My First Tropical Fish Tank

[pippoodle]

Because most cichlids are of a medium care level, are quite large fish (compared to my suggestions), and because the most commonly available plecos ARE sailfins and common plecos. I believe I already explained why I advised against Angels.

Don't get me wrong her tank is probably big enough to accomodate all of them within reason, I just think that since she's asking for really easy starter fish then you can't go wrong with shoals of 2" fish like platies etc. in a nice big 180 litre.

If she REALLY wants cichlids then she should go for a dwarf variety like Blue Rams. These can be peaceful and very impressive in pairs. I'd still advise that she get them last though.

you're right i was asking for nice easy care ones to start with and i'm sure the kids will enjoy them as will i , and i dont really want the larger fish i've always wanted a tank with the small tropicals in

i'm happy with the fish you have listed

more questions - sorry

due to plants and stuff i'd say that the tank - which is 39 odd imp gallons would have realistically about 35 gallons fish water

what are the stocking levels for tropicals (not that i'm going to chuck them in all at once) but do you have to just add one at a time like coldwater ones or cos they are cleaner can you add more ?

do you think 2x elite stingray 15's will be enought filterage for that size tank they pump 300litres per hour each and are each for 75 litres see i was thinking of putting one each end of the tank
i like the internal filters as they are easy for me to maintain due to lack of mobility -- hubby does all the water changes but i like to do the rest of the maintenance


warbling again sorry lol

thanks for all the help everyone

Sarah xx

 

[jourdy288]

Didn't look over the thread too thoroughly, but have you considered glowlight tetras?

 

[Sparnon]

you're right i was asking for nice easy care ones to start with and i'm sure the kids will enjoy them as will i , and i dont really want the larger fish i've always wanted a tank with the small tropicals in

i'm happy with the fish you have listed

more questions - sorry

due to plants and stuff i'd say that the tank - which is 39 odd imp gallons would have realistically about 35 gallons fish water

what are the stocking levels for tropicals (not that i'm going to chuck them in all at once) but do you have to just add one at a time like coldwater ones or cos they are cleaner can you add more ?

do you think 2x elite stingray 15's will be enought filterage for that size tank they pump 300litres per hour each and are each for 75 litres see i was thinking of putting one each end of the tank
i like the internal filters as they are easy for me to maintain due to lack of mobility -- hubby does all the water changes but i like to do the rest of the maintenance


warbling again sorry lol

thanks for all the help everyone

Sarah xx

Plants don't really take up that much room, what really takes up space is solid decor, gravel/substrate, filters and the lead and rubber strips around the plant's roots. But you're right it's probably been reduced by a good 2 or 3 gallons all said and done.

Unfortunately thats about all I can say for definate, because you've hit the one topic that nobody, including the experts, can agree on. However, since you're only keeping small tropicals, I'd say start off with 1 inch to the gallon, and then after the tank has fully matured, move up to 2 inch to the gallon. They are cleaner yes, and stuff like water aeration and bacteria works differently in a tropical tank to make it easier to have larger numbers of fish. However tropicals are also widely varied in terms of individual space requirements, so rather than having a "general rule" it's best to go by researching the individual species you want and going by what you feel is right for them based on what you've learned from that research.

Internal filters are actually the worst type, particularly for people such as yourself with MS, but also efficiency wise. Undergravel filters are a bit easier due to the fact that you don't ever take anything out or "clean" any filter parts, you just use a gravel cleaner to make sure you get any solid waste and food that has built up among the gravel. They also have a nice large surface area for bacteria, but really you have to start with one from the beginning and if you've already got internal filters there's not much point replacing them at this stage. The best type of filter for you as you progress would probably be an external filter, simply because of the fact that you don't have to do any reaching, stretching, or getting your hands/arms in the tank to get at it. It would sit under your tank in your tank cabinet. It also happens to be the most efficient, powerful, and expensive of the filters. So your fish AND your LFS will love you for it! Added to that, there are a number of neat things you can do with an external filter to help your fish that you can't do with any other filter.

Your filters sound more than adequate for now though, and to be honest probably won't need that much maintenance. The main thing is that you can get to them okay.

 

[pippoodle]

Plants don't really take up that much room, what really takes up space is solid decor, gravel/substrate, filters and the lead and rubber strips around the plant's roots. But you're right it's probably been reduced by a good 2 or 3 gallons all said and done.

Unfortunately thats about all I can say for definate, because you've hit the one topic that nobody, including the experts, can agree on. However, since you're only keeping small tropicals, I'd say start off with 1 inch to the gallon, and then after the tank has fully matured, move up to 2 inch to the gallon. They are cleaner yes, and stuff like water aeration and bacteria works differently in a tropical tank to make it easier to have larger numbers of fish. However tropicals are also widely varied in terms of individual space requirements, so rather than having a "general rule" it's best to go by researching the individual species you want and going by what you feel is right for them based on what you've learned from that research.

Internal filters are actually the worst type, particularly for people such as yourself with MS, but also efficiency wise. Undergravel filters are a bit easier due to the fact that you don't ever take anything out or "clean" any filter parts, you just use a gravel cleaner to make sure you get any solid waste and food that has built up among the gravel. They also have a nice large surface area for bacteria, but really you have to start with one from the beginning and if you've already got internal filters there's not much point replacing them at this stage. The best type of filter for you as you progress would probably be an external filter, simply because of the fact that you don't have to do any reaching, stretching, or getting your hands/arms in the tank to get at it. It would sit under your tank in your tank cabinet. It also happens to be the most efficient, powerful, and expensive of the filters. So your fish AND your LFS will love you for it! Added to that, there are a number of neat things you can do with an external filter to help your fish that you can't do with any other filter.

Your filters sound more than adequate for now though, and to be honest probably won't need that much maintenance. The main thing is that you can get to them okay.

Thanks hun
i should be fine now going to research the individual species and start to know a little about them before i just plonk them in lol.
Will post some pics when i've added my first ones

waiting for some special order gravel to arrive aswell as my bogwood and extra plants moss balls etc ........ hubby says i'm spoiling them before i get them lmao


Thankyou for all the information

did i read correctly in one of your previous posts that you're from cornwall well if you are -- hello neighbour i'm from Devon

i'm off to my bed now to dream of fishies lol

Sarah xxx

 

[Syphoniera]

Soooo cool if you can get the green neons - they apparently stay at one inch and I want some!!!!!
Neon's are gorgeous but mine are nearly two inches so can't have nearly as many...
The mix would look super.

And my sympathy re the MS (and to ally86ozzy's dad)
Sucks...

 

[pippoodle]

Soooo cool if you can get the green neons - they apparently stay at one inch and I want some!!!!!
Neon's are gorgeous but mine are nearly two inches so can't have nearly as many...
The mix would look super.

And my sympathy re the MS (and to ally86ozzy's dad)
Sucks...

awww ty i wouldn't have mentioned the MS but thought i would have sounded facetious for not understanding what he wrote the first time lol


good idea on the smaller neons
I'm soooooooooo excited i cant wait lol

 

[lilfishie]

platies would be a very good choice, i have 7 of them (4 red hi-fin 2 white mickey mouse and a coral blue) they 'shoal' as such and are very loveable

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Soooo cool if you can get the green neons - they apparently stay at one inch and I want some!!!!!
Neon's are gorgeous but mine are nearly two inches so can't have nearly as many...
The mix would look super.

And my sympathy re the MS (and to ally86ozzy's dad)
Sucks...

awww ty i wouldn't have mentioned the MS but thought i would have sounded facetious for not understanding what he wrote the first time lol

Dont worry, Im sure no one thought that. Sorry to hear

 

[pippoodle]

Dont worry, Im sure no one thought that. Sorry to hear

cheers hun

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Dont worry, Im sure no one thought that. Sorry to hear

cheers hun

Np to be honest mate, I wouldnt get so many shoaling fish.. It will look a bit crowded in there with so many different fish, shoals etc. Id ease up on the number of different types and instead boost up the numbers.

 

[pippoodle]

Dont worry, Im sure no one thought that. Sorry to hear

cheers hun

Np to be honest mate, I wouldnt get so many shoaling fish.. It will look a bit crowded in there with so many different fish, shoals etc. Id ease up on the number of different types and instead boost up the numbers.

Hi again

I've think i'm settled on a few guppys,platties and neons - being slowly introduced over the first few months -- then seeing how i go will add some pygmy corys (if i can find them ) and then a feature fish

as for the pink fish the pinkest of these easy ones i've found are the mikey mouse and calico milky platties


hubby came home and mentioned endlers and i've tried to find some info but it doesn;t say wether they are easy to keep or what they get on with etc etc
so more info would be good


thanks again Sarah xxx

 

[lilfishie]

endlers require the same care as guppies, although many don't like the idea of the 2 being kept together cause they can breed, i have both male endlers and male guppies in my tank, they look great

 

[ally86ozzy]

4 center piece fish i suggest a gold or blue ram, a kribensis, or a gourami. theyre all pretty fish, and i want kribs BADLY.

Guppies
Mollies
Platies
Endlers
Tetras
Corys r cute!

those fish would probly be the easiest. and correct me if im wrong but dont kribs hav some pink in them?

BTW sry 4 mentionin my dad but he just had trouble that mornin and i needed to get my sadness/anger out. thnx 4 sympathy.

 

[pippoodle]

4 center piece fish i suggest a gold or blue ram, a kribensis, or a gourami. theyre all pretty fish, and i want kribs BADLY.

Guppies
Mollies
Platies
Endlers
Tetras
Corys r cute!

those fish would probly be the easiest. and correct me if im wrong but dont kribs hav some pink in them?

BTW sry 4 mentionin my dad but he just had trouble that mornin and i needed to get my sadness/anger out. thnx 4 sympathy.

endlers are ok then , thats good

dont worry about being angry i think the asthma/breathing difficulties must be to do with MS aswell cos lots of people i know with MS have breathing difficulties like your dad by the sound of it -- me to

Bloody MS is such a horrible thing i wake up one morning i'm ok ish the next day i wake up i can hardly get out of bed for a few weeks .

Hope you're dads doing ok again now give him a hug from me and heres a hug for you ((((()))))

Take care and thanks for the advide

Sarah xxx

endlers require the same care as guppies, although many don't like the idea of the 2 being kept together cause they can breed, i have both male endlers and male guppies in my tank, they look great

Does it matter if they breed if i'm not going to sell them it's only a "pet" tank -- gosh you got me thinking again now -- it's not going to damage them if they breed is it they dont get deformed cos i'd hate that

 

[Syphoniera]

ally86ozzy,
please don't be sorry for mentioning something so devastating to you.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is predominately a community of people who share an interest in fish, and who care about both.
Even if you could detach the fish discussion from individual human realities - who'd want to?
I think when a lot of us communicate with people here, we want to know how you're doing, as well as your fish.
And if anyone doesn't, they don't have to read.