New Here... Startin Up My 1St Tank...

[TropicalLad21]

Hi all... i've joined here as im starting up my very first tropical fish tank which i've been wantin to do for ages, and im gonna need a hell of alot of advice which im hoping to find here.

I currently have just bought a 50cm x 25cm fish tank... which i know is kinda small but im gonna start of small & work my way up to bigger tanks int he future... i also have a filter, uv light, plastic plants, a few ornaments, magnet that cleans the tnak (i believe)... the only thing i need to get is a heater... which heater would be best to get? a 25w or bigger? and also is there any else i will need to get before i get fish? ..i've read a bit online & i believe i will need to buy some kind of solution to put in the tank before the fish can be put in?

Any advice & help would be much appreciated... i want to learn & expand my knowledge.

Also how many fish would i fit in this tank with the size i've already stated?

Ian.

 

[laura120381]

hi ian and welcome to the forum!!

you have come to the right place for help and advice!! have a read through the beginners section...there is a lot of really helpful info there about setting up your first tank. pay particular attention to the thread on fishless cycling. this is preferable to fish-in cycling, although it takes a bit longer. your tank is quite small...do you know how many litres it is? (sorry i am rubbish at calculating volumes!!). you should have a look at what kind of fish you would perhaps like to keep then post up here and we will be able to help you. as far as your heater goes, a good rule of thumb is 1W to every 1 litre of water! what type of filter do you have??

L

ps- the magnet you describe is used to remove algae from the glass!

 

[Malawi MaD]

Welcome to the forum ian

you'll get all the help you need here mate.

 

[laura120381]

i'm back!! used a calculator thingy...reckon your tank will be about 35l..is this correct?? if so you will need a 50W heater. as the tank is quite small, the number of fish you will be able to keep really depends on what species you fancy. for example, you could have a largish shoal of neon tetras or harlequin rasboras. you would be more limited if you wanted to add a larger fish such as a betta. as i suggested, have a wee look then let us know what you come up with. be prepared to do a lot of water changes as in smaller tanks, the water parameters can fluctuate more easily. i would recommend you get a home water test kit. try to get a liquid kit rather than strips as the strips are notoriously unreliable. I would recommend either the API Master or Nutrafin Mini Master Kits. you should be able to pick one up on ebay for about £20.

Happy researching and keep us updated on what you decide!

L

 

[TropicalLad21]

Hi thanks for the welcome...

I will keep in mind the beginners section and have a good read tomorrow when i a bit more time.

I believe the tank is about 35 litres? but not entirely sure... My filter is a fluval 1+ ...is this any good?

Also the type of fish i would like are Betta's, plec, neon tetra's...i love these type of fish specially betta's there beautiful... not sure on all the types of fish but these are the type of fish i would like to start off with.

 

[laura120381]

a plec would grow way too big for your tank m8! sorry...bettas or neons are a good idea though and you could also have a look at shrimps!! they are very entertaining and something a wee bit different! hold off on the plec though until you get a MUCH bigger tank!!

L

 

[TropicalLad21]

Lol thanks for the advice... so how many betta's is okay with a few neons? will have to google shrimps...

Will get a test kit from ebay as you advised.

Thanks again.

Thanks for the welcome Mal.

 

[colleen0309]

Good afternoon and welcome to the forum! If you are getting a betta, only 1 per tank. They aren't called fighting fish for nothing. A little school of neons and a few shrimp would look great with some live plants and driftwood. The pleco will grow to atleast a foot, so those are out until you can get a much bigger tank. Make sure you read about doing a fishless cycle, before you buy any fish.

 

[TropicalLad21]

Thanks for the info colleen, much appreciated. Gonna have a good read of the cycle!