Looking To Join This Beautiful Hobby

[timoregan79]

Hi All,
I have been reading through this site and the information within is mind blowing.
I bought a 17 liter fish tank for my daughter about 2 weeks ago and stocked it with a few gold fish for her.
Since then myself and my girlfriend have been hypnotized and cant stop watching the fish.
Now i have the itch and have been thinking about purchasing a juwel 190 corner tank.
I was going to get th 350 but i thought best to start at the 190 and move to the 350 when i have gained more experiance.
The cheapest place i could find for the 190 tank was around the corner form my house and it is retailing for €650 and that includes filter and media, lights, heater.
From what i have read i have decided to go with the external filter and i am thinking about the fluval 305.
Can the internal filter be removed and also would you recommend it or would i be better off using both filters.
I also do not understand fully the cycling process, I was thinking about running the tank fishless for around 3-4 weeks.
Besides dechlorinator would i need to add anything else to the water.
What types of fish would you reccomend for the tank as we would like very colorful fish and also one's that a newbie can look after.
This is something that i wanted to get into ever since i was young and i do not want to take it likely.
As far as i see it these beautiful creatures will be another addition to our family.
I would also not like fish that are to aggressive but want one's that are lively.
Sorry i know so little about this but i will not be introducing any fish to the tank until i get this right.
Thanks ahead of time for all the feedback that you can provide.

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the forum Timoregan. There is more you will need to add during those weeks while you wait to get fish. The thing you will add is ammonia. There is a link in the bottom of my post called fishless cycling. Please follow the link and read up on what is needed. We would all be happy to answer any questions that you have after that.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, agree with OM47, be sure to read as much as you can in the Beginners Resource Center and the fishless cycling working article add&wait method by RDD probably a couple times through and then ask questions here in your thread.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[joshjames]

ill warn you now before someone else bites your head of goldfish are too big for your tank
they can grow up to 10" some speicies so best in a pond or a huge tank
like its been sggested look at some of the cycling info around here and there will be plently of people who will give you advice here

 

[mark.w.jones]

Hi All,
I have been reading through this site and the information within is mind blowing.
I bought a 17 liter fish tank for my daughter about 2 weeks ago and stocked it with a few gold fish for her.

As mentioned this tank is way too small for a GF. They get big and create lots of waste. Your water quality will quickly deteriorate and you'll end up with diseases and all sorts of problems. That tank just about OK for a single betta and nothing else. I would strongly recommend returning the GF asap

I was going to get th 350 but i thought best to start at the 190 and move to the 350 when i have gained more experiance.
The cheapest place i could find for the 190 tank was around the corner form my house and it is retailing for €650 and that includes filter and media, lights, heater. .

The bigger the tank you can go for the better. Larger tanks have a much bigger margin for error with regard to water quality. Always buy the biggest tank you can afford.

From what i have read i have decided to go with the external filter and i am thinking about the fluval 305.
Can the internal filter be removed and also would you recommend it or would i be better off using both filters.

If you can remove the intern and replace it with an external this will be better in the long run. Externals are eaier to clean, usually require less frequent maintainance, have a bigger capacity for media and also far more flexibility in terms of what media you can fill them with. Just make sure you can remove the internal without to many problems. Sometimes wiring, intake and output pipes can be difficult to get at.

I also do not understand fully the cycling process, I was thinking about running the tank fishless for around 3-4 weeks..

Link in my sig. Also carefully read through all of the pinned topics in this forum and the tropical discussion one.

Besides dechlorinator would i need to add anything else to the water. .

Please consider doing a fishless cycle, see link in sig., in which case you will need liquid ammonia and a test kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Only takes a few weeks especially if you can get hold of mature sponge or ceramic media from someone elses tank. The API Freshwater master test kit is good. If you are going to go for real plants which I would highly recommend a liquid fertilizer is a must.

What types of fish would you reccomend for the tank as we would like very colorful fish and also one's that a newbie can look after..

Gold Barbs, dwarf neon rainbows, harlequin rasboras, platies are all pretty hardy and colourful

to TFF by the way

 

[timoregan79]

Hi All,
Thanks for the warm welcome.
I bought my tank today 190L Bow front corner in dark wood (Laminate). Was €650 got it for €599 delivered.
I was cnsidering buying the fluval 305 external. Is it any good. I can have it delivered for about €130.
To buy it in the local fish store it is around €220.
I have also considered removing the inbuilt filter as to create more room in the tank for the new family members.
In regard to the 17L that i got for my daughter i am surpurised to hear about the goldfish it is wrong that they do not tell you this before you buy.
I will keep them for awhle and then seek an alternative home for them that should be sufficent. Don't know how i will explain that to her.
I regulary clean this tank and dechlorinate the water. I do partial 4 times a week with a full change out and clean once a week. I only rinse the filter media in the tank water as i have learned from here. The water is always crystal clear in the tank. If i would not swim in it i do not see any reason why they should.
In the garden center where i bought my tank they have alot on display that are mature and have fish in them. I will ask them for some gravel that i can put into my own tank. They ared very helpful and should not have a problem with giving me some. Will this surffice for the good bacteria. They are real helpful and are resonably priced.
I would put in the link to thier site but i do not know if that is against the rules.
Also regarding the air pumps how do these work. I have seen some in the shop but it appears to only be the pump. Is there more that i have to get to go with this.
Thak you all again your advice is much appreciated.
Regard's
Tim

 

[timoregan79]

Hi All,
I have decided to go with the external filter and have purchased the fluval 405.
Hope i made the right decision. I would like to give my fishes the best possible chance.

 

[waterdrop]

Its good that you've gone with a nice big external filter. The larger media volume and greater ease of maintenance are good things.

Any external will benefit over the years if you learn from the beginning to lubricate all the seals (usually 3 rubber-like O-Ring gaskets: one between the pumphead and the filter box and two at the hoses between the quick-release block and the pumphead.) You lubricate them with manufacturer-supplied stuff or use vasoline and do all over the entire O-Ring. Then, anytime you work with the O-Rings you take extra care that they are seated carefully so that they can't be pinched, cut or scratched.

Before you start fishless cycling you'll want to consult with other Fluval users here about modifications to the filter media. It seems odd to beginners but we often use different choices from the manufacturers. Often they include carbon as a filter medium and we usually replace that with a different choice that will increase the amount of biomedia in the filter.

Tank gravel will contain very little of the beneficial bacteria we want, much less than any media pulled from inside a filter, but its not worthless as we'll take anything we can get at the start of a long fishless cycle! If you can find actual sponge or loose media from the inside of a filter, that is best, whether from someone else's tank or, rarely, from a store.

Presumably you'll be busy finding your API or other test kit and the right kind of pure household ammonia, right?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[timoregan79]

I read somewhere that to take out the carbon and replace it with a blue filter as it catches more of the good bacteria.
Is this correct.

 

[mark.w.jones]

I read somewhere that to take out the carbon and replace it with a blue filter as it catches more of the good bacteria.
Is this correct.

It is indeed. Carbon is only useful when removing fish meds you may have added or to a certain extent to remove tannins from the water. Replace with sponge. Your different media should become finer in texture as the water passes through it. By this I mean that the first part of your filter the water hits on the way through is usually the coursest. Ceramic tubes usually. Then it is usual to have a coarse sponge followed by a finer sponge. Finally to "polish" the water you can use mineral wool. This is very fine and must be replaced regularly unlike your sponges and ceramic media which should only be replaced when totally falling apart.

 

[Amunet]

The water is always crystal clear in the tank. If i would not swim in it i do not see any reason why they should.

Ah, but see, you don't have to BREATHE in the water heh. Just b/c water is clear doesn't mean it doesn't contain toxins.
It's great that you are doing so many water changes though and will hopefully be able to rehome the goldfish.


Also, not sure if anyone made this clear, be sure to get PURE ammonia. No additives (except for water), no coloring, scent, soaps.

If possible, I'd ask if the garden center could give you some of their filter media. As waterdro has said, the gravel will only have very small amount in it.

 

[timoregan79]

HI Again,
Could you lease let me know if it is ok to use sand in the tank.
I was contemplating using sand with driftwood and some fake plants and maybe a few volcanic rocks if i can get my hands on them.

 

[Davo86]

sure is, playsand or silver sand are the preferred choices for aquarium sand

 

[timoregan79]

Fish tank arrived today and i got it set up in the corner.
I also got the internal filter removed within 5 mins with no bother.
Just awaiting my new filter before i start adding the water.

 

[mixmaster jay]

Hi All,
I have been reading through this site and the information within is mind blowing.
I bought a 17 liter fish tank for my daughter about 2 weeks ago and stocked it with a few gold fish for her.
Since then myself and my girlfriend have been hypnotized and cant stop watching the fish.
Now i have the itch and have been thinking about purchasing a juwel 190 corner tank.
I was going to get th 350 but i thought best to start at the 190 and move to the 350 when i have gained more experiance.
The cheapest place i could find for the 190 tank was around the corner form my house and it is retailing for €650 and that includes filter and media, lights, heater.
From what i have read i have decided to go with the external filter and i am thinking about the fluval 305.
Can the internal filter be removed and also would you recommend it or would i be better off using both filters.
I also do not understand fully the cycling process, I was thinking about running the tank fishless for around 3-4 weeks.
Besides dechlorinator would i need to add anything else to the water.
What types of fish would you reccomend for the tank as we would like very colorful fish and also one's that a newbie can look after.
This is something that i wanted to get into ever since i was young and i do not want to take it likely.
As far as i see it these beautiful creatures will be another addition to our family.
I would also not like fish that are to aggressive but want one's that are lively.
Sorry i know so little about this but i will not be introducing any fish to the tank until i get this right.
Thanks ahead of time for all the feedback that you can provide.

Welcome

Try aquarist classifieds you might find one a bit cheaper

http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/

ive had loads of stuff from there and you can choose which region county you want to look in too

hope this helps you

jay