Hello and ideas for 54 litre tank

[MikeCM171]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the forum and relatively new to keeping fish. I have a lot of experience with reptiles and I'd quite like to branch out to keep a nice fish or a few.

I currently have a 54 litre (14 US gallon, I believe) glass tank/aquarium going spare which used to house a rescue Musk turtle.

I'm looking for suggestions as to what may be suitable for such a tank? I'd ideally like something on the lower maintenance side without huge set-up costs, so perhaps something cold water? I was planning on a goldfish, but perhaps it would grow too large for this tank? I could upgrade, but depends on how long growth takes etc.

Many thanks for your help.

 

[Essjay51 166]

Yes, the tank is definitely too small for a goldfish I'm afraid. They need much bigger tanks that you'd think - a minimum of 100 litres for a single goldfish.

I see you are in London, which usually means you have hard water. It is advisable to keep fish which originate in water similar to the hardness of our tap water, so this probably means hard water fish in your case. You can check your hardness on your water company's website, it is usually in the water quality section. UK water companies often use different units from those used in fish keeping so if you can find it, could you post the number and unit of measurement for your hardness, please. This will help members suggest fish suitable for you.

In the meantime, can I suggest some reading for you.
A brand new tank needs to be 'cycled' - this means preparing the tank before getting fish by either growing bacteria colonies to deal with fish waste or growing a lot of plants to do the same thing. Read up on the various methods to see which would suit you and your plans for the tank.

Cycle Your Tank! A Complete Guide For Beginners

Fishless cycling https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/ Silent or plant cycling https://www.fishforums.net/threads/planted-silent-cycling.470400/ Fish-in cycling...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Jennet31 89]

Hello and welcome from another (ex) reptile keeper (Mostly snakes). This is a good forum and you can get good, knowledgable advice and support here.

All aquariums take some maintenance, but it does not have to take too long. However, for a least the first year you will need to do weekly water changes of at least 25% of your water.

Before you start think about what kind of fish you would like and what kind of water they need.

You will need a test kit to monitor the water parameters also. Not that expensive around £35 (off Amazon) and will last you a year

You can keep some tropical fish on a 2" gravel base, and can add wood and epiphyte plants to the wood that do not take a lot of maintenance.

Fish that tend to do better in harder water are likely to be livebearers such as Guppies, Mollies etc. Or there are some beautiful fish from Lake Malawi that may suit. Look up tropical fish that need hard water, as Matt suggested yours is likely to be hard.

If you have a local aquarium shop near you, most will test your water for you if you take in a sample. They will need a total of 10mls tap water. Just take some in a clean plastic water/pop bottle or small leakproof container. If they are a good store, they will show you some of the fish that will live in your water without trying to sell you some. Especially if you tell them you are just starting to cycle your equipment (water filter).

It recently cost me around £100 to set up an 80 litre aquarium (that I got second hand for free) including a few plants and wood. Then there is the cost of your fish once you have cycled your aquarium.

But be warned. This hobby can be addictive.

 

[emeraldking31 82]

Welcome to our forum to start with...
Depending on the temperature in the room, there are many fish species which can be kept without any problems at room temperature (18-22°C). Preferably smaller fish like small barbs, small American cichlids like Apistogramma species, small rasbora species, etc. But keep also in mind the water parameters you're dealing with before choosing any fish.

 

[Innesfan50 12]

Welcome to our merry and knowledgeable think tank. Yes, way too small for goldfish. But if it's cool water you're considering, for a tank that size White Cloud Mountain Minnows are lively, colorful, hardy, readily available, do not require a heater and are an enduring favorite in the hobby.