Starting A New Tanks Tomorrow

[stanster]

After years of thinking about it, I've finally bought a smallish tank (68 L) and am setting it up tomorrow so that it'll be ready to stock when I get back from holiday.

I'm pretty clueless as though to what I should stock with ?

I think I can get around 15-20 fish and will start of with a group of small shoaling fish ie tetras , 6-8 maybe ??

What else should I look at putting in ?

Thanks

 

[fluttermoth]

to the forum, stanster.

First of all, just leaving a tank running will not get it ready for fish.

The essential thing you need is the right kind of bacteria growing in the filter. They will eat the ammonia produced by the fish and stop it building up in the water and poisoning them. This is called 'cycling'.

Unless there is some ammonia added to the tank, there won't be any food and the bacteria won't grow.

There are two ways of cycling a tank (well, technically the filter); fish-in and fishless.

In fish-in cycling it's the fish themselves that produce the ammonia. The trouble with this method is that you can't allow ammonia to build up in the water, so you'll be having to do daily (at least) large water changes to stop the fish getting sick or even dying, which can be a lot of hard work for you, and can be very distressing to the fish if you get it even slightly wrong.

In a fishless cycle (which is what we always recommend here) you add small doses of household cleaning ammonia to the tank to replicate what will be produced by the fish, until all the bacteria have grown and colonised your filter.

You can cycle much faster if you can get old of some already cycled filter media (that's all the ceramic rings or sponges inside the filter), either from a friend's tank or some LFS (local fish shops) will give you some.

There are more details about both methods in our beginner's resource centre (the link for that is in my sig), which would be a really good idea for you to have a look at

As for stocking; 15 to 20 fish sounds very ambitious, unless they're very, very tiny ones. We can't really advise you as to suitable species until we know the dimensions of the tank (as some fish need more swimming room than others, and you don't want to end up with fish that can't turn around!) and whether your water is hard or soft.

Hope that helps; sorry if at all sounds a bit overwhelming!

 

[SandraNewbie]

am setting it up tomorrow so that it'll be ready to stock when I get back from holiday.

If you don't have some way of adding ammonia over your holiday, it won't be cycled by the time you get back from holiday.

Read this link on fishless cycling (a must read for any tank)

I think I can get around 15-20 fish and will start of with a group of small shoaling fish ie tetras , 6-8 maybe ??

I've seen from others that tetra's can be a bit sensitive in a new tank. In order to best advise you it would help to know the full dimensions of your tank, the filter you've got, your local water chemistry and what sort of maintenance schedule you'd like.

For reference a shoal of 8 or so Neon tetra's is a very reasonable shoal to have in a community tank of that size.

 

[Murrayjane]

Hey, I am stoked about your new tank. Congrats!

Unfortunately, a 68 liter (Estimating: 15-20 gallon) tank cannot hold 20 fish. A general rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per gallon. However, depending on what type of fish you decide on getting may require more swimming space.

If you are content with tetras then you could definitely get away with 6-10 in the 68 liter.

If you stick with 6-8 tetras (depending on what species), you could also consider the following:

Dwarf Gourami
Swordtail(s)
Platies
Mollies
Guppies
Cories
Loaches

I would research each of these and see which ones would best fit your tank.

I definitely do not recommend overstocking (adding too many fish to) your tank. It will frequently become dirty and will cause a lot of maintenance problems in the future. On top of that, fish will randomly die on you due to them either being over stressed or from the poor water conditions.

In my opinion, I would start with the 6-8 tetras and then add a single dwarf gourami. You could also get a few Cory fish to help maintain cleanliness in your tank. If the gourami does not interest you, then look into swordtails or mollies.

Your aim should be to have about 10 to 12 fish MAXIMUM. (Especially if some of them are larger than 1 inch).

Example of a 70 liter fishtank

This is an example of a well stocked, well planted tank.

Has a few tetras, platies, and a pleco.

Remember: Most of these community fish will breed very easily anyway. So don't worry about buying many of them.

 

[stanster]

Thanks everyone, all sounds a bit daunting

The tank is a Askoll pure large (56 W x 44 H x 36 D)

I was going to get it when I got back from hols, but the guy @ Maidenhead aqautics said I may as well get it up and running and leave it whilst I was away.

They've offered to test the water once I get back to see if its ready.

Guess I can ask a bit more tomorrow, now I know a bit more.

Lots more reading to do tonight

 

[Murrayjane]

Thanks everyone, all sounds a bit daunting

The tank is a Askoll pure large (56 W x 44 H x 36 D)

I was going to get it when I got back from hols, but the guy @ Maidenhead aqautics said I may as well get it up and running and leave it whilst I was away.

They've offered to test the water once I get back to see if its ready.

Guess I can ask a bit more tomorrow, now I know a bit more.

Lots more reading to do tonight

Haha overall I am sure your tank will be fine. The earlier you cycle your tank is always better, just be sure to have the water tested before adding in any fish (especially expensive ones!) If you find any issues with the conditions, ask your fish adviser or just ask us. Personally, I have never had a fish die on me from the initial introduction to a new tank, even if it wasn't fully cycled (most will say that I have been lucky). All of my problems came from choosing incompatible fish, so be sure to do research on whatever combination you decide upon. Concentrate on their desirable water conditions and diet. Tetras alone have a rather large species, so try to choose some that will suffice to whatever other fish you may want to get in the future.

 

[stanster]

Well, went down to get the tank and decided that the extra large tank (94L) would look better in the alcove, so now about to start setting that one up !

 

[Essjay]

They've offered to test the water once I get back to see if its ready.

Unless you've done a fishless cycle (which will take a few weeks) all they will be testing is tapwater which won't be ready for fish. Get yourself a liquid reagent test kit (the strip type are notoriously inaccurate) rather than rely on the shop. Whether you do a fishless or fish-in cycle you will need to test the water every day and you can't go to the shop that often.


94 litres will give you a lot more options for fish choice. You can use the cycling time do decide exactly what you want. You'll decide on certain fish, then go in another shop, see fish you've not seen before and change your mind. Doing a fishless cycle is not only better for the fish and easier for you but it also gives you time to visit all your local shops to see what they stock.

 

[Murrayjane]

Niceeeeee! the 94 liter will be WAYYYY better. You have also opened the door to a whole new list of fish options.

As for the cycling, I also recommend getting a water test kit. I don't use mine very often, but it ensures the waters safe whenever I start up a new tank. It's a master kit ($20) and it has over 800 tests. Much better than playing the waiting/guessing game or having to go back and forth to a pet store to get it tested.

As for stocking fish, I would really think hard about what it is that you want. Whichever fish you decide on getting, you will have to work with its compatibility, so choose something that you know you wont get sick of/bored with.

I would highly consider getting a single or pair of Rams. Bolivian Rams are gentle and will add a lot of personality to the tank. They are cave dwellers, but enjoy swimming around. On top of the rams, you could add your tetras along with a few other community fish of your choice.

If your looking for something basic but more on the 'dangerous' side of the fish world, you could always get a breeding pair of convicts. They would have to be by themselves, but they will get pretty large (6") and are almost guaranteed to mate and breed. They play a great parent role, but these would have to be the only fish in your tank.

If your looking to stay with community fish:
Mollies
Killi Fish
Tetras
Bolivian Rams or Dwarf Gouramis

These fish would be great in a tank of that size and I highly recommend them.

 

[stanster]

Yes, really excited now.
Got the tank home and after a rinse, put a layer of florabase in, then topped off with washed gravel.

Filled the tank and then added courses or Aquacure bio supplement and water conditioner.

They gave me some plants to add :

Echindrous Bleherus
Ludwigia Glandulosa
Javanese Fern
Lobelia Cardinalis

Haven't planted them as not sure what to do.
They come in weighted pots, do they go in potted ? (to hold them down ?)
Like to get this done before we go away on Friday.

Will have a think about stock while away, think I'll stick with my initial thoughts and go for a community tank.

 

[fluttermoth]

The plants need to come out of the pots, and try and get as much of the rock wool off as you can; doing it under a running tap might help.

Plant them (except for the Java fern; that needs tying into a bit of rock or wood, as it'll rot if planted in the substrate), but not too deeply; if they have a 'crown' that the leaves grow from, then you need to make sure that sits above the gravel

 

[stanster]

The plants need to come out of the pots, and try and get as much of the rock wool off as you can; doing it under a running tap might help.

Plant them (except for the Java fern; that needs tying into a bit of rock or wood, as it'll rot if planted in the substrate), but not too deeply; if they have a 'crown' that the leaves grow from, then you need to make sure that sits above the gravel

Back from holiday today, guess the fun stats tomorrow

 

[stanster]

Just had the water tested so I'm ready to stock

 

[fluttermoth]

What ppm of ammonia have you cycled to, or has the tank just been running while you've been away?

As essjay said upthread, if you're not adding an ammonia source of some kind, then all you're testing is tap water; of course that shows that the water is ok.

Your tank is not ready to stock until your filter is eating at least 2-3ppm of ammonia, and the resultant nitrite, within twelve hours.

Unless, of course, you've chosen to do a fish-in cycle, which could mean twice daily water changes for at least six weeks, maybe longer, and illness or even death for your fish if you get it wrong.

Do you have your own test kits yet, or are you relying on the shop?

 

[stanster]

What ppm of ammonia have you cycled to, or has the tank just been running while you've been away?

As essjay said upthread, if you're not adding an ammonia source of some kind, then all you're testing is tap water; of course that shows that the water is ok.

Your tank is not ready to stock until your filter is eating at least 2-3ppm of ammonia, and the resultant nitrite, within twelve hours.

Unless, of course, you've chosen to do a fish-in cycle, which could mean twice daily water changes for at least six weeks, maybe longer, and illness or even death for your fish if you get it wrong.

Do you have your own test kits yet, or are you relying on the shop?

Tested by myself and confirmed at the shop.
Ammonia = 0, Nitrate = 20.

I added a biological supplement over the first 3 days of cycling.