Quick Question On Tanks And Positioning

[Ryandsimmons]

Sorry, I bet you get loads of these sort of questions.

My wife and I are looking at ordering a tropical fish tank before the new year and was wondering if anyone was willing to chime in with a couple of tips?

Firstly we are going to be putting the tank on one of these console tables I assume that would be strong enough, it is a very solid piece of furniture.

Tank wise we are looking at either a 125 or 200 liter in one of these tanks. The tank only obviously, they are £150 and £200 respectvely. I'd prefer the 200 litre, but it will overhang the back of the table by 5cm, would this be a killer? would the tank be safe or would I need to modify the table etc? Andd what is the recomended minimum tank size for a decent setup?

At the moment we are just looking at the basic tank, and setup, step 2 will be looking at the fish and other equipment later.

 

[waterdrop]

No, you can't overhang the support. The area directly beneath the vertical walls must be direct loadbearing. Tanks can't transfer horizontal support, the glass/seams would fail immediately upon filling probably.

The table looks sturdy and would probably be fine for a tank that fits it but it might be better to consider that a tank that size would be better off with an external cannister filter that would need to sit below the tank. That's the main reason people have tank stand/cabinets, to handle the equipment, the filter, the electricity cables, and of course supplies and what-not are more accessible.

This is not to say you couldn't use an HOB or internal, I'm just suggesting that the nicest direction to go in would be an external and so you might want to take some time to discuss filtration and this overall topic with the members. The hobby is all about "slow," so its also good to get used to taking your time over all the learning and decisions.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[mattlee]

Hi, most people will say to get the biggest tank you can give a home to/afford. you can have a decent setup in a small tank it just depends what type of fish, shrimp etc you want to keep... i would advise you to research fish before getting the tank this way you can choose the species you want and get the tank to suit. when looking at fish always take their adult size into account as they all look quite small in the shops, for example an angel fish can be bought at the size of a 50p but looked after it will grow anything up to 6/7 inches long and very tall as it has long fins. things like red tail sharks grow to about 5/6 inches but need alot of room as they get teritorial with age and will stress or even kill fish in its way... and silver sharks need to be in groups, grow very big and eventually need a very large tank. other types like certain catfish and plecs can grow too big for a home tank but are still sold at shops so i would check out different fish before you buy them. also you need to get fish that need the same water temps and conditions for a better healthier set up. if you have hard water then certain fish like discus will not last long, if you have high pH then fish like tetras may not survive long. things can be bought to change pH but its not recomended to start throwing chemicals into the water a steady pH is better than a fluctuating one as the fish can acclimatise to a steady water condition. compatability of fish is also a factor to look at as some just dont get on with others, some fish also need alot more care and looking after as they are more sensitive like discus, rainbow fish, altum angels etc etc so depending on how much time you are willing to give your tank also depends on the fish you can keep. a recomended 20/30% water change every week should keep most fish happy as long as the water going in the tank is treated with dechlorinator and is at the tanks temperature or within a couple of degrees. too cold will stress the fish and too warm will stress the fish! if fish get too stressed then they are liable to diseases etc which can be a right pain to rid and if not treated can wipeout yor entire tank
i hope i have not put you off but its best to know some things before you go buying tanks and fish, if you need any advice then just ask on here as there are plenty of people with lots and lots of fish keeping experience who dont mind assisting people new or old so dont be affraid to ask no matter how silly the question is
one last thing check out the cycle feature pinned on this site it will tell you how to get the tank ready for fish. most people recommend the fishless cycle as it involves alot less work and no dead fish but can take longer to get the tank/filter readyto introduce your fish.
good luck imsure you will figure it out just do your research first.
Matt

 

[Ryandsimmons]

Many thanks for the replies.

Got a bit paranoid about weight, also was thinking about how much time cleaning will take so thought I'd better start with the smaller one. Also a "proper" cabinet will be more secure. Just ordered one of these... http/www.seapets.co.uk/products/fluval-roma-125-aquarium-and-cabinet-oak.html

Got to be honest I am getting overwhelmed here with so many different things to do to begin, mostly the cycling. I was aware that the upkeep of fish was hard, but had no idea that the initial phase was so difficult. Luckily I have a decent aquarium near me (Aquazoo in Croydon) so will head over there and have a chat with the staff there over options, hopefully they will be able to sell me some mature media as that is looking to be the easiest way for me to start. I'll try to get it all started fairly soon as I have 3 weeks off over christmas so will be able to spend more time than otherwise cleaning etc.

As regards the choice of fish, I think I will have to do that in conjunction with the guys there as well, I'd rather go for an informed choice than something expensive and disastrous I'll regret later.

 

[aly_starh]

hiya, as good as you say your Local fish shop maybe, the majority of fish shops are not to be belived. They will sell you a lkarge qauntity of fish for the money during your tank cycle, they will die then they might offer you a product for your water etc. More money for them

The best thing i'd say is when making choices of fish ask on the forum, as we will inform you from experience Other than that your good to go.

Are you going to Fish-In cycle or Fish-Less cycle?

 

[Ryandsimmons]

hiya, as good as you say your Local fish shop maybe, the majority of fish shops are not to be belived. They will sell you a lkarge qauntity of fish for the money during your tank cycle, they will die then they might offer you a product for your water etc. More money for them

The best thing i'd say is when making choices of fish ask on the forum, as we will inform you from experience Other than that your good to go.

Are you going to Fish-In cycle or Fish-Less cycle?

I have no idea how "good" the local shop is, I just know they are really friendly. Good point there, I need to be more cynical. Ideally I'd like the tank to be ready by the 7th of January as up to that point I'll have loads of time off work. After that I will be restricted to being able to guarentee one test a day at most thanks to work and will very very much struggle to manage daily changes. It gets delivered friday so I can make a start. I am more prone to the Fish In cycle, but that is more a gut feeling, and I need to research more. From what I read that is the quicker cycle though?

I am off on holiday from 21st - 30th January, so my goal is to have by the 7th January a cycled tank, then end of January start introducing. (I'd like to introduce sooner obviously but am trying to curb my excitement and be patient and do things properly.)

 

[aly_starh]

Good Good, i personally did a fish-in cycle with my tank too (with a few disasters)
These links are really good: Fish-In Cycle Fish-Less Cycle

Good choice of tank too!

 

[OohFeeshy]

If testing and water changes is problem, then fishless will be much easier. I wouldn't say either method is quicker (well, I would personally say fishless was because you build up a lot of bacteria in one go rather than a few more slowly), but if you've got fish in the tank while it's cycling then they're going to be a lot more bothered about ammonia or nitrite building up than anything that can happen in a fishless cycle. No water changes required until the end, you don't need to test it that often, doesn't require much effort other than adding a few ml of ammonia every few days or so.

 

[the duck]

Many thanks for the replies.

Got a bit paranoid about weight, also was thinking about how much time cleaning will take so thought I'd better start with the smaller one. Also a "proper" cabinet will be more secure. Just ordered one of these... http/www.seapets.co.uk/products/fluval-roma-125-aquarium-and-cabinet-oak.html

Got to be honest I am getting overwhelmed here with so many different things to do to begin, mostly the cycling. I was aware that the upkeep of fish was hard, but had no idea that the initial phase was so difficult. Luckily I have a decent aquarium near me (Aquazoo in Croydon) so will head over there and have a chat with the staff there over options, hopefully they will be able to sell me some mature media as that is looking to be the easiest way for me to start. I'll try to get it all started fairly soon as I have 3 weeks off over christmas so will be able to spend more time than otherwise cleaning etc.

As regards the choice of fish, I think I will have to do that in conjunction with the guys there as well, I'd rather go for an informed choice than something expensive and disastrous I'll regret later.

Unfortunately, fish shops have a huge reputation for down right lieing, or just not knowing what they are talking about.I just had a fish get killed because the fish store didn't tell me it wasn't compatible.

Having a bigger tank might mean 5-10 more minutes of work every two weeks, but I personally think the benefits, such as more stable water quality and space for fish, greatly outway the extra time spent on the tank.

Also, I did a fish-i cycle on my first tank and I had to watch 7 of my fish die....From then on I switched to fishles

 

[ZebraDanioFan]

if you decide to limit yourself to specifically this dresser, you are going to go with a tank with the right diameter to fit on there...i dont know about those legs on that dresser...you might run into trouble without seeing it in person

if dont decide to limit yourself to this dresser, in my opinion 75 gallon fish tanks are the most versatile

 

[onebto]

Many thanks for the replies.

Got a bit paranoid about weight, also was thinking about how much time cleaning will take so thought I'd better start with the smaller one. Also a "proper" cabinet will be more secure. Just ordered one of these... http/www.seapets.c...abinet-oak.html

Got to be honest I am getting overwhelmed here with so many different things to do to begin, mostly the cycling. I was aware that the upkeep of fish was hard, but had no idea that the initial phase was so difficult. Luckily I have a decent aquarium near me (Aquazoo in Croydon) so will head over there and have a chat with the staff there over options, hopefully they will be able to sell me some mature media as that is looking to be the easiest way for me to start. I'll try to get it all started fairly soon as I have 3 weeks off over christmas so will be able to spend more time than otherwise cleaning etc.

As regards the choice of fish, I think I will have to do that in conjunction with the guys there as well, I'd rather go for an informed choice than something expensive and disastrous I'll regret later.

Croydon Surrey? Have you been to heritage aquatics in Wallington fantastic shop fish prices are okay except there tanks and other hardware can be a little pricey nice bunch of people there very helpful.

I had a look in that Aquazoo in the Whitgift centre isn't it? yeah it seemed okay I did not buy any thing in there as it seemed a little pricey.

But be cautious what any LFS says and back it up with research

Sounds like your close to me when you get your tank if you need some mature media to boost your cycle message me more than happy to help

 

[Ryandsimmons]

Croydon Surrey? Have you been to heritage aquatics in Wallington fantastic shop fish prices are okay except there tanks and other hardware can be a little pricey nice bunch of people there very helpful.

I had a look in that Aquazoo in the Whitgift centre isn't it? yeah it seemed okay I did not buy any thing in there as it seemed a little pricey.

But be cautious what any LFS says and back it up with research

Sounds like your close to me when you get your tank if you need some mature media to boost your cycle message me more than happy to help

Actually I am in Sutton, just down the road, but Croydon is where I was looking at the fish in Aquazoo. I have no idea about the quality but what they have there is awesome presentation, they really "sell" you on the idea. I'll head out to Wallington to have a look on the weekend, I need to pick up a water testing kit and will be nice to get an idea of fish prices. Many many thanks on the offer of helping with media as well. If I can get some media then I'll probably try a fishless cycle.

Since you live in the area do you have an idea of what I should look for regarding the local water? I notice a few posts around stating you need to tailor your fish to the local PH level etc? My dream tank would have angel fish, a red tailed shark, and some tiger barbs. An eel and a algae eater. Angel fish and Red Shark as centrepiece, barbs make a nice mini shoal, eel looks good hiding in a nice rock and every tank seems to need an algae eater. Now I find out angel fish grow a lot, and tiger bards will nip at them, so I need todo some decent research. Scenery wise I was thinking having a nice rock one end of the tank, with a few plants towards the back on the other half.

Thanks everyone else for the help, I have definitely gone for the 125 litre (around 27.5 gallons)given the size of my flat and budget it is a nice size for me. £200 including cabinet, gravel, filter, heater, background etc sounds like a decent deal delivered.

for reference it has:
125 Litre tank
Fluval U3 internal filter
Tronic 150 watt heater
Fluval GLO lighting, one of each 20watt PowerGlo & AquaGlo.
LCD thermometer, Fluval Aquarium Care Guide.
100ml Nutrafin Aqua Plus & Cycle. 26g Nutrafin Tropical Flake food.
20 kg of gravel
Gravel cleaner (Looks like a siphon one?)
Fish net


None of this means anything to me really to be honest, but the reviews seem ok. Is there anything else I must buy apart from a water testing kit at this point?

 

[onebto]

Sutton yeah I am quite close to you I live in Carshalton.

Heritage aquatics is quite tucked away here is there website: http/heritageaquatics.com/

Here is a link to the directions page:http:

http/heritageaquatics.com/mapanddirections.htm

Dont forget to check out the whole place the marine section is amazing even if your just into tropical

There closed Mondays also while your there there is a large garden centre round the corner called Woodcote's they have an Aquarium section which is okay they have good fish and a little cheaper than heritage anyway its worth a look.

Test kits Api fresh water master test kit is what i would recommend and ebay is the cheapest infact i do not think either heritage or woodcite sell them, but cant be sure anyway definatley cheaper on ebay a link:

http/shop.ebay.co....t+Kit&_osacat=0

Water yeah Sutton waters PH is quite high close to 7.8 last I checked

Your wish list of fish I am no expert when it comes to fish stocking but I think you will find the Angel and red tipped shark for sure will get far to big for that tank.

Getting into this hobby needs research and study to get things write and thats were this forum comes in so handy you have thousands of enthuisiasts that look after fish treat all the problems and have all the experiance who are happy to help versus one or two people in your LFS who may mean well and may well know alot but still have to apease there boss and sell sell sell.

Anyway stocking your tank comes later you will have plenty of time to do some study first you got to get your tank set up and cycled.

I recomend you check this page out and study the topics it will hold you in good standing:

http/www.fishforum...esource-center/


regards onebto

 

[Ryandsimmons]

Sorry am a bit confused. If I do a fishless cycle I understand the ammonia additions etc and what to look out for. However I am slightly confused by the starting point.

I get my tank, set it all up then leave running for a few days to clear air bubbles etc and stabilize temperature. I add the plants and rock at this point? I then add the ammonia to start the cycle.

Assuming I have no mature media that will start the cycle?

And if one has mature media, how much is it likely to affect the duration? What are the ballpark figures for a 125 litre tank with and without media? (Actually it comes with Nutrafin cycle if that helps.)

 

[OldMan47]

There is no reason to set the tank up and let it run a few days. Start with a tank with dechlorinated water in it and whatever you intend to use as a substrate. Plants and rocks can go in before, during or after the cycle. The cycle starts when you add the ammonia. The Nutrafin Cycle seems to do nothing, although I am sure they would disagree. Ballpark figures for a typical cycle of any size tank is 4 to 8 weeks without any mature media and quite often less than a week if you can find mature and healthy media to seed the filter. We do see the extreme cases on here where for some reason people have a hard time starting a cycle or it becomes stubborn and just will not finish. The starter for a cycle is thought to be the bacteria that survive the water treatment that is done by the water company. You take those few surviving bacteria and nurse them back to health with dechlorination and a steady supply of ammonia.