Starting Off A New Tank.

[FreakinFreak]

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I am a total new person so if this is in the wrong place then I apologise and hope you will be gentle with me!!

I have recently obtained a 90 litre aqua one 620 tank and would love some information about... well, everything!

I have looked at owning fish before but never took it seriously as I was far too interested in reptiles and arachnids so got into those instead but now this tank came up and I got it for quite a good price, and although it is second hand it's only been used for about 4 months I believe. It's got a filter and light with it which came with it, I don't know if I'd need a heater?

I have not a clue on what to do about anything... I'd really appreciate a dummies guide because I would hate to do anything wrong to possibly harm or kill any fish I will have in the future, I'd feel awful so please excuse my idiocy when it comes to this whole ordeal! I would really like a guppy or few as I think they're incredibly pretty but please advise me on what would be best suited to me.

Thank you very much for any help you have to offer, thanks, Abbie

 

[Noahs ark6]

Hi fishkeeping is a very fun and very addictive hobby. hope you find this interesting and usefull. Firstly you have got to decide if you want a coldwater fish tank or a tropical ( warm water ) fish tank if you want a warm water fish tank you will need a heater. 1... get your tank on a sturdy surface, add your gravel or sand ( i personaly like gravel) and fill with water...2...add a chemical called dechlorinater ( you will find this at your local aquarist)make sure you add the right amount and agitate the water...3...add decorations, heater (if warm water), filter and something called aquarium salt ( you will also find this at your local pet shop, make sure you use the correct amount...4...turn on your heater if you are having a tropical aquarium and set to the temperature depending on the fish that you want to keep for example some simple fish like danios and neon tetra are kept in water the is 21- 28c...5... turn on your filter and leave the tank for 2-4 weeks to get the good bacteria in your filter...6...add fish and enjoy your tank. Too add fish to your tank place the fish bag in the aquarium and leave for 10 minutes and then open the bag and pour a little of the water from the aquarium into the bag repeat 2 times and then put your fish in the tank. have fun fishkeeping.

 

[Dm45]

Hi make sure you read up on cycling your tank first. You need to decide if you want to do a fishless cycle or a fish in cycle. Its not quite as simple as just leaving the filter running for 4 weeks, you have to have a source of ammonia in the water for the bacteria to colonise. I wont go into to much detail here just make sure you read the topics at the top of this list there is a detailed description of both ways to cycle your tank there.

 

[hacket]

Hi fishkeeping is a very fun and very addictive hobby. hope you find this interesting and usefull. Firstly you have got to decide if you want a coldwater fish tank or a tropical ( warm water ) fish tank if you want a warm water fish tank you will need a heater. 1... get your tank on a sturdy surface, add your gravel or sand ( i personaly like gravel) and fill with water...2...add a chemical called dechlorinater ( you will find this at your local aquarist)make sure you add the right amount and agitate the water...3...add decorations, heater (if warm water), filter and something called aquarium salt ( you will also find this at your local pet shop, make sure you use the correct amount...4...turn on your heater if you are having a tropical aquarium and set to the temperature depending on the fish that you want to keep for example some simple fish like danios and neon tetra are kept in water the is 21- 28c...5... turn on your filter and leave the tank for 2-4 weeks to get the good bacteria in your filter...6...add fish and enjoy your tank. Too add fish to your tank place the fish bag in the aquarium and leave for 10 minutes and then open the bag and pour a little of the water from the aquarium into the bag repeat 2 times and then put your fish in the tank. have fun fishkeeping.

Don't just turn on the filter for 2-4 weeks and put fish in. You need to be adding ammonia to the water to give the bacteria something to eat so they can build up in numbers. The cycle usually takes 1-2 months. Read up on the nitrogen cycle before you do anything. It will save you a lot of head aches, and can be found right here on this site.

 

[Gilli]

Hello welcome to the forum. Its nice to see people who want to read up before they rush in.

Noahs Ark6 has given you some bad advice there - dont add salt to your tank unless you are keeping fish that like salt water. Bacteria wont grow on its own in 2-4 weeks at all in an empty tank either!

Take a look at these links on here that will give you correct information and tell you all you need to know and good luck!

Getting started

cycling an aquarium with fish

cycling an aquarium with no fish

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to our forum Freakinfreak.

 

[waterdrop]

Not sure what OM's statement there means but maybe some things have been edited...

Anyway, Welcome to the forum Abbie, if you're still there. Its a great forum for learning.

I agree with Gilli. There are many good articles in our Beginners Resource Center about tank startup and the core topic of the Nitrogen Cycle for beginners.

~~waterdrop~~