Hi i am new to keeping fish so advice is welcomed
- Thread starter Fayelea
- Start date
Lillypad101
Fish Fanatic
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
I would first test the parameters (ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) to see what they are.
The nitrogen cycle is when the beneficial bacteria stabilizes by converting ammonia into the less, but still toxic, nitrite, and then into nitrate.
Ammonia and nitrite she stay at 0 at all times, except during cycling.
Any traces of ammonia above .25ppm can be lethal, as well as nitrites above .5ppm. Nitrate is a lot less toxic, reaching 100ppm before causing problems.
As far as text kits go, I recommend API master.
You can find the hardness of your water by measuring gh (general hardness). Some fish do better in harder water, while some thrive in softer water.
Make sure you always dechlorinate any new water you add to the tank. Seachem Prime is a good conditioner to use.
For foods, offer a wide variety. Fluval’s Bug Bites are good for carnivores. Sinking algae wafers can be good for more herbivorous fish. Try to feed frozen foods as well.
Live plants can help keep water stable, as well as add a natural feel to the tank.
I like to keep aquarium salt around in case the fish get sick.
I would first test the parameters (ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate) to see what they are.
The nitrogen cycle is when the beneficial bacteria stabilizes by converting ammonia into the less, but still toxic, nitrite, and then into nitrate.
Ammonia and nitrite she stay at 0 at all times, except during cycling.
Any traces of ammonia above .25ppm can be lethal, as well as nitrites above .5ppm. Nitrate is a lot less toxic, reaching 100ppm before causing problems.
As far as text kits go, I recommend API master.
You can find the hardness of your water by measuring gh (general hardness). Some fish do better in harder water, while some thrive in softer water.
Make sure you always dechlorinate any new water you add to the tank. Seachem Prime is a good conditioner to use.
For foods, offer a wide variety. Fluval’s Bug Bites are good for carnivores. Sinking algae wafers can be good for more herbivorous fish. Try to feed frozen foods as well.
Live plants can help keep water stable, as well as add a natural feel to the tank.
I like to keep aquarium salt around in case the fish get sick.
That's a really thoughtful gesture from your family! Can you speak to the people who set it up for advice and guidance moving forwards if you need it?
First thing I would recommend is buying API test kits so that you can test the water parameters regularly as outlined by Lillypad101. It's pricey but worth the outlay and lasts ages.
You also need water conditioner so that you can dechlorinate your water each time you do a water change. Instructions are on the bottle so you know how much to add for your tank size.
Get some fertiliser for your plants, not sure what's available in your country, but some common ones are TNC Lite, Seachem Flourish and API Leaf Zone (they're not all as good as each other but sometimes it depends what you can get hold of).
Amazon is pretty good for selling everything I've outlined above.
Most people (give or take) change 50% of the water weekly, sometimes more, sometimes less. 250 litres is a big tank, mine is half the size so I just have a dedicated bucket and a gravel vacuum, not sure how close the tank is to a tap but you can set up things to make water changes easier if the tank is close to a tap.
Finally! Research what fish you have, what their needs are etc. With a tank as big as that, it looks like you have room for more but I don't want to go recommending anything as you probably want to get to grips with what you have!
First thing I would recommend is buying API test kits so that you can test the water parameters regularly as outlined by Lillypad101. It's pricey but worth the outlay and lasts ages.
You also need water conditioner so that you can dechlorinate your water each time you do a water change. Instructions are on the bottle so you know how much to add for your tank size.
Get some fertiliser for your plants, not sure what's available in your country, but some common ones are TNC Lite, Seachem Flourish and API Leaf Zone (they're not all as good as each other but sometimes it depends what you can get hold of).
Amazon is pretty good for selling everything I've outlined above.
Most people (give or take) change 50% of the water weekly, sometimes more, sometimes less. 250 litres is a big tank, mine is half the size so I just have a dedicated bucket and a gravel vacuum, not sure how close the tank is to a tap but you can set up things to make water changes easier if the tank is close to a tap.
Finally! Research what fish you have, what their needs are etc. With a tank as big as that, it looks like you have room for more but I don't want to go recommending anything as you probably want to get to grips with what you have!
Hi and welcome to TFF... 
That's a nice sized tank you've got there...
That's a nice sized tank you've got there...
Hello and welcome. 62 gallons is a fair sized tank. You're fortunate to start with something a bit larger. Most newcomers start small. They should do like you're doing. Start with a bigger tank. Bigger tanks are always simpler to take care of. I'd advise you to remove and replace half the water every few days. If you do this one thing, you'll never have a problem. I was told this when I started many years ago. It took some time before I started doing this. But, that person was exactly right!
10
10
The603
Fishaholic
Welcome to the forum, nice tank!
BigJfish12
Fish Crazy
Welcome, awesome looking tank and enjoy
Awesome tank.
I hope you’ll enter it in February’s Tank of the Month contest which will feature tanks sized at 31 gallons and larger.
I hope you’ll enter it in February’s Tank of the Month contest which will feature tanks sized at 31 gallons and larger.
The pros did a good job setting it up, it's beautiful!
Welcome to the hobby!
You're already off to a great start, with the tank set up and that you're keen to care for them well and willing and wanting to learn more. From my time on this forum, people with your openness to learning and wanting to care for them well tend to be successful.
The advice above is really solid. Just a couple of notes to add - if you're concerned or curious about something, you're always welcome to post here and ask! There are a few handy experts around, and a lot of experienced hobbyists here who are happy to give advice where they can. There is a lot of misinformation online when you google things about fish. Lots of random blogs and articles giving inaccurate and conflicting advice, which can get quite confusing and overwhelming when you're new to the hobby.`
Seriously Fish is a reliable resource written by scientists and experts in the field, and they have profiles on pretty much every fish you're likely to come across in the hobby, with accurate info about their needs. Water parameters/tank size needed/temp/whether they're suitable for a community tank etc. So always worth remembering the source when trusting info.
But if you do your tank maintenance and a 40-60% water change once a week, and don't overstock the tank (and yours isn't overstocked), and quarantine any new fish you get, those are the important things.
Please don't take this as a criticism @Lcc86 , it's not directed at you at all! And you're right, Amazon is definitely handy for many of the things we need, and it's so easy to just order stuff from there (and often cheaper), rather than make a trip to your local fish store (LFS). But I also want to urge people to support their local privately owned fish shops by buying things we need from them as much as possible! Large chain stores and online ordering are killing off our LFS.
Fish hobby stores were already not a business that make the owners rich, and they operate on a knife edge. My LFS had to close down because they were just losing too much money, and it's such a shame. They're usually run by people who love the hobby and become a hub for local hobbyists, so you meet and network with other fishkeepers in your area, get fish that the large chains don't tend to stock, and if it's a good store, they deserve your support to remain open, if you have the resources, of course.
Welcome to the hobby!
You're already off to a great start, with the tank set up and that you're keen to care for them well and willing and wanting to learn more. From my time on this forum, people with your openness to learning and wanting to care for them well tend to be successful. The advice above is really solid. Just a couple of notes to add - if you're concerned or curious about something, you're always welcome to post here and ask! There are a few handy experts around, and a lot of experienced hobbyists here who are happy to give advice where they can. There is a lot of misinformation online when you google things about fish. Lots of random blogs and articles giving inaccurate and conflicting advice, which can get quite confusing and overwhelming when you're new to the hobby.`
Seriously Fish is a reliable resource written by scientists and experts in the field, and they have profiles on pretty much every fish you're likely to come across in the hobby, with accurate info about their needs. Water parameters/tank size needed/temp/whether they're suitable for a community tank etc. So always worth remembering the source when trusting info.
But if you do your tank maintenance and a 40-60% water change once a week, and don't overstock the tank (and yours isn't overstocked), and quarantine any new fish you get, those are the important things.
Please don't take this as a criticism @Lcc86 , it's not directed at you at all! And you're right, Amazon is definitely handy for many of the things we need, and it's so easy to just order stuff from there (and often cheaper), rather than make a trip to your local fish store (LFS). But I also want to urge people to support their local privately owned fish shops by buying things we need from them as much as possible! Large chain stores and online ordering are killing off our LFS.
Fish hobby stores were already not a business that make the owners rich, and they operate on a knife edge. My LFS had to close down because they were just losing too much money, and it's such a shame. They're usually run by people who love the hobby and become a hub for local hobbyists, so you meet and network with other fishkeepers in your area, get fish that the large chains don't tend to stock, and if it's a good store, they deserve your support to remain open, if you have the resources, of course.
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