Small Tank Help ...

[kakihara]

Hi,

I just bought a tank I bought from a guy who advertised in the Buy and Sell.

It's a 25 ltr clearseal tank, dimensions of 24 x 8 x 8 (although it seems small it's a perfect for my kitchen).

It came with a filter, though I'm not too sure about it ... (its an Atman power liquid filter - has anyone heard of these ... it looks kind of basic ... it only has a carbon insert? Can a filter just have carbon??) a Rena Cal 50W heater and a plastic hood (not hinged, no food access, just the basic hood).

The only real problem I can see is that there was no light.

Can anyone recommend a way I could light this tank, as I don't think the hood has space for a light (though I might be wrong. I assume that clearseal hoods are built to house a light?) and I would like to have a couple of live plants in it, or at least some java moss.

Also what fish could I keep in there. I already have a tank with Neons, Danios and Platties, so a change from them would be nice.

Any help regarding this set up would be appreciated, as I am hoping to get my sister interested in fishkeeping and if I can show her that aquariums don't have to be big to be beautiful then maybe she'll take up the hobby

Keith

 

[PaulEbs]

Hey,

You could turn it into a beautiful little aquarium for a Dwarf Puffer.

And with the lighting it depends on how much you want to spend, you can pick up light units under a fiver on ebay, and the bulbs are cheap too. However, you leave it open topped with a powerful lamp overhead?

Do you have a budget or are you looking to spend no money?

Paul.

 

[raptorrex]

Hi,

I just bought a tank I bought from a guy who advertised in the Buy and Sell.

It's a 25 ltr clearseal tank, dimensions of 24 x 8 x 8 (although it seems small it's a perfect for my kitchen).

It came with a filter, though I'm not too sure about it ... (its an Atman power liquid filter - has anyone heard of these ... it looks kind of basic ... it only has a carbon insert? Can a filter just have carbon??) a Rena Cal 50W heater and a plastic hood (not hinged, no food access, just the basic hood).

The only real problem I can see is that there was no light.

Can anyone recommend a way I could light this tank, as I don't think the hood has space for a light (though I might be wrong. I assume that clearseal hoods are built to house a light?) and I would like to have a couple of live plants in it, or at least some java moss.

Also what fish could I keep in there. I already have a tank with Neons, Danios and Platties, so a change from them would be nice.

Any help regarding this set up would be appreciated, as I am hoping to get my sister interested in fishkeeping and if I can show her that aquariums don't have to be big to be beautiful then maybe she'll take up the hobby

Keith

the carbon will need changed often, as these filters often only have a small foam sheet around the carbon so its a mechanical more than a bio filter.

Hey,

You could turn it into a beautiful little aquarium for a Dwarf Puffer.

And with the lighting it depends on how much you want to spend, you can pick up light units under a fiver on ebay, and the bulbs are cheap too. However, you leave it open topped with a powerful lamp overhead?

Do you have a budget or are you looking to spend no money?

Paul.

the puffer sounds like a good choice, just that filter may need an upgrade and they seem to be a brackish fish so bare that in mind. the only eat none dried food too snails are good, they keep its teeth trimmed.

 

[voo]

Dwarf puffers aren't brackish, they'll live in freshwater.

 

[Coomon10]

I have a hagen elite mini filter for my 25l tank. It came with a black sponge, it crossed my mind (but only for a second- I assumed it was just the colour) that this might be a carbon sponge, so is this likely to be the case and it will remove the meds i put in?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Dwarf puffers aren't brackish, they'll live in freshwater.

there are different sorts of DP's, some FW and some Brackish

 

[babybell911]

I have my betta in the same tank i use a powerful lamp overhead.
Dwarf puffers are freshwater and excellent fish they are full of personality and always come to greet you when you walk in to the room
EDIT: just seen miss wiggles comment thought all DP's were the same hope mine are freshwater then!

 

[OohFeeshy]

[there are different sorts of DP's, some FW and some Brackish

Not really, unless you get really unlucky and find yourself being conned into a F8 puffer, no brackish puffers are remotely 'dwarfs'.

 

[raptorrex]

Dwarf puffers aren't brackish, they'll live in freshwater.

seems even dwarf puffers benifit from a little salt.

 

[kakihara]

That idea about the Dwarf Puffer is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to hear Paul, it's something a bit different. I'd never even have thought of something like that, cheers

I am not against spending money for the tank, but I don't want to go overboard with the spending. I would have assumed I needed a new filter anyway, but I'll have to look for ones that will (a) fit into the tank and (B) have at least a 2 stage filter.

As for the light well I think it will have to be housed into the hood somehow, as I just recalled that there's no real space for a desklamp where I would be positioning the tank.

I read the thread about the puffers and they seem to like heavily planted tanks, or at least somehting with places to explore. What would you reccommend I add to the tank to keep it happy?

Thanks for the help

Keith

 

[Miss Wiggle]

[there are different sorts of DP's, some FW and some Brackish

Not really, unless you get really unlucky and find yourself being conned into a F8 puffer, no brackish puffers are remotely 'dwarfs'.

do F8's get big then? seen loads of them sold as dwarves..... another one for the rubbish lfs's post?!?

 

[babybell911]

They like to explore so go for caves and terracotta pots loadsa plants and things to hunt around. Maybe a rock with loadsa nooks in. My three love to hunt around

 

[Miss Wiggle]

That idea about the Dwarf Puffer is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to hear Paul, it's something a bit different. I'd never even have thought of something like that, cheers

I am not against spending money for the tank, but I don't want to go overboard with the spending. I would have assumed I needed a new filter anyway, but I'll have to look for ones that will (a) fit into the tank and (B) have at least a 2 stage filter.

As for the light well I think it will have to be housed into the hood somehow, as I just recalled that there's no real space for a desklamp where I would be positioning the tank.

I read the thread about the puffers and they seem to like heavily planted tanks, or at least somehting with places to explore. What would you reccommend I add to the tank to keep it happy?

Thanks for the help

Keith

you could always go for an external filter, then you don't have to worry about fitting it into the tank and virtually all of them have about 3 compartments so you can ahve v good filtration.

 

[demonmagus]

isn't that a bit too much? the current would be very high

 

[Miss Wiggle]

depends entirley on the filter and the stocking, yeash putting an FX5 on it would probably be overkill but you can get much smaller externals. Like I say it depends what fish you want to keep, yes an external might be too much but it's worth looking into.