I recently bought some tropical fish (rams) but unfortunately they both passed away on the same day. Iām unsure if it was something I had done or if something was wrong with them and Iād missed it. I want to set up a new much bigger tank and want to make sure I set it up right! Any tips and advice would be amazing for setting up the new home!
Starting up a new tropical tank
- Thread starter cait.russ
- Start date
The April FOTM Contest Poll is open!
š Click to vote! š
Hi and welcome!
Sorry you had such a poor intro to the hobby, sounds like you were given some bad advice by your LFS. If you watch the video and read the links given in your other thread, you'll know about the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle a tank before adding fish again, which will set you up for success.
Sorry you had such a poor intro to the hobby, sounds like you were given some bad advice by your LFS. If you watch the video and read the links given in your other thread, you'll know about the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle a tank before adding fish again, which will set you up for success.
Condolences about your fish.
Glad to see you get right back on the horse.
Don't hesitate to ask for help, lots of folks on here will guide you along .
Glad to see you get right back on the horse.
Don't hesitate to ask for help, lots of folks on here will guide you along .
WhistlingBadger
Professional Cat Herder
Retired Moderator āļø
Tank of the Month š
Fish of the Month š
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2011
- Messages
- 6,712
- Reaction score
- 11,889
- Location
- Where the deer and the antelope play
Hi, Cait. Adora's right about the nitrogen cycle.
Have you decided what size of tank you will use? Do you want to use live plants? Do you already have a filter and light?
It also helps if you can find out how hard your water is, as that will help determine what fish can thrive. I believe most of Scotland has soft water.
Have you decided what size of tank you will use? Do you want to use live plants? Do you already have a filter and light?
It also helps if you can find out how hard your water is, as that will help determine what fish can thrive. I believe most of Scotland has soft water.
Plan and research and take your time. Lime budding a house - you wanna have good foundations & careful planning. The hard work you put in early on will really pay off
Follow the guides to cycle your tank. While tank is cycling you can plan the stock and plants to add. Knowing your tap water GH is important. I'd recommend buying two test kits - API Master Test Kit to monitor ammonia, Nitrite, nitrate + ph and the API GH & KH liquid test kit.
These will last for up to 800 tests so worth the money.
Follow the guides to cycle your tank. While tank is cycling you can plan the stock and plants to add. Knowing your tap water GH is important. I'd recommend buying two test kits - API Master Test Kit to monitor ammonia, Nitrite, nitrate + ph and the API GH & KH liquid test kit.
These will last for up to 800 tests so worth the money.
WhistlingBadger
Professional Cat Herder
Retired Moderator āļø
Tank of the Month š
Fish of the Month š
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2011
- Messages
- 6,712
- Reaction score
- 11,889
- Location
- Where the deer and the antelope play
Ah, there's nothing quite as special as lime budding a house. I just can't get the darn lime trees to grow in this Wyoming climate...
ClownLurch
Fish Gatherer
Welcome.
This place is probably the best place on tinternet for beginners. Most forums seem populated with a few who have forgotten they were beginners once too.
Take your time and get your tank cycled properly, whichever method you choose.
Buy the two testing kits mentioned above.
Ask questions on here. Donāt be embarrassed no matter how trivial or weird you think your question may be perceived as.
Look at fish videos on you tube. Itās a window on the world of fishkeeping. Thereāll be hundreds of fish you like and dozens you love. Not all will suit your circumstances.
Check your possible fish choices on seriouslyfish.com as mentioned above with your circumstances IE (tank size, water temperature, ph, water hardness, filtration, water flow, fish size, feeding, breeding, substrate, plants, plant density, tank mates etc).
Ask on here if youāre choices āworkā. SF canāt cover everything and as theres hundreds of years of collective experience offered daily on here free of charge youād be a fool not too....and anyway that positions already taken
Dig around on here using the search facility for your possible choices also as theres something like 20yrs worth of questions, arguments, answers, mistakes, solutions etc in the back pages.
......and almost finally donāt take the word of anyone trying to sell you fish or fish related stuff as gospel. Always check on SF or here and you wonāt go too far wrong.
......and finally. Get some Corys and Microdevario KubotaI and at least one Banana Plant if youāre parameters allow it....I mean why wouldnāt you?
Have fun, have fins, stay safe.
This place is probably the best place on tinternet for beginners. Most forums seem populated with a few who have forgotten they were beginners once too.
Take your time and get your tank cycled properly, whichever method you choose.
Buy the two testing kits mentioned above.
Ask questions on here. Donāt be embarrassed no matter how trivial or weird you think your question may be perceived as.
Look at fish videos on you tube. Itās a window on the world of fishkeeping. Thereāll be hundreds of fish you like and dozens you love. Not all will suit your circumstances.
Check your possible fish choices on seriouslyfish.com as mentioned above with your circumstances IE (tank size, water temperature, ph, water hardness, filtration, water flow, fish size, feeding, breeding, substrate, plants, plant density, tank mates etc).
Ask on here if youāre choices āworkā. SF canāt cover everything and as theres hundreds of years of collective experience offered daily on here free of charge youād be a fool not too....and anyway that positions already taken
Dig around on here using the search facility for your possible choices also as theres something like 20yrs worth of questions, arguments, answers, mistakes, solutions etc in the back pages.
......and almost finally donāt take the word of anyone trying to sell you fish or fish related stuff as gospel. Always check on SF or here and you wonāt go too far wrong.
......and finally. Get some Corys and Microdevario KubotaI and at least one Banana Plant if youāre parameters allow it....I mean why wouldnāt you?
Have fun, have fins, stay safe.
Last edited:
Ain't that the truth!
My pet hate. Too many people, and I've seen it elsewhere too - will tear a beginner apart for making mistakes or for listening to bad fish store advice, even though from a non-hobbyists perspective, it makes complete sense to ask the fish store and believe them, they should know after all. But a beginner isn't to blame for following bad advice, and deserves empathy and compassion, not to be attacked for not knowing better.
Those same people who enjoy picking apart someone new or someone who has made mistakes rarely admit their own mistakes, and we've all made them, even if they were different mistakes.
ClownLurch
Fish Gatherer
Exhibit A: My 1980s advised LFS advised/allowed tank.
Paradise Fish (m)
WCMMs
Neons
Zebras
Clown Loaches
Paradise Fish (f)
The info just wasnāt around back then and I trusted the shop. Thankfully after a couple of neon casualties I unconnectedly changed jobs and had to close tank down. The lfs got most of the fish back free of charge. I shoulda charged him rent.
Most reactions
-
259 -
242 -
151 -
142 -
141 -
136 -
109 -
108 -
94 -
91 -
85 -
85 -
78 -
70 -
62
