Newbie Seeking Advice

[Ri-Za]

Heya

I have recently decided that i want to get some fish as i have always wanted them however i am a bit of a newbie at looking after fish. I have done a fair bit of research on it, including looking through things on this site but i wanted some advice from people if people don't mind.
I want to get a biorb 30 as it looks nice despite what some people seem to think about it. Does anyone have any personal experiences with this tank and would anyone recommend it? I also wanted to convert it to a tropical tank as you can have more tropical fish in the tank which i would prefer. Has anyone converted this tank into a tropical tank? how easy it it and i was wondering if it changes the appearance of the tank at all as i dont really want a tank that has got loads of wires etc sticking out of it.
I have also done some research on what types of fish i should get as a beginner and from what i have found these types of fish seem to be maybe the best...
Dwarf gourami, tetras, ottiocinclus, hatchet fish, platys, guppies, mollys, swordtails and danios, does anyone have these and which ones seem to be able to get along with each other? also i saw some at a pet store which i thought were quiet nice called rainbow shark and albino rainbow shark, has anyone got any opinions or advice on these?
Sorry this is so long but since i am spending a fair bit on it all i wouldnt mind getting some advice before i commit myself to buying anything...thanks for any advice

 

[arobinson1984]

Hi Ri-za, welcome to the forum.


Firstly the biorb, although rather stylish looking, these tanks really are quite impractible and considerably limit stocking.

When stocking a tank, although volume is important, surface area is also equally important. Due to the sphere shape of the biorb you have a low surface area at the bottom as well as at the top, therefore you would have less room for gas exchange at the water surface. In other words, you wouldn't be able to keep as many fish in a biorb 30 as you would in a standard rectangular tank of the same volume.


Most of the fish you mentioned COULD be suitable for a biorb if kept in the correct conditions.

The following fish would not be suitable:

Mollies & swordtails - Both of these would get too large
Danios - These are far too active for a 30L tank, they really need 100L+ as well as the tank being rectangular to give plenty of swimming space
Rainbow shark - These get far too big and territorial for any 30L tank, they again need more than 100L

Rest of the fish you listed are possible, although whichever you chose you'd ideally have to keep same sex otherwise with the livebearers you would be overrun with fry.


Have you had a good read up on cycling a tank? Have a read of the topics listed in my signature.


Andy

 

[mtv8dmarine]

I'm not familiar first hand with some of the fish you're interested in. However, Platies are a good community fish. You will want to keep them at a ratio around 3 females per male just to keep mating aggression down. Swordtails should be kept at the same ratio. If the ratio gets out of balance the males often get a little aggressive over the females. They can also stress the females out always wanting to mate if there's a lack of female options.

Otocinclus are very fun social fish but are also a tad sensitive. I would not get them until you have a fully cycled tank. Otos are good all purpose algae eaters. You will need to keep in mind that if you have a diatom issue after your tank is cycled these guys can help control it a lot. However, most people don't realize that if there's not enough algae, they still need to eat so algae sinkers are a good food option.

 

[ghent_3rd]

I echo pretty much everything that Andy has said!

You can get some really cool looking tanks that are much suited to tropical fishkeeping than the biOrb. They do sell some that just have 1 plug and everything is ran from that, much cheaper and will give you a better first time experience of fish keeping.

I cannot remember the name of the tanks off the top of my head but will have a quick look now and re-post shortly, bare with me.................

 

[spectrum]

Have you considered a shoal of a smaller rasbora type? Most are very small, some reaching only like 1cm if that. Just throwing a thought out there. Or you could do a shrimp tank, with cherry and tiger shrimp or something, or a small mixture of the fish and shrimp? As already stated the low surface area is very limiting.

 

[ghent_3rd]

Have a look at this, these are really good for starting up. Go or the biggest tank you can afford and have room for aswell as they are much easier to maintain aswell.

Tank

 

[Ri-Za]

Thanks guys

well considering what people have said and from what i have read up on, biorbs aren't the way to go, which kinda sucks as i really liked the look of them. Im not to keen on the rectangular/square tanks as i think they look kinda boring...its probs just me. Are there any other cool looking tanks that would be suited to a beginner like myself?
Thanks

 

[mtv8dmarine]

A beginner aquarist can use any tank. It's the fish and equipment that dictate it really in my opinion. Have you looked into any bowfront aquariums since they add more geometrically interesting possibilities than a typical rectangular?

Honestly though, if you do go with a rectangular, it should be what's inside the tank that makes it appealing, not the tank itself. That said though, to each their own. =P

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Ri-Za.
The best possible tank for anyone is one that will hold their interest. As a general statement, any tank is easier to care for if it larger than another up to about a 55 gallon tank. After that size, the size itself starts to impose new burdens on you and less than that the tank's chemistry is less stable so care becomes more difficult. There are a number of different shapes in tanks that are large enough to be easy care in terms of stability and still small enough not to become the maintenance chore that my 120 gallon is. There are hexagonal tanks, corner tanks with flat faces, corner tanks with curved faces and the bow front tanks in sizes ranging from around 40 gallons up to 60 gallons. I would avoid any tank that prevents you reaching the bottom glass with your hand because it will become a nightmare for you to maintain. Try it out right there in the fish shop. If you can't reach the bottom easily, it doesn't matter that remote tools are available, they are a pain to actually use.

 

[Ri-Za]

Heya, thanks for all your replies and help
i was having a look around and i thought that the fluval edge looked like quite a cool tank...http/www.aquariumsdelivered.co.uk/catalog/fluval-edge-aquarium-p-3234.html
has anyone had any experiences with this tank and how easy is it to convert to a tropical tank? do i just stick a heater in there? sorry about the newbie questions lol
Thanks in advance

 

[chesterjohn]

That tank is smaller than the biorb you previously suggested. It does look cool, but there's not a lot you can put in it tbh.

What about something like this... http/www.seapets.co.uk/products/aquarium-supplies/aquariums/fluval/elite-and-marina-fun-aquariums/elite-style-95-glass-aquarium-tropical-set-80x30x40cm-high-95l.html?ref=googlebase

I know it's not as cool looking, but the 60l costs less than the Fluval, and the 95l isn't a lot more

 

[ellena]

The fluval is another tank like the biorb which puts looks over practicality If you have it full, which is the point of the design, the surface area is again drastically reduced.
I am with you on wanting a good looking tank. The aquael bowl is a slightly more practical bowl aquarium. It was my first tank though and I wouldn't recommend it. Very difficult to access due to the small top opening, and I've found only endlers which I could keep in it.
I think the arcadia arc is the best middle ground between looks and practicality. A gorgeous tank which is on my want list Comes in 35l (just over 9 US gall) which gives you quite a few stocking options.

When you do decide on a tank, yes, a heater is all you need to convert any tank to tropical. That is, as long as it has a filter already I don't know what the filter and heater are like on the arcadia, but the design is such that you could put any internal or external filter in there. Do you know how to search for tanks in your area on eBay?
If you search aquariums, then on the left hand side, tick 'used' and then pick a number of miles from your postcode. There are some great bargains to be had on there, including arcadias, and another called the aquaqube which is similar with the glass top and curved corners.

 

[Curiosity101]

I've gotta put in another vote for the arcadia tanks, if you're balancing looks/practicality then arcadia tanks are great.
I think pets at home have an 'own brand' equivalent... can't remember though.

I'd check out pets at home if you have a large one near you, they stock quite a few tanks and looking at them in the flesh might help. However just to agree with what everyone else said, avoid biorbs and the fluval edge.

Oh and just to give you some estimates on fish vs tank size (to help you when choosing a tank).
Dwarf gourami - 60l/2ft tank minimum for a single fish, to keep it with another dwarf I'd suggest a 3ft tank. This allows for both fish to set up territories and avoids fighting
Tetras - A small number are suitable for 40l tanks, but most are suitable for 60l
Ottiocinclus - 40l +
Hatchet fish - 60l/2ft long tank, beware they do jump!
Platys - 60l but if you're keeping them in a 60l then keep to all one sex otherwise you'll be over-run with fry. If you decide on a group of females then be aware they store sperm so may give birth to a few sets of fry even without a male. After the first few batches they will have used all the sperm up.
Guppies - 40l min, personally I would suggest 60l. A smaller alternative would be endlers.
Mollys - Depends on the type, if it's only a small type versus a sailfin molly then you're fine with 60l by following the same rules as for the platys. If you want sailfins I would suggest nothing short of 3ft/90l
Swordtails - Same as with the sailfin mollys unless you're keeping females, females should be ok in 60l. Males are quite territorial and quite large so I'd be hesitant to put many together. However I'm not a livebearer keeper so I may have made the territorial thing up...but I'm pretty sure I read it somewhere.
Danios - 2ft long bare minimum, these are very active fish and although small they NEVER stop moving so need the room to swim. I personally wouldn't even keep them in a 2ft but plenty of people have and they have been healthy and lived full lives.
Rainbow shark and albino rainbow shark - As andy said, big fish and need a big tank. 120l ish (presuming it's at least 30" long) should be fine for a single one.

So yeah...based on the fish you like I would suggest you aim for a 60l tank that is around 2ft long (or there abouts). I've found 60l tanks to be very managable and a good beginner size (although bigger is better ), my water changes only take about 20mins once a week and that's to change 20-25l of water.

 

[Ri-Za]

Thanks for all your help everyone, i have to agree that the Arcadia Arc Tanks do look pretty cool, i think i am most likely to get one of them. However i am thinking that i will most likely go for a 35L one as it is my first tank, would i be able to fit 7-8 fish in there maybe? and is there any that are more suited to such a smaller tank?
Thanks in advanced

 

[Curiosity101]

If you stuck to 1 or 2 species of shoaling fish then you could easily get that many fish.

I would suggest something like the following:

8 x ember tetra or dwarf rasbora or norman lampeyes or endlers etc etc. Basically stick to fish that grow a maximum of 3-4cm aren't to active and are thin in the body.
6 x pygmy corydoras

Or if you fancy a centerpiece...
1 x Honey gourami
8 x any of the small 3-4cm fish but sticking to just one species.

1 x Male betta fighter fish
8 x pygmy corys, I would avoid shoalers such as the tetras etc above because they have been know to get nippy with bettas. People have kept them together successfully but it's enough of a risk to be noted

Also just to add of all of the combos above, you could remove a couple of fish (pref 1 shoaler and 1 cory if going with the first suggestion), and add in a few inverts such as a small group of cherry shrimp or an apple/nerite snail.