New To The Trade

[codhead]

hi im new to keeping tropical fishive bought the jewel rekord 96 tank and stand set up all the heater filter etc. put the gravel and plants in etc what else do i need to do the tanks all up and running and ive been told to leave it as it is for a few days before adding any fish. is there anything else i should do before i decide to go and get some fish to put in

 

[The-Wolf]

Start by checking this out beginners resource center
then if you have any Q's ask away.

 

[thegnu]

you have to decide if you are going to do a fish or fishless cycle. if you do a fish cycle you are limited on what fish you can add to your tank. with a fishless cycle you can add more or less what fish you like from the start, but i would use something like filter start to help the bacteria in your tank get established which ever way you choose to go

 

[codhead]

i was going to get a few guppys in a few days time after the filter has had time to settle in as they are hardy fish. ill be getting a test kit to see if everythings ok before i put them in and then gradually add morefish as time goes on

 

[thegnu]

the poor old guppy isnt as hardy as it once was what with all the breeding to get the fancy fish we now see. if live bearers are your thing i would go with 3 platys

 

[codhead]

in my tank i was after having 5x guppy, 2x zebra loach, 8x neon tetra 1x red finned shark, 4x black mollys and 1x catfish. what would be the best to introduce to the tank first?

 

[mommyof2bettas]

how many gallons is the tank?
for catfish I'd reccomend corys, they're small and hardier than ottos.
the neons are nippy and quite delicate, since you're a beginner I'd suggest cardinals- they are almost exactly neons but hardier http/images.google.ca/images?svnum=10&am...=cardinal+tetra
I would HIGHLY recommend doing a fishless cycle- http/www.fishforums.net/Fishless-Cycling-t113861.html , please cycle your tank before adding any fish, the fish will be stressed and many will die if you don't cycle your tank. Fishless cycling is long, but it's worth it after seeing happy fish, and it's easier to do than cycling with fish.
about the red-finned sharks- I'd have to hear the tank size to give any advice
mollies and guppies are livebearers, you will have fry, but they will probably be eaten unless you "rescue" them or they have tons of places to hide. Mollys are brackish fish which means they need salt- but corys can't tolerate salt, so you'd need sparkling clean water, or else they will catch diseases, spread them to your other fish and you'll have to do lots of work, they also grow bigger than other livebearers, so I suggest platys- http/images.google.ca/images?svnum=10&am...v=2&q=platy

HTH!

 

[vinylman]

in my tank i was after having 5x guppy, 2x zebra loach, 8x neon tetra 1x red finned shark, 4x black mollys and 1x catfish. what would be the best to introduce to the tank first?

Neither Guppies nor Neon Tetras are hardy enough for a newly-cycled tank, never mind a tank that hasn't been cycled. If you really want them, wait until around two months AFTER the tank has cycled. Also, Mollies appreciate salt in their water, your other choices don't.

 

[codhead]

the ph in my tank is 7 and has been over last couple of days. is there anything else i need to put in the water or just leave it for a few more days for the filter to mature? what fish should i put in first? im going to put 2 in when its ready to see how they go. i was just wondering which 2 would be the safest bet from the list above

 

[Jozlyn]

Obviously you haven't read the links that mommyof2bettas gave you or you wouldn't be asking is there anything else i need to put in the water or just leave it for a few more days for the filter to mature? your filter wont mature unless you give it something to mature with! And it will take a couple of weeks, not a couple of days! Read the threads that were suggested, they will answer most of your questions, then if you're still unsure about anything ask. If you're not willing to take the time to read the material supplied and take the advice you're given, that's fine, add fish to your tank and watch them slowly and painfully die but don't expect too much sympathy when things start to go pear shaped on you.


the ph in my tank is 7 and has been over last couple of days
Ph levels are the least of your worries as most fish will adapt to whatever your tank's ph is, changing it is difficult and is very stressful on the fish, so leave it alone and buy fish to suit your water.

im going to put 2 in when its ready to see how they go
Get yourself a liquid test kit, once you've read the threads on cycling you'll know when you're able to add fish!

You also don't say how big your tank is, no one can give you any stocking advice until we know that.

 

[codhead]

ive only got the ph test kit at the minute my tanks 96 litres which is about 21 ukg how much ammonia do i need to put in and for how long. ive looked everywhere on the internet and evryone says put amonia in but i cant find out how much

 

[Jozlyn]

ive only got the ph test kit at the minute my tanks 96 litres which is about 21 ukg how much ammonia do i need to put in and for how long. ive looked everywhere on the internet and evryone says put amonia in but i cant find out how much

Ok 96 lt is a nice size, slightly bigger than 2 of my tanks.

Mommyof2Bettas has already given you the link in her reply! It's the 2nd link in her post.

You need to purchase a master test kit that at a minimum has liquid based tests that test for amonia, nitrite and nitrate.