If You Stand Over Here, You Can Almost See The Sea...

[STRiDER]

Hi all

So glad I found this website.

Been dreaming of a tank for many, many years now and finally took the plunge... straight into the deep end it seems.

I feel confident that with all you guys out there I will be able to make a success of this!

Here's my setup so far
1.5m Boyu with Aluminium Hood and Cabinet

Assorted plants and some substrate from local retailer

Equipment:
Dophin 1600 Canister filter (1100l/hr),
Style King SP1800 filter/powerhead/aeration(1100l/hr),
300W Heater,
3 x 40W fluorescents (Blue, White and Red) - not sure of specs

Livestock:
6 x Neon Tetras

Tank setup was 5 days ago. (Filter already running for 2 weeks in Pet-Shop tank). Started with water conditioners and starter pack.

Possible faults so far:
1. Lighting : Maybe not enough. Seems like the blue one must go.
2. Retailer adamant that all plants will grow in this light setup... seems unlikely
3. Retailer adamant that plants will grow in this substrate. Looks like pea gravel with smallest parts 1mm and biggest 5mm. (Maybe too course?)
4. Retailer can only supply more substrate next week. So I started the tank in the mean time. It would probably be fairly difficult to do the aquascape with the tank full.
5. I have no idea what to do about fertilization. Open to suggestions.
6. Added 6 Neon Tetras yesterday to start with tank maturation. They may be the wrong choice for a new tank, but so far they seem happy.
7. The filter outlet is creating quite a lot of current (Neons exercising like hell). Should I add a spraybar?

What went wrong so far..
1. Retailer supplied broken heater (got it swapped later same day)
2. Electronic thermometer got stuck at 23 deg C. Almost fried the fish overnight. Tank still at 30 deg C but cooling. (Aiming at 26)

Please feel free to criticise (as long as its constructive). I am very willing to learn and realise that I have many hours of research to go...

And oh, I guess I have to say what I'm aiming to achieve.
Well I figured I'll use the next few weeks to figure it out as the tank matures. Still dont know much about fish compatibility. Will definately be a community tank with a few shoals of small fish (appr 24 of each) with a few bigger fish in between (Maybe Discuss, but apparently thats for experts). Tank will be moderately planted, I guess about 30 plants with about 3 pieces of bogwood, still maturing in my bath (wife not happy) and a few rocks.

As I said, tips and comments welcome.

Looking forward to become one of the locals on the forum.
Thanks in advance

Andre du Toit

 

[Michael Buckley]

Other experts here have told me adding Neons to a new tanks is a very bad idea. The tanks needs to be a few moths old first, because there a bit touchy. I have lost 5 Neons in our new tank

 

[Silverlady]

Good luck with your new tank,looks good ,the Filter would probably look better tucked away under the stand, and the plants will be better out of the pots when you add the new substrate.
Plants can be grown with low Watts per Gallon , the wattage is usually visible on the end of the tubes.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

that looks really good, as the filter was matured in an established tank at the fish shop you'll probably be alright with the neons, just go slowly with stocking it.

have you got a test kit and tested your water yet? if not then do you should be aiming for:
ph - around 7 (depends what fish you want though)
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
nitrate - under 40

have you thought through tank maintenance yet, what are your plans for upkeep?

you'll be able to grow some plants but not all. if you look in the planted forum there's loads of info on what plants grow well under low light and with no ferts. key thing to work out is your wpg, watts per gallon.

if you get into the planted side of things you can really go to town with Co2 and fertilisation, but lets walk before we run there's a lot to get your head around first!!

i wouldn't recommend discus for a first tank, that's not to say you *can't* have them, but you must be prepared to do an awful lot of research and work first and it'll probably be a bit of a baptism of fire!! How about angelfish instead of discus, they have a lot of similar qualities in they're behaviour and are lovely 'centerpiece' fish but looooads easier to look after than discus. how many gallons is your tank? i think a really nice stocking list would be 2 large shoals of small fish (12 of each), then 8-10 congo tetra's, and a pair of angels

 

[BigIan]

Very nice tank...
Swapping the blue bulb for a wite one will make the tank look a lot brights and help to bring the plants on alot better, are you planning on going planted with this tank? (look at some of the pics in the journals on the planted tank section)

I do hope you have a master test kit, if not i sugest you purchase one, some one on this forum once said "you don`t look after fih you look after water and the fish look after themselves" and its very true.

 

[Underwurlde]

Are you not cycling your tank first???

Do NOT make the same mistake as me.... Check your plants VERY CAREFULLY for bloody snails. Once those little bastards get in, there is NO getting them out. Also look for snail eggs (little lumps of clear jelly like snot).

You can sterilize plants before placing them in a tank by dipping them in a blech solution - I STRONGLY recommend researching this.

Also I'd consider covering at least 50% of the substrate in plants - again something I cocked up on and now my tank is full of BGA - again research this.

Finally, I have to agree with Michael Buckley, Neons are not good in a new tank, ESPCIALLY if not cycled (and that goes for any fish). Look for the pinned topic on cycling your tank - this can be done without fish (recommended) or with fish (not recommended)

Andy

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Are you not cycling your tank first???

Do NOT make the same mistake as me.... Check your plants VERY CAREFULLY for bloody snails. Once those little bastards get in, there is NO getting them out. Also look for snail eggs (little lumps of clear jelly like snot).

You can sterilize plants before placing them in a tank by dipping them in a blech solution - I STRONGLY recommend researching this.

Also I'd consider covering at least 50% of the substrate in plants - again something I cocked up on and now my tank is full of BGA - again research this.

Finally, I have to agree with Michael Buckley, Neons are not good in a new tank, ESPCIALLY if not cycled (and that goes for any fish). Look for the pinned topic on cycling your tank - this can be done without fish (recommended) or with fish (not recommended)

Andy

he said the filter's been run in the fish shop tank for 2 weeks, it will be cycled

 

[QuotheRaven]

Love the tank it's very nice

Underwurlde you should try shellies or Loaches to get rid of snails a nice group of yoyo's or Botia sids would make quick work of them I believe

 

[stang1]

Tanks looking good!

 

[sannesley]

Also I'd consider covering at least 50% of the substrate in plants - again something I cocked up on and now my tank is full of BGA - again research this.

Just checking but does BGA stand for blue green algae??

 

[BigIan]

yep

 

[sannesley]

So how does covering more than 50% of the substrate in plants help in keeping the BGA down? Do the plants use up the nutrients in the water that the BGA would use?

 

[BigIan]

So how does covering more than 50% of the substrate in plants help in keeping the BGA down? Do the plants use up the nutrients in the water that the BGA would use?

pretty much

 

[Underwurlde]

Hello again,

Can I ask, how much did you spend on that set up (not including fish & plants)?
Does it include CO2? (cant's see it in the list)
What plants have you added so far?
What substrate are you using?
How much water does your tank hold?

BTW, I think the optimal water temperature for tropical fish is 24°C (although, like you I cannot adjust lower than 26°C for some reason).

Andy

PS
A 2 week cycle does not seem very long, or have I missed something obvious?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

PS
A 2 week cycle does not seem very long, or have I missed something obvious?

2 weeks is plenty long enough to seed a filter in an established tank, it's different to a fishless cycle cos the bacteria is already there in abundance, they just need to get onto the filter media and take hold, and especially in a fish store tank which will inevitably be heavily stocked the bacteria will grow really fast.

he'll easily have enough bacteria on there now for a shoal of neons, just have to build up the stocking slowly from there.