New To Forums & To Fish Keeping

[F!shy]

Hi All, Im Scott and new to Fish Keeping (and Forums lol) *Wave*

 
I Yesterday Purchased a Panorama Aquarium 64 Litre. Currently set with Heater, Filter, Gravel and 4 Orniments of diff sizes.
 
Its Full of water and Fish Free, Have added tap safe and some filter boost for the bacteria.
 

Question 

: Do I Have to have some live plants?
 
Many Thanks in advance and hope to get to know some of you more

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Live plants are never required, and some species of fish will make you wish you didn't add them...  But at the same time, live plants add a wonderful dimension that the fake plants just can't.
 
Its ultimately, your decision.  No right or wrong... just personal preference.

 

[F!shy]

Thank you very much for the swift response, Something less for me to worry / think about at this early stage.

 
More time to think about everything else, decisions, decisions 

 

[Ch4rlie]

to TFF
 
This is the right place to go to ask these sorts of questions.
 
No, you do not have to have plants if you do not want them. Some people just use plastic plants until they get confident enough or change their minds to having live plants.
 
Although having plants has some benefits to your tank, fish like them and makes them less stressful, and a much more natural look in your tank set up.
 
Basically a personal preference as Eagles said in above post.
 
If you are new I'd urge you to read about fishless cycling before adding any fish to your tank. Basically means you need bacteria in your filter to process ammonia and nitrites which fish poop out basically.
 
Heres the link for that
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
 
Do let us know how you get on and what you planning to stock into your tank.
 
Pics would be good too, we're a nosy bunch basically! lol 

 

[daizeUK]

Hi Scott!  What sort of fish are you thinking of getting?  Some fish will love plants, others just love to eat them!
 
Which filter boost did you use?  Have a read about fishless cycling if you haven't seen it already... haha, too late, Charlie beat me to it!  

 

[techen]

Although many have suggested you have a look at the fishless cycling. I also recommended going to your local fish store and asking if they'd kindly give you some mature media. Most do, If you do get some add it to your filter and you should be already cycled and ready to go.
 
Please note that this comes with a risk, Because stores run massive systems its likely new fish may catch infections but its a low risk but it's still a risk none the less. Best route would be doing the fishless cycle but there you go.

 

[F!shy]

Thank you for the useful links, I have started to read through them, tho i am going to print them and digest the info, want to get it right as much as poss.
 
Not totally sure what to stock, i like the idea of shrimps to chean, maybe a pleco. The wife has instructed me she would like (aka it must have) Neon Tetra lol
 

  Question 

  having glanced thru the cycling it says about the bacteria needing oxygen, im guessing this would suggest needing a bubbles / air supply extra?
 
The Filter boost i used was the "Love Fish - Filter Boost" Water Treatment.    Have ordered this evening the water testing kit should arrive tuesday.
 
Thank again for all comments, Highly appreciated

 
Will have a look into posting a pic, file size too large, (will get the wife to have a look and post one later lol)

 

[Stratus]

Hi, Scott! Welcome to the forum. I'm new as well
 
My "tank" (technically my sister's that I love and maintain since she's much younger) has a Marimo "moss ball" in it. They are very easy to care for and can help the tank when it comes to other algae. I'm still learning about them, but it's been a great addition so far. I might get some live plants, but like the others said, they aren't always needed.
 
What kind of fish are you thinking of adding once the tank is ready?

 

[daizeUK]

 

  Question 

  having glanced thru the cycling it says about the bacteria needing oxygen, im guessing this would suggest needing a bubbles / air supply extra?
 
The Filter boost i used was the "Love Fish - Filter Boost" Water Treatment.    Have ordered this evening the water testing kit should arrive tuesday.
 

 
Surface agitation is the best way of getting oxygen into the water.  Most filters have a directable flow that you can point up towards the surface, that's all you need.
 
I have my doubts that your filter boost will do an awful lot - I wouldn't advise relying on it to cycle the tank well enough to add fish.

 

[F!shy]

Have added three live plants since lastnights reading when these pics were taken.

 

[F!shy]

Sorry, I have another 

  Question

  I Have planted 3 live plants, and found today I have a single snail. I know snails can be used to clean the tank but am hoping to use shrimp for this job after a couple of weeks. Can I Please have your opinions as to wether to get rid of it or keep it?
 
Many Thanks

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Snails that come on plants are generally referred to as 'pest' snails.  They are often just common pond snails and are harmless.  So, again, it is up to you what you want to do.
 
 
Options:
 
1 - Leave them alone.  Leaving them alone means that the population may grow if you are an overfeeder, but having more of them means having less rotting food in the tank.  They are also good at cleaning algae off the tank, so you won't see algae, just snails.  Depends on how much algae you get, how much you over feed how many snails you'd see at any one time,
 
 
2 - Remove the snails - manually.  This involves dispatching through one way or another the snails.  My preferred method has been during a water change to just siphon them out of the tank.  You can also pick them out by hand, but my fingers are big and these snails are often very small.
 
 
3 - Remove the snails - biologically.  Adding snail eating species to your tank.  A 64 L tank doesn't allow many fish species to be the snail eaters, so that leaves... other snails.  Assassin snails can do a good job of keeping the population low.  But, if you are an overfeeder, the assassins might actually prefer eating the extra food, rather than the 'pest' snails.
 
 
4 - Remove the snails - chemically.  (I do not recommend this, especially as you plan to add shrimp later.)  There are plenty of fish safe snail killers (usually the active ingredient includes copper), but this treatment means adding a potential threat to your future shrimp, and I am a person that always errs on the side of not adding unnecessary chemicals to the tank whenever possible.
 
 
 
 
Personally, I left my snails alone and sucked them out during regular water changes if I saw them.  I didn't hunt for them.  When I got a bristlenose (BN) pleco, the snails disappeared.  Not saying that he ate them, he might have just out competed them for algae (or ate their eggs).  A 64L tank is a bit small for a BN.