Help With My New Fish Tank Please.

[dbanner]

The thing with pet shops/aquariums is that they will sell you a fish no matter what... They are in it for a sale at the end of the day. Very hard to get a store which takes into account what you say and gives you the correct advise on what fish to have. They also say things like just fill your tank and leave it stand for a few days then you can add fish... Which unfortunately is not correct. I haven't come across any that has told me I would need to cycle the tank correctly 1st. Don't worry about it. You are in good hands here and everyone will help you the best they can as for the filter I used a U2 in a 120 litre with no problems. It's better to over filtrate than to not have enough. Ideally you want a filter that turns over 3-4 times your tank volume. I'd say go for an external filter when your ready

 

[Joanne_]

Also, once your tank is fully cycled keep an eye on the nitrate levels. Check it every 1 - 2 weeks to make sure it isn't over 50ppm. If it is, it means you need to do a partial water change to bring it back below 50ppm

 

[dbanner]

Yes you could keep this tank for a while and let the fish grow before upgrading. Although sometimes that can backfire. You may run into complications that puts buying a new tank on hold... The fish can continue to grow and it could lead to stunting. Basically the fish stop growing on the outside but still grow on the inside... Not good. If you was going to upgrade later on though I would personally re home 1 red tail shark and the silvers and keep the other red tail also just keep an eye on the neons with those angels

Also, once your tank is fully cycled keep an eye on the nitrate levels. Check it every 1 - 2 weeks to make sure it isn't over 50ppm. If it is, it means you need to do a partial water change to bring it back below 50ppm

+1

 

[sut]

just looked on ebay for the api kit they have loads of different ones.

do they do a all in 1 kit or do i need 1 kit for 1 test and another for a different test ect ect

any idea how long it will take to fully cycle the tank?

sorry if im asking stupid questions here but thank you so much for your help,

 

[dbanner]

No question is a stupid question yes they do all in one kits. I seen them earlier on amazon for around £20 posted

Usually around 6-8 weeks to cycle but can vary

 

[sut]

would that be what i need? http/www.amazon.co.uk/API-Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332290798&sr=8-1

or do i need a tropical version,

 

[Joanne_]

You can use this one that has all of them in it:

Ebay API Test Kit

I am from Australia, not sure where you are but find one that matches the same description as this near you.

 

[dbanner]

would that be what i need? http/www.amazon.co.uk/API-Freshwater-Master-Test-Kit/dp/B000255NCI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332290798&sr=8-1

or do i need a tropical version,

That's the one

 

[Joanne_]

The amazon link you posted is exactly what you need

 

[sut]

great that is new ordered and in the morning i will start bailing out buckets of water from my tank to the garden ( god help my carpet lol )

thank you both of you, you 2 are my new hero's

 

[Joanne_]

That's okay If you need any more help don't hesitate to ask !

 

[dbanner]

Haha that's what we here for we were all new to this at one point... Im still relatively new but you learn quickly from the people on here