Newbie Needs Tips And Hints

[jammie654]

hi there im new to this i have just go my best friends tropical fish tanks i they have left for S.A


can someone give me some tips on how to look after my fish and what food and stuff is the best etc etc


ve got the basics eg water temp, food filter. but just wondering if there was any tips for them.

and any more tips eg advanced what types of fish get on well and whats a good food for them also where do you get tap water conditioner??can i get it online??


can someone tell me what fish i have here are some pictures

and i have just bought these fish to put in the tank to replace the one that dies due to a power cut a few weeks ago

3 Puntius pentazona pentazona- had these before
7 Neon Tetra Paracheirodon innesi - already have 2
1 Corydoras arcuatu - had before
1 Corydoras delphax -had before


thank you

 

[Miss Wiggle]

the blue fish is a betta

not sure on the orangey red one as the pic is blurry, could be a couple of things

the black and white striped one is a striped dora catfish

re the betta, there's a whole section of this forum dedicated to them so go and check it out, they will give you loads of info. Generally they are kept in tanks by themselves because of their aggression, however it has been known for community set up's to work providing companion fish are picked appropriatley

the dora is a fairly easy to keep catfish, put in some catfish pellets, algae wafers and veggies at night time a couple of times a week. You'll rarely ever see it in the daytime as it's a shy nocturnal fish. it will however sometimes accidentally eat any really small fish at night when they are sleeping so be careful what fish you put in with it, nothing too tiny

if you look at the links at the top of this forum there's pinned topics on all the major things, cleaning, feeding etc. just go check them out and come back to us with any specific questions

 

[jammie654]

what type of veggies would you recommend???

also are fake plant to use in a tropical setup?

here is a slightly better pic of the orange one it doesnt stay still long enough to get a decent pic lol

 

[Miss Wiggle]

courgette/zucchini, cucumber and peas are a good place to start

for the courgette or cucmber just cut a slice, weigh it down with something and drop it into the tank just before the lights go out, take out what's left the following morning, the fish may not eat it the first few times, persevere

peas you need to blanche in a little bit of hot water, then pop them out of their shell and just drop the squishy middle bit into the tank, again remove the next day if not eaten

 

[jammie654]

courgette/zucchini, cucumber and peas are a good place to start

for the courgette or cucmber just cut a slice, weigh it down with something and drop it into the tank just before the lights go out, take out what's left the following morning, the fish may not eat it the first few times, persevere

peas you need to blanche in a little bit of hot water, then pop them out of their shell and just drop the squishy middle bit into the tank, again remove the next day if not eaten

ok thanks. can my betta stay in the tank or will i have to remove it( i dont really have the money for another tank)
also do you know what the orange fish is?

thanks

 

[OldMan47]

I must agree with Miss Wigle that many people suggest that you not keep the betta with other fish. I have always ignored this bit of advice. What I try to do is put the betta with other similar sized fish that are not too aggressive. Unless you have very bright colored or long finned fish the betta won't bother them much. On the other hand, most bettas are rather passive except with their own kind or with little fish they see as food. Aggressive fin nippers like tiger barbs will make a mess of the slower moving betta's fins. I often keep them with platies and corydoras which both seem safe with them.

 

[jammie654]

now im really stuck i dont know what i could use to weigh the veggies down with. any one got any ideas??

 

[Miss Wiggle]

the slightly more 'proper' solution is to get some plant weights from your lfs, these are just little strips of lead that you poke through the veggies and then they sink

makeshift solution..... teaspoon

 

[jammie654]

i thought the lead would be poisonous to the fish. i have lead fisshing weight but if lead will poison then i wont use them and will use a teapoon

 

[Miss Wiggle]

i thought the lead would be poisonous to the fish. i have lead fisshing weight but if lead will poison then i wont use them and will use a teapoon

do the lead weights poison the fish when you put them in the lake you're fishing from then?

not sure if the plant leads are coated in anything to make them safe, or if they just are safe, however you can pick up a pack for around 50p from most fish shops so it's not a significant expense and they will deifnatley be safe.