Aquarium advice
Discussion
Hi guys..I have recently decided to seriously look into buying a tropical fish tank.
I would like to get a decent size but would like to get a larger square shape/taller then rectangular due to where i would like to keep it.
Is there a reccomended size/litres capacity is there a limit fish ratio to size etc.
What good advice would you give to a beginner to consider re starting up and maintenance...any help appreciated.
cheers
I would like to get a decent size but would like to get a larger square shape/taller then rectangular due to where i would like to keep it.
Is there a reccomended size/litres capacity is there a limit fish ratio to size etc.
What good advice would you give to a beginner to consider re starting up and maintenance...any help appreciated.
cheers
Buy as big as you can. If you make a mistake with the water chemistry it'll make less of a difference as it'll be diluted, and bigger tanks increase your stocking options.
READ UP ON THE NITROGEN CYCLE. Biggest and best piece of advice I can give you, followed by the second best...
Buy a liquid drop based testing kit that tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. The API freshwater master test kit is what I use, it's £20 and will last forever. Avoid the paper strip kits - they're notoriously inaccurate. Water chemistry plays a bigger impact on keeping fish alive than most people think.
Don't trust advice given to you by your local pet/fish shop. I've spent more time than I care to think about correcting bad and out of date advice given. Verify it independantly - the forums I'll link below will be useful.
Always do your research on a fish. Some fish get too big for a tank, others will get territorial, others will eat smaller fish, still more will bully anything else to death - there's no one rule (the oft quotes 'inch per gallon' is nonsense) that will lead to a healthy happy tank.
Go for tropical fish - there are buckets more variety than coldwater and they are just as easy to keep. A heater costs a pittance.
There is no such thing as overfiltration.
Consider sand as an alternative substrate to gravel - it looks good and (once you've got the knack) cleans more easily. And it's cheaper (Argos play sand is what I use.)
Buy plants from an online retailer such as plantsalive.co.uk rather than your local fish shop (LFS) - most LFS sell plants that aren't designed to be submerged and will die off over time, whereas specialist aquarium plant sellers will only sell plants that will survive submerged.
Seriously consider buying second hand - there are a lot of good quality second hand tanks out there. I've had about 15 tanks pass through my hands now, and every one had been bought second hand - including display tanks for my living room etc.
And finally, find a good forum where you can get good advice from other fish keepers. Being able to say, "I want to add this fish and this fish, will that work?" and get good answers is important. I'll pop another shameless plug for the forums that taught me a good chunk of what I know about fishkeeping - www.fishforums.net
That's a few bullet points. On to the next part of my lecture. In terms of the design of the tank, generally speaking long/thin is a better design - fish tend to swim sideways first and foremost rather than up and down, and a long thin tank will have a greater surface area (hence better gaseous exchange) but that doesn't preclude the style you're talking about completely, you might have to be a bit more careful about what fish you choose though.
In a nutshell? Find a tank, buy it, start a fishless cycle (when you've read the link below you'll understand) then go into a fish shop. Take a walk around and note down the names/take photo's of the fish you like. Then post them on here and I'm sure people will be happy to go through the list and let you know what's compatible with what, and what sort of numbers of each to be buying.
Finally, don't let the above put you off - you'll pick it up in no time.
http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=1753...
READ UP ON THE NITROGEN CYCLE. Biggest and best piece of advice I can give you, followed by the second best...
Buy a liquid drop based testing kit that tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. The API freshwater master test kit is what I use, it's £20 and will last forever. Avoid the paper strip kits - they're notoriously inaccurate. Water chemistry plays a bigger impact on keeping fish alive than most people think.
Don't trust advice given to you by your local pet/fish shop. I've spent more time than I care to think about correcting bad and out of date advice given. Verify it independantly - the forums I'll link below will be useful.
Always do your research on a fish. Some fish get too big for a tank, others will get territorial, others will eat smaller fish, still more will bully anything else to death - there's no one rule (the oft quotes 'inch per gallon' is nonsense) that will lead to a healthy happy tank.
Go for tropical fish - there are buckets more variety than coldwater and they are just as easy to keep. A heater costs a pittance.
There is no such thing as overfiltration.
Consider sand as an alternative substrate to gravel - it looks good and (once you've got the knack) cleans more easily. And it's cheaper (Argos play sand is what I use.)
Buy plants from an online retailer such as plantsalive.co.uk rather than your local fish shop (LFS) - most LFS sell plants that aren't designed to be submerged and will die off over time, whereas specialist aquarium plant sellers will only sell plants that will survive submerged.
Seriously consider buying second hand - there are a lot of good quality second hand tanks out there. I've had about 15 tanks pass through my hands now, and every one had been bought second hand - including display tanks for my living room etc.
And finally, find a good forum where you can get good advice from other fish keepers. Being able to say, "I want to add this fish and this fish, will that work?" and get good answers is important. I'll pop another shameless plug for the forums that taught me a good chunk of what I know about fishkeeping - www.fishforums.net
That's a few bullet points. On to the next part of my lecture. In terms of the design of the tank, generally speaking long/thin is a better design - fish tend to swim sideways first and foremost rather than up and down, and a long thin tank will have a greater surface area (hence better gaseous exchange) but that doesn't preclude the style you're talking about completely, you might have to be a bit more careful about what fish you choose though.
In a nutshell? Find a tank, buy it, start a fishless cycle (when you've read the link below you'll understand) then go into a fish shop. Take a walk around and note down the names/take photo's of the fish you like. Then post them on here and I'm sure people will be happy to go through the list and let you know what's compatible with what, and what sort of numbers of each to be buying.
Finally, don't let the above put you off - you'll pick it up in no time.
http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=1753...
I've finally got the okay from SWMBO for a 6 foot tank, have found 2 reasonably close by (within an hours drive) that are well priced...actually shifting the thing is the biggest obstacle I've come across. Van hire rates seem to be silly money for anything big enough for a 6ft tank and stand.
tenohfive said:
I've finally got the okay from SWMBO for a 6 foot tank, have found 2 reasonably close by (within an hours drive) that are well priced...actually shifting the thing is the biggest obstacle I've come across. Van hire rates seem to be silly money for anything big enough for a 6ft tank and stand.
if your in london hertz connect, or street car or the council car clubs are pretty good value. 7 quid an hour for a van.
Jasandjules said:
I am in Suffolk, near Sudbury.
How much? I've no real idea at this point. It does have a steel frame base for it too though.
Ah not that far, curious.. How much? I've no real idea at this point. It does have a steel frame base for it too though.
do you have to worry about reinforcing the floor etc? i live 2nd floor of a flat..
how do you get it up stairs?
What filtration you running on it at the moment? lighting?
not sure about tropical but I have a marine one:
http://www.jbjlighting.com/prod-28g-nano-hqi.html
very nice piece of kit
http://www.jbjlighting.com/prod-28g-nano-hqi.html
very nice piece of kit
koolchris99 said:
Ah not that far, curious..
do you have to worry about reinforcing the floor etc? i live 2nd floor of a flat..
how do you get it up stairs?
What filtration you running on it at the moment? lighting?
There is no chance of it going in a flat IMHO - the glass itself is about 500kg... The steel frame is about 120kg and the water, well, that's another tonne or so....... do you have to worry about reinforcing the floor etc? i live 2nd floor of a flat..
how do you get it up stairs?
What filtration you running on it at the moment? lighting?
And it was built on site as well due to the weight of the glass.
I did worry about re-inforcing the floor but we specifically bought a bungalow with a concrete floor as we knew there would be some fishtanks.
Filtration is live rock as it's a marine tank - I used to keep and breed seahorses in one section of it with a reef in the other side.
Du1point8 said:
not sure about tropical but I have a marine one:
http://www.jbjlighting.com/prod-28g-nano-hqi.html
very nice piece of kit
I've been thinking about setting up a spare 85L as a nano marine, was it much work to get setup?http://www.jbjlighting.com/prod-28g-nano-hqi.html
very nice piece of kit
koolchris99 said:
if your in london hertz connect, or street car or the council car clubs are pretty good value.
7 quid an hour for a van.
I'm a bit further afield, theres a Hertz nearby but for a van that'll manage a 6-7ft tank (Transit SWB or equiv) it's £45/50 for 2/4 hours. Not silly money really but part of me resents paying 50% again on the price of the tank to get it shifted.7 quid an hour for a van.
tenohfive said:
Du1point8 said:
not sure about tropical but I have a marine one:
http://www.jbjlighting.com/prod-28g-nano-hqi.html
very nice piece of kit
I've been thinking about setting up a spare 85L as a nano marine, was it much work to get setup?http://www.jbjlighting.com/prod-28g-nano-hqi.html
very nice piece of kit
koolchris99 said:
if your in london hertz connect, or street car or the council car clubs are pretty good value.
7 quid an hour for a van.
I'm a bit further afield, theres a Hertz nearby but for a van that'll manage a 6-7ft tank (Transit SWB or equiv) it's £45/50 for 2/4 hours. Not silly money really but part of me resents paying 50% again on the price of the tank to get it shifted.7 quid an hour for a van.
But the setup for me is easy as its only going to have a bit of live rock and then a peacock mantis which wont share with anything other than dinner, the maintenance is a doddle as they are very hardy creatures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mu6yrC6bjNo
yes sometimes it needs live feeder crabs to keep it happy.
Here is the kind of thing Im eventually getting
Du1point8 said:
But the setup for me is easy as its only going to have a bit of live rock and then a peacock mantis which wont share with anything other than dinner, the maintenance is a doddle as they are very hardy creatures.
That is an excellent choice of inhabitant! You will also need a good couple of inches of sand for him to burrow and some rubble so he can make a door for his cave.Just make sure it doesn't have brown shell disease when you pick him/her up.
Jasandjules said:
Du1point8 said:
But the setup for me is easy as its only going to have a bit of live rock and then a peacock mantis which wont share with anything other than dinner, the maintenance is a doddle as they are very hardy creatures.
That is an excellent choice of inhabitant! You will also need a good couple of inches of sand for him to burrow and some rubble so he can make a door for his cave.Just make sure it doesn't have brown shell disease when you pick him/her up.
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