What Fish To Get?

Haha good point! I got strange enough looks buying ammonia and some buckets haha - they also had to ask if I was over 21 before they let me have it, though strangely didn't actually ID me - I hadn't realised ammonia is a restricted item!

Ooh thanks Helen - hopefully it's the same one and it'll be fine for cycling my tank too! Ha wow had no idea about that, no wonder I got some odd looks! =D

Haha yes feeding cute little kittens is probably understandably much easier!

I think my parents may have a few syringes from when my dog was poorly and they needed to bathe his injury (I think there was only water or some kind of cleansing solution in the syringe), but I'm not sure how I'd go about cleaning them to ensure it didn't contaminate the tank. Probably better off buying a new one I think!

Had so many e=mails about my various ordered fish products being dispatched - fingers crossed they won't take too long! Today I had one about my API testing kit - that's the main one I need before I can get started!

Another stupid question but what's the easiest way to clean gravel?

Colin - I actually meant 'cleaning gravel' as in rinsing it before it goes in the tank (and actually cleaning the tank itself before use!) - but thanks for that video as I'm still really paranoid about actual tank maintenance too! Really really helpful actually seeing it - he makes it look so easy! I think I picked a silly tank for my first one (with the small access and everything, I keep reading a lot of people have problems with it) but I'm hoping with practise it'll be a lot easier!

To clean gravel (or sand for that matter) before putting it in the tank, put it in a clean bucket that has not been used for cleaning the car etc, and run water into it, stir with your hand, empty and repeat until the water is clear. At this time of year, and with only a small tank to do, it'll be a lot more comfortable doing it in the sink/bath/shower as you can warm the water enough so you don't freeze your hand. You need to remove the dust that'll be in the gravel.
Clean the tank with hot water and a clean cloth (no detergent) or paper towel. Toothbrushes are wonderful for doing corners - new cheap ones not used ones 

You'll notice the words 'clean bucket' and 'clean cloth'. What I mean is to avoid anything that could be impregnated with or contaminated with detergent. For cleaning gravel, use the bucket you will be using for water changes.


Shrimps - they do like to be in groups. If you get cherries you could get at least four, though I'm not sure what the upper limit would be. Since you are intending having wood and plants, you'll already have things for them to stand on. I've seen shrimps in a shop tank with just one rock in there. All the shrimps were trying to find standing room on the rock 
In case you haven't read it already - shrimps need to shed their skins to grow. You will find what look like dead shrimps on the bottom of the tank, until you look closely and see it's just a hollow skin. Scares you the first time you see it  Dead shrimps look pink like a cooked prawn, even the red ones.

It is quite amazing how quickly the tank can fill up. I have a 240l tank, but there's only 170l of water in it. Which means that I have 70l worth of plants, substrate and bogwood. And I don't think my tank looks too full! 

Sounds like you're doing well with soaking your bogwood. As Sue said, be careful about actually cooking it. Basically you're trying to get to the stage where the bogwood sitting in water the same temperature as your tank water doesn't cause too visible colouring over a few days (or the duration between water changes). You might not reach the stage where the water you're soaking the bogwood in is totally colourless.

You probably only want one moss ball in a tank your size. I think you said it was a Fluval edge? More won't  do any harm, but might fill up a bit too much space! Mine are about 10cm in diameter. If you want two smaller ones, you can always split the one you get. But seeing as I've not done very well at keeping mine spherical, someone else will have to advise you how to get the two halves into round shapes.

I've just had a look at the syringe at home which is a 50ml syringe and goes up in 1ml measurements. Would that be too imprecise for dosing ammonia? The syringe has had saline in too so I'm not sure how clean it'll be possible to get it? If it's not suitable do most chemists sell small baby dosing syringes?

Thanks Sue I got myself a 1ml baby syringe like the one you described :-) no problem at all when I asked for it so great tip! It might also have helped that I was with my mum too! Also went to a fantastic aquatics shop - I wish I could move it to Bristol!

What fish to get?...... don't get guppies! Another of mine died yesterday. The little chap had been swimming around since the end of August, he was fine in the morning, yet in the afternoon he was dragging himself across the gravel and by the evening he was barely moving.   I did the decent thing. 

No more guppies for me - I shall let the remaining five live out their little guppy lives and replace them with something more sturdy. Ho-hum!

My son lost 6 guppies in one weekend a few weeks ago.....they were ok then they were not....very strange...all his other fish were and are perfectly fine