Quick Question On Tanks And Positioning

[waterdrop]

Yes, I'd follow OM47's excellent and succinct initial startup information there. Resist the temptation to feel overwhelmed! You are, in my opinion, quite lucky to have stumbled across this band of serious hobbyists. Much of the advice they give is leading edge I think and easily surpasses the best of books and typical advice given in previous years. Your first several weeks or couple of months here doing a fishless cycle is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the best of beginner learning. While the the fishless cycle is taking place and forcing you to learn the basics of aquarium water chemistry there are ample opportunities to learn other maintenance essentials and to work on an initial stocking that you'll understand and that will avoid beginner frustration better than if you just guessed at it with the haphazard advice of even the best of local shops.

In my opinion one should appreciate and cultivate a certain type of relationship with any good local shops one can reach. But the -relationship- should be one more of observing closely what they have and what they can possibly get for you and can allow you to see in person, -rather- than seeking or particularly taking any water chem, medicinal, or maintenance advice without verifying it elsewhere prior to adoption.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Ryandsimmons]

Quick question regarding Angel fish. Most sites I have been looking at say a minimum 20 gallon tank (some 25, some 30) with around 14 inches of vertical minimum.

If I understock would it be ok to have an angel fish in a 125l (27.5 gallon) tank? Or are there certain species of them that are of reduced size?

 

[onebto]

As mentioned before I live just round the corner and will happily supply some mature media if you would like?

As for the Angel fish I hope I am write in saying vary rarely will under stocking your tank, allow you to home certain species of fish I do not have Angels but of what I have read its the issue of the physical size of an Angel when adult and the physical size of your tank for certain fish its just morally wrong to keep them in a certain size tank. Also in a lot of cases keeping certain species in an under sized tank can cause them all sorts of stress and fish usually do not react to stress very well. I think the tank you are getting is just to small for Angels I hope someone with more knowledge than I will come along and agree with me or put me write.

Regards onebto

 

[Ryandsimmons]

As mentioned before I live just round the corner and will happily supply some mature media if you would like?

As for the Angel fish I hope I am write in saying vary rarely will under stocking your tank, allow you to home certain species of fish I do not have Angels but of what I have read its the issue of the physical size of an Angel when adult and the physical size of your tank for certain fish its just morally wrong to keep them in a certain size tank. Also in a lot of cases keeping certain species in an under sized tank can cause them all sorts of stress and fish usually do not react to stress very well. I think the tank you are getting is just to small for Angels I hope someone with more knowledge than I will come along and agree with me or put me write.

Regards onebto

Again, thank you very much, I will take you up on that. I'll take the consensus and skip on the angel. The tank comes on friday, the Api Master Water test kit was posted today, so I am really excited now. Starting to have a look around at the fish I like the look of. I am actually quite falling for the non fish stuff as well, particularly the frogs, snails and shrimps that I see people have recomended from the other stocking threads. I'll be paying a visit to the Heritage Aquatics on this weekend to get a good look at some live fish. The weekend after is both my birthday and an events day there, so I have an excuse to drag my wife down there and pick up whatever plants I have decided on and possibly fish depending on the tank situation.

Given money is tight around christmas as well I'll be able to quite easily be able to manage the slow stocking of the tank over several months.

 

[waterdrop]

A typical very good stocking pattern (although of course they vary widely) I see here is to perform a successful fishless cycle (this averages 3 weeks to 2 months and its length is necessarily unpredictable) during which the stocking plan is revised and some basics about plants are perhaps discussed, then, at the end of the cycle a fairly large initial stocking takes place but leaves out some of the more sensitive or expensive fish. The robust colonies of bacteria drop back a little in size to match this initial stocking and then over the next few months, depending on species, you add small additions of 2 or so fish at a time until you reach the goal of your stocking plan.

~~waterdrop~~