Fish Planner

[Notsofab]

On Saturday 27/08 my wife and I visited our LFS to find out the prices of some items we need for a fountain in our garden. We entered the shop and were both immediately captivated by the wonderful tanks and fantastic fish that were on display in the tanks. We both looked at each other and said ' I want one'. We had been looking for some 'decoration' for our living room for some time and decided that a tropical fish tank and fish would be more interesting that some ornament or pottery.

Needless to say that until last Saturday I had absolutely no knowledge or experience keeping any kind of fish at all. But I have been reading obsessively ever since and thanks to the fantastic postings from very knowledgeable people on this site, I think I am a little better prepared. We quickly decided that Tropical was the way to go with Marine being too complicated to start off.

We left our LFS equipped with a purpose built hexagonal 59l tank, branded as FISH R FUN. The tank has a top compartment which houses the pump and filter and also a built in lamp. We also got 3 bags of blue gravel, some plastic plants, a 100w heater, a thermometer, an air pump and air line, two air powered features and some other decoration. (£280 - not bad for an impulse buy).

We got home and we were like two big kids (38 & 35) at Christmas. We built the tank cabinet and washed out the tank. Then we thoroughly rinsed the gravel and placed it in the tank. We setup our air features and ran the air pipes out to the air pump. We placed our other 'toys' in the tank then put in the plastic plants. We positioned the heater on the back wall and made sure our thermometer was across the opposite side of the tank. We then filled our tank and thankfully found there were no leaks.

We set out heater to 76F and checked that the pump was passing water through the filtration system. By now I had also read about the fishless cycle. Our LFS advised us to use a product called 'Cycle' for this purpose so we have followed the instruction as per the bottle. Our system has been running nicely now for just over 3 days and seems to be maintaining a steady 78F temperature. The air features are ensuring that there is plenty of water movement. So far so good!

This Saturday 03/09 we are taking a sample of our tank water to our LFS to get it tested. We are hoping that by then we maybe ready to start adding fish. But this is really where my dilemma starts. We are looking at all the fish available and have quickly realised that it isn't going to just be about the fish we like the look of. There are so many things to consider like fish size, feed type, character, aggressiveness, looks, habitat, hardiness, temperatures etc that I think my brain is going to explode.

We realise that we need to add fish gradually, probably 4 fish per month. So we would like to plan which fish we are going to get and in which order they should be introduced. Originally we were hoping to get maybe 6 mixed sex pairs of fish of a suitable size. We want to have a variety of fish types and thought if some of them did breed then that would be cool. Now I'm not so sure about the breeding thing, as we are definitely not equip to breed anything properly.

We do like pretty looking fish and unusual looking fish like the angel. I also like the look of Catfish and Bettas. We would also like fish that have character and are interesting to watch. But we dont have masses amounts of spare time to be fiddling about with different foods or cleaning up after excessively messy fish.

We know it is difficult to tell for sure without the results from our water tests, but calling on the vast amounts of knowledge out there - can you help us to compile a mixed list of fish that could happily live in a 59 litre community tank and the order in which you would introduce the fish?

Without your help, I feel the next diary instalment maybe a tale of woe!!! I am absolutely busting to go out and get some fish!! What is it with these little guys that makes you want to have some?

Thanks for reading and any suggestions,

Alison & Geoff

 

[emma12321]

Hi and welcome to the forum,

It's great to hear of someone new getting into the hobby. To start off the tank you have bought 59l is 12.978 imperial gallons and 15.591 US gallons. As a newbie it will be easiest if you stick to the 1 inch of adult fish per gallon of water rule. In the pinned topics under TFF FAQ topics read the beginner questions and the how to do a fishless cycle. That way you won't lose any fish cycling and you'll be able to stock the tank as soon as the cycle has finished.

So 15 gallons, this is too small for the angel fish you like but is big enough for most tetras. Personally if i was setting up the tank after the cycle i would add

5 dwarf corydoras (either habrosus, hastatus or pygmaeus) as these stay smaller than other corys. These will stay around the bottom of the tank and follow each other around.

3 otocinclus (alage eaters which only grow 2 inch long)

6 tetras of your choice or harlequin rasboras. My personal favourites are cardinal tetras and rummy nose tetras but the list is endless. (any fish which only grows a couple of inches) (these will stay around the middle of the tank)

1 honey gourami or dwarf gourami (this will tend to stay around the top of the tank).

For this group of fish you will need to feed a tropical flake food, algae tabs for the ottos and sinking pellets for the corys.

Do a google search on the above fish and see what you think. If you have trouble finding the dwarf corys you can order them from Trimar or your local shop may be able to order them for you.

Don't forget you'll need to do partial water changes every couple of weeks and add dechlorinator to the water.

Well thats all i can think of for now

Hope this helps

Emma

 

[OohFeeshy]

So Cycle is all you've added? Unfourtunatley this isn't likely to do a great deal. You need a source of ammonia in the tank to start the cycle, either by adding ammonia or fish. However, the downside of using fish is that you are likely to loose some, especially if they aren't very hardy. The water the lfs is testing will probably come back fine- but this isn't because its cycled, but because its pretty much just tap water.

 

[Notsofab]

Thank you Emma for your suggestions.

I will research you recomendations further along with any others that I get. Is your list in the order in which you would add the fish? Or are all the fish listed as hardy as each other? Do I need to worry about the introduction order with the fish you have listed?

Our tank is taller - rather than wide. Still no chance of one Angel maybe?

 

[yvez9]

angels is a no-no in a tank that size, they get quite large

as for cycling, if you look in the beginner forums, there are many posts there about starting up a tank. all great advice!

 

[puffermama]

Nope, difinately would not get angle fish in a 15 gall. They require at least a 30 gallon tank since they get to be about 6 inches when they grow up and they need plenty of space to swim. They are also semi-aggressive fish so they might eat somebody else while you're not looking. (or while you are looking, whatever the case may be)

Do you have a airstone in your aquarium? Since your tank is taller rather than longer there is not as much surface area where oxygen exchange takes place.

I think your best bet would probably be a Dwarf Gourami since they reach a max size of 2", and they require a 10 gall or above. They have really pretty honey colored or neon blue ones. Also, tetras and platties.

 

[emma12321]

if you did the fishless cycle you could add the tetras, gourami and corys as soon as it is finished. i would wait a month or 2 to add the ottos as they wouldn't have a food source in a new tank (no algae) and they are sensitive to new tanks. Are you thinking of adding any live plants to your tank? Anubis, Java fern and java moss are all good beginner plants and can be tied to drift wood or rocks.

Emma

edit: if you do a fishless cycle, you should be able to find ammonia in homebase just make sure it is pure with no fragrance etc.

 

[Notsofab]

To be honest, when we purchased the tank on Saturday we didn't really realise how important live plants are in a fish tank. Like I said I am acomplete beginner. I guess I could remove some of the plastic ones and replace then with live ones.

Let me get this straight as well. Regarding the Fishless cycle. Adding the product 'Cycle' in the recommended amounts for tank preparation does not do the same thing as the 'Fishless cycle' as documented on this site? My LFS told me all I needed to do was add the product as indicated. Again in my ignorance I supposed that this product contained some ammonia to get the cycle going?

if you did the fishless cycle you could add the tetras, gourami and corys as soon as it is finished. i would wait a month or 2 to add the ottos as they wouldn't have a food source in a new tank (no algae) and they are sensitive to new tanks. Are you thinking of adding any live plants to your tank? Anubis, Java fern and java moss are all good beginner plants and can be tied to drift wood or rocks.

Emma

edit: if you do a fishless cycle, you should be able to find ammonia in homebase just make sure it is pure with no fragrance etc.

[snapback]891421[/snapback]​

 

[OohFeeshy]

Suposedly 'Cycle' is a bottle of bacteria, but whether it is or not, its unlikely to help you at all because there is no food source, the bottle isn't refrigerated and other factors I've forgotten. 'Cycle' is generally something they use to con people into buying it. Some people have had sucess, but my thoughts are just that the fish added after the product could tollerate all the spikes of ammonia etc.

 

[Notsofab]

Thank you so much for clarifying this. It is so frustrating being at the mercy of others who all have their own agenda. I will take your advice and get some pure ammonia and do the job properly.

I will also make sure I double check any advice I get from my LFS before I act on it. Chances are you have just saved my first fish!

Thank you.

Suposedly 'Cycle' is a bottle of bacteria, but whether it is or not, its unlikely to help you at all because there is no food source, the bottle isn't refrigerated and other factors I've forgotten. 'Cycle' is generally something they use to con people into buying it. Some people have had sucess, but my thoughts are just that the fish added after the product could tollerate all the spikes of ammonia etc.

[snapback]891549[/snapback]​

 

[McPhenius]

Notsofab, welcome! I was where you are just about a month ago! Our neighbor gave us a 25 gallon tank and I'd never kept fish (as an adult), so I did alot of reading. These forums really help!

Like I mentioned above, I was where you are. I got the tank all set up and I wanted to add fish. I let the tank run a couple days and then added four Zebra Danios on a recommendation that they were hearty fish that could handle a tank cycle. I added some BioSpiro to help the cycle process.

I then only added a couple fish each week and tested the water daily, making partial changes as necessary.

Today, almost 30 days later, I am thrilled to say I hit zero on my Nitrites! Todays water test yielded...

Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 5
Ph 7.0

A accomplishment for a new tank hobbyist! And 15 thriving fish!

 

[Notsofab]

Emma,

I've been using your recommended list as a basis for choosing my fish, but by my calculations your list will total approximately 30" of fish for my 15gal tank?

Would this be a problem, or is it safe for me to go up to 30" for my tank?

Which leads me to my next question. Size calculations are based on full adult sizes. How long does it take for a fish to reach its full size? As many of my fish will start out very small, could I add more fish with shorter life expectancies ( like Guppies ) in the first year to help fill the space in a 'young' tank?

Hi and welcome to the forum,

It's great to hear of someone new getting into the hobby. To start off the tank you have bought 59l is 12.978 imperial gallons and 15.591 US gallons. As a newbie it will be easiest if you stick to the 1 inch of adult fish per gallon of water rule. In the pinned topics under TFF FAQ topics read the beginner questions and the how to do a fishless cycle. That way you won't lose any fish cycling and you'll be able to stock the tank as soon as the cycle has finished.

So 15 gallons, this is too small for the angel fish you like but is big enough for most tetras. Personally if i was setting up the tank after the cycle i would add

5 dwarf corydoras (either habrosus, hastatus or pygmaeus) as these stay smaller than other corys. These will stay around the bottom of the tank and follow each other around.

3 otocinclus (alage eaters which only grow 2 inch long)

6 tetras of your choice or harlequin rasboras. My personal favourites are cardinal tetras and rummy nose tetras but the list is endless. (any fish which only grows a couple of inches) (these will stay around the middle of the tank)

1 honey gourami or dwarf gourami (this will tend to stay around the top of the tank).

For this group of fish you will need to feed a tropical flake food, algae tabs for the ottos and sinking pellets for the corys.

Do a google search on the above fish and see what you think. If you have trouble finding the dwarf corys you can order them from Trimar or your local shop may be able to order them for you.

Don't forget you'll need to do partial water changes every couple of weeks and add dechlorinator to the water.

Well thats all i can think of for now

Hope this helps

Emma

[snapback]891309[/snapback]​

 

[emma12321]

Hi,

By my calculations i got
5 corys at an inch 5 inches
3 ottos at 2 inches 6 inches
6 tetras (eg cardinal 2 inches ) 12 inches
1 honey gourami 2 inches 2 inches

If you got harlequins at 1.5 inches you would save 3 inches.

So i get 25 inches of fish, although this is above the inch per gallon rule they are all going to be living at different levels in the tank and so adding the suggested 15 fish is better than adding say 15 corys which would be bumping into each other, so long as you keep up with a good maintenence plan and fortnightly partial water changes you'll be fine. I think most of these fish should be fully grown within 18 months to 2 years. Not sure about the guppies though, they breed like rabbits and would quickly overstock a 15 gallon.

Emma

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

£280 for a 15 hex? Personally i think you paid too much. The rekord 60 is an excellent 15gal tank and its a regular shape which is more handy than a hex most the time. With £280 you could easily get a 1metre tank with the stand, hood light and the usual(heater, filters, pump) and the alot of money left over for fish and bits and bobs, But i suppose as you dont have much time on your hands a 15g is more suitable but you diffently should have taken a regular sized 15. . Welcome to the forums though, Im sure youll benefit like i am from all the help available.

 

[GirlinWayside]

hello and welcome to the wonderful world of fish. This is a great place!