How To Set-up A New Tank. Fresh Or Salt? Chemicals?

[mike_nofx]

Hi, i currently have a 28 Litre tank. Its the first tank ive had.
The tank has an under gravel filter, Fresh water, a heater, small plant.
The fish i have are: 2 Ghost Knife's, 2 Tertas and a Bristlenose.
I Keep the PH at 7.0 or neutral, i add a Bio booster weekly. and when i do water changes, i always add a conditioner. Is there any other chemicals i am missing?? i also do regular water changes, and clean the gravel.

I want to get a new, bigger tank. I cant decide wether to get salt water or fresh water, I like the look of salt water fish better, but salt water tanks look dirtier than fresh. Any thoughts? whats easier to look after?

I have very little knowledge of keeping fish, but am slowly learning with my 'practise' tank.

Also how do you transport fish tanks? I am moving house soon, how would i move a 28 litre tank? (drain half the water and just take the tank with fish and all in the car???)
How do you transport a large tank? (drain the whole tank and take the fish in smaller tanks??)

Thanks

 

[dwarfgourami]

If you have two ghost knifes, then you are definitely looking at a freshwater tank.

Do you know how big those guys get? - assuming they're black ghost knifes, it's up to 20 inches, which is probably more than the length of your tank. My book suggests a 200 gallon+ tank. They are also predators.

Even the bristlenose will need a bigger tank than a 28 ltrs.

Anyway, saltwater is by all accounts a LOT harder than freshwater, and also much more expensive.

For transporting the fish, empty the tank completely but keep the filter media (sponge) in a bag of tank water, transport the fish in plastic bags (like the ones you buy them in) or smaller containers.

 

[mike_nofx]

They are black, they have a white stripe down the middle of them and white striped tails.
I was heading more towards fresh water anyway, but i think you just fully convinced me on fresh.

 

[andywg]

To keep 2 bgk I would recommend nothing less than a 180US tank (6x2x2).

I don't know if I would say saltwater is a "LOT harder" than freshwater... You just have to learn more before doing. They are less forgiving of mistakes, but if you research well first, then they are not that much more difficult than a large freshwater tank. They will cost more (in both setup and running costs) than your average FW (especially reef tanks).

 

[Blueywa]

Mike,
You are going through what a lot of us either are or have been so take your time.
I have a 150 ltr fully planted FW tropical [guppies, molly's, neons & bristlenose catfish], a 190ltr Malawi Cichlid [Electric Yellows, Electric Blues,C.Afra Cobwe, Benga Baenshi Peacocks, Acei 'Ngara' and more bristlenose catfish] using a mixture of T8 and T5 lights with Ehiem cannister filters and jaeger heaters (2 per tank).
A newish 250ltr saltwater with 35kilograms of cured live rock, already showing signs of little creatures being alive, and touch wood thriving. I have T5HO daylights and moonlight blue, a couple of 3000lph wave makers and a 600l/ph Protien Skimmer, plus two 250w heaters.
I use NSW for the saltwater tank but have the synthetic stuff in a sealed 25kg bucket in case I cant get to the beach - I am lucky as I live only a short distance from the Indian Ocean.later I might add some fish but at the moment am just looking forward to all the colours from a miriad of soft coral available to us here.
When it comes to moving I use 20ltr buckets with tight seal lids, if I have fish in them I use a battery powered air pump.
If its live rock I use polystyrene boxes, and cover it with newspaper soaked in the salt water.
Sorry for waffling on.
Cheers from Oz.

 

[coldcazzie]

dude look at the date on the original post