Hey

[blanchy]

Hey everyone im new to the site and new to keeping fish

Ive wanted to set up a fish tank for ages and finally got one

I have a 60l tank that i set up a few weeks ago at the moment i have 4 neon tetras, 3 male and 3 pregnant female guppies and a male and female fighters.

 

[fishyfeet]

Welcome to the site, hope to see more posts from you and pics of your tank, how is it going, did you cycle the tank before adding the fish? di

 

[blanchy]

Whats cycle the tank mean?
i put the water in and some bacterial stuff that came with the tank and left it for a few days then the shop tested the water nd said its fine

The tank seams to be going fine ive lost a few fish but not too many

Oh i have 2 rosy barbs in the tank too

 

[fishyfeet]

read the advice from this forum on what you should have done

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

any questions let me know, and no what you were told was wrong, that why you are losing fish i think, di

 

[blanchy]

Cheers i had a read and theres a lot i should have done lol

The tank has seemed to settle now so its not too bad

 

[colleen0309]

First of all, welcome to the forum. Since you read the section on cycling, then you know it is the process of your beneficial bacteria converting the ammonia your fish produce into nitrite, then to nitrate. If you have only had the tank a few weeks, you are in the middle of a fish in cycle. Do you have a test kit? If you don't, then you should really have one, a liquid test kit, not paper strips. If you do, then great. You need to test daily for ammonia and nitrite until your cycle is finished. Or you can take water samples to your lfs and have them test it for you. If you do this, have them write down the numbers. Them saying "everything is fine" isn't good enough. Those bottled bacteria are a waste of time and money,IMO. A fish in cycle is very hard on your fish. This can cause problems down the road. Your fish are being exposed to toxic levels of ammonia and nitrite. This is why you need a test kit to test daily. If you see levels for either above 0.25, do a large (50 - 90%) water change with warm dechlorinated water. And if you have a male and female betta in the same tank, you will have problems.

 

[blanchy]

Ill get a test kit in the next couple of days

Eh which are the betta?

 

[colleen0309]

Betta = fighting fish. I'm assuming that's what you mean by fighting fish. But you know the saying about assuming?

 

[blanchy]

Oh right lol im just going by what they call them in the shop

Whats wrong with having a male and female together?

 

[colleen0309]

They fight . I've known some people that can get away with keeping them together, but they have a much bigger tank that is well planted.

 

[blanchy]

I was told as long as i dont have 2 males i would be fine

My male was in a tank with females in my lfs so hopefully theyll get along

 

[colleen0309]

I don't keep bettas very often. Actually, it's been too many years to count. I can't remember off the top of my head why they shouldn't be housed together. I can't remember if the male will harm the female or if it's the othe way around. Be back in a few minutes. Gotta do alittle research on the subject. If you can keep them together, maybe that will be my next purchase.

 

[blanchy]

They both seem to be pretty mellow lol its the barbs that bother them

 

[colleen0309]

OK, just as I thought, sorry. They will eventually kill each other. Keep a close eye on them. When one turns on the other, it can be very quick. There is some nice reading about bettas at www.bettatalk.com. My uncle used to breed them many many many years ago. They can be a challange.

 

[blanchy]

Hmmm ill have to keep an eye on them so

Heres a few pics of my tank and fish

Any suggestions more than welcome