I have recently bought a 60l tropical tank and am quite eexcited bout it all, trying to find which species will be ok to get in the tank because the place we bought it from had no specialist people to talk to, i think im right in saying i cant get clown fish? any info would be great
Brand New Really Unsure
- Thread starter adieb123
- Start date
hi, clownfish are marine (saltwater) fish so best leave them alone, 60l is quite small so if you are looking at freshwater tropical fish there are plenty of small options, try googling neon tetras, harlequin rasbora, corydoras, platies, x-ray tetras, there are loads of others.
thanks for that i didnt think clownfish were possible just down at the aquarium we got the tank from they didnt have a clue. ive set the tank up now have got it to 26c now am going to leave it about a week before i go and get a couple of hardy fish parently is wat i need. then theyve said theyll test our water free of charge so thats going to be a help
Verminator89
Jack Dempsey Enthusiast
This sounds awefully like the sort of service they offer at P@H? Run....whilst you still can.
In all seriousness don't rush. 60L isnt "small" as such and i've seen far smaller marine set-ups. But for the most part start with tropical as its alot simpler and easier to get to grips with the basics. You say you've set the tank up and got it up to temperature, now its all well and good leaving it for a week, but i'd suggest atleast 3 minimum. You need to wait for the bacteria to build up in your filter, which i assume (hope) you have set up and running already. One or two live plants in the tank will help stimulate the bacteria to colognise in your filter, then and only then will you be ready for fish in your tank. This process will take 3 weeks minimum to effectivly be ready.
After this 3 week period you should then be ready for your first "hardy" fish. If the shop in question want to test your water then thats more advisable. Any trusted good fish retailer will never rush the cycling process of your tank - atleast they shouldnt. Its the fish's well-being your looking out for here, so don't rush. Let nature do its thing i always say, theres no better way than the natural way. For first fish you should be looking toward the mollies and platys. There easily spotted in LFS and are vibrantly coloured, there a very good starter fish. Active, friendly, easy to breed...and as mentioned their hardy.
I'm sure other members will inform you of other great fish to start with. Just be sensible with your selections
Hope this helps,
James.
In all seriousness don't rush. 60L isnt "small" as such and i've seen far smaller marine set-ups. But for the most part start with tropical as its alot simpler and easier to get to grips with the basics. You say you've set the tank up and got it up to temperature, now its all well and good leaving it for a week, but i'd suggest atleast 3 minimum. You need to wait for the bacteria to build up in your filter, which i assume (hope) you have set up and running already. One or two live plants in the tank will help stimulate the bacteria to colognise in your filter, then and only then will you be ready for fish in your tank. This process will take 3 weeks minimum to effectivly be ready.
After this 3 week period you should then be ready for your first "hardy" fish. If the shop in question want to test your water then thats more advisable. Any trusted good fish retailer will never rush the cycling process of your tank - atleast they shouldnt. Its the fish's well-being your looking out for here, so don't rush. Let nature do its thing i always say, theres no better way than the natural way. For first fish you should be looking toward the mollies and platys. There easily spotted in LFS and are vibrantly coloured, there a very good starter fish. Active, friendly, easy to breed...and as mentioned their hardy.
I'm sure other members will inform you of other great fish to start with. Just be sensible with your selections
Hope this helps,James.
arobinson1984
Fish Gatherer
Hi,
First off, if you are new to the hobby I'm not sure if you have heard of cycling a tank? This needs to be done to ensure a healthy stable environment for your fish to live in.
Now an average cycle takes roughly 6-8 weeks and they are several ways of doing this, the 2 main ways being a fishless cycle or a fish-in cycle.
What you described regarding putting fish in within the next week would put you in a fish-in cycle situation and this type of cycle is usually hard work with usually requiring you to do 2-3 large water changes every day for the full 6-8 weeks in order to keep the fish alive and healthy so as you can see its quite a lot of work.
The alternative is a fishless cycle which means instead of putting fish in the tank, you use liquid household ammonia to start the cycle, this way doesnt require daily water changes and doesn't pose any threat the your fish seeing as there isnt any in the tank during the cycle.
You an read up about cycling and both methods by reading the links in my signature.
Whichever method you choose you really need to get you own liquid test kit as you need to be able to test the water daily during the cycle period and if you choose a fish-in cycle then the water needs testing twice a day.
The main test kit members on here use is called API freshwater master kit and includes every test you need for the cycle, it can be bought for about £18 online or on ebay and will last more than a year. You're best buying it online as most fish stores charge £30+ for it.
Any questions, dont hesitate to ask
Andy
First off, if you are new to the hobby I'm not sure if you have heard of cycling a tank? This needs to be done to ensure a healthy stable environment for your fish to live in.
Now an average cycle takes roughly 6-8 weeks and they are several ways of doing this, the 2 main ways being a fishless cycle or a fish-in cycle.
What you described regarding putting fish in within the next week would put you in a fish-in cycle situation and this type of cycle is usually hard work with usually requiring you to do 2-3 large water changes every day for the full 6-8 weeks in order to keep the fish alive and healthy so as you can see its quite a lot of work.
The alternative is a fishless cycle which means instead of putting fish in the tank, you use liquid household ammonia to start the cycle, this way doesnt require daily water changes and doesn't pose any threat the your fish seeing as there isnt any in the tank during the cycle.
You an read up about cycling and both methods by reading the links in my signature.
Whichever method you choose you really need to get you own liquid test kit as you need to be able to test the water daily during the cycle period and if you choose a fish-in cycle then the water needs testing twice a day.
The main test kit members on here use is called API freshwater master kit and includes every test you need for the cycle, it can be bought for about £18 online or on ebay and will last more than a year. You're best buying it online as most fish stores charge £30+ for it.
Any questions, dont hesitate to ask
Andy
ye my filter is up and running so thats a start im going to get a live plant to help the fish tomorrow so thats going to help the cycle going i hope...
see we were told none of this at all the man that served me told me to jus go home set it all up then leave it a week before returning for some hardy fish then he said just to do a 10-20% water change 3 times a week for 6 weeks. the reason i was asking is because everything else says different
see we were told none of this at all the man that served me told me to jus go home set it all up then leave it a week before returning for some hardy fish then he said just to do a 10-20% water change 3 times a week for 6 weeks. the reason i was asking is because everything else says different
Verminator89
Jack Dempsey Enthusiast
Seriously sounds like Pets @ Home advice that. Go to respected and reputable local fish stores mate, you'll get x10 the knowledge compared to what your being given. It seems your being given the hard sell information urging you to come back and spend your money. Without real care/concideration as to what actually has to be done to setup/keep/maintain a happy, healthy and rewarding aquarium. Or take all the great members advice on here Were a source of information easily available 24/7 with global members
Were a source of information easily available 24/7 with global members 
Yep - always good advice to find a local specialist fish store - if you can find one. In my area the only stores left open in the economy are the "big box" Petsmart and Petco. So I rely on the members of this forum for help and advice!
adieb123 - at a minimum I would read the articles in this thread before you decide how to proceed. After reading these articles I decided on the fishless cycle:
Beginner's Resource Center
adieb123 - at a minimum I would read the articles in this thread before you decide how to proceed. After reading these articles I decided on the fishless cycle:
Beginner's Resource Center
Liverbird36
Fishaholic
Make sure to read the fishless cycling section in the beginners resource section. I'd be lost without this forum. My LFS gave me the same advice too when I started out but luckily I had already discovered this forum and saved myself much expense and heartache as a result.
As mentioned above, look into completing your fishless cycle whereby you create and maintain aerobic bacteria within your filter system which is designed to absorb and convert fish waste into less toxic compounds. Avoiding doing this will result in the vast majority of your fish dieing or suffering.
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