Haven't A Clue Where To Start

[waxb18]

The last time i had a fish my dad won it at the fun fair when i was about 3 years old.

22 years later ive just purchased a 3ft fish tank off the lovely ebay for the ghastly sum of $12.59.
And now that ive got it ive just realised that i dont have the foggiest idea where to start, what kind of fish i want or even what type of equipment i need...

What i do know is i want pretty fishies

 

[Fishy friend2]

you need a filter heater an air pump and decorations for the tank but first what is length width and height so you know how many fish you can have

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Read the beginner's resource center linked at the top of this forum.


With a 3 foot tank, you have lots of options. While cycling your tank, read a lot about different fish species. The fish that you start out wanting may not be as suitable to your tap water parameters as equally lovely fish that would find your tap water ideal. Try to choose fish that would be best suited in your tap water and then whenever a problem arises, the simplest easiest and often best solution is merely to do a massive water change.



Think about whether or not you want to have a community, a species only, a biotype, etc. The key to a successful set-up form the beginning is all about RESEARCH! Research, research, research. The reality is that you need to know as much as possible about your fishes' needs as well as their compatibility with specific other fish.

 

[BigbruiserAl]

you need a filter heater an air pump and decorations for the tank but first what is length width and height so you know how many fish you can have

You dont NEED a air pump and you certainly dont NEED decorations. I would get a filter and heater to start with, then think of what fish's they will lead to tank set up where you might need lots of caves and wood to break line of sight, or a near bear tank for moster fish they will be fine with the odd plant

 

[Fishy friend2]

i only get decorations so the fish feel like home just plants and stuff

 

[ZoddyZod]

CYCLING is a very important word that you need to understand. As stated, read through the Beginners section and pay close attention to the cycling threads. Once you've read them, post back here with any questions.

This topic may seem quite daunting and confusing at first, but don't worry....we all went through it at least once!

 

[waxb18]

Cheers guyd

im gna have a read through that guide today and then get back to you

 

[waxb18]

i read up about cycling, if the balance of the right bacteria isnt right the fish get ill, not rocket science to say the least. Once I've got all my kit together ill be going for a fishless cycle and asking around for some matured media. but in the meantime this gives me a chance to do some research into which fish i should be getting.

Aside from that i picked up my tank today, here she is

I call her Little Pacific

The next step for me is to give it a good and thorough clean. Ive read that the best way to clean the tank is to use a salt based cleaner and warm water then leaving it to drip dry.

I was thinking of using some spirit of salts to do this but wanted to know if there is a specific cleaner for cleaning the tank?

 

[waxb18]

also can anyone suggest an external filter which i can use with my tank, its a 3ft tank

 

[BigbruiserAl]

also can anyone suggest an external filter which i can use with my tank, its a 3ft tank

Tetratec are very good i found

 

[ZoddyZod]

well done on reading up on cycling - when you do your fishless cycle you can ask here for help and advice and hopefully some members will guide you through it.

It looks like the tank is second-hand? A good check with second hand tanks is to fill them for the first time OUTSIDE. This will check if there are any leaks and prevent your living room from getting very wet

I only have experience with Fluval filters, and the 05 range are pretty good. A Fluval 205 would be a good choice for that tank.

One make that many people swear by is Eheim.

 

[coldcazzie]

Just warm water and lots of elbow grease should be fine. A scrubby pad and a hose outside usually does the job Anything else is a bit overkill really unless some kind of disease is involved

ps, and yes, definitely fill for the first time outside - if it leaks you don't want to be mopping up 100+ litres of water off your living room floor!

 

[MizuFish]

My biggest tip is first to train yourself in trying not to get too excited, haha, that was my biggest problem.

My best friends in the tank area is a bunch of micro fiber cloths that save my life daily. I really recommend those (they will clean up the tank easily without scrubbing or cussing as well) if you don't want to use them on the glass then they're still awesome to wipe up water fast. It could also be a good idea to get one of those vinyl table cloths to place under the tank before you bring it inside that way whenever you do spill water there is a smaller chance the furniture sucks up the moist and becomes weak.

Since I am a bit of a newbie still myself, I put all my cents on the housewife tips xD

 

[waxb18]

Things moving quickly...

Ive sourced a 2nd hand external filter for a what seems a bargin 20GBP, mind you he has said that the spray bars are missing...Are these easily replaced? or can a diy job be done to fix them?

this is the model

 

[waxb18]

buuummmp

Guys can you let me know if the filter is easily repairable..

i dont want to be lumbered with an oversized paperweight...
Thanks