I'm Newww =)

[rach3l---x]

Hello.

I've just set up an aquarium and I added my first fish on Sunday (a parrot chiclid)
It's a lovely pale pink colour - Do you think it could be dyed?.. I've read on the internet that these fish can be artifically dyed.

I wish I found this website when I was setting up my tank, there are just so many websites that tell you so many different things.
I've been mainly emailing my local petshop (aquamania).. Were I purchased my tank from and my fish.
He's been incredibly helpful, giving me step by step guides on how to set up the tank and how to do water changes properly (I think he's getting sick of me emailing him all the time haha)

The main thing I'm worried about - and I'm asking as many people as possible to get as many opinions as possible.
I only put my parrot in it's tank on Sunday - and since then it's just hid away in the corner, like it's scared to come out, it's only seems to come out at night or when the tank light is switched off but as soon as someone walks past it hides back in the corner, the guy I've been emailing says this is perfectly normal and that parrots are shy and take a while to get used to their new surroundings, is this true?

Also, since I've got my parrot it's got a black line on it's side and a black mark on it's fin.
Then a black mark on it's nose and mouth. I was scared it had black spot disease so emailed him again - he said again that this is extremely common and normal in parrots. He said that they get numerous parrots in stock every week and they all get black marks/spots that come and go, get larger get smaller. And that they are not harmful to my fish.

Also.. When I switch the aquarium light on my fish seems to be scared and hides away - is it nesacary to have the light on?
I know that you only leave it on for 6-8 hours a day.

Thankssssssssssss

xx

 

[Nick16]

the last question, about the lights. imagine somebody coming into your bedroom at like 6am and turning the lights on full power. you squint and hide away! thats what it like. so they get startled a bit, but they will recover pretty soon!

 

[rach3l---x]

Hahahaha!
True!!

xx

 

[waterdrop]

Hi Rachel (and friend in pic!) to TFF!

I can't agree more that its a zoo, trying to find good information and knowledge for this hobby either from books, LFS or the web. I was a hobbyist as a young person for years, with many tanks but then didn't do it for years. Recently I set up a tank for my son, causing me to return to the hobby and finding it had changed so much that I was mostly a beginner again.

Now, after about a year here, it is my opinion that you've found one of the best places possible anywhere in the world probably for a tropical fish hobbyist! Its an amazing set of forums with even some of the top people anywhere logging in and commenting. Even more helpful are the quiet, knowledgeable experienced aquarists who have continued to have direct active experience for many years who are here on a regular basis helping "us beginners!"

Have a read of the "pinned topics" up at the top of the "New to the Hobby" forum here. In particular, you'll want to look for Beginners Resource Center, Cycling Resource Center and articles by Miss Wiggle and perhaps the AlienAnna one. You want to get started right away with your homework learning about the Nitrogen Cycle, which is the basis underlying some core aquarist basic knowledge.

There will be members who will come along with knowledge about your parrot cichlid and its behaviour. Meanwhile I'll concentrate on checking about the water chemistry for him, since he'll need that to live! There are answers to some questions the members will probably need to get started:

What size tank?
We know the fish was added just this past Sunday, but when did the water go into the tank exactly?
What was done to the water, if anything?
What chemicals have gone into the water?
Do you have a water testing kit?
If so, what make and model?
If you have a kit, what are your readings for ammonia, nitrite(NO2) and pH?
What kind of filter to you have (make and model)?
What types of media are in the filter?

Knowing about your water setup and an ammonia level will be pretty important so we will know whether the fish is already in need of a water change and of what size.

OK, that's it for now!
~~waterdrop~~

 

[Schmill]

Hi Rachel and welcome to TFF :welcome:

Nothing much to say on the subject I'm afraid other than to echo waterdrop's words, in that if you've been looking for a decent resource of information on fish keeping, then you've found it
I used to keep tropicals up to the age of about 15/16, and I'm now 28 and recently started again. So many things have changed, and improved I too am / was a beginner again. Only been up and running for about 6 months now with my tank again but already learnt so much in that time, and it's all thanks to this site and the extremely helpful people on it

Welcome to Rachel and thanks to everyone else for the help you continue to give!