My New Tank

[NeonTetraStarters]

I got a 20 gallon tank for Christmas. It has a filter and heater. I cycled it without fish, but I got two freshwater snails and four neon tetras as starters in my tank. all the neon tetras died, but the snails where still alive. I got two goldfish(now in my bowl)and one snail died because water temperture(I turned the heater off), one is still living, I moved the goldfish to my bowl. Then put the heater back on. Currently I have four new neon tetras, and One mystery snail. I will put in three new guppies and one neon tetra next week(on March 13, 2011) and if they all live in two weeks(on March 27, 2011)I will add a bristle nosed pleco(non-albino). I need help. Soon I will get a new 30 gallon tank(I don't know if it has a heater of filter). I will put in the same thing, but with one more guppy, and a trio of albino cory catfish. I need help with breeding guppies, neon tetras, and albino corys. Help!!!!!!!!

 

[Warehouse]

Are you testing the water every day?

 

[Little_Nemo]

If it was me I wouldnt start trying to breed fish until I'd sorted out everything else. And I'd at least try to find out if the new tank has a heater & filter. I'm sure someone will shed some light on this soon.

 

[waterdrop]

Hi there NTS and Welcome to our freshwater beginners section!

Fantastic that you've joined the hobby with nice equipment and are reaching out to learn! A 20G tank is a very nice starter size, I like those!

There's lots to learn, so you just have to keep asking and gaining new info all along. The members here are really nice and I'm sure will be a big help.

You're possibly missing a couple of important bits right from the start that have no doubt been giving you trouble: Neon tetras are notoriously difficult starter fish. I usually recommend that they only be introduced to a tank that is at least six months (!) old (yes, has been running that long!) It is not just so that the filter is running properly but there is something else and it's a continuing observation about neons.

The second and more important thing may be already past you, but was important. It may be that you didn't really get full information and help about that fishless cycle.. the members may need to hear the details and quiz you on that. It may be that some basics of having a good liquid-reagent based test kit and using it may be needed.

Another important thing (and again, you may already know this) is that goldfish are coldwater fish, different from the warmer water fish we call "tropicals." Goldfish are really mostly pond fish, because the water volumes they need to live properly are very large. Many kinds of tropicals can be kept in much smaller amounts of water.

Some fish, neon tetras for instance, really like water that is soft and acid, whereas others (guppies for instance) really like water that is hard and not acid! So another thing the members can help with if you're patient is the planning of which fish might really like the type of water you happen to have where you live!

Good luck and I hope to see you around the beginners section from time to time.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[NeonTetraStarters]

Hi there NTS and Welcome to our freshwater beginners section!

Fantastic that you've joined the hobby with nice equipment and are reaching out to learn! A 20G tank is a very nice starter size, I like those!

There's lots to learn, so you just have to keep asking and gaining new info all along. The members here are really nice and I'm sure will be a big help.

You're possibly missing a couple of important bits right from the start that have no doubt been giving you trouble: Neon tetras are notoriously difficult starter fish. I usually recommend that they only be introduced to a tank that is at least six months (!) old (yes, has been running that long!) It is not just so that the filter is running properly but there is something else and it's a continuing observation about neons.

The second and more important thing may be already past you, but was important. It may be that you didn't really get full information and help about that fishless cycle.. the members may need to hear the details and quiz you on that. It may be that some basics of having a good liquid-reagent based test kit and using it may be needed.

Another important thing (and again, you may already know this) is that goldfish are coldwater fish, different from the warmer water fish we call "tropicals." Goldfish are really mostly pond fish, because the water volumes they need to live properly are very large. Many kinds of tropicals can be kept in much smaller amounts of water.

Some fish, neon tetras for instance, really like water that is soft and acid, whereas others (guppies for instance) really like water that is hard and not acid! So another thing the members can help with if you're patient is the planning of which fish might really like the type of water you happen to have where you live!

Good luck and I hope to see you around the beginners section from time to time.

~~waterdrop~~

Thanks, my water is not hard or soft, same thing for acid. I will not get neons for my thirty gallon tank. I will probobly get zebra danios, white cloud,or scissortail rasboras, but I will always start with snails,(I want them because they eat fish poop) But I will get a black mystery snail for the 30 gallon tank. What's you favorite tropical freshwater fish for starters?

 

[waterdrop]

Unfortunately I don't think snails eat fish waste, it's plants that can do a bit of that.

 

[NeonTetraStarters]

Thanks on info about guppies . I got 1 platy instead. I also got my new neon tetra. My tank is now at 14 inches of stocking. I will get another platy soon. Next week I will get a Bush Nose Pleco and a Albino Cory. I would overstock it by 4 inches. Is that ok. I heard of 85+ fish in one 30 gallon tank. I will get the 30 gallon tank soon. I will get zebra danio for my starter fish in the 30 gallon. Help! is it okay to overstock slimly?

 

[waterdrop]

I do not at all hold it against hard-core hobbyists (the image here being the retired person who putters with a fish-room full of tanks all day long, lol) who decide to overstock at tank for the "look" of a tank teaming full of fish. A hobbyist like that generaly understands what they are getting themself into. (is that grammer correct, lol?)

I feel however that the hobbyist who -understocks- a tank is the one who understands how to have an easier, more normal life with a tank. It is my personal opinion that any beginner (perhaps meaning a person in their first 3 years or so of the hobby(?)) who overstocks a tank not only really doesn't understand what they are doing but is also potentially creating a situation where they may greatly delay getting a feel for a well-run tank (ie. how rock solid the correct water parameters can be and how forgiving the situation can be in power outages and other unexpected situations.)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[NeonTetraStarters]

I'm 10 actually. I love fish. I think fish are cool and interesting. I have not been new to the hobby, but just had 3 years of experience when I was 2-5 I had a huge bowl. It held 2 oranda goldfish, a fancy goldfish, and a telescope calicio goldfish. I was sad when a oranda died(lasted 2 years, it was huge lol)And I think the fancy one ate all the other one at 3 years later. We took him back to the pet store. I was asking, is it okay to overstock slightly?

 

[fluttermoth]

No, to be totally honest, it's not ok to overstock. Some experienced hobbyists may do it sometimes for specific reasons, but it's not recommended and as you're just beginning you shouldn't try it. You might think having the goldfish in a bowl was getting experience but it really wasn't; that oranda should have lived for 20 years, not 2...

If you want more fish you should get the larger tank first. Get some more experience and learn more about the fish you want to keep (for instance, you talk about getting 'an albino cory'; you should learn about corydoras so that you would know that they hate to be on their own and need to be in a group of at least 6 of their own species) and then think about moving on to other things, like breeding

I hope you don't think I'm sounding harsh, but you're only 10; that means you've got years ahead of you to do all these things! Take it slowly and learn as you go

 

[twodoctors]

I'm 10 actually. I love fish. I think fish are cool and interesting. I have not been new to the hobby, but just had 3 years of experience when I was 2-5 I had a huge bowl. It held 2 oranda goldfish, a fancy goldfish, and a telescope calicio goldfish. I was sad when a oranda died(lasted 2 years, it was huge lol)And I think the fancy one ate all the other one at 3 years later. We took him back to the pet store. I was asking, is it okay to overstock slightly?

Congratulations for taking up a hobby. I wouldn't put that 3 years between 2 and 5 as "past experience" because you had no idea what fish keeping was about apart from regularly feeding it. I have a 4 year old so I know.

Most of the people here are much older and more experienced than yourself. If you are really serious about fish keeping and don't want anymore dead fishes then listen to their advice. Obviously you don't have to take it, but they are (mostly) good advice.

It is not ok to overstock. It's like putting too many people in one room. Yes they may survive, but it would be uncomfortable. The fishes don't get to choose (well they might decide to leap to their death) but you do. As a bright 10 year old you know what you should do.

From what you have said so far it appears that you do not have a water testing kit. I am guessing since you have not provided any pH, ammonia, nitrite or nitrate reading. If you want to do this properly (and I have a feeling you do) then you need one.

Fishes don't breed because you want it to. If you provide optimal condition they will get on with it themselves. What the optimal condition is depends on the fish but again you need that water testing kit.

Good luck and enjoy your new hobby. Hope you will have no more dead fishes!

Adrian

 

[NeonTetraStarters]

Thanks. I will not be using zebra danios anymore, but I will use white cloud mountain minnows, mainly because I want more fish in my tank. I am saving allowance for getting a bigger aquarium( 40 gallons maybe)I'm at 40 dollars, but my brother and I have like 150$ avarage of b-day money so, I make 20$ monthly so In a year, I should have enough. Thanks again. I will not overstock. I will put minus albino cory. I will put minus 1 platy to. In my 30 gallon tank(still cycling)I will use same plan but with white clouds and I will have 4 albino cory and no platys.