Jump to content

Just bought a new tank


davidP

Recommended Posts

The Wife has been nagging me to buy a fish tank for some time now, so today I did it. I've got a 100cm bow-fronted tank of around 140 litres with an external filter and should have it sorted and ready to fill by the weekend. Will try and post some pictures up here as I go through the stages and hopefully in about a months time we should have a few fish in it (tropical community).

DISCLAIMER: All opinions herein are fictitious. Any similarities to real

opinions, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 25
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Hi David, glad you are doing the wise thing and leaving the tank to settle first before you start adding any fish :) I hope I'm preaching to the converted here, but too much advice is better than none at all

 

If you can, try to get some water from the tanks in the shop you bought your equipment from (and will hopefully be buying your fish from too - more later). Assuming they know about fishkeeping, they will realise that you want to 'seed' your filter with bacteria in order to reduce the amount of time required before you can safely add some fish. Your filter will, over time, grow a nice population of bacteria which will break down any nitrites in your water (urine etc) into nitrates (I'm sure I've got that the right way round) which are removed when you perform your regular water-change (about 25% per week with water which has been left standing for about 2 days to let the chlorine evaporate).

 

Only add a few fish at a time. Adding too many fish at once (or one fish too big) could overpower the filter/bacteria and lead to fatalities.

 

Unfortunately, too many people go out and buy a tank, filters, gravel, bubbly castle and a load of fish, then wonder why most of them are dead on Sunday morning.... :(

 

As for the shop. If you have bought your stuff from a normal pet shop that sells everything from squeaky toys to pedigree dogs, I seriously suggest you find one that deals exclusively with fish. I was once told (in a pet shop) that a shoal of male siamese fighters would be good together, even though they were kept in seperate tanks. Yes, they would get along together - if you just wanted one tatty (and probably fatally wounded) fighter remaining afterwards!

 

If you want, you could post a list of the fish you are hoping to buy, I am sure several people will look through it and give conflicting advice :rolleyes:

 

There are a lot more things you should know about, but I will stop here just in case i really am preaching....

 

Take care

John S

Quanti Canicula Ille In Fenestra

 

Species caught in 2017 Common Ash, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, White Willow.

Species caught in 2016: Alder, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Crab Apple, Left Earlobe, Pedunculate Oak, Rock Whitebeam, Scots Pine, Smooth-leaved Elm, Swan, Wayfaring tree.

Species caught in 2015: Ash, Bird Cherry, Black-Headed Gull, Common Hazel, Common Whitebeam, Elder, Field Maple, Gorse, Puma, Sessile Oak, White Willow.

Species caught in 2014: Big Angry Man's Ear, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Common Whitebeam, Downy Birch, European Beech, European Holly, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, Wych Elm.
Species caught in 2013: Beech, Elder, Hawthorn, Oak, Right Earlobe, Scots Pine.

Species caught in 2012: Ash, Aspen, Beech, Big Nasty Stinging Nettle, Birch, Copper Beech, Grey Willow, Holly, Hazel, Oak, Wasp Nest (that was a really bad day), White Poplar.
Species caught in 2011: Blackthorn, Crab Apple, Elder, Fir, Hawthorn, Horse Chestnut, Oak, Passing Dog, Rowan, Sycamore, Willow.
Species caught in 2010: Ash, Beech, Birch, Elder, Elm, Gorse, Mullberry, Oak, Poplar, Rowan, Sloe, Willow, Yew.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks John - good advice, particularly regarding the water from the shop. I had been wondering about getting a little something from my outdoor filter as a starter but I think the uncertainty of not knowing how it would react with warm water and tropicals had talked me out of it. Your suggestion makes a lot of sense.

I'll be getting the fish from Maidenhead Aquatics, probably the Iver branch, as they seem to be amongst the best I've seen. As for fish, haven't really decided what's going to be in there yet. The wife wants to chose so I'll probably let her produce a list and then point out which fish will eat all the others! We'll probably end up with a community tank of fairly basic stuff, although I am rather partial to coryadoras and some of the more interesting plecs.

DISCLAIMER: All opinions herein are fictitious. Any similarities to real

opinions, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have you tried Malawi Cychlids? very easy to keep and easy to breed. They're about the closest thing to tropicals (in colours etc).

they also keep the tank clean themselves as they will eat the alge. Your plec would also be ok in the same tank

 

cheers,

 

rich.

Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if keeping Malawi`s pack them in tight (the oposite of keeping most other cichlids),this saves the continual fighting and make sure theres lots of nooks and crannies to colonise ,a tank of malawi`s are spectactular although i prefered the Geophagus species for entertainment but strictly a pair to a tank or hell breaks loose :)

but for show a pair of oscars cannot be beaten :)

but will outgrow your tank in a couple of years 6ft is probably the best size but check your floor is concrete :D

 

[ 02. October 2003, 08:19 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

Believe NOTHING anyones says or writes unless you witness it yourself and even then your eyes can deceive you

None of this "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" crap it just means i have at least two enemies!

 

There is only one opinion i listen to ,its mine and its ALWAYS right even when its wrong

 

Its far easier to curse the darkness than light one candle

 

Mathew 4:19

Grangers law : anything i say will  turn out the opposite or not happen at all!

Life insurance? you wont enjoy a penny!

"To compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical." Thomas Jefferson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

chesters1:

if keeping Malawi`s pack them in tight (the oposite of keeping most other cichlids),this saves the continual fighting and make sure theres lots of nooks and crannies to colonise

Used to have a 4ft cichlid tank and they are certainly different to the usual community tank. One problem though was that they would stay in their caves nearly all the time, only coming out occasionally. That was solved by putting a 'zither' fish in the tank to show them it wsa safe to come out of their tanks. When they saw it swimming around in the open area in front of their caves, they spent loads of time out of their caves.

 

I've also kept a heavily-planted tank, with just a shoal of neon tetras to add movement. That was probably the most attractive tank to look at.

 

If you get your rocks from anywhere other than a fish retailers (as opposed to a fish shop :rolleyes: ) make sure they will not leach chemicals into the water. The easiest (though not infallible) way is to grind some of the rock up and pour some vinegar on it. If the solution starts to bubble, do not put those rocks in your tank!

 

There's a mag out called Practical Fishkeeping, I recommend you buying a few copies before you go any further

 

Take care

John S

Quanti Canicula Ille In Fenestra

 

Species caught in 2017 Common Ash, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, White Willow.

Species caught in 2016: Alder, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Crab Apple, Left Earlobe, Pedunculate Oak, Rock Whitebeam, Scots Pine, Smooth-leaved Elm, Swan, Wayfaring tree.

Species caught in 2015: Ash, Bird Cherry, Black-Headed Gull, Common Hazel, Common Whitebeam, Elder, Field Maple, Gorse, Puma, Sessile Oak, White Willow.

Species caught in 2014: Big Angry Man's Ear, Blackthorn, Common Ash, Common Whitebeam, Downy Birch, European Beech, European Holly, Hawthorn, Hazel, Scots Pine, Wych Elm.
Species caught in 2013: Beech, Elder, Hawthorn, Oak, Right Earlobe, Scots Pine.

Species caught in 2012: Ash, Aspen, Beech, Big Nasty Stinging Nettle, Birch, Copper Beech, Grey Willow, Holly, Hazel, Oak, Wasp Nest (that was a really bad day), White Poplar.
Species caught in 2011: Blackthorn, Crab Apple, Elder, Fir, Hawthorn, Horse Chestnut, Oak, Passing Dog, Rowan, Sycamore, Willow.
Species caught in 2010: Ash, Beech, Birch, Elder, Elm, Gorse, Mullberry, Oak, Poplar, Rowan, Sloe, Willow, Yew.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

OK, the tank is filled, to temperature and the filter was turned on today. The water is consequently still a little bit cloudy and everything in the tank is still covered in bubbles. I've also done an initial planting but some more will go in in the next couple of weeks. Not sure yet if the wife has finished with the furniture, but I've managed to keep it fairly reasonable so far - just one big lump of amythyst that she had to have. The guy at the shop recommended I fit a CO2 diffuser kit if I was going to have a well planted tank, and that's what you can see back left of the tank, with the heater right in the corner. On the right is the filter inlet pipe, and if you look closely to its left at the surface you'l just about be able to see the spray bar outlet (currently partly submerged but will be raised when I've got all the piping & cabling properly arranged).

 

Next picture probably when I've completed the planting :)

 

Setup4.jpg

DISCLAIMER: All opinions herein are fictitious. Any similarities to real

opinions, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking good at the moment. It will look even better when matured a bit.

Discus do really need soft/well water to do good in and with that shell in there sometimes they can turn the water slightly harder than they like.

Just take your stocking of fish slowly and read about the fish first. Do not want to wake up in the morning to find all your Guppies missing and a well fed Oscar looking for more.

Dave

 

[ 13. October 2003, 05:22 PM: Message edited by: fisherman ]

ANMC Founder Member. Always learning
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Ferret1959

When you put gravel in a tank it's best to slope it upwards towards the back of the tank.

This will make it easier to collect any debris form the bottom of the tank.

If you are having live(real) plants you will get debris for sure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We and our partners use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences, repeat visits and to show you personalised advertisements. By clicking “I Agree”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.