16 Gallon tank, some advice?

[gazzak]

Hi all,

Great site you have, and forums too!

I have a 16 gallon tank currently coldwater with some goldfish and a sucky thing that likes hanging on the glass!! I'm just looking into moving up 1 step and wondered what possibilities my 16 gallon tank could offer me. I've done a lot of reading so far and think I know which route to take, but would like some advice from the experts here please...

I have time and patience, and probably enough cash to be able to convert to another type of tank. So in your opinions would I be better off going down the tropical community route or is it worth trying for a saltwater aquarium with current tank size and experience?

Here's a picture taken tonight of the current setup...

I have a fluval filter there in the top right. I also have an undergravel filter system that's not installed, (overkill for goldfish I think). I have a heater and internal thermometer that came initially with the tank. Also in there are 2 lighting tubes, 1 is a daylight tube and one is a normal neon, (I think).

I do like my fish tank but want to make it more of a hobby, so this is why I want to move on from goldfish and sucky creatures I'm just doing some research before I jump in, so where better to ask than here?

Any help/tips/advice will be welcome, thanks in advance...

 

[FanOFish]

Gazzak, welcome to the forum!

First of all you would have to find a home for your current residents as they aren't really meant to be with either freshwater tropicals or saltwater fish.

It is a fairly small tank and might be a bit of work to convert to saltwater so I would try freshwater first. You will need your current filter, thermometer, and lights...Actually your tank looks great (how did you post a picture anyway) so you would be able to convert easily enough.

Just read through the forums to learn what fish mix well with others and try to remember 1 inch of fish per gallon....that is 1 inch full grown because you will be so good nothing will die.

You should already have a cycled tank since it's in use today...just warm the water up to the mid seventies and research your fish and go...

Once you think you know what fish you want to add, ask the forum, you will get many viewpoints.

Good Luck!

 

[Lithril]

Yup to just add to fanofishs post, goldfish are coldwater and I'm assuming the suckerfish is something like a pleco or simlar which is tropical and are not really compatible, personally I'd look at either getting the goldfish its own tank or taking it back to the shop and turning it into a purely tropical tank.

16 gals can house some nice community fish or else theres a species tank. Any ideas which way you want to go???

 

[gazzak]

Thanks for the answers so far, much appreciated. The sucky creature IS coldwater, we've had him in there for a year now so I really should know what he's called!!! No excuses

I don't really know what a species tank is, could you possibly enlighten me a bit?

The current residents will all be safely re-homed if the project does go ahead, no worries there.

Picture? Well I just placed the digital photo in my personal webspace then linked to it using image tags, ie. [img ]urlgoeshere[/img ], (ignore the spaces), I'm more used to posting in computer forums!! If you right click on the image and select properties you will see the url used.

I think it will have to be a freshwater aquarium until I learn loads more and get a larger tank. This was the whole point of posting here so keep ideas coming, they are appreciated!

 

[Jo]

The sucky creature IS coldwater, we've had him in there for a year now so I really should know what he's called!!! No excuses

Lith could be right, I saw some cold water Plecs in my lfs when I went last time, so it might be one of those?

I don't really know what a species tank is, could you possibly enlighten me a bit?

A species tank is a tank where just one type of fish is keps, eg a cichlid tank, a puffer tank, etc...these are often easier to care for as you dont have to worry about the needs of many species of fish!

I think it will have to be a freshwater aquarium until I learn loads more and get a larger tank. This was the whole point of posting here so keep ideas coming, they are appreciated!

Freshwater tanks are great too, you could do a lot with that tank, have a browse around and see if there is anything that catches your attention!

 

[gazzak]

I'm now heading towards a tropical community tank for my 16 gallon capacity. At least I can now research just this line, so you've all helped enourmously so far.

What are the best methods of filtration for this type of tank?

 

[Jo]

There are lots of different types of filtration, personally I lean towards extarnal canister filters, but due to the small size of the tank and the expense of buying these filters in the first place, some kind of internal filter would be good, they provide a better flow and surface agitation that UGF's (IMO) and this will help oxygenate the water better! :nods:

A tropical community tank would be nice, but you will have to be careful what you are going to add, it's not a great deal of space when you actually sit down and think about it!

have a browse around at the types of fish that you fancy and then post questions.a list here, people won't be shy to give you their opinions, then you can make up your own mind about what you fancy!

 

[aaahchuu]

I just bought a 29 gallon and have been researching for a week...going blind and brain-fried from all the different opinions! Seems like most people add way to many fish to their tanks.

Found a virtual aquarium at www.tetra-fish.com
You put in the number of gallons and then a list appears with fish that are compatible with the habitat and enviroment you desire. Then you simply choose the type and # of fish you wish to have. Also, just click on the name of the fish to see what it looks like and learn more about it. It will show your animated tank and you can also include your selected plants. pretty cool and Very handy!

Will try to post photo once I have mine reasonably established.

 

[Sinuhe]

The internal power filter you've got now should do just fine. For a tank of that size it's the best way to go, in my opinion. I have a Fluval 3Plus on my 128 liter/ 33 US gallon tank, and it's working fine.

When it comes to the fish, some small Gourami would go well into that tank. Either Honey or Dwarf Gourami (the latter comes in different color varieties), maybe a male and one or two females. You could also get a nice school of some small fish like tetras or barbs. For algae eaters, if you don't like the "big suckers", you could either get a small school of Otos or Siamese Algae Eaters .

 

[BettaBoyz]

adding in my two cents...

to be blunt; get rid of the Goldies. i don't mean flush 'em, or even kill 'em. find them a nice home; maybe with a friend, maybe at your LPS, maybe in a pond you build yourself in the back!

right now, the tank looks nice. it's not that hard to do a tropical conversion, so go with that. just add a heater, and voila; instant tropica! okay, not instant, but close enough

go out to your LPS, and check the fish out. see which you like, and write them down. get a good fish book (whether it be a small book on tropical fishkeeping, or the Baensch aquarium atlas) and read through it. go online and find info on the fish you like, just go to Google and type in, "Fish-Type Profiles". read what they need, but don't take everything seriously. mix up a bunch of different profiles, and add your own ideas.

a few fish that would do well together are some Guppies and Neons, or Bleeding Hearts, and maybe a Gourami for 'Bigness'. ^^ the Sucky-Fish will do well for a while, until he's full grown if he's a Common Pleco. get some pics up of him, so we can tell you!

 

[gazzak]

OK then, here's Sucky!!

What is he?

 

[BettaBoyz]

ahh, yep ^^ i'm pretty sure he's a common Pleco! cute li'l buggers, but they can get big. a foot long at most, four inches at least. he'll do fine for a while, and by then he'll either be stunted, die of old age or disease, or have to be moved out to a bigger tank or given to someone with a larger tank.

cute guy, i just want to tickle his li'l fishy tummy!

 

[gazzak]

He sure is funny to watch. The guy at the local fish shop said they'd gladly take him off our hands when he gets to big for the tank and give us another young one free! How can I argue with that?

From what I've read earlier then, does that mean he could survive OK in a tropical tank?

 

[BettaBoyz]

he'd do better in a tropical tank! Pleco's are naturally a tropical fishie, maybe a cool-water tropical, but still a tropical. i'm sure he'd appreciate some warm water ^^