Please Help? (for A Newbie)

[Le Sorcier]

Hi all,

I'm just starting with my Tropical Fish tank and want to make sure I don't make too much of a mess of it.

ie I want my fish to live and be healthy. Although I'm very keen to stock my tank as soon as possible I realise this may be a mistake.

I have a few questions if anyone could be so good as to help me out? (I realise the answers are probably already on here somewhere).

1) As a beginner, I'm starting out with a small tank (about 30cm x 30cm x 30cm) I believe this holds about 27 litres. How many fish should I have ideally?

2) I have a heater and a filter. Do I need an aeriator? Nobody mentioned this to me in the shop.

3) So far I have the tank running with just the heater and filter on after adding some dechlorinator. I was planning to add some plants in the next few days and then get the water tested after about 3 weeks to see if I could add some fish? Now I have stumbled across "cycling" which the shop didn't mention either. Is this another measure I need to take before adding any fish?

4) What would be the best fish to start off with?

Many thanks in advance
Le Sorcier

 

[shockshockshad]

It doesn't matter now, but the bigger the tank the easier it is. (like 120 liters.) What filter do you have? What size heater? Do you have 1mm gravel, fertilzer and CO2, and good lighting (for your tank, 7-21 watts. 7 for low-light plants, 21 for high light and 14 for medium light plants.) I wouldn't add plants if I were you. Don't want to make you feel bad, but there is not a lot that can go into your tank. 1 inch of fish per gallon. Maybe a school of 5 tetras, or or a betta. But do not think of fish yet. Do a fishless cycle. Here is how you do it. I prefer the add and wait method. I am in the process of it right now. You don't need an aeriator. It is just for our enjoyment, and fish to swim around in it. But with cycling, it helps make the bacteria grow better. You will need it for cycling. And if your tank is in an accident, like the filter stops, you can put your fish in a bucket How often do you plan to do water changes, gravel vacuum, and algae wipe? with a heater and an aeriator. We just need a little more info on your tank, then we can help you!

 

[Le Sorcier]

Hi,

I have an aqua-flow 1 inner filter, and a 55 watt heater. The lighting is an 11 watt 2 coloured PL lamp?!?

Got gravel, but fertilizer and CO2

I will gravel vac and algae wipe as often as necessary really.

From your post do you mean I should get an aeriator as it speeds up a fishless cycle, but the fish don't actually need it when they are in the tank?

Thanks

 

[shockshockshad]

Your equipment seems good. The CO2 and fertilizer would be if you wanted plants, and you would need 1-2 millimeter gravel. If you choose hardy plants, (amazon sword, elodea, java fern, java moss, crypts) you don't need CO2, but you always, for any aquatic plant, need ferilizer. Your wattage of you lighting is fine, but I am not sure what PL is. Do 25% water changes once a week and gravel vac and algae wipe every 2 weeks. As for the aeriator, yes thats what I mean. But if you get an air stone for the aeriator, it looks kind of nice (to me, maybe not to you). I see you have gravel, but is it very small? Is it special plant substrate? (like eco-complete, flourite...) If it isn't you need laterite. Laterite is a type of clay that contains iron, a special element that all plants (terrestial or aquatic) can't live without. If you have activated carbon in your tank, it will remove iron, so never replace that. It is not the most important filter media anyway. Hope this helps.

 

[arvlyn]

Hi,

The lighting is an 11 watt 2 coloured PL lamp?!?

Got gravel, but fertilizer and CO2

You don't need CO2 or higer wattage bulbs for a planted tank, but it does limit what types of plants you can have. Fertilizer is easy, there's a number of liquid fertizilers you can add to the tank water and there are tablets you can bury in the gravel.

 

[ibbledibble]

i was told its possible to use rabbit droppings as fertiliser. just buried in the roots. not sure how well it would work? its not much use to me as i don't have a rabbit. lol. but i thought id put it out there for those who do. and i have never used co2 in my tanks very rarely used fertiliser and used aquaglow lightbulbs for the right light spectrum and they always seemed to thrive. i think co2 is only really necessary if you plan to do a whole planted tank display. not if you just want the odd few plants in there.

 

[Le Sorcier]

Thanks 4 the advice guys.

 

[granpa]

Sorry i am new to these boards,but i must disagree with something you said, the airstone actually does help the bubbles breaking out on the top of the water help with the take up of oxygen from the atmosphere, any water movement will help with this i often use a spray bar.