Aqua One Ar126

[mandi2229]

Hi all, newbie here.

I was recently given a tank. It's 22lt and a want to start a new tropical aquarium.

I understand it's small but i want to get a couple of baby discus. I intend on upgrading in a year or so.

All i have is the tank, which is complete with a built in biological wet/dry filter and a PL Light tube.

What else am i going to need to get this thing running?

For the heater, how many watts are required?
Pump?
Noodles (lol)?
PH testing kits?

Thanks in advance for your help

Mandi

 

[Randi]

The tank is far too small for discus, even small ones.

 

[Miles_hot]

get some water into the tank and add some ammonia (Boots) to feed the bacteria - get an API Master Freshwater testiing kit to find out if the water chemistry is good still. If you've got a cycled filter that's a huge start

 

[KittyKat]

It's a nice shrimp tank, or a micro/dwarf schooler tank, if you can get some that small in your area.

25w heater.

The pump already in the tank for the filter is good enough. The noodles should also be in the filter, this is where the good bacteria live.

Liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH are a must for a beginner. You can get the API master kit from eBay for £17 or so.

I recommend that you start by reading about fish-less cycling in the beginner's resource centre and then asking us any questions you may have.

 

[mattbleasby]

Is your filter media Mature? If so then that can kick start things, but even so you need to cycle it before you get fish in there. Unfortunately you cannot keep discus in that tank. It is way too small for them. Id love to have a little discus tank, but its just not possible.

Maybe some Tetras & Shrimp as-well as some other small shoaling fish.

Hope this helps.

 

[waterdrop]

This is a great opportunity! Your micro-tank provides several important things that will move your dream of a discus tank closer to reality. First, the most important think needed to become a good aquarist is knowledge and experience. By taking your hands-on experience with the first tank seriously and keeping a diary of what you learn, you will move quickly past the typical petshop newcomer. The baseline 3 first skills you want are 1) biofilters, 2) gravel-clean-water-change technique and 3) good filter maintenance.

Secondly, by fishless cycling, then stocking and then running your tank into maturity (6 months to a year) you will end up with a rich mature filter which can donate (despite it's small size) a good "seed" of bateria into the big filter of a big next tank (which might or might not be big enough for discus, but that's ok, it's moving in the right direction.) Discus are an example of the types of rewards that are out there for hobbyists who learn the skills. They are demanding fish, but quite beautiful and interesting.

~~waterdrop~~