Looking into my first Aquarium

[Sniper2075]

Hi All, my name is Chad. I'm looking into my first aquarium as an adult. I had one as a kid but wasn't 100% involved in the maintenance etc.. I helped but that was about it. I've wanted one for a while and have a 3 and a half year old daughter who I think will love watching the fish and helping to feed them etc...

In my research so far I've learned a few things like a small starter tank is actually a bad idea. So I'm thinking that depending on cost and the location I'm going to put the aquarium I would like to do a 30 to 50 gallon long tank. Something like 48" long x 12" deep x 16" high as I really would like some schooling fish like zebra danios or pearl danios and want to give them lots of room to dart around together.

I want to start off with a quick list of what I would like to have in the tank when done. I know I need to add fish slowly and first cycle the tank etc... but I need to know what I need to buy to support what I want to eventually have and need help to select tank, equipment etc...

So, Here is my list. I would also like any suggestions to add or remove.
1. Zebra or Pearl Danios x 8-10
2. Harlequin Rasbora x 8-10 - Not sure if these will be good along with the Danios, maybe sub these for something else?
3. Bronze Cory x 4-6
4. Amano Shrimp - Will these be ok along with the Cory's?

So, is my long 30 to 50 gallon tank a good idea? Also, as the water temperature is important. We try to keep our house between 68 and 73 degrees. I want to make sure I don't need a heater or chiller. What kind of filter setup I need, are live plants a good idea or just substrate and maybe a large tree branch and rocks and a cave or more?

Anyway, thanks in advance for all the help. Really looking forward to starting this adventure.

 

[Byron]

Welcome to TFF, and this wonderful hobby.

So, is my long 30 to 50 gallon tank a good idea?

Yes; not only does a larger volume tank usually have fewer issues, it also provides more room and even though any of us thinks tank "x" will be sufficient for the fish we want we quickly find we want more fish than it will accommodate.

Also, as the water temperature is important. We try to keep our house between 68 and 73 degrees. I want to make sure I don't need a heater or chiller.

This can work provided the temperature is reasonably constant; there is nothing wrong with a fluctuation between day/night provided it is not substantive. You could of course always have a heater plugged in and set to a lower temperature, so if the night room temp did dip to say 62 the heater could be set at say 66 and cover this. Not all "tropical" fish need especially warm water, and not all will have difficulty with some fluctuation, but there are limits.

Higher temperatures that are temporary such as summer heat waves generally pose no problem, though again this depends upon the species, tank environment, and the temperature.

What kind of filter setup I need, are live plants a good idea or just substrate and maybe a large tree branch and rocks and a cave or more?

Live plants definitely improve conditions. This can be as simple as floating plants, and the lower level could be wood chunks and branches with a sand substrate. This is a very authentic biotope for South America and SE Asia. It can also work for Central America. Rocks and caves may be needed by some fish, or they may just be part of the aquascape. The main thing is to ensure you provide what the fish expect in terms of the environment; this guarantees better health.

Which brings me to water parameters for your source water. The GH (general or total hardness) is the most important, followed by the pH. You should be able to track these down through your municipal water authority if you don't already know. Some fish have needs for softer or harder water, some fish are "in the middle" more. Selecting fish that will be suited to your water goes a long way to success and healthy fish.

I won't say anything about the mentioned species until knowing the parameters. As for shrimp, for most fish species crustaceans are a natural food, so if the shrimp are small they may well get eaten by pretty much any fish in the tank. Others who have more direct experience with shrimp can advise you.

 

[Tooombsy]

In regards to Amano shrimp, I don’t think any of the species of fish you mentioned are big enough to eat them.

If they are the cardina japonica shrimp that I had before, I was more worried about the shrimp preying on my fish.

Mine always had clutches of eggs stuck under there bellies on their legs, but never had baby shrimp. After further research I found that the shrimplets have to be raised in salt/brackish water then when fully formed they can go back to fresh.

 

[Colin_T]

Hi and welcome to the forum

If you can get a tank that is 4 ft long x 18 inches wide x 18 inches high it gives you a better surface area for the fish. However, a 4ft x 12in x 16in is acceptable if that is what's available. Don't bother going more than 18 inches high because the tanks cost a lot more and weigh lots more.

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The following link has information about cycling an aquarium. If you have fish in the aquarium during this process, you will be doing a fish in cycle and I will explain about that below.
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

Anything that breaks down in water, be it fish food, fish waste, dead fish, dead plants, will produce ammonia. Ammonia builds up in the water and poisons fish, shrimp, crabs, snails or anything that lives in the water.

Over a period of time you get beneficial bacteria that grow in the filter and they eat the ammonia and convert it into nitrite. A few weeks after that and you get more beneficial bacteria that grow in the filter and these eat nitrite and convert it into nitrate. When there are enough good bacteria in the filter to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at 0, the filter is considered cycled. This process normally takes about 4-6 weeks but can take up to 6 months.

Because ammonia is caused by fish food and waste breaking down in the water, the best thing to do is reduce feeding to 2-3 times per week. Do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding to reduce any ammonia caused by the food. You should also monitor the aquarium water and do a 75% water change any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading, or a nitrate reading above 20ppm.

Make sure any new water is free of chlorine/ chloramine before it is added to the tank.
Don't worry about the fish starving during this time. Unlike mammals that need to eat to stay warm, most fish take their body temperature from the surrounding environment (the water). This means any food they eat is used to grow and to move. This allows fish to go for weeks or even months without food and not die from starvation. Feeding the fish 2-3 times per week helps keep the ammonia levels low but still provides enough food to keep the fish healthy.

Once the filter has cycled, you can feed the fish more often and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate once a week.

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During the first month of a tank's cycle, you monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels. You normally get ammonia readings for the first few weeks. The ammonia goes up and as the beneficial filter bacteria build up in numbers they gradually convert the ammonia into nitrite. After a few weeks the ammonia level will suddenly drop to 0 and the nitrite will start to go up. A couple of weeks later the nitrite levels drop to 0 and the nitrates start to go up. You get rid of nitrates by doing water changes.

During the cycling period you do not test for nitrates until the ammonia and nitrite have gone up and come back down to 0. Nitrate test kits will read nitrite as nitrate and give you a false reading. So you monitor ammonia during the first few weeks and then start monitoring nitrite as well. Once they have both gone up and come down to 0, you start monitoring nitrate.

When you buy test kits, try to get liquid test kits rather than dry paper strips. The liquid kits are more accurate.

Do not buy test kits that are kept in a warm room or near a heat source or window because heat will cause the chemicals in the kits to break down faster. Check the expiry date on them too.

When you get the test kits home, keep them in a cool dry place away from sunlight. I kept mine in an icecream bucket in the bottom of the fridge.

*NB* Make sure children and animals can't get the test kits because the chemicals are pretty toxic.

*NB* Wash your hands with soapy water after doing water tests.

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The information about buying test kits also applies to buying fish medications. But do not buy fish medications unless the fish is sick and you know what is causing the problem. Most fish health issues are caused by poor water quality and doing a 75% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate each day for a week will normally fix most issues.

The following link has info about fish health and what to do if your fish gets sick. It is pretty long and boring but worth knowing. I recommend printing it out and reading it in bed to help you fall asleep.
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/#post-3804819

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Do not clean the new filter for the first 6-8 weeks. This allows the filter bacteria a chance to settle in properly and stick to the filter media. Two weeks after the filters have finished cycling, you can start to clean the filter.

Established filters should be cleaned at least once a month and every 2 weeks is better.

To clean a power filter or internal sponge/ box filter. You get a bucket of water from the aquarium and squeeze the filter materials out in the bucket of tank water. When they are clean you put them in the aquarium. Wash/ rinse the filter case and impellor assembly (for a power filter) under tap water. Remove any excess tap water by tipping the filter case upside down, then put the filter materials back into the filter and set it back up and get it going.

If you have an undergravel filter, that will be cleaned when you do water changes and gravel clean the substrate. You can buy a basic model gravel cleaner from any pet shop and they are worth getting. You only need a basic model gravel cleaner like the one in the following link. Do not buy the expensive fancy types because they are no better than a base model gravel cleaner.
https://www.about-goldfish.com/aquarium-cleaning.html