I am getting a Classica Aqua Curve 50L tank and was planning on fishless cycling the tank while you help me decide which fish would be good to start with.
Any information or advice you think would be helpful would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance, Natasha x

Resa · « **Reply #1 on:** May 21, 2013, 12:30:32 AM »

Hi Natasha and welcome!

How exciting! A new tank. I'm quite new at this as well and I have a 60L tank. The best advice I can give you is, listen to everyone on here, as they are all really helpful and friendly and will be as interested in your tank as you are!

The other advice I would say is, are you sure about your size of tank? Is it a space or personal prefence issue? I only say this because I am already looking at getting a bigger tank myself. I found I kept seeing fish I liked, only to find they needed more room....very frustrating.
I think a better way to go is decide what fish you would like to keep and get the size tank they need, if possible. Have you got any idea what fish you may go for?
My fish at the moment are, 1 colisa lalia (electric blue), 3 adult blue marble platies (with their zillions of offspring!), 4 male guppies, 2 otocinclus, 2 coral platies, 1 betta (in his own tank normally....long story) and a really cute panda corydora...lots more of those to get.

Well anyway, good luck with your tank, I look forward to watching your progress.....and piccies!

Resa

Natasha · « **Reply #2 on:** May 21, 2013, 01:10:25 AM »

Hey Resa,

Unfortunately it’s a space thing, I live in a fairly small flat so couldn’t really get away with a tank much bigger, possibly a little bit.
Your tank sounds great

Is your betta called Rafe? I think I was reading the thread you started about your tank and him a while ago.
At the moment I’m completely open minded (and very excited!) about what fish to get as I want to get various opinions on what would be good for a new tank and a beginner to tropical fish.

Natasha x

jesnon · « **Reply #3 on:** May 21, 2013, 08:35:32 AM »

Hi natasha i posted earlier but the site had a wobbly moment ad didn't work!

I live in Bristol too - my pg in standing is around 8.2 and the water is really quite hard. I dont know much about suggestions for your tank as mine is much smaller so my options were pretty limited but endlers are really nice fish despite their small size and seem happy in Bristol water. There's also a large range of different colours in Bristol shops too!

If you haven't been already I can recommend the Maidenhead Aquatics in Keynsham garden centre and The Aquatic Store in Bedminster.

Make your tank on the community creator and have a look at some fish on 'fish profiles' to see if you like the look of any or do some browsing and come back here if there's any that take your fancy!

Sue · « **Reply #4 on:** May 21, 2013, 12:24:10 PM »

Hi Natasha, welcome to fishkeeping

I'm glad to hear you have decided to do a fishless cycle. Yes, it can get a bit boring looking at an empty tank, especially if friends start making comments, but it easier and less stressful for both the fish and us

I've googled the tank you mention, but just to check, is it the bow front or the rectangular one ?
The reason I ask is because the rectangular one is longer than the bow front which will affect which fish are suitable for each one. Some fish are pootlers others are dashers, and the dashers need a bigger tank than you'd think from the size of them.
With your water conditions and tank size, you need to look at those fish that like hard water and grow no more than 4 or 5cm long.

The various sites I've looked at say the tank comes with a PowerBio filter. It would appear to have 2 different types of media, just sponge or sponge with carbon. When you get the tank, can I suggest you look which media it comes with as the just-sponge type is better than sponge-with-carbon. (Media means whatever is inside the filter)

The info from your water company:
Your pH is slightly alkaline at 7.5

You have hard water. When you are researching fish, some websites will give the prefered hardness as ppm (in your case your water is 283) and some give it as german degrees (yours is 17)

Alkalinity - you want the second one, 206. This is a measure of how much the water will resist a change in pH. Yours is high, so it will be hard for you to change the pH. Don't bother trying

You'll read about something called KH. This is virtually the same as alkalinity. Having a high KH/alkalinity means your pH should remain stable during the cycle.

Nitrate - at 21, it is middling. The UK allows up to 50ppm in drinking water, and some people do have that much. The importance of knowing your nitrate is because the higher it is in the water supply, the higher it will be in your tank, and there are some fish that need very low nitrate.

I think I've thrown enough info at you for one post

Jesnon lives near you and she'll be able to point you in the direction of good fish shops when the time comes to go fish shopping

Natasha · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2013, 01:28:12 PM »

Hi Jesnon and Sue,

Thank you for the recommendations of good aquatics stores Jesnon and for all the water chemistry info Sue

After chatting to Resa last night, doing a bit of browsing the site and moving the furniture round this morning, I’ve discovered I can fit a larger tank into my front room

I was looking at the 160l rectangular marina style glass aquarium. Any thoughts on this?

Natasha x

SteveS · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2013, 04:26:28 PM »

The bigger the tank, the better usually. The water quality will tend to be much more stable than in a small tank. The down side is that you will need to do more water changes. A 30% water change, the sort of amount you would do once a week or so, is about 50 litres; That's around 3-4 bucketfuls. A bucket is about 12-15 litres. That's 3-4 buckets out and 3-4 buckets in. Or you could do it by hose. Also make sure that the floor is strong enough. Look for a tank with an external filter, the internal filters would struggle with a tank of that size.

Something you need to think about before buying the tank is whether you are going to grow real plants. If so, you should consider the tank's lighting carefully. Look for a tank that has what are called T5 fluorescent lights. If you are not going to grow real plants, artificial ones would be expensive for a tank of that size, but the type of lighting wouldn't be an issue.

However, Resa is right, think about the fish you want and buy a suitable tank once you have some ideas. I found YouTube to be helpful when I was starting out; the videos give you more idea of how a fish behaves as well as what it looks like.

Sue · « **Reply #7 on:** May 21, 2013, 05:00:49 PM »

That Marina tank, on its own is fine. The problem comes with the filter. It has cartridges which contain carbon, or carbon and zeolite. Zeolite will absorb the ammonia you add during a fishless cycle so there won't be any left to promote bacterial growth. Reviews also criticise the performance of the filter (too low a flow; outflow and inflow too close together) If you do get this tank I would seriously think about getting a different filter

If you could squeeze an extra cm of space, the Juwel Rio 180 is 101cm wide (the Marina Style is 100cm according to what I can find on-line) and it comes with the T5 lighting Steve mentioned. The filter is fine so long as you don't have messy fish. I have the Rio 125 and it is a well built aquarium.

I also have a small Eheim aquarium, but they make larger ones too. Look for Aquapro 180 (though I think the aquaball filter is a bit small; I have the larger Biopower filter in my 125 litre)

Natasha · « **Reply #8 on:** May 21, 2013, 06:01:54 PM »

What sort of filter would you recommend?

I'm sorry I'm asking lots of questions which probably sound silly

and I'm really grateful for all your help

Thanks guys x

Andy M · « **Reply #9 on:** May 21, 2013, 06:53:37 PM »

Quote from: Sue on May 21, 2013, 05:00:49 PM

That Marina tank, on its own is fine. The problem comes with the filter. It has cartridges which contain carbon, or carbon and zeolite. Zeolite will absorb the ammonia you add during a fishless cycle so there won't be any left to promote bacterial growth. Reviews also criticise the performance of the filter (too low a flow; outflow and inflow too close together) If you do get this tank I would seriously think about getting a different filter

If you could squeeze an extra cm of space, the Juwel Rio 180 is 101cm wide (the Marina Style is 100cm according to what I can find on-line) and it comes with the T5 lighting Steve mentioned. The filter is fine so long as you don't have messy fish. I have the Rio 125 and it is a well built aquarium.

What do you mean about the filter Sue? Is it the same with all internal filters? I have a fluval U2

I also have a small Eheim aquarium, but they make larger ones too. Look for Aquapro 180 (though I think the aquaball filter is a bit small; I have the larger Biopower filter in my 125 litre)

Sue · « **Reply #10 on:** May 21, 2013, 07:32:03 PM »

Quote from: Natasha on May 21, 2013, 06:01:54 PM

What sort of filter would you recommend?

I'm sorry I'm asking lots of questions which probably sound silly and I'm really grateful for all your help

Thanks guys x

The only silly question is one you don't ask. There is a lot to learn when you first start.

Do you mean a filter for the marina tank?

I use Eheim internal filters in my 125 and 50 litre tanks. I have the Biopower 240 in the bigger tank (it's rated for tanks up to 240 litres; I like to over-filter

). The Fluval U range also have a good reputation for internals. Of course you could always look at externals, though they do tend to be more expensive - Fluval and Eheim again, and Tetratec are good makes. All Pond Solutions make cheaper externals but you would need one rated for a bigger tank (it's to do with the flow rate dropping off quite a lot from the quoted value).

With filters, when deciding which model to buy from a particular range you look at what is called the turnover. This is given as litres per hour. You need a filter with a turnover of at least five times the tank volume per hour, so a 160 litre tank needs a filter with at least 800 litres per hour tunover. For Eheim, the figure on the box will be almost the real-life turnover. Other makes real-life turnover is less than the box says. It's to do with the way that different companies measure it.

There are cheaper filters on the market. But like with anything else, you get what you pay for.

Andy M · « **Reply #11 on:** May 21, 2013, 07:51:51 PM »

My set up came with a fluval U2 with a 400ltr turnover for my Roma 90. Hope that's ok

Natasha · « **Reply #12 on:** May 21, 2013, 08:23:30 PM »

Quote from: Sue on May 21, 2013, 07:32:03 PM

With filters, when deciding which model to buy from a particular range you look at what is called the turnover. This is given as litres per hour. You need a filter with a turnover of at least five times the tank volume per hour, so a 160 litre tank needs a filter with at least 800 litres per hour tunover. For Eheim, the figure on the box will be almost the real-life turnover. Other makes real-life turnover is less than the box says. It's to do with the way that different companies measure it.

There are cheaper filters on the market. But like with anything else, you get what you pay for.

Do you think the Fluval U4 filter would be okay for the 160 litre marina tank? It has a turnover of 1000 l/h.

Also is it possible to change the lighting in a tank or are you stuck with what the tank comes with? Just wondering regarding lighting for plants.

SteveS · « **Reply #13 on:** May 21, 2013, 11:59:03 PM »

Quote from: Natasha on May 21, 2013, 08:23:30 PM

Do you think the Fluval U4 filter would be okay for the 160 litre marina tank? It has a turnover of 1000 l/h.

Also is it possible to change the lighting in a tank or are you stuck with what the tank comes with? Just wondering regarding lighting for plants.

The U4 should be fine.

As to lights, anything's possible

But it generally would involve a certain amount of grief; and a certain amount of DIY skills. It is far better to get the right lights to start with!

Resa · « **Reply #14 on:** May 22, 2013, 12:45:31 AM »

Hi Natasha,

I would have posted earlier, but the site seems to be throwing a hissyfit tonight

I've been trying to get on to the community creator too, but it's having none of it.

Anyway, I'm glad you think you might be able to fit in a larger tank after all. It's amazing how quickly you realise you need a bigger one than you first thought. I was thrilled with my tank when I got it, but now it seems very small. I am hoping to get 180L one, so hopefully I won't need to change it again....might keep the 60L one going as well though!

By the way, yes, my betta is called Rafe. He is a betta splendens and the most beautiful inky-blue.
I am going to have to do a lot of research as to what other fish I could have in my new tank with my current little bubble-blowers! Although, I am madly in love with corydoras and could happily just have a tank full of them.

I have spent all afternoon today in FOUR different fish shops, checking out different tanks and of course, the fishes!
Being a very strong-willed person who is not easily led in to tempation, I was happy to window shop and come home. Ok...I was weak and pathetic and they were all so cute....so, some little friends came home with me. I got some more panda cories to keep Bumble company. As soon as they came out of their bag, he shot out from under a plant and rushed over to them...I swear he smiled

They have been inseparable ever since! It's Mother's Day here on Sunday, and my son bought me some Salt 'n' Pepper Cories for my present. They are lovely. It must be Cory season, they had loads and lots of different types....Cory heaven!
Now I've just got to keep them all alive....eek...so much responsibility

Resa

jesnon · « **Reply #15 on:** May 22, 2013, 08:06:51 AM »

Quote from: Resa on May 22, 2013, 12:45:31 AM

Being a very strong-willed person who is not easily led in to tempation, I was happy to window shop and come home. Ok...I was weak and pathetic and they were all so cute....so, some little friends came home with me. I got some more panda cories to keep Bumble company. As soon as they came out of their bag, he shot out from under a plant and rushed over to them...I swear he smiled They have been inseparable ever since! It's Mother's Day here on Sunday, and my son bought me some Salt 'n' Pepper Cories for my present. They are lovely. It must be Cory season, they had loads and lots of different types....Cory heaven!
Now I've just got to keep them all alive....eek...so much responsibility

Resa

Cute! I hope your new additions fair well Resa!

I have to say buying a big tank is definitely a good idea... there's so many more possibilities! If I could start again I would also buy a much bigger tank... in fact, my secret plan for when we move house around July is to do just that

Shh don't tell the boyfriend! I'd still like to keep my current tank, as I do like the 'sleek' look of it and I think it's quite nice having some little fishies in their own tank... I'll just have to plan ahead in order to find somewhere nice for two tanks

The LFS I'm going to get my new endler kept posting pictures of rare and exciting cories, I kept thinking of your reaction Resa had you seen them all!

Sue · « **Reply #16 on:** May 22, 2013, 08:55:52 AM »

Quote from: Andy M on May 21, 2013, 07:51:51 PM

My set up came with a fluval U2 with a 400ltr turnover for my Roma 90. Hope that's ok

Your filter is the minimum the tank can get away with. It will be fine so long as you don't overstock the tank. Something you could do if you wanted to stock heavily, especially if you ever intend to get a hospital/quarantine tank, is get a small filter and run them both in the tank. This would increase your filtration on the 90 and provide a cycled filter for occassional use in a QT. But check any small filter before purchase. They seem to be the ones that have nothing but carbon and/or zeolite inside them. Any filter like that, replace this media with sponge before using it.

Your filter has sponge, biomax (noodles) and poly/carbon pads. The instructions say to change the pads every 2 weeks, the sponges every 3 - 6 months alternately and half the biomax every 5 - 6 months. Don't replace the sponges or biomax until the sponges fall apart or the biomax crumbles. Wash them in water you take out during a water change - squeeze the sponges and swoosh the biomax, but not too hard! They say to change them to make money; they'll last for years. The poly/carb pads are different. Carbon gets full in a week or so and stops adsorbing things. But you don't actually need carbon on a routine basis, I haven't used any for years. Either just leave them there and wash them like the other media, or replace them with more sponge (cut to make them fit if necessary). If they fall apart, replace them with sponge not new pads. If you do decide to replace them before they disintegrate, now is the time, while you are still cycling.

Sue · « **Reply #17 on:** May 22, 2013, 08:59:38 AM »

Quote from: SteveS on May 21, 2013, 11:59:03 PM

As to lights, anything's possible But it generally would involve a certain amount of grief; and a certain amount of DIY skills. It is far better to get the right lights to start with!

Fluorescent strip lights come in 2 types (T8 and T5) with the T5s being better for plants. But you can't just swap T5s into a fitting made for T8s. You have to replace all the electrical wiring, ballast etc which is why Steve says it's better to get it right at the beginning.

Sue · « **Reply #18 on:** May 22, 2013, 09:06:02 AM »

Reas, you could keep the salt & pepper cories with Rafe and move the pandas into the biggert tank, once you've got it

Cories are one of the few fish that are usually safe with bettas (not highly coloured, swim in different areas)

Oh, assuming your salt & peppers are the 3.5cm salt & pepper and not the 7cm peppered

Andy M · « **Reply #19 on:** May 22, 2013, 09:57:27 AM »

Quote from: Sue on May 22, 2013, 08:55:52 AM

Quote from: Andy M on May 21, 2013, 07:51:51 PM
My set up came with a fluval U2 with a 400ltr turnover for my Roma 90. Hope that's ok

Your filter is the minimum the tank can get away with. It will be fine so long as you don't overstock the tank. Something you could do if you wanted to stock heavily, especially if you ever intend to get a hospital/quarantine tank, is get a small filter and run them both in the tank. This would increase your filtration on the 90 and provide a cycled filter for occassional use in a QT. But check any small filter before purchase. They seem to be the ones that have nothing but carbon and/or zeolite inside them. Any filter like that, replace this media with sponge before using it.

Your filter has sponge, biomax (noodles) and poly/carbon pads. The instructions say to change the pads every 2 weeks, the sponges every 3 - 6 months alternately and half the biomax every 5 - 6 months. Don't replace the sponges or biomax until the sponges fall apart or the biomax crumbles. Wash them in water you take out during a water change - squeeze the sponges and swoosh the biomax, but not too hard! They say to change them to make money; they'll last for years. The poly/carb pads are different. Carbon gets full in a week or so and stops adsorbing things. But you don't actually need carbon on a routine basis, I haven't used any for years. Either just leave them there and wash them like the other media, or replace them with more sponge (cut to make them fit if necessary). If they fall apart, replace them with sponge not new pads. If you do decide to replace them before they disintegrate, now is the time, while you are still cycling.

So would any old sponge do as long as i cut it to fit? A thin scouring pad?

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Advice For A Newbie Please

Advice For A Newbie Please

Author Topic: Advice for a newbie please (Read 26109 times) 46 replies

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