I Am Trying To Restart My Tank And I Need Some Help!

[g&pmomma]

Hey everyone... well my last adventure in fish keeping didnt go so well but I have decided that I would like to try again in a few weeks... but I need a few questions answered before I try it!!! I am just trying to figure out where I went wrong before and how to fix the problems that I had before.

The species of fish that I am very interested in is Guppies... I love these fish and they are so beautiful so that is what I am really trying to get into... What I am wondering is this:

1.) what is the best kind of filter system to use?

2.) What is the best kind of air pump is best to use?

3.) I have a fish tank that is about six years old, is it still safe to use it and the gravel that I had before?

4.) What kind of plants do I use for guppies?

5.) How many guppies can I fit in a ten gallon tank?

6.) What is the best kind of heater to use?

7.) How long after I put them in the fish tank should I start using aquarium salt for them?

8.) How often should I change the water in the tank?

9.) What kind of breeder system should I have? Should I have two tanks for the fish or should I get a breeder box that hangs into the aquarium?

10.) Last but not least if I decide that I dont want to do only guppies what other fish is safe to have in the tank with guppies?

Thank you
Patti

 

[OldMan47]

Patti: Please start by going to the forum section for new fish keepers and reading the fishless cycling thread. The first thing you need to do before anything else is get the tank ready for the fish and that will help you. When the tank is ready, I would carefully choose a guppy that you like and a young female that probably has not started breeding yet. This gives you a chance that the fry will resemble your male.
The old tank and decor should not be a problem. I am keeping my community fish in a 120 gallon that I had set up for several years, then got out of the hobby for about 10 years and now have been back in it for 3 years. It is one of my healthiest tanks because the water in it is stable no matter how many mistakes I make with over or under feeding or similar things.
Guppies go great with things like corydoras. To have an adequate survival rate of fry, you do not need a breeder trap or a special breeding tank. All you need is lots of hiding places for the fry. You will lose a few fry to the parents eating them but more than enough will survive to overpopulate your tank.
Almost any filter will work on a small tank. Things like canister filters can get awfully expensive for a small setup like that.
The heater will be about 50 watts for a tank that size. Any reputable brand should work fine. I prefer the kind that is submersible because if the water level in the tank moves around a bit, it won't affect the temperature. My own favorite is the visitherm stealth series but there are lots of other good ones.
You really don't need an air pump if you have good water circulation in the tank. The circulation will bring the water into contact with air at the surface of the tank and get you more oxygen in the water than any number of bubbles ever could. I like the Rena series of air pumps because they are very quiet and the air flow is adjustable but use them only because I like the look of the bubbles.
Guppies do not need salt and for some fish it can be harmful. The only time that I use any salt is if I am treating for a disease like ich. My endlers, guppies, mollies and platies are all doing great without a hint of salt in the water. They are fresh water fish, not salt water fish. Think about how often you see a salt source in any local stream or brook but the fish we keep come from such places only warmer cllimates.
Most people will recommend varying percentages of partial water changes every week or two. The need for it depends on how many fish you have and how large the tank is. If you get a good testing kit and have a cycled tank, you need to change enough water often enough to keep the nitrates below 20 ppm. That should keep the fish healthy because you are removing the contaminants in their water.
Summary: we really just keep and look after water in our tanks and add a little food. The fish thrive or not based on how well we care for the water.

 

[drsoda007]

Hey everyone... well my last adventure in fish keeping didnt go so well but I have decided that I would like to try again in a few weeks... but I need a few questions answered before I try it!!! I am just trying to figure out where I went wrong before and how to fix the problems that I had before.

The species of fish that I am very interested in is Guppies... I love these fish and they are so beautiful so that is what I am really trying to get into... What I am wondering is this:

1.) what is the best kind of filter system to use?
Most filters will do for Guppies, better off not being under-gravel though

2.) What is the best kind of air pump is best to use?
Most filters will have this feature, if not most airpumps are good

3.) I have a fish tank that is about six years old, is it still safe to use it and the gravel that I had before?
Just to be on the safe side wash the tank with warm water and a SMALL amount of bleach then leave it in the sun,
re-clean the gravel twice, just make sure everything is clean.

4.) What kind of plants do I use for guppies?

5.) How many guppies can I fit in a ten gallon tank?
Measure you tanks width and height then divide by 30 and thats how many inches of fish you can have.
(EXAMPLE: 90cmx30cm=2100 square metres of surface area divided by 30=90 so you would have 90 inches of fish

6.) What is the best kind of heater to use?
Any heater made for fish tanks!

7.) How long after I put them in the fish tank should I start using aquarium salt for them?
Straight away

8.) How often should I change the water in the tank?
Every 1-2 wks changing 20-25% of the water

9.) What kind of breeder system should I have? Should I have two tanks for the fish or should I get a breeder box that hangs into the aquarium?
Depends if you want to spend the extra on ANOTHER heater, MORE gravel and AN ADDITIONAL plant

10.) Last but not least if I decide that I dont want to do only guppies what other fish is safe to have in the tank with guppies?

Try asking online by typing in 'Compatible FIsh' or 'Compatible fish for Gupies'
Even ask at your local aquarium, NOTE: I said aquarium NOT your local pet shop, etc.

Thank you
Patti

 

[OldMan47]

A 10 galloon with guppies should have only between 6 and 8. If you have females in the mix, you need to make sure you have 2 for every male and make sure you have either another tank ready or you start with very few fish. For compatible fish, you have very little room for more fish but might get away with some pygmy type corydoras.