Newbie getting confused

FishForums.net Pet of the Month
šŸ¶ POTM Poll is Open! šŸ¦Ž Click here to Vote! šŸ°

Ginrummy

New Member
Joined
May 16, 2022
Messages
3
Reaction score
2
Location
Edinburgh
Hi, first post so be gentle šŸ˜€. I had my last tank about 20 years ago and due to travelling/work commitments I gave it all away (after about 5 years).

Iā€™m about to buy a Fluval Roma 125 aquarium set up which comes with a Fluval U3 filter. Planning to start with 1 angel fish, 8 neon tetras, 4 honey gouramis and 4 panda corys. Also planning to start with some artificial moss, some Amazon frogbit and some artificial plants.

I think Iā€™ve read so much about cycling (including on this site) that Iā€™m fairly ok with doing this.

Any advice on my stocking idea would be welcome. Also, I live in Edinburgh and we have soft water here. Will I have to treat it every time I do water changes?

Thanks for any help.
 
HI! that sounds awesome! just make sure all the fish have compatible water parameters. cories appreciate groups of six or more, so be aware of that. the gouramis may or may not get along with each other, just keep an eye on them, you may need to return aggressive individuals.

Yes, water should always be treated before being put in the tank, I would recommend Seachem Prime, as it is simple and easy to add and the bottle lasts forever.

Honestly, I would say that plastic plants are harder than live ones, some bullet-proof options would be Anubias (any variety), java ferns, java moss, bucephalandra, frogbit, salvinia, and most hygrophilas. live plants just have so many benefits that fakes don't; they take out toxic nutrients, they grow and provide many more hiding spaces, and they keep the tank changing and keeping it interesting for you. if you don't know where to start, MD Tanks on YouTube is an amazing resource on how to keep planted tanks simple.

whatever you decide, make sure it is the tank you want, and do plenty of reading before, during, and after the setup. Happy aquascaping!

Edit: I would suggest slowly adding stock to make sure your maintenance schedule can handle the waste from your fish.
 
Last edited:
Thanks very much for reply. Iā€™l get the ph potion with the rest of my kit. Any suggestion on order I should add fish in?

edit: I read somewhere that 3 males and 1 female honey gourami would be best. What do you think?

(suffering from information overload a wee bit since I started researching everything, chatting with a human is a welcome respite šŸ˜€).
 
PH Potion? The prime will just remove chlorine and most of the other toxic chemicals that are in tap water. Do you mean that you want a lower ph?

I'm really not an expert, only a few years of experience, so I don't really know a ton about different fish. apparently males are sometimes territorial, and females will defend eggs. I don't think the order of the fish matters as much, maybe go with your favorites first?

I completely understand, you could drown in all the information there is šŸ˜…. a couple of really good sources I have found are MD Tanks, Aquarium co op, Girl Talks Fish, and Water Colors Aquarium Gallery Podcast.
 
Oh, and I wouldn't worry about your water being soft, all of the fish you want are from Amazonian Blackwater rivers or swamps and rice patties in indonesia; both places have very low Ph and very soft water. In fact, if you wanted to, you could have a very natural and beautiful blackwater aquarium!
 
Yeah I was keep getting chlorine and water hardness etc mixed up. Iā€™ve noted things down so Iā€™ll refer to it closely before I do anything. Thanks for encouraging words. Will now have a search for black water aquariums, sounds intriguing.
 

Most reactions

trending

Members online

Back
Top