SUPER EXCITED!

Hey everyone!
I'm new to the hobby and today was the day, I finally got my first tank! I've read a lot of mixed reviews on the tank but due to a sale I recieved it for almost 50% off.

The tank is a 8.75 gallon shrimp/plant tank. It came with a filter, light and substrate. There are a few areas I will have to touch up with silicone(but 50% off what?!?). I will also probably be using a different substrate as a lot of the reviews claimed it rose their ph to high. In fact I would really appreciate suggestions if you have them. I'm considering stocking the tank with neocaridinas blue, amano shrimp and maybe a pair of sparkling gouramis. I'm not quite set on the gouramis so if you have suggestions for a centerpiece to add life and color let me have them, limited by size of tank keep in mind
I probably wont have the tank set up for a bit as I have to find a stand for it and have to get it cycled. However I am super excited to start into this hobby. Some pictures provided.. thank you to my roommate for helping me make the tank visible.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Welcome hope the set up goes well..I don't keep shrimp but like the Limpopo Black Sand or using Play Sand.

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Wow, that is one cool looking tank! I keep cherry shrimp, and they look good against play sand. Black sand would also really make their colors pop.

Welcome to the forum

Stipelun said:

Hey everyone!
I'm new to the hobby and today was the day, I finally got my first tank! I've read a lot of mixed reviews on the tank but due to a sale I recieved it for almost 50% off.

The tank is a 8.75 gallon shrimp/plant tank. It came with a filter, light and substrate. There are a few areas I will have to touch up with silicone(but 50% off what?!?). I will also probably be using a different substrate as a lot of the reviews claimed it rose their ph to high. In fact I would really appreciate suggestions if you have them. I'm considering stocking the tank with neocaridinas blue, amano shrimp and maybe a pair of sparkling gouramis. I'm not quite set on the gouramis so if you have suggestions for a centerpiece to add life and color let me have them, limited by size of tank keep in mind
I probably wont have the tank set up for a bit as I have to find a stand for it and have to get it cycled. However I am super excited to start into this hobby. Some pictures provided.. thank you to my roommate for helping me make the tank visible.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Click to expand...

A quick update I now have a stand and decided to use a clay substrate called fluorite. It had a lot of good reviews and many shrimp keepers recomend it. Pictures attached

Was the tank secondhand when you got it or brand new?
If it's new, you shouldn't have to touch the silicon holding the glass together.

-----------------
What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep. Tetras, barbs, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm).

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies) occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH.