General Questions

[baz_78]

Hi everyone,

Just got a few questions I would be interested in the answers to...

1. How do I calculate the volume (in gallons) of my tank from the dimensions? It was on the packaging when I got my tank, but I have a memory like a seive and have forgotten!!

2. What is the general life expectancy of fish? I know this is likely to vary widely depending on species, living conditions, etc. But as an example what is the life expectancy of a tetra, a zebra danio, a gourami?

3. I have a few stones in my tank, should I take these out and clean when I do my water changes?

That's just a couple I had off the top of my head, sorry if they are stupid but, hey, that's the point of the 'beginner questions' section of the forum!!

I'll probably have a few more questions as the weeks/months pass so I appreciate any help.

Cheers,
Barry

 

[catxx]

1. sorry can't help, but would like to know myself!
2. it does vary GREATLY, i think neons can go for a long while though, 5-10 years etc.
3. don't do this! your gravel is where all the good bacteria live. give it a quick vacuum with a gravel vac to get up old food and poopy, and maybe a quick stir every now and again and that should be fine.

 

[baz_78]

Thanks for your response catxx.

Does anyone know of a website where I can browse visually to identify the fish in my tank? I'll admit in my initial enthusiasm to get fish that I wasn't completely paying attention to the names when I bought them - I checked compatibility, size, etc. but didn't think about names.

I now regret this and would like to identify them all...!!! Short of posting pctures on here I thought this would be a goo way to start.

 

[simonbrown403]

Hi Baz's Fishies

1. How do I calculate the volume (in gallons) of my tank from the dimensions? It was on the packaging when I got my tank, but I have a memory like a seive and have forgotten!!

try these links
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/calculator.php
http/mike-edwardes.members.beeb.net/converter.html

join praical fishkeeper as well loads of usefull stuff there.
http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/tools.php

2. What is the general life expectancy of fish? I know this is likely to vary widely depending on species, living conditions, etc. But as an example what is the life expectancy of a tetra, a zebra danio, a gourami?

the average is 5 to 10 years for most fish.

3. I have a few stones in my tank, should I take these out and clean when I do my water changes?

Its best not to clean decor to intensivly as it all the surfaces in you aquarium hole a large propotion of the benerfisail bacteria thet breaks down waste in you aquarium, you can do it if you want to remove algue, i find it best to clean thim in old tank water.
If you have a under grave filter it can be advisable as the mulum gets traped underneth and can turn anarobic and produse toxic gases.

 

[baz_78]

Its best not to clean decor to intensivly as it all the surfaces in you aquarium hole a large propotion of the benerfisail bacteria thet breaks down waste in you aquarium, you can do it if you want to remove algue, i find it best to clean thim in old tank water.
If you have a under grave filter it can be advisable as the mulum gets traped underneth and can turn anarobic and produse toxic gases.

Hi Simon - thanks again for the advice.

I'll probably try a small clean of the rocks tonight - they have a thin layer of green/black on them. Not sure if it is algea or not as I have some algea eaters and they don't touch this! Any ideas what it could be?

 

[catxx]

for fish identification, post pics, someone here is BOUND to recognise them!
what kind of fish are they? livebearers? plecs? other catfish? cichlids? no idea what i'm on about?

 

[baz_78]

for fish identification, post pics, someone here is BOUND to recognise them!
what kind of fish are they? livebearers? plecs? other catfish? cichlids? no idea what i'm on about?

Will try and get some pics tonight if the fish don't go all shy!! and if my photography skills are up to it!!

I kept to a mixture of community fish, non-agressive, etc. Got some catfish, tetras, danios, algea eaters...

 

[baz_78]

Ok, here's a couple of pictures - one of my overall tank and another of 2 of my fish (really bad picture but couldn't get any better) Does anyone have any tips for getting good photos from a digital camera?

Any comments on my tank?

Overall tank:

Fish for identification - one is a catfish, the other an 'algea eater' (that's as much as I know!)

 

[catxx]

the catfish in the bottom pic is a Cory, a Bronze Cory, c.aeneus and needs to be kept in schools, 4 or more is preferred. i can't tell what your algae eater is the photo is too fuzzy.

make sure you have "macro" close up setting on to take pics, and a very steady hand!

i can just about make out a tetra, possibly neon, another tetra that isn't neon, and are those the danios? will need closer photos to work out exact species.

edit: are all your tetras different species and kept singularly? they should all be in schools of their own species.

 

[baz_78]

the catfish in the bottom pic is a Cory, a Bronze Cory, c.aeneus and needs to be kept in schools, 4 or more is preferred. i can't tell what your algae eater is the photo is too fuzzy.

make sure you have "macro" close up setting on to take pics, and a very steady hand!

i can just about make out a tetra, possibly neon, another tetra that isn't neon, and are those the danios? will need closer photos to work out exact species.

edit: are all your tetras different species and kept singularly? they should all be in schools of their own species.

I've only got 3 Corys - will this be a problem?

The Danios are Zebra Danios and are also in a school of 7

I've got 6 Tetras in total, non are neons - 3 have an orange 'stripe' and 3 a green 'stripe' I knew tetras should be kept in schools (hence buying 6) but I asked about grouping the 2 types together and was told it wouldn't be a problem... Thats the problem still being a novice, you don't know which advice to ignore and which to accept!

 

[dwarfgourami]

Might be my glasses but I can't see any neons in there at all. The ones I think I can see are black neons (hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi) - which despite the name are not actually very closely related to neons at all. Very attractive fish, and supposed to be hardier than neons so probably a good choice.
The one with the orange stripe looks like it might be a glowlight (hemigrammus erythrozonus).

They should be ok with each other in the sense of not making any trouble, though they may not actually school together, so more of both kinds would be better if you have the space.

Could the algae eater be a Siamese algae eater?