New Tank, No Fish Yet. Advice Needed On Stocking

[assistant52]

Ok so I've got my 60 litre tank all set up ready to go, i'm just cycling the water first.
I was originally going to get 4 shubunkins.

Speaking with my friend about my plans he's told me that shubunkins are a pain to take care of and I'd be better and a lot more satisfied with a variety or tropical fish?

would it be easy to convert my tank to a tropical tank?
would i need to change the water?
Are shubunkins a hassle? If anything I thought tropical fish would be much harder to look after

BTW I've never kept fish before

 

[SandraNewbie]

Tropical fish need a heater in the tank. That's the main difference. Marine fish are a pain and you'd need to change the water, but freshwater tropical fish work on the same water, just hotter.

 

[fluttermoth]

Hi there

First of all; how are you cycling the tank?

Shubunkins aren't a difficult fish to keep, but they grow far too big for a tank of that size. They need either very big tanks or ponds.

Tropical fish are not harder to keep than goldfish; in many ways they're easier as (most of them anyway; you must research any fish you like before you buy them!) they tend to stay smaller and create less waste.

It's very easy to convert from cold water to tropical; add a heater and a thermometer so you can get it to the right temperature (the indicators on heaters aren't always terribly accurate). You don't need to clean the tank out or anything like that

I wouldn't be able to recommend any particular species for you without knowing the dimensions of the tank and whether your water is hard or soft.

 

[assistant52]

My tank is 60ltrs. 60cm x 30cm x 35cm

I dont know about the hard or softness of the water?


As for cycling it I've just had the pump and filter turned on since i got the tank on sunday afternoon (about 48hrs ago) and I've been adding Nutrafin Cycle and a small amount of fish food falkes daily

 

[fluttermoth]

Your tank might have started cycling, but I used a bottle of Nutrafin Cycle to a tank last year (I got it with the tank and thought I might as well give it a go) and it did nothing

If you get a lot of limescale in your kettle or on your showerhead then your water is hard; or you can have a look at your local authorities webbsite

 

[assistant52]

Ok cool, I'll start adding ammonia to the water tomorrow.

Its a shame that shubunkins arn't suited to tanks, they look so cool. My parents have kindly offered to take them into their pond when they grow to big but as that would mean transporting them about 30 miles it would just make sense not to get them.

Are the only coldwater fish suited to a household tank goldfish and the fancy varients?

 

[fluttermoth]

There are a few others; zebra danios and white cloud mountain minnows (but your tank's really too short for them, as they are very active swimmers), variatus platies and hillstream loaches (but they need a specialist set up with very fast flowing, highly oxygenated water) as well as some much larger fish, like rosy barbs, which you wouldn't have room for, I'm afraid.

It would be much easier, and give you a lot more choice of fish, if you added a little heater. The water in tropical tanks is more lukewarm than hot, so they don't cost a lot to run.

 

[assistant52]

There are a few others; zebra danios and white cloud mountain minnows (but your tank's really too short for them, as they are very active swimmers), variatus platies and hillstream loaches (but they need a specialist set up with very fast flowing, highly oxygenated water) as well as some much larger fish, like rosy barbs, which you wouldn't have room for, I'm afraid.

It would be much easier, and give you a lot more choice of fish, if you added a little heater. The water in tropical tanks is more lukewarm than hot, so they don't cost a lot to run.

I just installed the heater that came with the tank its warming the water as we speak

 

[fluttermoth]

Ah, brilliant, you didn't even need to spend any extra cash, how nice

 

[assistant52]

How many plants do tropical fish like to have? Is it ok that they're artifical? I dont think im up to getting live plants tbh

 

[fluttermoth]

Artifical plants are ok, but real is better. I would always recommend real plants as the fish prefer them and they do help, even if only a little bit, with water quality.

They're very easy, as long as you get the right species. Java fern, anubias and cryptocorynes are all really easy and don't need any special lighting or fertilizers.

The important thing is to give the fish enough cover so they don't feel too exposed. The more hiding places and cover you have the better.

Ironically you'll also see more of them the more cover you have, as the more hiding spaces they know are close by, in case a predator appears (ok, you and I know there aren't any predators in your tank, but your fish don't!), the braver and more confident they'll be

 

[assistant52]

Hmm i might look into getting some real plants, I'm worried about taking too much on all at once

 

[fluttermoth]

Get your fishless cycle out of the way first

Honestly, as long as you stick to easy plants, you won't have any more trouble than you would with artificial ones.

 

[assistant52]

Whats the ideal temperature for a tank by the way? mine is currently at 26oC?

 

[Essjay]

Regarding plants, I'm useless with them. But I can manage java fern and anubias, so if I can, you can. These plants grow fastened to a rock or piece of wood or even plastic decor rather than planted in the substrate. I also have hornwort in one tank, I loop the stems round a fake root ornament and have some short stems as floating plants. In another I have the floating plant salvinia. The flow from the filter keeps it down at one end so this tank has a shaded end with silk plants on the bottom and a bright end with java fern and anubias. I regularly have to throw handfuls of salvinia in the compost bin or the tank would be overrun.


If someone with my plant skills can manage these, anyone can