Newbie Please Help!

[cornish-fairy]

We are gettin a fish tank today, its 3 foot and obv tropical, it contains a siamese fighter, 2 cat fish, neons, and a shrimp

My hubby an I are havin a debate as his dad has a tropical tank and his dad says you mustnt have gravel with a tropical tank, yet the tank we gettin is gravel?
He reckons its got to be sand?

also its a fluval tank, any hints tips etc, water temp etc please?

thanks

 

[glolite]

Hi there.

Pretty tank. Temperature between 24 and 26c. Gravel is fine, if you want to change to sand it has to be play sand or special aquarium sand but personally I would stick to gravel. Have you read the info in the 'New to the hobby section' ? Very helpful

 

[Rooster]

Gravel is a VERY popular choice, as is sand... its up to YOU which you like !!!!
As for temp etc, 75f is a good "middle ground" as for the other specs... theres an entire forum here with all the info you need - read the stickies

What filter dos this tank have ? and are you aware of "cycling" if not, then READ about it NOW, or you may as well flush the fish down the loo...

 

[waterdrop]

Hi there,

Is the tank and everything new or coming from someone else and established? If so, how long has it been established and what all did you find out about how they've maintained it?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[cornish-fairy]

Hi there,

Is the tank and everything new or coming from someone else and established? If so, how long has it been established and what all did you find out about how they've maintained it?

~~waterdrop~~

hi the tank is coming from elsewere, it turned up round 130, it was a mess, the water was nearly black, the fish are in a state, theres 3 pleckys? (sp) one orange long thing that has a sucker face, a few neons, a female siamese fighter, some daneos, one that looks like the shark family but is black and orange and a weird snake thing,
spent near on 2 hours cleanin and scrubbin the tank and resettin it back up

I asked about manintenance but the pretty much brought the tank in grunted and went, didnt want to talk at all!!

 

[glolite]

Well the fish will appreciate a clean tank. Sounds like you rescued them just in time. Orange and black shark type fish is probably a ruby or red finned shark. How big is the snake thing?

 

[cornish-fairy]

Well the fish will appreciate a clean tank. Sounds like you rescued them just in time. Orange and black shark type fish is probably a ruby or red finned shark. How big is the snake thing?

thanks for the reply,much appreciated

around 3 inches, I ahve this photo of them in a tub whilst we sorted out tank, the snake thing is in the right corner by the pleckys nose

this is the tank now set up, we gave it hur or so to settle before puttin fish in

 

[drain_bamaged]

wow, beautiful fish, beautiful tank.

Quick question, did you dechlorinate your water before putting it in the tank? This is done so you do not kill off the beneficial bacteria which is needed for a healthy tank.

 

[glolite]

The snakey thing looks like a kuhli loach, nice. Yes that's a ruby/red-finned shark. The big pleccy looks lovely, might grow too big tho. Orange and black striped is a clown loach, they get big as well and the orange fish with the suction mouth could be a chinese sucking loach, if it is be careful as they sometimes attach to other fish causing damage cause they suck off the slime layer. Interesting mixture you've got yourself

 

[waterdrop]

Fun thread, Are you experienced fishkeepers? Did you squeeze out the filter sponges in tank water rather than tap water?

If you are experienced, we can enjoy this tank saving along with you and discuss the fish species etc. but if you are not experienced there may be some more urgent things that our beginners section is very good at discussing, so let us know!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[cornish-fairy]

Fun thread, Are you experienced fishkeepers? Did you squeeze out the filter sponges in tank water rather than tap water?

If you are experienced, we can enjoy this tank saving along with you and discuss the fish species etc. but if you are not experienced there may be some more urgent things that our beginners section is very good at discussing, so let us know!

~~waterdrop~~

we couldnt use the tap water to clean out the filter as it was sooo black it would have made it dirtier!!!! I wish I had taken a before pic now!!
tbh my husband done most of it, as Im 7 months pregnant and was startin to struggle with the liftin and bendin so I was left to fish sit!
I know he did the clorine stuff,

The snakey thing looks like a kuhli loach, nice. Yes that's a ruby/red-finned shark. The big pleccy looks lovely, might grow too big tho. Orange and black striped is a clown loach, they get big as well and the orange fish with the suction mouth could be a chinese sucking loach, if it is be careful as they sometimes attach to other fish causing damage cause they suck off the slime layer. Interesting mixture you've got yourself

I msut admit the snakey thing freaks me out a lil! the 2 huge plecys keep chasin each other, both look like they have small white patches on their back, like scales missin could that be from what may be the chinese suckin loach

we have done all the clorine stuff, etc first, I made sure after a comment earlier to check everything we needed to do before puttin them in, so fingers crossed we have done ok!

We have taken out the female siamese fighter, we have a spare siamese fighter tank, which she seems happier in the new tank, she is next to our male siamese fighter!!!!!!

ooo hubbys just said the very tiny plecy could it be a baby of the big 2 or a different breed of them? heres couple more pics
I have had family with tanks in the past, includin my mum, his parents have a tank, but his parents are insisitin we have this al set up wrong, so decided to turn to here for advice instead! (wrong as in sand not gravel is a the only thing to have etc)
but its the first tank of our own!

feel free to say if im makin mistakes etc, Id rather do this right and get told off in between then lose fish and sit here panicking!!

 

[glolite]

Looks like you've got yourself a common plec and an upside down catfish (or possibly a squeaker) what do you other guys think?

Yes, that's a chinese sucking loach. Personally I'd rehome him or take him to an lfs.

Kuhlis freak me out too! They move too fast and look too much like snakes. I have got three but changing the water is always a delicate process with me getting a shower every time the kuhlis move around, not to mention the girly shrieks!

Keep testing for ammonia and nitrites daily and do weekly 25% water changes, or more frequently if you get ANY positive test readings.

Have fun