First Fish Tank, Very Excited!

[okidokibucky]

Evening everyone!
 
This is my first time posting on here, and my very first fish tank too! My mother-in-law has purchased a 30L Love Fish Prism tank that I've set up for her today, we plan to leave it about a month before putting any fish in, though might add a shrimp or two after 2 weeks if recommended? I've always loved shrimp so think they'd love it!
 
We both realise that 30L isn't the best size tank in the world, but she just wanted one for her new kitchen counter and it was the perfect size. So, since I've never kept fish myself, I do have a few questions. What would you put in this tank? It's tall rather than wide, (I'll try and post a picture!) so what would you all put in there? 
 
Ideally I think she'd like something like a few Neon Tetra's and shrimp, or maybe just a Betta fish and shrimp? If she were to get Neon Tetra's how many would you suggest? Are there other type of fish I could put in there that I don't know about?
 
We've brought a few live plants too since I read that they help set up new tanks and reduce algae, are there any hints and tips on how to make these last and grow?
 
Thank you all!
 

 

[Baccus]

G'Day and welcome

  to the forum I have a few questions that need answering in order for us to give you the best possible help.
Did you by chance get a filter with the new 30L tank? If not then I would strongly advise you to purchase a filter for the tank, probably an external one rather than an internal as an internal will take away some of the rather limited tank space any inhabitants will have.
Also a heater will come in very handy in such a small tank, the smaller the volume of water the more readily it fluctuates and stresses fish etc allowing secondary infections to take hold. Kitchens generally are quite warm throughout the day but at night they can get nippy once all the cooking is done and lights etc have been turned out.
 
Did the seller or manufacturer of the tank mention to you about cycling the tank/ filter? If so did they say to just leave the water in the tank for a month and then it would be fine to add fish? If so then this advise is wrong and please checkout this   link   http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first
 
I would not put neon tetras in this sized tank, neons do best in older mature tanks in large numbers which a small tank just can not support. The shrimp and Betta would work and you could even add a snail or two. But I would get the shrimp first especially if you get good old red cherry shrimp (which are about the hardiest shrimp around to learn on), that way the shrimp can start breeding and establishing their colony before a Betta who may or may not eat them is added. If the colony is already going strong prior to a potential predator like a Betta being added it is highly unlikely that the Betta will manage to eat every single shrimp and is actually probably more likely to ignore them.
 
Buying plants for many aquariums is often wrought with hazards of shops selling plants that are not truly aquatic for growing in fish tanks. There is a planted section to this forum and I am sure in there you will find your plants and if they are truly aquatic or not, and other plants that are and could be used in your tank.
 
Best of luck with your tank and remember we always love seeing pictures of peoples tanks and fish

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[Akasha72]

hello and welcome 

. I'm guessing this is the tank http/www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/merch-groups/merch-groups/mg-194/love-fish-prism-30-litre-tank-%28in-store%29
 
It's not a great tank for stocking ... it would have been slightly better if it had been a plain old oblong tank. A betta could work but first things first. You'll need to follow the link Baccus gave you and have a read on how to cycle your tank properly. And then work out what water type you have in your area. Betta's ideally need soft water.
Shrimps would work but again, knowing the water type is the best place to start

 

[Ninjouzata]

to TFF, hope you enjoy it here!

 

[StevenF]

Before you start thinking about stocking you need to test your water to determine which fish are suitable for.  You basically need to know your ph, GH (general hardness), KH (alkalinity), and nitrate parameters.  If you have hard water you will probably want to stock fish that normally are found in hard water.  If you have soft water a soft water fish would be more appropriate.  However keep in mind that no fish or plants should be purchased until your tank is properly cycled.
 
Plants are very helpful in aquariums since they consume nitrogen (ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate which are all toxic to fish).  However if the water doesn't have enough nutrients the plants cannot grow and will not consume any nitrogen.  So after the aquarium is cycled it is a good idea to put in some pants and verify they are doing well before getting fish.  You could also at this point start with a few shrimp (cherry shrimp are a good choice for a beginner. And when you start seeing algae growing on the gall you could get one Nerite snail.  Nerite snails do a much better job than a scrapper at keeping the glass clean.  Unlike other snials, nerites will not bread in fresh water and won't take over a tank like pond snails do.  
 
As to selecting fish this forum has a number of suggestions of mainly small fish.  Note, many small fish a shoaling fish and do best in groups of 6.  or more
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/416824-nano-fish-discussion/
 
All plants need light to thrive.  Most rooms don't have enough for a planted an aquarium.  This link can help you determine how much light you need.
http/fotohobbist.com/blog/aquarium-lighting-for-planted-aquariums/#more-136.
 
Also for shrimp I would recommend having 1 or 2 decorative shells in the tank.  Over several years these will dissolve and release calcium and magnesium into the water which shrimp and snails need to survive.  

 

[okidokibucky]

Thanks Baccus, yes it's got a filter with it and that's all set up as is the heater and the light. The filter sits inside the lid if that makes sense? It's not submerged in the water, would that still class as taking up tank space? And no they didn't mention cycling, though my sister-in-law has a very old, established tank so she mentioned it briefly to us and is going to go through it with us properly when she comes down next, but I'll get a head start and read up on your link! 

I'll try and add some photo's, for some reason it keeps saying they're too big?!
 
Akasha! That's the tank! And yes it's a very odd shape I must admit, but it fitted perfectly so she was adamant that was the one!

 
Thank you everyone for your lovely welcomes! I'm working at uploading the pictures!

 

[Baccus]

I think I know exactly what type of tank filter you have, I used to have one my self until the light got water in it somehow and ended up shorting out the entire house. I still have the tank as an emergency back up but the light in the hood has been removed for good.
With the filter being above the tank it is not taking up any valuable tank space, as the only thing "intruding" into the tank is the filter intake,
If your sister-in-law is close enough she could even bring some of her existing media to "seed" and jump start your tanks beneficial bacteria colony. If she does just remember to feed the bacteria, because with no fish or anything in the tank the bacteria will in essence starve.
 
To add pictures to the forum, you need to join a photo sharing site like Flicker or Photobucket. These sites resize the pictures automatically and then you can share them here via the copy option.

 

[Akasha72]

Hi again, we're well familiar with pets@home and their American/Canadian/ Australian/etc equivalent giving out bad advice on fish so don't worry about that - it's not your fault. If you have a family member with an established tank then there is a good way to get your new tank cycling faster. What you could do is give the sponges from the new tank to the family member with the established tank and ask them to pop the sponges into their filter for a couple of weeks. This would effectively give you an instantly cycled tank. Another alternative (if your sponges won't fit in the family members tank) would be to ask them to save the brown gunk next time they clean their filter and you can smear this onto your sponges which will 'seed' your filter (as Baccus has already mentioned) You could then stock slowly, checking all the while for signs of ammonia and nitrite.
 
I would also second Baccus on adding photo's. It's much easier if you link from photobucket or similar

 

[cooledwhip]

GUPPIES!! I know guppies are overdone but you can get gorgeous guppy strains that you can put in the tank. You could get a trio or maybe 2 trios (if you have a filter). They will even have babies probably after a month, but hopefully by then you might have upgraded to a 10 gallon grow out tank. 
 
Welcome!!

 

[Ch4rlie]

GUPPIES!! I know guppies are overdone but you can get gorgeous guppy strains that you can put in the tank. You could get a trio or maybe 2 trios (if you have a filter). They will even have babies probably after a month, but hopefully by then you might have upgraded to a 10 gallon grow out tank. 
 
Welcome!!

 
I'd not advise guppies for a tank like this, even just a trio, and you should always have a filter for any fish btw really.
 
Mainly due to the shape and height of this tank makes it more unsuitable for active fish like guppies.
 
However this would be a good betta tank or a shrimp and snails tank, can be stunning with lots of tallish plants and wood

 

[cooledwhip]

If you have a filter then do Endlers. Like guppies, but smaller.