New Guy! Greg Here

[Gweglez]

Hey guys, I'm looking at getting into buying a tank and a few tropical fish to go in there after my day gecko unfortunately died, I'm quite the noob at this (had goldfish when I was younger which wont mean much!) so go easy on me! Got quite a few questions so here goes:
 
The space which is have is approx 30 inches by 18 inches but height isnt really an issue. What sorta litres am I realistically looking at?
 
Unfortunately where my space is positioned, it will be in direct sunlight (through a window) for at least part of the day. Would this be a problem?
 
Do tropical fish require a day/night cycle, like switching the lights out?
 
What's the maximum size fish (per fish I mean) that would be humane to keep in a tank considering my limited space?
 
 

 

[meandmykribs]

  Greg,
 
I'm not much good with stocking unfortunately
 
The back of your tank will need to be covered so that direct sunlight does not enter your tank and mess with your temp
 
I give mine a day and night cycle but (please correct if I am wrong) I believe that you don't have to
 
Sorry wasn't a great help
 
Karen.

 

[ky*weremiej]

Hi
 
I would start of with a 40 litre or 60 litre tank, 10 hours of light a day is what I use and get some vinyl warp for the sides that come into contact with the sun, if its the front of the tank that is exposed to the sun then you will have massive algae growth so repositioning the tank will have to be your only option, I have a tank in between two windows and I have wrapped the sides and the back and even though the sun hits it I don't get problems. As for the stock of the tank it depends on what fish you want have a look on this site to get an idea of the different species available,
 
http/www.cheapfish.co.uk/CHEAP-TROPICAL-FISH-ONLINE.html
 
Hope this helps.

 

[SmexxyNick]

You have a really good size tank for starting out, cichlids aren't hard fish to keep so i suggest that. Anymore questions just ask

 

[fluttermoth]

The space which is have is approx 30 inches by 18 inches but height isnt really an issue. What sorta litres am I realistically looking at?

Probably something like 100l. Stocking is partially limited by surface area, so adding extra depth doesn't increase the amount of fish you can have to any great extent.
 

Unfortunately where my space is positioned, it will be in direct sunlight (through a window) for at least part of the day. Would this be a problem?

Yes it is a bit; you'll need to shade or protect the tank from at least some of the sun, or the tank will suffer temperature fluctuations and a lot of algae growth.
 

Do tropical fish require a day/night cycle, like switching the lights out?

Yes, they do need a period of dark. You actually only need artificial lighting if you're having live plants, and they'd be on for between 6 and 8 hours a day.
 

What's the maximum size fish (per fish I mean) that would be humane to keep in a tank considering my limited space?

In a 30" tank, nothing that gets to more than three inches, and nothing too active (so no zebra danios).

 

[Sophie]

Welcome to TFF

 

[ncguppy830]

welcome to the forum.

 

[PlecostomusPerson]

Welcome to the Forum    

 

[Gweglez]

Wow thanks for the warm welcome and quick response of my questions guys
 
If i positioned it where I was thinking of doing it then yes it would be the front of the tank exposed to sunlight. The only other thing I could think of is if i went with a small set up for now and put on my desk next to my wall and move my comp screen would be peaceful whilst im sat here though.
 
I don't know any breed names at the mo but I was thinking of just starting out with a few small fish, seen quite a few in shop that i like the look of but of course I've gotta make sure they all get along
 
Any more tips would be greatly appreciated

 

[PlecostomusPerson]

Buy a Pleco   

 

[ncguppy830]

get some guppies! great begginer tropical fish or any livebearers for that purpose.

 

[DerpPH]

Welcome!! try some easy fish like bettas! or you can go planted, so many to choose from!!

 

[fluttermoth]

I don't think anyone should be suggesting fish species, when we have no idea of the actual tank size the OP will be getting, nor how hard or soft his water is
 
Greg; get your tank, have a read through of the fishless cycle thread and write down the names of any fish you like and ask about them here. You can't always rely on the shop employees to advise you; they are there to make a sale, at the end of the day.

 

[Gweglez]

I don't think anyone should be suggesting fish species, when we have no idea of the actual tank size the OP will be getting, nor how hard or soft his water is

 
Greg; get your tank, have a read through of the fishless cycle thread and write down the names of any fish you like and ask about them here. You can't always rely on the shop employees to advise you; they are there to make a sale, at the end of the day.

Thank you, I do like clown fish but I think they'd be too big for my prospective set up. I'm just looking for some colourful fish (think i'd decided on using gravel and will probably go for multicolour stones) and then some live plants and some ornaments that they'd be able to swim in and out of.
 
There was one question that sprung to mind though, when you have a tank as big as 40L + how do you change the water? I assume tipping it upside down is not an option

 

[Sophie]

Clown Fish are marine fish my dear which need a completely different set up than Tropical fish. Another decision for you to make

Most use what's called a gravel syphon - syphon the water into the bucket, dispose of it then replace with clean dechlorinated water using a bucket again.