Oops I Bought A Fish Tank

[essgee]

I had coldwater tanks as a child and haven't had a tank in over 10 years. I do have a pool of koi in my back garden, and they have been waiting on a new pond for 2 years since I moved into my new house. I have spent the last 18months doing the house up. It is koi pond time very soon I know what I'm doing on that one. The place I buy food for the koi has an amazing set up of freshwater and tropical fish, and they had an ex display tank for sale. I walked past it several times and said I don't need a new money pit now I've just finished the house, and haven't done the koi pond yet, but in the end I caved!
I have had the tank empty even of water for 3 weeks whilst deciding what to put in it. I'd love a marine tank but realistically I don't want to spend that much time maintaining it, or spending a small fortune per fish to go in it! So I think I have decided on a heavily planted tropical tank. The problem is the only place I have to put the tank, where it would get seen often anyway, is in a very sunny kitchen and I'm worried about algae. I don't want a C02 set up, I'd like to work towards a low maintenance tank, I was hoping lots of plants would help stabilise things and I only want a few fish. So you are all probably shaking your heads as much as I am at my decision to buy a tank, but I bet you also know exactly what I'm talking about!
So the first of doubtless many questions;
1- is a planted tank in a sunny spot just asking for trouble?

 

[catfish4ever]

pretty much. ya. unless you buy an algae eater to control the algae which isn't recommended. Also direct sunlight can stress some fish out. try putting it into a shady corner with fluval lighting 6-8 hours daily.

 

[micko]

pretty much. ya. unless you buy an algae eater to control the algae. Also direct sunlight can stress some fish out. try putting it into a shady corner with fluval lighting 6-8 hours daily.

Do not buy an algae eater to sort out an algae issue.

Try this tank set up, and if algae does show then just try and move the tank to somewhere else, there are other ways such as reducing the time the tanks lights are one for or shading the direct sunlight (depending on whether its coming from a side pannel or front panel)

 

[catfish4ever]

pretty much. ya. unless you buy an algae eater to control the algae which isn't recommended. Also direct sunlight can stress some fish out. try putting it into a shady corner with fluval lighting 6-8 hours daily.

Do not buy an algae eater to sort out an algae issue.

Try this tank set up, and if algae does show then just try and move the tank to somewhere else, there are other ways such as reducing the time the tanks lights are one for or shading the direct sunlight (depending on whether its coming from a side pannel or front panel)

Why do you always want to outdo me? its really depressing

 

[micko]

pretty much. ya. unless you buy an algae eater to control the algae which isn't recommended. Also direct sunlight can stress some fish out. try putting it into a shady corner with fluval lighting 6-8 hours daily.

Do not buy an algae eater to sort out an algae issue.

Try this tank set up, and if algae does show then just try and move the tank to somewhere else, there are other ways such as reducing the time the tanks lights are one for or shading the direct sunlight (depending on whether its coming from a side pannel or front panel)

Why do you always want to outdo me? its really depressing

I'm sorry you see it like that, its really not the way it is.
An "algae eater" does not just eat algae.
The OP did not state the size of their tank and one of the said fish may not be suitable in the OP's tank.

IMO if you have an algae issue due to sunlight beaming into the tank then the obvious course of action is to move the tank. Not buy a fish just to do a job.

Again catfish4ever, I'm not having a go or trying to "outdo" anyone. All anyone can share is their experience and my experience is that buying a fish to solve a problem for you whether its a snail problem or algae problem just isn't a good idea.

 

[catfish4ever]

pretty much. ya. unless you buy an algae eater to control the algae which isn't recommended. Also direct sunlight can stress some fish out. try putting it into a shady corner with fluval lighting 6-8 hours daily.

Do not buy an algae eater to sort out an algae issue.

Try this tank set up, and if algae does show then just try and move the tank to somewhere else, there are other ways such as reducing the time the tanks lights are one for or shading the direct sunlight (depending on whether its coming from a side pannel or front panel)

Why do you always want to outdo me? its really depressing

I'm sorry you see it like that, its really not the way it is.
An "algae eater" does not just eat algae.
The OP did not state the size of their tank and one of the said fish may not be suitable in the OP's tank.

IMO if you have an algae issue due to sunlight beaming into the tank then the obvious course of action is to move the tank. Not buy a fish just to do a job.

Again catfish4ever, I'm not having a go or trying to "outdo" anyone. All anyone can share is their experience and my experience is that buying a fish to solve a problem for you whether its a snail problem or algae problem just isn't a good idea.

I did say that buying an algae eater to solve it wasn't recommended.

 

[ian]

please keep this thread on track. There has been some needless spamming of threads of late and the mods are aware of this.

 

[coldcazzie]

I had coldwater tanks as a child and haven't had a tank in over 10 years. I do have a pool of koi in my back garden, and they have been waiting on a new pond for 2 years since I moved into my new house. I have spent the last 18months doing the house up. It is koi pond time very soon I know what I'm doing on that one. The place I buy food for the koi has an amazing set up of freshwater and tropical fish, and they had an ex display tank for sale. I walked past it several times and said I don't need a new money pit now I've just finished the house, and haven't done the koi pond yet, but in the end I caved!
I have had the tank empty even of water for 3 weeks whilst deciding what to put in it. I'd love a marine tank but realistically I don't want to spend that much time maintaining it, or spending a small fortune per fish to go in it! So I think I have decided on a heavily planted tropical tank. The problem is the only place I have to put the tank, where it would get seen often anyway, is in a very sunny kitchen and I'm worried about algae. I don't want a C02 set up, I'd like to work towards a low maintenance tank, I was hoping lots of plants would help stabilise things and I only want a few fish. So you are all probably shaking your heads as much as I am at my decision to buy a tank, but I bet you also know exactly what I'm talking about!
So the first of doubtless many questions;
1- is a planted tank in a sunny spot just asking for trouble?

What about buying a blind, or curtains so that the tank does not get direct sunlight all the time? Then buy yourself a timer and set the light to come on in the evening when the nautral light has faded - that way you get the light when you decide, not when the sun decides!

My tank is in a corner of my living room. It gets light reflecting off the floor into it during the afternoon in summer, and in the winter when the sun is lower I imagine it will get some direct light. I'm not worried about it, but then it's not constant. What hours does the tank recieve direct light?

It should be possible to do a tank heavily planted when it recieves direct sunlight. There's at least 2 members of the forum who have their planted tanks directly under windows, and others who have theirs on the window ledge with no light at all, meaning that the light the tank recieves is only sunlight. My advice on that would be to heavily plant from the outset, especially with lots of fast growing stems at first (which can be replaced later) and daily water changes while the nitrogen cycle settles itself. Then you can think about stocking and doing a silent cycle.

If you haven't read up on cycling yet, there are links in my sig - read the fishless and fish-in cycling threads first and make sure you understand the concept of cycling, then read the bits about silent cycling with plants.

If it were me I wouldn't be put off putting it there, I'd just buy a blind!

 

[Mowbz]

Why do you always want to outdo me? its really depressing

Micko wasnt trying to "outdo" you, but the purpose of this site is to share information and ideas, and the advice you gave was wrong. If you keep being "outdone" perhaps its due to the advice you are giving.

If a more experienced member spots a flaw in someones advice on this site, they will normally correct, in the nicest possible way, to stop the bad advice being taken. Happens to me, happens to peope that have been doing this years, thats how we grow our knowledge positively.......

 

[Whitey_144]

I personally think having an 'alge eater' is good to have not just for algae but because they are nice fish...so long as the tank conditions are ok and you know which fish it is (not going to grow into a monster), then i would add one personally, as i will be soon for my 4ft tank, any algae eaten is a bonus. But also remember that they will need correct feeding also.

I have a black out blind and still have algae issues! (which im trying to iron out), but i think direct sunlight is more risky...theres probably alage issues in any palce you put it, im sure heavy planting would help though.

 

[Whitey_144]

I personally think having an 'alge eater' is good to have not just for algae but because they are nice fish...so long as the tank conditions are ok and you know which fish it is (not going to grow into a monster), then i would add one personally, as i will be soon for my 4ft tank, any algae eaten is a bonus. But also remember that they will need correct feeding also.

I have a black out blind and still have algae issues! (which im trying to iron out), but i think direct sunlight is more risky...theres probably alage issues in any palce you put it, im sure heavy planting would help though.

ps i ran a marine tank before and i didnt find it much more costly than otehr types. Main extras i had were UV sterlizer & protein skimmer. lots of ocean rock, some live rock and coral sand. Admittedly the fish are expensive, but you have less of them too. maintenance was the same as usual except i aded salt (this can be expensive).

Still i look forward to seeing your setup, whichever type it is.

 

[essgee]

Thanks all. I am definitely going for a heavily planted tank, and hopefully I can get a stable enough ecosystem that algae isn't too hard to control. Whitey I am still very tempted by a Marine tank, I just love the corals, but I think given that my location is so sunny I will stick with the heavily planted tropical tank for now, and hey I can always annoy my housemates with a new and larger marine tank at a later date.... It's a slippery slope isn't it, and I don't even have water in the first tank yet!

 

[Whitey_144]

Thanks all. I am definitely going for a heavily planted tank, and hopefully I can get a stable enough ecosystem that algae isn't too hard to control. Whitey I am still very tempted by a Marine tank, I just love the corals, but I think given that my location is so sunny I will stick with the heavily planted tropical tank for now, and hey I can always annoy my housemates with a new and larger marine tank at a later date.... It's a slippery slope isn't it, and I don't even have water in the first tank yet!

it is indeed!

 

[essgee]

Ok it has all been set up for a week now. I did take a picture, resized it, then realised you can't directly upload onto here, (and I'm not opening a flickr account specially- or braving the ridicule on facebook!)
Anyway it all looks good, the fish shop people said to wait 2 weeks for the plants to root, then add a few minnows- ( not sure of the actual name, but they look like mint humbugs!) The only slight problem, if it is one, is that the tank has several small snails it in, and they are getting bigger and more numerous. I suspect the mint humbugs will eat them, but should I wait until then or remove them manually now?
Many thanks

 

[Miles_hot]

I thought you could upload direct from your PC/Mac? Don't you just browse to the picture and upload it (as long as it is less than 100K)? I've had hassle in the past however come back to it another time and it works. You do have to be using the full editor (add reply) rather than the box at the bottom of the thread....