First Timer Requiring A Tank - What To Get?

[DJH584]

Please do have a look at the links in eaglesaquarium's signature. The links will give you all the information you need to successfully set up your tank and more importantly keep thriving fish.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

juwel 180 visions are lovbely looking tanks. i have 2 of them. only tip i can give ya is that you cant fit big internal filters under them

eheim classics seem to be ok. but for example. my all pond solutions 1400 ef is too big

 
Do you mean 'external' filters under them? Or are you talking about under-gravel filtration?
 
Terry.

Hi all,
Just a quick update and question.
I'm hopefully (fingers crossed!) picking up my Juwel tank tomorrow.  The guy I'm buying it off has offered me some coral sand with it it, a quick look on the net says it's probably not a good idea with my intention of a community tank and my choices so far; angel fish, black red tail shark but the guy seems to reckon it'll be alright.  He had cichlids in there and angels are a type of cichlid (not that the other fish will be), but my guess would be that it's more to do with where the fish are from.
 
Any help appreciated - cheers!

 
Without wanting to sound blunt or harsh...put your stocking towards the back of your mind for a few weeks. What you need to do is read up and understand how the 'nitrogen cycle' works and why it is ESSENTIAL with regards to our filters. I read above you have done some research, but it is a little bit more in-depth than simply testing for PH (although this is something we test for and keep a record of). There are plenty of helpful articles in and around this website, a prize example of one is in the link at the bottom of my signature.
So, basically, you need to start building up those bacteria in your filter..there are a couple of options open to you, but one move which will no doubt help you out is knowing of someone with a healthy, mature tank. Asking them for a 'donation' of media (sponge, bio balls/noddles or ceramic pieces). This will then give you a starting block of a small colony of bacteria... continuing to grow this colony would then become your next priority..then finally, your fish !!!
Good luck with it....remember, patience is the key to the tank that you want.
 
Terry.
 
PS- Invest in a liquid based test kit from the very start !!!

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Taffy is right.  
 
If you are buying the tank from someone, do they currently have fish in it that they are rehoming, and how recently did it have fish in it?

 

[TropicalDrop]

juwel 180 visions are lovbely looking tanks. i have 2 of them. only tip i can give ya is that you cant fit big internal filters under them

eheim classics seem to be ok. but for example. my all pond solutions 1400 ef is too big

 
Do you mean 'external' filters under them? Or are you talking about under-gravel filtration?
 
Terry.

>>Hi all,
Just a quick update and question.
I'm hopefully (fingers crossed!) picking up my Juwel tank tomorrow.  The guy I'm buying it off has offered me some coral sand with it it, a quick look on the net says it's probably not a good idea with my intention of a community tank and my choices so far; angel fish, black red tail shark but the guy seems to reckon it'll be alright.  He had cichlids in there and angels are a type of cichlid (not that the other fish will be), but my guess would be that it's more to do with where the fish are from.
 
Any help appreciated - cheers!

 
Without wanting to sound blunt or harsh...put your stocking towards the back of your mind for a few weeks. What you need to do is read up and understand how the 'nitrogen cycle' works and why it is ESSENTIAL with regards to our filters. I read above you have done some research, but it is a little bit more in-depth than simply testing for PH (although this is something we test for and keep a record of). There are plenty of helpful articles in and around this website, a prize example of one is in the link at the bottom of my signature.
So, basically, you need to start building up those bacteria in your filter..there are a couple of options open to you, but one move which will no doubt help you out is knowing of someone with a healthy, mature tank. Asking them for a 'donation' of media (sponge, bio balls/noddles or ceramic pieces). This will then give you a starting block of a small colony of bacteria... continuing to grow this colony would then become your next priority..then finally, your fish !!!
Good luck with it....remember, patience is the key to the tank that you want.
 
Terry.
 
PS- Invest in a liquid based test kit from the very start !!!
 

Why do every fish shop advise against fishless cycling?  Still reading into it all (and yes have my liquid test kit from the start) and intended to fishless cycle up until today, but everyone I speak to says 'that's absolutely pointless, just get it all ready, dechlor it, leave it running a week and put some hardy fish in.  So now I'm reading into fishless cycling even more!
 
Just added the water and substrate and got it all running an hour or so ago. 
Does anyone know how long it shuld take for a heater in good working order to get a 180l tank up to temperature?  I'm paranoid it's not working correctly!

 

[The Taffy Apple]

The reason fish stores go against the principle of a fishless cycle is simple...we live in a consumer world. When the fish that they have sold you to 'cycle' your tank die, which they will, where do you go for more? Yep, back to the fish store.
It is, really, a relatively new process of getting our filters ready for fish..it has possibly only been in use the past 10-12 years.
The pros of fishless cycling will ALWAYS outnumber the cons...yet on a daily basis you read of 'newbies' signing up to this, and other, websites to find out 'why their fish died'.
Fishless cycling is the way forward on this forum...it ensures we build up a healthy, robust colony of bacteria PRIOR to the fish being introduced.
 
Terry.

 

[TropicalDrop]

The reason fish stores go against the principle of a fishless cycle is simple...we live in a consumer world. When the fish that they have sold you to 'cycle' your tank die, which they will, where do you go for more? Yep, back to the fish store.
It is, really, a relatively new process of getting our filters ready for fish..it has possibly only been in use the past 10-12 years.
The pros of fishless cycling will ALWAYS outnumber the cons...yet on a daily basis you read of 'newbies' signing up to this, and other, websites to find out 'why their fish died'.
Fishless cycling is the way forward on this forum...it ensures we build up a healthy, robust colony of bacteria PRIOR to the fish being introduced.
 
Terry.

 
Thanks, much appreciated - I've found a media donor and will track down a bottle of ammonia and ofcourse read some more!

Does anyone have any thoughts on the heater? I've just touched the water and it's still ice cold, I'm probably being impatient as it has almost 200l of water to hear but I thought it may be a little warmer directly near the heater.
Does anyone with experience of juwel heater know if I'm missing an 'on' switch or something (it is plugged in, I double checked), there's just a thermostat on the top of the unit.
 
cheers

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Stick it to the side of your tank where you can keep an eye on it... keep a close eye to see if any red/orange lights it may have comes on.
It's usually recommended every fishkeeper invests in a back-up heater in any case... just for the times that your heater packs in at 3 in the morning (i know of this, it happened to me!!!).
 
Terry.

 

[TropicalDrop]

thanks, I pulled it out and it didn't look any different to when it was off, no lights or anything.
Thanks

 

[TropicalDrop]

Just a bit of paranoia!
The water is warm this morning, I will buy a spare regardless-thanks for the tip.
will check the temperature properly later

 

[TropicalDrop]

Just an update currently I have some neon tetras, 4 molly's, a red fin shark (decided against the red tail for aggression reasons!)...and a siamese fighter fish
 
I recently saw some fish in not so local fish shop that were quite large and narrow and a vibrant pinky orange/peach colour, the label on the tank said harlequin rasborras but it's clear it was labelled incorrectly - can anyone help me identify them?
I
I'm also going off the angel fish idea, in case they go for the other fish and also in my ignorance being new to fish I think I was thinking of marine angel fish (such as these http/3.bp.blogspot.com/_W90V87w3sr8/TRITPWMnYyI/AAAAAAAAAek/AM1lEyk8I5c/s1600/Caribbean+Blue+Angelfish%252C+Gulf+Of+Mexico+pictures+underwater+photos.jpg or http/fineartamerica.com/featured/black-angelfish-from-side-serena-bowles.html)

 

[TropicalDrop]

Looks like they may have been discus fish but I'm not convinced, not sure my tank would be suitable for discus fish?

 

[Ashers]

Discus fish are usually expensive, i.e. over £30 and require specialist care and dedication.

 

[TropicalDrop]

Discus fish are usually expensive, i.e. over £30 and require specialist care and dedication.

That's what it looks like, I'm no specialist - take it when they say specialist, they mean specialist?