My first ever tank!

[Death by Fish Tanks2 1]

I have a 1.5L "experiment" "tank" with only plants so I'll add them there to see what I find hahahah

Diversity is key. If you have YouTube, you should find Father Fish and see what he says on the matter.

 

[bgarthe29 46]

Welcome to TFF. I’m kinda new here myself. Happy for ya. Your tank looks nice. If I might make a suggestion…..
Have your water tested, or better yet, buy the API tests for pH, GH, KH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. In order to have fish success, you need to know what kind of water you have and match the fish to your water parameters. Later on you can mix water to create the soft or hard water you need for a particular fish.

Read the heater manual/information sheet to find out if it should be vertical or horizontal in the tank.

 

[ambrosia0426 6]

some copepods and a limpet have been spotted!

 

[GaryE28 143]

I wouldn't intentionally add outdoor microfauna. It will add itself, and will develop as the fish go in. Some creatures will survive, some will be eaten. But for shrimp, you don't want planaria. For fish, hydra stings are a problem, and that little hunter is a major killer of fry. I've seen adult fish with very painful looking patterns of sting scars on them.

I collect wild food for my fish, and use a lot of local wood and even plants from local rivers. I don't fear nature in my tanks, and for most of the summer, my backyard feeds my fish several times a week. That said, you can introduce some serious problems if you aren't experienced with spotting them. Hydra is a major pain the butt, and dragon fly larvae and some beetles we have here are very secretive fish predators. It's something I would approach slowly as it's your first tank and there is a learning curve.

I'd disagree with the Father Fish advice. You can always check out his site and his followers, but I corresponded with him on a forum before he invented his Old Testament name, and he didn't like questions or discussion. I think questions are what make us look into what we suggest more deeply. We don't need fishtank fundamentalists.

It would be fun to see what creatures make it into a tank in Andalusia in contrast to the ones I get here in eastern Canada. Not all our advice can be exact because of our different environments. But you have to be careful not to allow the fascinating unintentionally added life to have a negative impact on the fish you choose. You could always have another fish and shrimp free tank with just pond life in it...

 

[ambrosia0426 6]

I wouldn't intentionally add outdoor microfauna. It will add itself, and will develop as the fish go in. Some creatures will survive, some will be eaten. But for shrimp, you don't want planaria. For fish, hydra stings are a problem, and that little hunter is a major killer of fry. I've seen adult fish with very painful looking patterns of sting scars on them.

I collect wild food for my fish, and use a lot of local wood and even plants from local rivers. I don't fear nature in my tanks, and for most of the summer, my backyard feeds my fish several times a week. That said, you can introduce some serious problems if you aren't experienced with spotting them. Hydra is a major pain the butt, and dragon fly larvae and some beetles we have here are very secretive fish predators. It's something I would approach slowly as it's your first tank and there is a learning curve.

I'd disagree with the Father Fish advice. You can always check out his site and his followers, but I corresponded with him on a forum before he invented his Old Testament name, and he didn't like questions or discussion. I think questions are what make us look into what we suggest more deeply. We don't need fishtank fundamentalists.

It would be fun to see what creatures make it into a tank in Andalusia in contrast to the ones I get here in eastern Canada. Not all our advice can be exact because of our different environments. But you have to be careful not to allow the fascinating unintentionally added life to have a negative impact on the fish you choose. You could always have another fish and shrimp free tank with just pond life in it...

When I have a bit more experience in the fish field I'll get a "wild" tank so there's no risk for the fishes I plan on keeping!

 

[ambrosia0426 6]

Didn't know there were black and white bladder snails, are the adult vs juvenile? Different diets?

 

[GaryE28 143]

I don't know the legal status of Spanish killies of the old Aphanius genus. They're the Genuses Apricaphanius and Valencia now, and are in a threatened state, so may be illegal to collect. If I were a Spanish aquarist, I would build my skills to make them a project if it's legal. It would be a goal for an extra aquarium or three...

 

[ambrosia0426 6]

I don't know the legal status of Spanish killies of the old Aphanius genus. They're the Genuses Apricaphanius and Valencia now, and are in a threatened state, so may be illegal to collect. If I were a Spanish aquarist, I would build my skills to make them a project if it's legal. It would be a goal for an extra aquarium or three...

You mean Apricaphanius iberus? From what I'm reading it's illegal without a certification and it's recommended that if you want some you have to partner up with a conservation center near you for a reproduce and release effort or something like that
I've seen there's also Aphanius baeticus, that one is closer to me and it seems it's illegal to have without being a participant of the conservation efforts
Here's a list of fish species in the conservation program: https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/med...tebrados-de-medios-acuaticos-epicontinentales

 

[GaryE28 143]

It's getting a bit ahead of the discussion since you're on your first tank, but smart people learn fast and you have a methodical approach.

Partnering with an institution would be a wonderful long term goal project, though it might cost for proper equipment. In North America, most fish conservation by hobbyists is a joke, as people buy endangered fish and breed them without the structures needed to make that work. I have fish I've maintained for close to 35 years, but if I drop dead tomorrow, they have 3 weeks to live. There's no established governmental or university programs working with aquarists, and without that continuity (and the funding it would need) all these efforts are in vain.
No one takes effective charge of proper exchanges, structures against inbreeding, etc. 20 years ago I knew 5 aquarists who were passionate about conserving Madagascan fish. All have new hobbies and no fish now. So Spain has what looks like a better system there, if skilled aquarists can work with it.

Something to consider in the future - if this hobby really catches you. In the meantime, I like the way that tank is coming to life! It's going to one to enjoy for a long time.

 

[ambrosia0426 6]

It's getting a bit ahead of the discussion since you're on your first tank, but smart people learn fast and you have a methodical approach.

Partnering with an institution would be a wonderful long term goal project, though it might cost for proper equipment. In North America, most fish conservation by hobbyists is a joke, as people buy endangered fish and breed them without the structures needed to make that work. I have fish I've maintained for close to 35 years, but if I drop dead tomorrow, they have 3 weeks to live. There's no established governmental or university programs working with aquarists, and without that continuity (and the funding it would need) all these efforts are in vain.
No one takes effective charge of proper exchanges, structures against inbreeding, etc. 20 years ago I knew 5 aquarists who were passionate about conserving Madagascan fish. All have new hobbies and no fish now. So Spain has what looks like a better system there, if skilled aquarists can work with it.

Something to consider in the future - if this hobby really catches you. In the meantime, I like the way that tank is coming to life! It's going to one to enjoy for a long time.

I love having something to take care of! Right now I'm dealing with a leech I saw but didn't knwo was one... So it'll maybe stall the process a bit!
When I get more experience (and money, I'm young and I just got my first job LOL) I'm planning on talking with a trusted LFS so they can see if they can bring to spain API Master Kits, leech treatments, fluval bug bites... And try to make the hobby more accesible in Spain!
And maybe in the future even try to collab with the government, who knows what will happen

 

[GaryE28 143]

I wouldn't worry about the API kits, as there are competitors and they aren't that great (in my not widely accepted opinion). There are European options.
The same with foods - I find Tropical from Poland has good insect based products. Fluval used to be my neighbour and I did work for them, so I have loyalties to the Canadian company. But Tropical is objectively as good. Where I live now, it's easier to find than bug bites, and I use it as much as I use any prepared foods.

In 59 years of fishkeeping, with 35 years of getting foods, sometimes fish and plants from wild sources, I've had one leech get in, even though they are common in lakes and ponds around me. I don't think they are a big enough issue to need treatments.

You'll get a very North American skewed view of products here on the forum because of the percentage of posters from the US. Most of the companies supplying products are trans-nationals, but not all. You can get different brand names and sometimes better products in Europe, Australia and Asia. It works out fairly equally in the end.

 

[ambrosia0426 6]

I wouldn't worry about the API kits, as there are competitors and they aren't that great (in my not widely accepted opinion). There are European options.
The same with foods - I find Tropical from Poland has good insect based products. Fluval used to be my neighbour and I did work for them, so I have loyalties to the Canadian company. But Tropical is objectively as good. Where I live now, it's easier to find than bug bites, and I use it as much as I use any prepared foods.

In 59 years of fishkeeping, with 35 years of getting foods, sometimes fish and plants from wild sources, I've had one leech get in, even though they are common in lakes and ponds around me. I don't think they are a big enough issue to need treatments.

You'll get a very North American skewed view of products here on the forum because of the percentage of posters from the US. Most of the companies supplying products are trans-nationals, but not all. You can get different brand names and sometimes better products in Europe, Australia and Asia. It works out fairly equally in the end.

Funnily enough the only liquid tests here are for API, but they are all the separate ones, so it's suuuuper expensive... I've seen online for USA the Master Kit for like 60€, here each of the tests is like 18€ So only the strips are accessible ngl
I bought Tropica Fertilizer hahaha! The thing is, here we mostly have flakes and scale foos (?), the only more pellet like is a "special mix" my LFS does, but that's also really expensive (10 grams for like 15€, when Fluval Bug bites for example is 45 grams for 13€)
I made a simple trap for leeches that I'll run until friday when I get the fish! Literally a shrimp inside a plastic container with small holes on the lid xD(I'll change it everyday so there are no ammonia spikes bc of the shrimp decomposing)

It's funny when I go to my LFS and I only know the English term of things LMAO, they look at me as if I'm crazy xD. They are older fishkeepers so I listen to them but for examplethey didn't know some people use pure ammonia to do the nitrogen cycle, they just let it run alone for a bit lol. I'm too much of a meticulous person (even more so at the start, I'll get less perfectionist as time goes and I get more experience), so seen them be so lax for something I consider so important was a shock! They also told me that the have never used liquid tests and only strips and their fish tanks were always okay... A bit of confirmation bias but okay hahahah, this is why I listen to all and not only one person, what worked for one may not work for me...

 

[GaryE28 143]

I've used strip tests in the wild while collecting, then tested them back home against reagent kits from API. The results were identical, even after months. The strips (if kept dry) are much better in what they test (hardness, for example) - the API test is woeful for what you need to buy secondary kits for. "Master" ? Not very.
But since I have a multi-tank set up, if I were to use strips I'd spend a fortune. They aren't economical. So if I still tested water for the cycle (I never do) I'd use the bottled products.
I've never used ammonia to cycle a tank either. I have an advantage as I know other aquarists, and if I needed to, I could start a filter on their tanks and get a basic cycle started that way. I bought some new filters for planted tanks and ran them beside established filters for 3 weeks a couple of months ago, and all was good. I have both viable eggs and young from wild caught fish in those tanks. Growth rates are good and the health of the fish is excellent.
The delicate fish in the tanks they went onto have bred since. Water changing is the key there.

I can't buy ammonia in any store here either. There are scented cleaning products around, but I would have to get pure ammonia online.

I'm an old guy with experience, and that helps. I know I leave myself open to the "if you don't test how do you know" comments, but no one tests for hormones in the water, for virus load or for tannins. pH is useful, and the cycle is an essential process to respect, but it can be done with patience. If you keep small fish, you can use plants to seed the bacteria, and stock very lightly (very!) building up over months. I'd argue that no fish are harmed, no fish lives are shortened and nothing inhumane is happening. A lot of us work hard to prepare our tanks to be rapidly overstocked, and that's harmful. A very lightly stocked tank when the cycle has been seeded in with active decor and plants is fine..

The exception is when we have polluted tapwater, usually well water in rural North America. There, the elevated nitrate levels change everything, as water changes become a danger if not closely monitored.

So I get the approach of the old aquarists in the stores. I've never used ammonia, bacteria starters, or detoxifying products other than for chlorine (no chloramines here). My last API kit expired decades back. I haven't had an ammonia crash since the 1980s when the cycle was just being explored, and still regret that one. Since then I've bred over 200 species of mainly rainforest, wild caught fish that wouldn't have been alive in toxic tanks...

The advice to work with kits can be very useful to new aquarists while they gain experience, but other approaches don't necessarily reflect ignorance of new ways. It's almost necessary to learn a fishless cycle if you know no other aquarists to help start the cycle with you, but where I am, I've cycled start up filters for a number of people via our local aquarium club.

 

[ambrosia0426 6]

I've used strip tests in the wild while collecting, then tested them back home against reagent kits from API. The results were identical, even after months. The strips (if kept dry) are much better in what they test (hardness, for example) - the API test is woeful for what you need to buy secondary kits for. "Master" ? Not very.
But since I have a multi-tank set up, if I were to use strips I'd spend a fortune. They aren't economical. So if I still tested water for the cycle (I never do) I'd use the bottled products.
I've never used ammonia to cycle a tank either. I have an advantage as I know other aquarists, and if I needed to, I could start a filter on their tanks and get a basic cycle started that way. I bought some new filters for planted tanks and ran them beside established filters for 3 weeks a couple of months ago, and all was good. I have both viable eggs and young from wild caught fish in those tanks. Growth rates are good and the health of the fish is excellent.
The delicate fish in the tanks they went onto have bred since. Water changing is the key there.

I can't buy ammonia in any store here either. There are scented cleaning products around, but I would have to get pure ammonia online.

I'm an old guy with experience, and that helps. I know I leave myself open to the "if you don't test how do you know" comments, but no one tests for hormones in the water, for virus load or for tannins. pH is useful, and the cycle is an essential process to respect, but it can be done with patience. If you keep small fish, you can use plants to seed the bacteria, and stock very lightly (very!) building up over months. I'd argue that no fish are harmed, no fish lives are shortened and nothing inhumane is happening. A lot of us work hard to prepare our tanks to be rapidly overstocked, and that's harmful. A very lightly stocked tank when the cycle has been seeded in with active decor and plants is fine..

The exception is when we have polluted tapwater, usually well water in rural North America. There, the elevated nitrate levels change everything, as water changes become a danger if not closely monitored.

So I get the approach of the old aquarists in the stores. I've never used ammonia, bacteria starters, or detoxifying products other than for chlorine (no chloramines here). My last API kit expired decades back. I haven't had an ammonia crash since the 1980s when the cycle was just being explored, and still regret that one. Since then I've bred over 200 species of mainly rainforest, wild caught fish that wouldn't have been alive in toxic tanks...

The advice to work with kits can be very useful to new aquarists while they gain experience, but other approaches don't necessarily reflect ignorance of new ways. It's almost necessary to learn a fishless cycle if you know no other aquarists to help start the cycle with you, but where I am, I've cycled start up filters for a number of people via our local aquarium club.

Yes! I totally agree! They are not necessary per say, but I think it gives a sense of control that, in my opinion, is really important at the start of this hobby.
In other hobbies you can scrap things and re-do but here there are lives at stake and some people (myself included) get really anxious when they don't know exactly what's happening.
I had luck and found ammonia with only water in a specific home store and for me it's been working wonderfully! I'm also too shy to ask my LFS for filter media even though I'm extroverted hahahaha (even less now that I know they gave my aquarium a leech )

I love forums like this with people like you, whom can communicate their experiences and results! It's so interesting and informative for me, so thanks a lot!
I'll keep posting here my progress when the fish come and the get used to their tank! ^^

 

[ambrosia0426 6]

I just finished my nitrogen cycle! I read people do a 50-70% water change. My nitrates are pretty low (10 approx), so I don't if I could skip the water change or if I can't bc is for minerals in the water and stuff. Tomorrow 12 rasboras merah, 7 corydoras nannus and 3 amanos are coming home!