New Tropical Fish Tank/advice

Hi, welcome to the forum 

Do you mean the Juwel Primo 70? That has a footprint of 61 x 31cm. The filter that comes with the tank has sponge media so that's fine - just don't replace them like they say (every 3 months).They will last for years and only need replacing when they fall apart or won't go back to shape after washing them. All you need to do is squeeze them gently in water that you take out during a water change.
Juwel are one of the better manufacturers.

Could you fit a longer tank in the space intended for a tank? If you could, that would give you more options for fish as a lot like more swimming length than 60 cm. For example the Juwel Primo 110 is 81 cm long, and the Rio 125 is also that length just taller.

Eheim is also another good make with two ranges of tank at 80 cm long. Be warned though - I had their Aquastar 54 which claimed to be a 54 litre tank. That was just the space occupied by the tank and didn't take  the thickness of the glass or the air space above the water into account so Eheim's tanks hold less water than they say even when there is nothing in the tank. Juwel's tanks do hold the amount of water they say though by the time you've put sand or gravel and decor in, they do displace some water.



You can also pick up second hand bargains - see if there are any on Ebay in your area. The things to look out for a cracks in the sealant and scratches. Ask to see a second hand tank filled with water to check for leaks.





With a tank 60 cm long you can't have very big bigger fish. And you need fish that like hard water. I have soft water so I can only suggest the hard water fish I know about. Lilttefish has a lot of tanks and hard water so she should be able to suggest more hard water fish than me.
The obvious fish for hard water are livebearers; endlers, guppies and maybe platies are small enough for a 60 cm long tank. Swordtails and mollies need bigger tanks. They come in lots of different colours, but the downside is they breed like rabbits and females can store sperm so even having a tank of females means babies for at least 6 months.

@Littlefish should be able to suggest more species.

Welcome to the forum. 

Sue's advice re a larger tank, if you can possibly fit that in, is exactly what I (or any fishkeeper) would recommend. It's very easy to think a 60cm-long tank is large but, speaking from experience, it is very restrictive in what fish you can have (it's really the basic minimum size to house any fish) and numbers of fish you can have; there are so many fish which seem to require 80cm or 90cm (or 120cm or larger) sizes. Once you get into fishkeeping, you'll inevitably discover fish that you want, only to find you neither have the space nor will ever be able to have them in your tank because they require a larger tank 'footprint'. If re-arrangement of furniture location expands the space and therefore your options for fishtank size, I would definitely recommend it - and to go for the largest you can fit in!

Hi @joeandrews18 and welcome to the forum 

If you have the room for the larger tank then go for the 80cm long tank rather than the 60cm tank. It makes a huge difference. Not only will you be able to get slightly bigger fish, but there will also be enough swimming room for the more active fish (those that dart around rather than potter).

I have much harder water than you (mine is 17dh/322ppm calcium carbonate), so you would be able to keep a wider range of fish than I can.
Here are some links regarding fish suitable for hard water conditions:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwhardness.htm
https://forums.thinkfish.co.uk/new-fishkeepers/list-of-fish-suitable-for-high-ph-and-hard-water/msg27326/#msg27326

Are there any fish that you have already seen that you like the look of?
You have plenty of time to look at fish (on line and at fish stores) and research their requirements (use the profiles here and check out the information on http://seriouslyfish.com/ which provides more details).

It might be worth having a bit of an idea of what you want your tank to look like before you set up and perform a fishless cycle. Do you want a biotope with fish all from the same area? Do you want a colourful community tank? Do you want live plants?

So many questions, and such an exciting time. 

I have only been keeping fish for 2 years, so still a relative newbie compared to others here.
I started with small tanks and plastic decor. Then larger tanks with more natural decor and silk plants. Then even larger tanks with live plants. I also admit that I have become a tad addicted, and most people seem to have more self control.
Have a look around and see if there are any particular fish that you like.
Go around fish stores, have a look on line, have a look at the fish profiles on this site (and use the community creator for ideas), or have a look at the gallery showcase on this forum.

Littlefish's suggesttion about looking round your local shops to see what they stock is a good one. When you see a fish you like, make a note of it, then look it up on Seriously Fish http://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/ Some of their profiles use ppm for hardness, some use dH or degrees.
Your 261 calcium carbonate is the same as ppm, and that converts to 14.6 dH. You need to check that the fish on your list have 261 ppm/14.6 dH inside the range given by SF.


Once you have bought the tank, you will need to cycle it before getting any fish, so you do have time to decide what you want. The good news is that hard water tanks cycle faster than soft water.
Fishless cycling - https://forums.thinkfish.co.uk/fishtank-filtration-and-cycling/fishless-cycling-how-to-do-it/

While it is possible to avoid cycling in a heavily planted tank (plants use ammonia as fertiliser) if you have never owned a fish tank before I would not rely on plants because you don't know yet whether you have green fingers.