New member

CRS

Fish Fanatic
Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Messages
138
Reaction score
60
Location
Manchester, Uk
Hi,

I'm Craig i have just ordered a 5ft (520L) tank which i will set up for tropical fish once it finally arrives.
Back in the early 2000's whilst living at my parents we had cold water, tropical and marine tanks, so while not being completely new to this i plan on doing my research before buying any fish,

I look forward to hearing from you :)
 
hi there welcome to the forum there are a bunch of very knowledgable people in this forum that can help you with any questions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CRS
Exciting times!
Have you got any stocking ideas yet?

All the best with it.

Hi, yes Neon Tetra's, angelfish, bala sharks, pleco!

I have a lot to read up on, are there any tropical fish that shouldnt be mixed? How often should you do a water change?
I believe i have everything i need (Heater, filter etc) Should be arriving later this week :D
 
be careful with that Bala shark they can reach 40 cm long and can out grow big tanks
 
be careful with that Bala shark they can reach 40 cm long and can out grow big tanks

Thanks for that, i'll rethink! ? That's why i joined this forum to do my research before buying any fish.
 
Welcome. This really is the best forum on the internet that I’ve found. They’ll help anyone. I’m still here so they must do. Combine here with seriouslyfish.com and you cant go wrong. Both are invaluable imho.
What is your waters hardness and ph? AND Have you read about cycling your tank?...... are the general opening questions and I’m surprised they’ve not been asked yet. Standards are slipping.

Unfortunately things have been allowed to slide round here during the holidays. Too much chocolate, fizzy drinks, late nights and late mornings. It’s got to stop. Cmon you lot let’s shape up around here. Xmas has gone. Let’s get these new tanks up n running in the best possible way.
Stand up straight, salute, present buckets, quick vacuum. Left , right, left , right, left, right. Etc.

..........as I was saying: Your water hardness in ppm or dh? Your Ph in errrh Ph?
 
Welcome. This really is the best forum on the internet that I’ve found. They’ll help anyone. I’m still here so they must do. Combine here with seriouslyfish.com and you cant go wrong. Both are invaluable imho.
What is your waters hardness and ph? AND Have you read about cycling your tank?...... are the general opening questions and I’m surprised they’ve not been asked yet. Standards are slipping.

Unfortunately things have been allowed to slide round here during the holidays. Too much chocolate, fizzy drinks, late nights and late mornings. It’s got to stop. Cmon you lot let’s shape up around here. Xmas has gone. Let’s get these new tanks up n running in the best possible way.
Stand up straight, salute, present buckets, quick vacuum. Left , right, left , right, left, right. Etc.

..........as I was saying: Your water hardness in ppm or dh? Your Ph in errrh Ph?

Hi, ?

Here in Rochdale we have good quality water...i have been told, just put in my postcode according to united utilities 'soft' water hardless clarke 2.66, not sure what that means. Ph i believe is 7.

I haven't read to much yet, i'm hoping to find all the answers to my questions on here, is water cycling the process from filling the tank for the first time? This was one of my next questions anyway, how long from filling the tank up is it safe to add the fish?

I've limited my chocolate and fizzy drink intake! I've been eating lots of cucumber and drinking green tea to help motivate me to paint and fit new flooring :huh:
 
Hi, ?

Here in Rochdale we have good quality water...i have been told, just put in my postcode according to united utilities 'soft' water hardless clarke 2.66, not sure what that means. Ph i believe is 7.

I haven't read to much yet, i'm hoping to find all the answers to my questions on here, is water cycling the process from filling the tank for the first time? This was one of my next questions anyway, how long from filling the tank up is it safe to add the fish?

I've limited my chocolate and fizzy drink intake! I've been eating lots of cucumber and drinking green tea to help motivate me to paint and fit new flooring :huh:
Have a search around on here for the cycling section.
It explains it in just about the most easily understandable way on the internet. It’s concerns the Chemistry of a new tank just prior to safely adding fish and how to get there from a simple glass box full of water. It’s too technical for me.
Im a “silent cycling” advocate. It’s simpler. Like me. It consists of planting lots of live plants in the tank and waiting for them to grow which means that basically the plants are eating/drinking the bad chemicals you don’t want your fish to drink.
Speaking of which....hic......Sorry but it’s the Mrs birthday and too many newly invented and named “Tier Four G&Ts” prevent me from delving any deeper into the theory. Besides most on here know more about cycling than i do. Ask em they’ll prove it.

Youve.....hic.......landed on your feet with this lot on here they’re the best most helpful fishkeeping....hic.....forum on the internet. Just don’t take fashion advice from them. Hic.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CRS
Hi, ?

Here in Rochdale we have good quality water...i have been told, just put in my postcode according to united utilities 'soft' water hardless clarke 2.66, not sure what that means. Ph i believe is 7.

I haven't read to much yet, i'm hoping to find all the answers to my questions on here, is water cycling the process from filling the tank for the first time? This was one of my next questions anyway, how long from filling the tank up is it safe to add the fish?

I've limited my chocolate and fizzy drink intake! I've been eating lots of cucumber and drinking green tea to help motivate me to paint and fit new flooring :huh:
 
  • Like
Reactions: CRS
Have a search around on here for the cycling section.
It explains it in just about the most easily understandable way on the internet. It’s concerns the Chemistry of a new tank just prior to safely adding fish and how to get there from a simple glass box full of water. It’s too technical for me.
Im a “silent cycling” advocate. It’s simpler. Like me. It consists of planting lots of live plants in the tank and waiting for them to grow which means that basically the plants are eating/drinking the bad chemicals you don’t want your fish to drink.
Speaking of which....hic......Sorry but it’s the Mrs birthday and too many newly invented and named “Tier Four G&Ts” prevent me from delving any deeper into the theory. Besides most on here know more about cycling than i do. Ask em they’ll prove it.

Youve.....hic.......landed on your feet with this lot on here they’re the best most helpful fishkeeping....hic.....forum on the internet. Just don’t take fashion advice from them. Hic.


Thanks, i'll have a look around in the cycling section.
This hobby involves a lot of reading, will keep me busy.

We're in tier 3 in greater Manchester, can see that changing soon, just opened myself a bottle of Lancaster black, might have to save the technical cycling research til the morning.
 
Thanks, i'll have a look around in the cycling section.
This hobby involves a lot of reading, will keep me busy.

We're in tier 3 in greater Manchester, can see that changing soon, just opened myself a bottle of Lancaster black, might have to save the technical cycling research til the morning.
I’m saving it until brains can be recycled myself. Silent cycling is the simplest way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CRS
just put in my postcode according to united utilities 'soft' water hardless clarke 2.66, not sure what that means. Ph i believe is 7.
There are several units of measurement for hardness; fishkeeping uses just 2. Degrees Clark is not one of those two so we need to convert it.
Your hardness is 2.1 dH and 38 ppm. Fish profiles will use one or other of those units so you need to know your hardness in both.
It is indeed soft water so you need to look at soft water fish. The fish you suggest in an earlier post are all soft water :)
The best place for researching fish is https://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/ Their profiles will tell you if your water is suitable for them, if your tank is suitable for them (though with the size of yours only a few tank busters won't be suitable), whether the different fish all need the same temperature, whether they will go together or try to kill/eat each other etc.


Back to basics - cycling. There are two ways to cycle a tank without risking the fish - fishless and silent or plant cycling. Fishless is explained here https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

Silent (plant) cycling uses plants. I don't know if you are planning to use live plants but if you are, this is an option. This method relies on the fact that plants take up ammonia as fertiliser and they don't turn it into nitrite or nitrate.
Silent cycling involves planting the tank quite heavily with fast growing plants and floating plants. One or two slow growing plants isn't enough. The plants are then left to establish themselves and once signs of new growth appears, the fist batch of fish can be added to the tank. It is sensible to test for ammonia and nitrite every day to make sure they are remaining at zero. Once you are certain of this, the next batch of fish can be added.


The third cycling method is fish-in cycling which is not the best method as it risks harm to the fish.




How often should you do a water change?
Some members disagree, but most of us do at least 50% water changes every week.
 
There are several units of measurement for hardness; fishkeeping uses just 2. Degrees Clark is not one of those two so we need to convert it.
Your hardness is 2.1 dH and 38 ppm. Fish profiles will use one or other of those units so you need to know your hardness in both.
It is indeed soft water so you need to look at soft water fish. The fish you suggest in an earlier post are all soft water :)
The best place for researching fish is https://www.seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/ Their profiles will tell you if your water is suitable for them, if your tank is suitable for them (though with the size of yours only a few tank busters won't be suitable), whether the different fish all need the same temperature, whether they will go together or try to kill/eat each other etc.


Back to basics - cycling. There are two ways to cycle a tank without risking the fish - fishless and silent or plant cycling. Fishless is explained here https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

Silent (plant) cycling uses plants. I don't know if you are planning to use live plants but if you are, this is an option. This method relies on the fact that plants take up ammonia as fertiliser and they don't turn it into nitrite or nitrate.
Silent cycling involves planting the tank quite heavily with fast growing plants and floating plants. One or two slow growing plants isn't enough. The plants are then left to establish themselves and once signs of new growth appears, the fist batch of fish can be added to the tank. It is sensible to test for ammonia and nitrite every day to make sure they are remaining at zero. Once you are certain of this, the next batch of fish can be added.


The third cycling method is fish-in cycling which is not the best method as it risks harm to the fish.





Some members disagree, but most of us do at least 50% water changes every week.

Thanks for that, i do plan on having a lot of live plants in the tank, so i'll read the different options of cycling the tank.

Didn't realise the water changes were so often, the tank is being delivered in the morning :D
 

Most reactions

Back
Top