Where To Go From Here?

[ricky23432]

Well i had to get rid of my pleco and my blood parrot today due to the tank being too small, leaving only my 2 oscars in the tank. I have someone coming next week to take them off me but i've been thinking, i am going to continue to keep fish but this time start from the beggining with proper advise this time. I never knew anything about cycling etc and was never told about any of this when i went down to my LFS. Im still a little confused as to what exactly to do but i understand the best method is adding pure ammonia to the tank and given time the bacteria will grow. I understand you can do it with hardy fish that produce ammonia through waste etc? but what i would like to know is i have 2 red oscars left in the tank would it be best if i purchased this Link test kit and tested the current levels if there is good levels in the tank would it be nessessary to re-cycle when adding new fish to the tank or empty the tank 90% refill and be ready to add fish? because the bacteria are already present?

another question i have is what types of fish should i go for i like the idea of livebearers and trying to breed them plus i have taken a fancy to neons etc after visiting my LFS today. If i went down the road of smaller fish what sort of PH levels etc would i be looking at and at what levels do these fish need to be healthy. BTW i have a 100 litre tank. I understand i need plenty of plants, hiding places etc.

Thanks and any advise will be of a great help.

Ricky

 

[fishnovice]

How big is your tank? This will determine what fish you can keep.
Live bearers are a good idea, pretty colours and fairly undemanding with regards to ph as long as you have hard water. You will have LOTS of fry, which are fun to raise but can be a problem. It's impossible to find homes for 20 young guppies/mollies every month and your lfs won't buy them off you. Some won't even accept them for free.

 

[ricky23432]

How big is your tank? This will determine what fish you can keep.
Live bearers are a good idea, pretty colours and fairly undemanding with regards to ph as long as you have hard water. You will have LOTS of fry, which are fun to raise but can be a problem. It's impossible to find homes for 20 young guppies/mollies every month and your lfs won't buy them off you. Some won't even accept them for free.

the tank is 3ft x 1ft x 1ft and i know plenty of friends with tanks that would appreciate fry. Until i get a test kit i dont have a clue what my ph is so that is the first thing on my list.