Our first tank

[styla12]

Water information for my area is:

The water in your area is very hard.

To help set your domestic appliances, the water hardness in different units is:
	366 mg/l (or parts per million)	Calcium Carbonate
	146.4 mg/l (or parts per million)	Calcium
	25.474 °C	Degrees Clark
	36.6 °F	Degrees French
	20.789 °dH	Degrees German
	3.66 mmol/l	:Millimoles

Aside from the catfish/loach recommendations for general fish I would stick some fancy guppies in the tank.

Great fish for hard water and quite lively and beautiful to look at. Mixing diet between floating flakes and sinking pellets will ensure them and the Danios are fed.

Could also stick in some Platies and Mollies they're good fish for your tank size. Don't go.for the larger Mollies like Sailfin as they usually need at least a 120L tank. Also if you're getting multiple of these consider the female and male ratio of 3:1 or only have females so hopefully no babies (unless they already carrying sperm!)

 

[Retired Viking]

If you do not want to deal with fry, try and pick up males only. Most of these hard water fish @styla12 mention breed like rabbits

 

[styla12]

If you do not want to deal with fry, try and pick up males only. Most of these hard water fish @styla12 mention breed like rabbits

Haha that's true!

I've only kept Male Guppies myself the female ones aren't so beautiful and colourful to me.

Mollies I've got male and female so let's see what happens there haha. Issue with only males increases chance of fighting and nipping fins I guess

 

[Retired Viking]

Haha that's true!

I've only kept Male Guppies myself the female ones aren't so beautiful and colourful to me.

Mollies I've got male and female so let's see what happens there haha. Issue with only males increases chance of fighting and nipping fins I guess

I picked up some feeder guppies to help me to cycle a tank using the silent/planted cycle method. They were all fry at the time. I ended up with 7 females and 1 male. He had a great time and before I knew it I had a tank full of fry. (I have never lost a fish doing cycling this way) I moved them to my RES turtle tank . The turtles seem to ignore them so now there is around 80-90.

 

[fishy_sean94]

Guppies was actually what we wanted to start off with as I'd read that they were also good to cycle the tank with, however when going to buy some was told the danio's would be better for our water conditions at first.
Not that I'm dissapointed, as I really love the danio's we got, they're very lively and entertaining to watch

I think I'll end up getting some male guppies (5-6?) to add some more colour and then a loach/catfish.

Would those with the danio's we already have be the recommended maximum for this tank?

 

[styla12]

Guppies was actually what we wanted to start off with as I'd read that they were also good to cycle the tank with, however when going to buy some was told the danio's would be better for our water conditions at first.
Not that I'm dissapointed, as I really love the danio's we got, they're very lively and entertaining to watch

I think I'll end up getting some male guppies (5-6?) to add some more colour and then a loach/catfish.

Would those with the danio's we already have be the recommended maximum for this tank?

Danios are one of the best if not the best cycling fish. I started with them too as they're very hardy fish. They are super active and great fish to have in the tank anyways really bring it to life.

Loach and catfish need a more mature tank with algae to graze on almost 24/7 lol! so getting those after the guppies would be a good idea. You will be fine with 5-6 guppies for sure.

 

[styla12]

I picked up some feeder guppies to help me to cycle a tank using the silent/planted cycle method. They were all fry at the time. I ended up with 7 females and 1 male. He had a great time and before I knew it I had a tank full of fry. (I have never lost a fish doing cycling this way) I moved them to my RES turtle tank . The turtles seem to ignore them so now there is around 80-90.

I actually cycled using Tetra Safe Start and immediately adding Danios and it worked a treat.

Left them for 2 weeks and my nitrogen cycle was over. I know many people don't recommend this method on this forum but it worked a treat for me.

Now I have around 60 fish in my 240L tank and a bunch of happy fish.

 

[Retired Viking]

I actually cycled using Tetra Safe Start and immediately adding Danios and it worked a treat.

Left them for 2 weeks and my nitrogen cycle was over. I know many people don't recommend this method on this forum but it worked a treat for me.

Now I have around 60 fish in my 240L tank and a bunch of happy fish.

Yes I agree, I used Tetra SafeStart Plus to cycle my bother-in-laws 20 gallon tank. It is a very good product and I have recommended it to others on this forum. I like doing the planted/silent cycle because I like planted tanks and it works out nicely with me starting out by planting the tank and moving on to adding the fish.

 

[Guppy10]

I agree with all the above. Just can't wait to get out of this lockdown and progress my hobby. I desperately need more cory in my main tank. My albino used to swim around n around n a loop continuously ,,,,until I got others,,, then he settled down n was sociable. They were bad fish as all died in a few days so now he's back on his own swimming around n around etc. I feel sorry for him as I'd over to try new mates for him but we are shut down now n it's a ghost town...anyone remember ghost town by the specials ? Feels like that tbh.

 

[styla12]

I agree with all the above. Just can't wait to get out of this lockdown and progress my hobby. I desperately need more cory in my main tank. My albino used to swim around n around n a loop continuously ,,,,until I got others,,, then he settled down n was sociable. They were bad fish as all died in a few days so now he's back on his own swimming around n around etc. I feel sorry for him as I'd over to try new mates for him but we are shut down now n it's a ghost town...anyone remember ghost town by the specials ? Feels like that tbh.

My LFS is actually still open since people need to buy fish foods and medicine etc. So if you go grocery shopping could find one nearby or so.

 

[fishy_sean94]

Just finished changing 50% of the tanks water.
I tried my best at keeping it at the same temperature as what was already in there and think I almost did it perfectly (thermometer is reading 1 degree lower).

The fish are all hanging around at the bottom of the tank together at the moment though which is unusual for them.
Are they just a bit stressed from the new water going in? Am hoping they get back to normal soon.

 

[Essjay]

With a 57 litre (15 gallon) tank and very hard water (366 ppm and 21 dH) a good choice of fish would be male endlers. Small, brightly coloured hard water fish. No females as the tank is too small to cope with a lot of fry.

 

[styla12]

Just finished changing 50% of the tanks water.
I tried my best at keeping it at the same temperature as what was already in there and think I almost did it perfectly (thermometer is reading 1 degree lower).

The fish are all hanging around at the bottom of the tank together at the moment though which is unusual for them.
Are they just a bit stressed from the new water going in? Am hoping they get back to normal soon.

Sometimes this can be caused by stress due to sudden water temperature change or just sudden change of water or its parameters .

Did you remember to add dechlorinator?

 

[fishy_sean94]

Sometimes this can be caused by stress due to sudden water temperature change or just sudden change of water or its parameters .

Did you remember to add dechlorinator?

I did

 

[JuiceBox52]

I would suggest endlers and guppies as well