how hard is fish to keep!?

[mandapanda]

i have had fish in the past, but not successfully. i have did research and realized i did a ton of things wrong. i thought i get a tank (just with a lid and filter) decolorinate the water and add fish and feed. also change the water when needed (all of it at once) i see now why all my past fish had died. i have been considering having a fresh water aquarium but i want to do it right this time. i am interested in a 30gallon tank. i want snails and dwarf gouramis (i have had those in the past, and absolutly loved them) what other fish can i have in a 30 gallon tank with 2 dwarf gouramis and one or two apple snails? also whats cycleing the tank!!? what all do i need for the aquarium to get started? a filter, heater.......

thanks for the help

 

[transposia]

If you read the pinned article above: Avoiding and treating New Tank Syndrome, it's really helpful with cycling.
As for how hard it is to keep fish, personally, I say it's not very hard, but it does require a commitment. One important thing is research and planning. There are a lot of people on here that are great at explaining the science behind the aquarium.

I just want to wish you luck, and applaud you for asking questions!

 

[breezer40]

You will need a filter and heater for tropical fish. Here is a link to an article on cycling which is well worth a read

http/fishiezoo.com/articles/cycling.html

 

[keane]

Hi,

Fiskkeeping is really as hard (or easy) as you make it. When I first started out I didn't think I was ever gonna have a spare second to myself.... buy the filters, heaters, lights etc......cycle the tank........check the water.........change the water.........research the fish....change the water some more.......buy the fish......feed the fish.......change the water some more.........watch the fish in case they die!!! etc, etc

Then I started to get a routine and the maintenance time is now minimal and the enjoyment time is optimum.

I am quite new to the whole fishkeeping business too but luckily (unlike you, unfortunately) found this site before I started the actual keeping and as a result of the great advice on here I have (touch wood!) suffered no losses yet and got three tanks now up and running (only two listed in my sig at the moment though!)

Most of the answers to the questions you have asked are at the top of this beginners forum as "pinned" topics. Take some time to have a read through all of these. They are all well set out and explained and then if you have any further questions or queries feel free to ask away.

BTW.... to the forums. Don't forget to introduce yourself in the newbie section if you haven't already.

steve 8)

 

[mandapanda]

thanks. i didnt even see that pinned article i am so blind!!!!! lol i will read it now.

 

[nc_nutcase]

To elaborate on something thebaldranger said :

Then I started to get a routine and the maintenance time is now minimal and the enjoyment time is optimum.

If you do the proper research in advance, you will have the right things for the right jobs. You will know what to look for and will catch potential problems when they are at the imperfection stage (as opposed to the disaster stage). Personally I have one day a week I do water changes and even for the 4-6 tanks I do maintenance on I can do 20% water changes on them all, check their water stats, address filters, etc… in about 3 hours. But if we put things off or let them go, we often have to do 2 or 3 times this much work 2 or 3 days a week to fix what went wrong. "An ounce of preventative maintenance equals a pound of repair"... something like that...

Filters are a perfect example… how long does it take to change a filter cartridge? 2 minutes on an overflow… 7 on a canister… but neglect checking it and it can back up, overflow waste into your tank (or floor), which requires additional water change, if the motor is continuously slowed down it can weaken or even burn out your motor… water conditions suffer and fish can very possibly die…. Or you can check your filters once a week and clean them as needed… 10 minutes just saved you several hours and the money to replace the filter…

 

[keane]

thats one hell of an elaboration......but i like it!!

totally agree

steve 8)

 

[mandapanda]

if i did want to cycle WITH fish, what kind would i use? i am not saying that i am planning on cycleing with or without fish..... i am just conserned with what works best... i have read online that cycling with fish is the best thing to do.

 

[mandapanda]

id ont really want guppies they have too many babies. and if the fish that i decided to cycle with live, i want them to be able to live with my dwarf gouramis.

 

[transposia]

id ont really want guppies they have too many babies. and if the fish that i decided to cycle with live, i want them to be able to live with my dwarf gouramis.

If you want to keep guppies but don't want the babies, I know there are some people that just keep males.

 

[mandapanda]

that would be nice. how can you tell? if they live and i put my dwarf gouramis in there will there be problems? and does anyone know if a apple snail will mess with the bacteria level?

 

[nc_nutcase]

I am cycling a 55 Gal right now with 150 guppies. Once it is cycled I will leave the guppies and add dwarf cichlids. I figure the smaller guppies will get eaten and the larger ones may survive to breed and offer yet more live food for my dwarfs.

Your gouramis will most likely treat the guppies about the same as my dwarf cichlids. Eat the lil ones and leave the bigger ones. I also have the route of throwing the larger ones into my other cichlid tanks if I have too many...

Not really suggesting anything... just sharing what others are doing

 

[NinjaSmurf]

I wouldn't really cycle with guppies though, it's hard to find ones that can stand the cycle without croaking. I've read about people using danios, but I don't know how they'd go with gouramis

 

[breezer40]

You could try White Cloud Mountain Minnows. I have used them in the past and they are hardy..They also do fine with gouramis.

 

[leafs]

I believe Danios are the best if you choose to cycle with fish.They also should get along fine with Gouramis