New To Fish Keeping

Oh they're sweet, aren't they, ColinB?  I was looking at them here the other day, but I was put off having any of the barb family because I read somewhere that they can be nippy!  I thought they might take exception to my guppies when I get them.  Please put a piccie of them up though...I'd love to see them.  I agree that a section to show your tanks and new fishy arrivals would be great.  I'm sure when I eventually get mine I will still have a zillion questions about their health and well-being.
I don't know if my tank is progressing any quicker than yours, Jesnon.....I'm a long way off still, I suspect.  I did have a bit of a false start when I had to empty it all away after my bogwood leached yucky brown everywhere!  I'm quite pleased with my plants, they seem to be doing well and a few of them have new growth after I gave them a haircut!  In hindsight, I wouldn't have had gravel in my tank, just sand.  I have put quite a large swathe of sand in the tank because I read that my little panda corys (when I get them!) might hurt themselves on gravel.  I'm really chuffed with how the sand looks.  The things I love the most though, are my moss balls.  I have called them 'Moss Bros', those 'oldies' amongst us will perhaps remember the gents outfitters!
 
Really disappointed yesterday, we went to go to the large fish store about 40 minutes away....and about 15 minutes in to the journey we got a puncture!  The stupid car only had one of those ridiculous skinny tyres as a spare, so big day out to fish shop had to be aborted.  I won't be able to go now until next week.

Do any of you keep an eye on the forum at weekends?  I only ask in case my water tests throw up anything scary!

By the way, what's the difference between junior member, full member etc?

Just the number of posts - you 'become' a full member after 100 posts. I think you'll become a 'junior member' with one more post.

I don't tend to look at the forum over the weekend I'm afraid.

The five-band barbs are lovely and have never even tried to nip one of my (few remaining) guppies. (Sage the Guppy died this morning of some unknown cause.    At least he had the decency to wait until March so that I've had a death-free month in Feb!!!))

The Five-band barbs have a bit of a chase of each other, but that's about it. They hang out together at the front of the tank, just above the gravel where I've got dead leaves (beech and Indian almond) and under the overhanging leaves of crypt plants.

The Cherry barb boys are a bit terratorial and flare their fins at each other and chase a bit. The Barbie-girls (cherry) stay together more, however, the cherry barbs don't shoal like the five-bandy barbs do. They hang out more in the middle at the back amongst the plants.

Bizarrely, Crumble the Platy (boy) stays with the chery barb girls and chases the boy barbs away.

I'll try some piccies next week. I don't want camera flash spooking brand new arrivals just yet.

Oh, sorry to hear about Sage.  How many guppies do you have left?  Your tank sounds brilliant with all the foliage....I look forward to seeing a piccie when all the new arrivals have settled in.
Have a great weekend, see you on Monday, I expect!

Thanks Resa. I've got a small hospital tank set up (the tank of death!) with one Platy (Biscuit) 'cos he and Crumble the Platy fought like.... er, similies fail me on that one. There's a Guppy (Bayleaf) with fin-rot in there with him.

In the main tank there're three Guppies (Fennel, Mint and Mustard) along with one Platy, 6 Cherry Barbs, 9 Five-band barbs and 4 Red Cherry Shrimp. If you call them names it 'hurts' more when they turn up their fishy toes. *sigh*.

Have a bon weekend yourself - I hope it's a good one for you and yours.

p.s. You're now a 'junior member'. Congrats!

It does seem rather strange that, on a forum dedicated to fish, there's not a section specifically for one's fish. There's fish health, identification etc., but nothing just to chat about (or show off) one's nice, healthy, well identified, well maintained, ready cycled, fish! Ho-hum.

There's "General fishkeeping chat" if you don't want to post photos

Do any of you keep an eye on the forum at weekends?  I only ask in case my water tests throw up anything scary!

There's usually someone around.

I'm usually around on weekends, just not as often as weekdays. Husband - "You're not messing round with fish sites again!!!!!!" I reckon if he is looking at music sites, I can look at fish sites. That's what he's doing now, so I'm here 

I know... I keep getting the same, even though he spends eons on the bloody computer!!!!!

Yes you should add ammonia.  Having 0 ammonia and 0 nitrites isn't helping your cycle at all.  I would add enough to get your ammonia up to 4 or 5 ppm.

The amount of ammonia you need to add depends on the strength of the ammonia in the bottle. The common % is 9.5 but yours could be different. For 60 litres and 9.5% you would add about 2.5ml, but if the bottle is stronger than 9.5% you need less, or vice versa.

I suggest you add 1ml, wait about 20mins for it to mix in, then test for ammonia. if the reading is too low, add more.

OK....here are the shipping forecasts...oh, alright then...my water tests!
Sundays:

G.H         120
K.H.        240
P.H.         7.5
Nitrites    0.5 to 1
Nitrates   40 to 80
Ammonia    0

I added 2.5ml ammonia Sunday night, and todays results are:

G.H.        120
K.H.        240
P.H.         7.5
Nitrites    0.5 to 1
Nitrates   40 to 80
Ammonia   0

Should I add more ammonia tonight?  Am I nearly there?
Thanks!

You'll have to take some pictures of your new arrivals Colin!

I've put a couple of piccies in the Gallery section. They're not very good and I couldn't get the fish to smile, but it's a start.