Our Return To Tropical Fishkeeping

[Tim_UK]

We bought a small tank yesterday for £65 - an AquaStart 340 Pro - 40 litres - my wife choose the tank as it is really going to be her hobby and it seems quite nice - particuarly the filter - a simple above water multi compartment one across the length of the tank which reminded me of the filters in my pond only on a much smaller scale !

However not the best start as we discovered on unpacking that the tiny hinges on the feeding door is broken so it will have to go back today for hopefully a replacement as a repair seemed too fidly.

I am planning on using some silver sand rather than gravel and I have some old bogwood from my previous large tanks which I hope will be ok once it has been cleaned up as it hasn't be touched for a few years.

What is the current advice about adding water conditioners etc and is it ok to add plants straight away - only with having to make the journey back to swap the tank would be handy to get some plants at same time.

Grateful of any advice.

 

[chrisbassist]

If you plan on doing a fishless cycle then it's easier to wait until it's finished.
If going fish in then by all means get as many plants as you can to help the water stats...

Have a read up on fishless cycling in the beginners resource, it isvtge best way to do it.

 

[Assaye]

We bought a small tank yesterday for £65 - an AquaStart 340 Pro - 40 litres - my wife choose the tank as it is really going to be her hobby and it seems quite nice - particuarly the filter - a simple above water multi compartment one across the length of the tank which reminded me of the filters in my pond only on a much smaller scale !

However not the best start as we discovered on unpacking that the tiny hinges on the feeding door is broken so it will have to go back today for hopefully a replacement as a repair seemed too fidly.

I am planning on using some silver sand rather than gravel and I have some old bogwood from my previous large tanks which I hope will be ok once it has been cleaned up as it hasn't be touched for a few years.

What is the current advice about adding water conditioners etc and is it ok to add plants straight away - only with having to make the journey back to swap the tank would be handy to get some plants at same time.

Grateful of any advice.

When adding plants it is best to consider how you want to start up the tank. If you di a traditional "fish-in" cycle, you'll want to get plants in ASAP as they will use some of the ammonia the fish produce and help keep the tank a bit safer for the fish while the cycle progresses. The more plants you have, the safer the tank will be. An exceptionally heavily planted tank with limited fish stock can even be run without a biological filter but I wouldn't suggest opting for that method without considerable research. If you di a "fishless" cycle (my recommendation), then avoid plants until it is done. Light + ammonia = algae. If you don't have plants, you can keep the tank blacked out while you cycle.

Water conditioners = a must, in my opinion. These days a good water conditioner removes all sorts of nasties, from chlorine to heavy metals and ammonia. Some run tanks without water conditioner but I think it's something you should discover for yourself. Doing something a little reckless and against advice can work (and some members here will tell you this and that is the best way) but I always advise people to play it safe until they have the experience to bend the rules a bit. Seachem Prime is the water conditioner we normally recommend as it is excellent and very economical.

What sort of stock are you planning? With 40 litres you could make a stunning display but you are severely limited on the size of fish you should consider.