Getting new tank

[Martinbaker]

Hi I am getting a 140lt tank and I was thinking of getting guppys and neons but feel I would do better to add the guppys frist first hen add neons down the line how many of each would be addvised

 

[fluttermoth]

Guppies and neons aren't really compatible, because guppies need hard water to do well, whilst the neons need it soft.

You'll have to pick one or the other, depending on what the pH and hardness of your water is like.

 

[Martinbaker]

Yh I have heard that was just wandering if you could make it work.

I know guppys like a ph of 6.8 to 7.8.
What I am trying to achieve is to have two big shoal of colouful fish what would go well with guppys or is there better options out there???

My younest son loves lights and colours

 

[fluttermoth]

If you could post the hardness of your water, we can come up with some suggestions. You should be able to find out somewhere on your supplier's website.

Are there any colours you'd particularly like? From how far away will you mostly be viewing the tank?

 

[Martinbaker]

If you could post the hardness of your water, we can come up with some suggestions. You should be able to find out somewhere on your supplier's website.

Are there any colours you'd particularly like? From how far away will you mostly be viewing the tank?

 

[Martinbaker]

Just looked up our water from southern water they say our water is rated as hard 100.8 ca mg/l..

And the tank will be about 10ft away from where I sit but me youngest boy can go closer in his chair many thanks for you help I am grateful

 

[fluttermoth]

Guppies would be fine in that sort of water, so you can add those, once you've cycled. Most other livebearers would also do well.

How about one of the rainbow fish species? They nearly all prefer hard water, and some are very colourful indeed

 

[Martinbaker]

Guppies would be fine in that sort of water, so you can add those, once you've cycled. Most other livebearers would also do well.

How about one of the rainbow fish species? They nearly all prefer hard water, and some are very colourful indeed

Yh I like the sound of guppys guys and one of the rainbow species. I mean the tank I am getting is 140lt so how many of each would be addvised.

When I had my old tank about ten years ago when I set it up I work out how much tap safe I needed and got it all up and running left it for a week tested my water with the chart till I got it where it needed to be then went and got the fish is that still the best way to go about it

 

[Essjay]

Just as a bit of information:
The two units used in fishkeeping are ppm and dH. Ppm is the same as mg/l calcium carbonate, and dH is the same as German degrees.

100 mg/l Ca converts to 250 ppm and 14 dH.

 

[fluttermoth]

Yh I like the sound of guppys guys and one of the rainbow species. I mean the tank I am getting is 140lt so how many of each would be addvised.

We honestly can't really say, until you get the tank and know the exact dimensions, and you decide exactly what species you want; for example, the Boesemani rainbows can be nearly twice the size of a dwarf neon rainbow.

When I had my old tank about ten years ago when I set it up I work out how much tap safe I needed and got it all up and running left it for a week tested my water with the chart till I got it where it needed to be then went and got the fish is that still the best way to go about it

We always recommend fishless cycles nowadays, where you add an ammonia solution to the tank to grow the bacteria before any fish are added. There is a step-by-step guide in the 'Cycle Your Tank' sub-forum, and many members here happy to help you through the process. It is, by far, the best way to get your tank ready for fish, even if it does take a while to do

 

[Martinbaker]

I have added a picture of the tank I am getting and I have looked at and like

Bule rainbow
Boesemani rainbow
Macculochs rainbow
Dwarf neon rainbow


What you you say would be a better match or could have the most off

And thank you I did wonder how to work out the ppm in the fishkeeping...


And I will do some home work on ammonia solution

 

[Byron]

Is this tank a definite? I ask because according to the link data it comes with dual T5 high light tubes, and this is a lot of light, too much for most forest fish.

As for the rainbowfish mentioned, the Boesemani needs more room (a longer tank); the others should manage, one species only. Rainbows are shoaling fish so they need to be in a group of 7-8 or more of the species. One of these would fill this tank.

 

[Martinbaker]

Is this tank a definite? I ask because according to the link data it comes with dual T5 high light tubes, and this is a lot of light, too much for most forest fish.

As for the rainbowfish mentioned, the Boesemani needs more room (a longer tank); the others should manage, one species only. Rainbows are shoaling fish so they need to be in a group of 7-8 or more of the species. One of these would fill this tank.

Yh it is the same tank so I take it the lights are not going to be any good??

So would you say if I was going to have the bule rainbow it would be better to just more of them instead of haveing guppys with them or could I fit both in and both be happy?

 

[Byron]

Yh it is the same tank so I take it the lights are not going to be any good??

So would you say if I was going to have the bule rainbow it would be better to just more of them instead of haveing guppys with them or could I fit both in and both be happy?

On the light, if this were me, I would not want this much. This is not a large tank either, around 36 gallons (140 liters) with a length of 76 cm (30 inches). I have a couple of 29g tanks that are the same dimensions except narrower (front to back), so it gives me a good visual comparison. I don't know what sort of plants you might be intending, but this much light will basically mean a high-tech method; if you want it simpler, more low-tech or natural, less light is needed. A dual T8 fixture would be ideal; I have a single T8 (24-inch) tube over my 29g and that is low light; my 36-inch tanks, a 33g and a 40g, each have dual T8 24-inch tubes, and they are ideal for low and moderate light plants.

I was going to ask previously just what a "bule" rainbow is, species wise. Did you mean blue rainbow, Melanotaenia caerulea? Or something else? If it is this species, it grows to about 2.5 inches (7 cm) and needs a group of 7-8 minimum, and that would pretty much fill this tank. You could consider some substrate level fish, some of the catfish that can tolerate harder water.

 

[Martinbaker]

On the light, if this were me, I would not want this much. This is not a large tank either, around 36 gallons (140 liters) with a length of 76 cm (30 inches). I have a couple of 29g tanks that are the same dimensions except narrower (front to back), so it gives me a good visual comparison. I don't know what sort of plants you might be intending, but this much light will basically mean a high-tech method; if you want it simpler, more low-tech or natural, less light is needed. A dual T8 fixture would be ideal; I have a single T8 (24-inch) tube over my 29g and that is low light; my 36-inch tanks, a 33g and a 40g, each have dual T8 24-inch tubes, and they are ideal for low and moderate light plants.

I was going to ask previously just what a "bule" rainbow is, species wise. Did you mean blue rainbow, Melanotaenia caerulea? Or something else? If it is this species, it grows to about 2.5 inches (7 cm) and needs a group of 7-8 minimum, and that would pretty much fill this tank. You could consider some substrate level fish, some of the catfish that can tolerate harder water.

Well as for plants as I was thinking along the lines of Indian fern, Amazon sword plant ,moneywort. And sorry for my miss spelling so if I just had guppys I read that you can have 10-15 guppies per 10 gallons??

Am I going the right way with guppys??