hensonc4098
Fish Herder
Hi everyone,
Having been a member on TFF for a short while, I have noticed that there are a lot of newbie fishkeepers needing advice in the first few stages of fishkeeping, so I have made a basic guide for people setting up new tanks
Before I start, I would like to make 2 golden rules:
1. Fish and pet shops do not always know it all. You may ask their advice thinking they will know best and will receive bad or incorrect advice. Many newbies have ended up with dead fish as a result of following pet shop instructions. Remember - they are out to make money and will happily sell you things you don't want or need.
2. Never go into a pet shop and make an impulse buy on fish without doing your research first. A lot of LFS (Local fish shops) won't tell you much or anything about the fish you are buying and then you bring your new purchase home to find it eats everything in your tank. PLEASE come here first and just check that it is ok for your tank by either looking it up in the fish index or making a quick post in the relivant section. NO QUESTION IS STUPID!!!
Ok. Now we've sorted that out, onto the fun part!
Getting a tank
With so many different sized and makes of tanks to choose from, it can be a bit daunting choosing which to get. If you can afford a new tank that is great, however you can pick up some great second-hand deals online and in classified ads in newspapers or shop windows. Many are in new or very good condition at a fraction of the price you would pay for a new one.
When buying your first tank, it seems logical to get a small tank to start off with since it would be easier to maintain, right? Wrong! Smaller tanks have a smaller water capacity which means that your water parameters (don't worry if you don't know what these are - I'll talk about them later) will be far more likely to fluctuate, or change quickly. Steady water parameters are best for all kinds of fish. So, when buying your new tank, the bigger, the better. Obviously budget and space in your house limit the size you can get but try to get bigger if you can.
As with any fish-related topic, feel free to ask around on here what kinds of tanks other members have and what they think of them. Then you can make an informed choice on what tank to get
Setting it up
So you've got your tank and you think it's time to put fish in? Wrong again! If you have all the equipment needed to set up your tank (tank, light, filter, heater, thermometer & gravel or sand for substrate) then you are ready to start what is called a fishless cycle. In an aquarium, there is a balance of many different things keeping chemicals in your water at a good level. There is a sort of cycle that goes on that does this:
Fish produce Ammonia through breathing and excreting, which is highly toxic even in small levels. Luckily, there is a kind of friendly bacteria which convert Ammonia into Nitrite. Nitrite is still very toxic even in small levels too, but there is another kind of bacteria which convert Nitrite into Nitrate. Nitrate is nowhere near as toxic as Nitrite and Ammonia. Nitrate levels are controlled by regular water changes (every 1-2 weeks depending on tank size and stocking) and also by plants using Nitrate. Levels of Ammonia and Nitrite should be kept at 0 at all times, but Nitrate can go up to 75 or so without causing too much harm.
Sounds confusing? It does take a bit to get your head around it! Now, when you get your new filter, it won't have any of this good bacteria living in it, so if you put fish in straight away then the Ammonia would build up very quickly and could either harm or kill your fish. This is where fishless cycling comes in. You cycle your filter (this is where the bacteria live, not the water) for a period that can last anywhere between 4-8 weeks to let the bacteria grow so that when you add fish, the Ammonia produced will be converted straight away.
Cycling filters can be done in several different ways:
1. Run the filter in the empty tank, adding liquid ammonia every day so that the bacteria can grow. More information about this kind of cycling can be found HERE.
2. Run the filter in the empty tank but instead of adding ammonia every day, add some fish food flakes every day. The flakes decomposing in the water will produce Ammonia which will feed the growing bacteria.
3. Put your filter into someone elses (or another of your own) tank that has been running for at least a few months. This is called cloning. The bacteria can build up in your filter without harming the fish in the tank as there is already another filter that has bacteria in it to control levels of Ammonia and Nitrite. the filter should be left in the other tank for about 6-7 weeks.
4. Get filter media (the stuff that goes inside the filter) that already has bacteria in it. People who are shutting down aquariums will give or sell "mature" filter media to people with new setups. This means that you can skip cycling and get on to fish! You can find a list of people who have mature filter media available HERE.
With methods 1 and 2, you will need to buy a test kit for Nitrite. Make sure you get the right one, and not a Nitrate test kit!! Then you test the water every day. At first the levels of Nitrite will rocket, but eventually, after a while of being very high, they will quickly drop to 0. This is when your tank is cycled.
Bear in mind that cycling can take up to 8 weeks, so don't get too ahead of yourself too quickly!
Your Water Parameters, or Water Stats, are made up of several different things:
~ Levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate
~ pH level (how acid or alkaline the water is) &
~ Water temperature
If you ever have a problem with your tank, it is best to first test each of the above with test kits or a thermometer and then post on here with what is goingon plus these Stats. This will help us to work out what is wrong with your tank.
Fish Time!
Now you have got your tank and cycled your filter, you are now ready to add fish! However, please do not just go out and buy what you like the look of - please check on here first. Countless people have gone out and bought fish completely unsuitable for their tank. You also need to decide what you want your tank to look like. Do you want plants? Real plants or artificial? Rocks, wood or both? Gravel or sand? There are so many choices but it is mainly up to you based on what you like the look of. Everyones tastes are different.
Here I have listed some examples of fish options for first-time tropical fish owners (links take you to the index page for that fish):
~Zebra Danio
~Glowlight Danio
~Black Neon
~Black Widow Tetra
~Congo Tetra
~Penguin Tetra
~Dwarf Gourami
~Guppy
~Platy
~Swordtail
~Balloon Molly
Of course, there are many more - these are just examples!
So now you know the basics, you can go out and explore the world of fish! Just remember: If in doubt... check it out!
TFF - Here to help
ps. If there is anything you think would be better added to this, please comment and I will add if appropriate
Having been a member on TFF for a short while, I have noticed that there are a lot of newbie fishkeepers needing advice in the first few stages of fishkeeping, so I have made a basic guide for people setting up new tanks
Before I start, I would like to make 2 golden rules:
1. Fish and pet shops do not always know it all. You may ask their advice thinking they will know best and will receive bad or incorrect advice. Many newbies have ended up with dead fish as a result of following pet shop instructions. Remember - they are out to make money and will happily sell you things you don't want or need.
2. Never go into a pet shop and make an impulse buy on fish without doing your research first. A lot of LFS (Local fish shops) won't tell you much or anything about the fish you are buying and then you bring your new purchase home to find it eats everything in your tank. PLEASE come here first and just check that it is ok for your tank by either looking it up in the fish index or making a quick post in the relivant section. NO QUESTION IS STUPID!!!
Ok. Now we've sorted that out, onto the fun part!
Getting a tank
With so many different sized and makes of tanks to choose from, it can be a bit daunting choosing which to get. If you can afford a new tank that is great, however you can pick up some great second-hand deals online and in classified ads in newspapers or shop windows. Many are in new or very good condition at a fraction of the price you would pay for a new one.
When buying your first tank, it seems logical to get a small tank to start off with since it would be easier to maintain, right? Wrong! Smaller tanks have a smaller water capacity which means that your water parameters (don't worry if you don't know what these are - I'll talk about them later) will be far more likely to fluctuate, or change quickly. Steady water parameters are best for all kinds of fish. So, when buying your new tank, the bigger, the better. Obviously budget and space in your house limit the size you can get but try to get bigger if you can.
As with any fish-related topic, feel free to ask around on here what kinds of tanks other members have and what they think of them. Then you can make an informed choice on what tank to get
Setting it up
So you've got your tank and you think it's time to put fish in? Wrong again! If you have all the equipment needed to set up your tank (tank, light, filter, heater, thermometer & gravel or sand for substrate) then you are ready to start what is called a fishless cycle. In an aquarium, there is a balance of many different things keeping chemicals in your water at a good level. There is a sort of cycle that goes on that does this:
Fish produce Ammonia through breathing and excreting, which is highly toxic even in small levels. Luckily, there is a kind of friendly bacteria which convert Ammonia into Nitrite. Nitrite is still very toxic even in small levels too, but there is another kind of bacteria which convert Nitrite into Nitrate. Nitrate is nowhere near as toxic as Nitrite and Ammonia. Nitrate levels are controlled by regular water changes (every 1-2 weeks depending on tank size and stocking) and also by plants using Nitrate. Levels of Ammonia and Nitrite should be kept at 0 at all times, but Nitrate can go up to 75 or so without causing too much harm.
Sounds confusing? It does take a bit to get your head around it! Now, when you get your new filter, it won't have any of this good bacteria living in it, so if you put fish in straight away then the Ammonia would build up very quickly and could either harm or kill your fish. This is where fishless cycling comes in. You cycle your filter (this is where the bacteria live, not the water) for a period that can last anywhere between 4-8 weeks to let the bacteria grow so that when you add fish, the Ammonia produced will be converted straight away.
Cycling filters can be done in several different ways:
1. Run the filter in the empty tank, adding liquid ammonia every day so that the bacteria can grow. More information about this kind of cycling can be found HERE.
2. Run the filter in the empty tank but instead of adding ammonia every day, add some fish food flakes every day. The flakes decomposing in the water will produce Ammonia which will feed the growing bacteria.
3. Put your filter into someone elses (or another of your own) tank that has been running for at least a few months. This is called cloning. The bacteria can build up in your filter without harming the fish in the tank as there is already another filter that has bacteria in it to control levels of Ammonia and Nitrite. the filter should be left in the other tank for about 6-7 weeks.
4. Get filter media (the stuff that goes inside the filter) that already has bacteria in it. People who are shutting down aquariums will give or sell "mature" filter media to people with new setups. This means that you can skip cycling and get on to fish! You can find a list of people who have mature filter media available HERE.
With methods 1 and 2, you will need to buy a test kit for Nitrite. Make sure you get the right one, and not a Nitrate test kit!! Then you test the water every day. At first the levels of Nitrite will rocket, but eventually, after a while of being very high, they will quickly drop to 0. This is when your tank is cycled.
Bear in mind that cycling can take up to 8 weeks, so don't get too ahead of yourself too quickly!
Your Water Parameters, or Water Stats, are made up of several different things:
~ Levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate
~ pH level (how acid or alkaline the water is) &
~ Water temperature
If you ever have a problem with your tank, it is best to first test each of the above with test kits or a thermometer and then post on here with what is goingon plus these Stats. This will help us to work out what is wrong with your tank.
Fish Time!
Now you have got your tank and cycled your filter, you are now ready to add fish! However, please do not just go out and buy what you like the look of - please check on here first. Countless people have gone out and bought fish completely unsuitable for their tank. You also need to decide what you want your tank to look like. Do you want plants? Real plants or artificial? Rocks, wood or both? Gravel or sand? There are so many choices but it is mainly up to you based on what you like the look of. Everyones tastes are different.
Here I have listed some examples of fish options for first-time tropical fish owners (links take you to the index page for that fish):
~Zebra Danio
~Glowlight Danio
~Black Neon
~Black Widow Tetra
~Congo Tetra
~Penguin Tetra
~Dwarf Gourami
~Guppy
~Platy
~Swordtail
~Balloon Molly
Of course, there are many more - these are just examples!
So now you know the basics, you can go out and explore the world of fish! Just remember: If in doubt... check it out!
TFF - Here to help
ps. If there is anything you think would be better added to this, please comment and I will add if appropriate
