New to this

[Sophanddig]

Hey all,

So I've been wanting to get a tank and start getting tropical fish.
My questions are what exactly do I need? And how exactly do I care for them. I've never had fish before so it's new for me.
Id like to know how you clean the tank and do you still clean it with a hang on filter?
I'm so confused there seems to be a lot of things to care for them
Hope to hear from someone soon!

Thank you!

 

[Essjay]

The first thing you need to do is cycle your tank. Rather than type it all out here, I will refer you to this thread which explains everything well. Cycle your new freshwater tank
You will need to buy a test kit to cycle the tank, you need ammonia, nitrite and pH testers, and liquid reagent ones are better than strips. Master sets containing those tests I mentioned plus nitrate work out cheaper than buying them separately.

While the tank is cycling, you have a few weeks to decide on fish. Your test kit will tell you the pH of your water, and you also need to know the hardness. Your water company's website should tell you that. They could use one of half a dozen units so you need to make a note of the unit as well as the number.
The hardness and pH will help you to choose fish suitable for your water.

Choosing decor for the tank can be important, for example you need sand or very smooth gravel if you want bottom dwellers, but this can be left while you get the cycle started.



As for cleaning a tank, things like uneaten food, fish poo, etc will collect on the bottom of the tank even with a filter. Nitrate will also build up in the water and needs to be removed. We clean a tank by doing weekly water changes of 30 to 50%. We use a siphon tube to suck the water out and also use it to remove the mess from the bottom of the tank.





So, start the cycle. Don't forget to buy a dechlorinator to remove the chlorine or chloriamine that your water company adds to the water.
Then look up your harness and post the numbers for hardness and pH and the tank size on here and we can help you decide on a fish list.

Ask any questions you want, we've all been new starters once. There's no such thing as a silly question

 

[Demeter32]

There's a few things that come to mind for tropical tanks.

1. Heated and cycled tank-all tanks should be cycled before adding fish and tropical means warm water. An adjustable heater is better as the present heaters are usually around 74 F and some fish like warmer water.
2. Water changes- weekly 20-50% is perfectly fine depending on how stocked the tank is
3. Stocking- peaceful community tanks are pretty easier so long as you do some research on the species you want.

I suggest starting with a larger tank (29-55gal) as they are easier to maintain (plus more fish ). You will soon learn that different fish need different pH and hardness. It's better to test what your water is out of the tap and then match fish to your water. Trying to change your water parameters to match the fish is way too much work.

You should also invest in an API master test kit, they are awesome. It will help you cycle the tank and figure out what's wrong if the fish ever start acting odd.

Heads up to you, you might end up neck deep in this expensive hobby. I don't even want to know how much money I have sunk into my tanks...