Newbie Getting A New Tank

[nmurray]

Good afternoon,

I'm new (obvious by the title) and I'm interested in keeping some tropical fish. I have had a little look around and have found a couple of tanks. I am looking at the Juwel Rekord 600 (63l) or the Aquael Ecoline 90 bow front 90l (but only if i can get it past the wife).

I know people say bigger is better but will the bow front make much of a difference to the viewing, is it better/worse?

I am also after ideas of what kind of fish, I do like the smaller fish which are more active and I would like fish at all levels of the tank. I am a bit apprehensive about asking at the big pet shops (Pets at home and seapets) from what people say. Does anyone know any good shops near colchester?

I have read up on fishless cycling and that is the way I will go (with all the water testing kits etc.)when i do get my tank.

The final thing I've been thinking about is what I want my tank to look like. I do like the idea of completely natural rocks and (fake) plants (I don't want another living thing to worry about at this stage), but I also like the look of ruined cities. Do I need any airstones and do I need to buy any other equipment to get that to work?

If anyone has any thoughts on any of the above I would be very appreciative,

Thanks everyone,

Neil

 

[minnnt]

Welcome to the forum! You will like it here!

Right... bigger is better! 90 litres will give you a wider range of fish to choose from, and if you do encounter any problems then it will be easier to get under control. As for the fish, i would look into a nice shoal of Tetra's or Harlequin Rasbora's. I would probably opt for a group of 8-10. You could also stock some sort of a centre piece fish such as a pair of Honey Gourami's.

No reason to be scared of live plants, just pick easy going plants such as Anubias, Crypts and Java Fern and you will be laughing. Live plants are also beneficial to your fish, they use up nutrients and nitrates in the water so offer a little bit of a buffer should you miss a water change by a few days etc.

An airstone is mostly for aesthetics if that is the kind of thing you like. They don't offer any real benefits to your fish.

Once again, welcome to the forum!

 

[colleen0309]

Welcome to the forum! You will like it here!

Right... bigger is better! 90 litres will give you a wider range of fish to choose from, and if you do encounter any problems then it will be easier to get under control. As for the fish, i would look into a nice shoal of Tetra's or Harlequin Rasbora's. I would probably opt for a group of 8-10. You could also stock some sort of a centre piece fish such as a pair of Honey Gourami's.

No reason to be scared of live plants, just pick easy going plants such as Anubias, Crypts and Java Fern and you will be laughing. Live plants are also beneficial to your fish, they use up nutrients and nitrates in the water so offer a little bit of a buffer should you miss a water change by a few days etc.

An airstone is mostly for aesthetics if that is the kind of thing you like. They don't offer any real benefits to your fish.

Once again, welcome to the forum!

+1. Couldn't have said it better myself. Good job on doing research before you get the tank. In my opinion, the bowfront will look awesome. I have a 46 gallon bowfront and it is, by far, the prettiest tank I have.