New Tank - Advice Please!

[smithps]

Hi all - love the site - really helpful and I've been lurking for a while now just reading posts and whetting my appetite to get a new tank. I used to keep tropical fish years ago when I was young and have just bought a new tank with a view hopefully to getting my 4yr old son interested - I set up the tank (an Aqua 40) on Sunday and he was quivering with excitement just looking at the empty tank with water in and the light switched on - hope it lasts!

As I say, I have an Aqua 40 (space to put it is very limited) which as the name suggests holds 40 litres. Its dimensions are 12" long x 12" wide by 16" high. Am i right in thinking that once the tank is set up to full capacity (i know this means introducing fish slowly over time) it can take about 12" of fully grown fish or 30cm? Are my calculations right (all based on averages, I know). My tank is reasonably well planted but no large rocks or bog wood etc.

My questions are, I suspect, often asked on this site, namely:

1. what kind of fish will be suitable for a tank of this size? (ie what's not going to grow to big?)
2. is it crazy to have a small angel fish and hope it doesn't grow too big (or will it grow too big)
3. if so, is it ok to have 1 angel on its own with a few other fish.
4. if not, i might go for live bearers (i think my son will like the colour and fins of guppies) - would two male guppies and three or four female guppies leave room for one larger fish (i'm thinking maybe a red tailed black shark)
5. if so, will a red tailed black shark harrass guppies?
6. what kind of catfish is suitable for my tank? i haven't enough room for a school of corys (cories?) amd i fear a pleco might grow too big - are there dwarf plecos out there?

hope this isn't too many questions! I look forward to hearing any thoughts and comments you may have - all gratefully received.

Regards

Paul

 

[gaz gun man]

hi mate, cant answer all of your questions, but i'll answer where I can

2) Angels will grow too big for that tank, I have a 125L and still would'nt consider them
3) see above
4) guppies would be fine, though you are better going for one sex as they produce like rabbits
5) again, red tailed black sharks get too big (one fish I did consider, but didnt go for due to their size)
6) I have heard of dwarf cories, but I've never owned them, so I cant comment, maybe you could go for a dozen shrimp as bottom dwellers?

Have you read the threads about fishless cycling? It would be the best route to go down to maximise the survival rates of your fish/shrimp, as dead animals could well distress your 4 year old

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, agree, fishless cycling will be the way to go and studying that and some of the other articles in the Beginners Resource Center is a first order of business. You will also need to be learning about and acquiring the right kind of liquid-reagent-based test kit and the right kind of ammonia for the fishless cycling. Another important thing is to review the types of media you will put in your filter with the members here. Take your time and study that closely, and then also test your tap water and discuss that too.

A 10g will be a thing of wonder for your son, nice move!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[marcan]

I agree with gaz gun man.

But don't give up smithps, there's a lots of interesting fish for your tank.
Corydoras, Kuhli Loach, Platy, Guppy, Zebra danios and much more. Take a look at your local fish store. Available fishies vary a lot from fish store.

Platies and guppies are colorful and active. They will breed in your tank and you will probably have platy/guppy babies.

Good luck

 

[Rediahs]

Like they have said already, I highly recommend fishless cycling... might be annoying to a child to have a fish tank and wondering why you can't have fish in it yet for 1-2 months... but it's probably even worse to a child to see the fish dying!!

Just be sure to let them know that you are making the water safe for the fish, so they are healthy and happy!

 

[San O Fisher]

according to the aquarium calculator on here your tank is 38L, approx 8 gallons.

1. what kind of fish will be suitable for a tank of this size? (ie what's not going to grow to big?)
small fish that grow no bigger than an inch or two. I know there are some small corydoras you could put in there along with 3 tetra's (neons or cardinals) would be pretty cool. You could also go for a group of oto's (otocynclus) which are small algae eaters similar to plecs but only get to about an inch and a half or so.

2. is it crazy to have a small angel fish and hope it doesn't grow too big (or will it grow too big)
as said before too big

4. if not, i might go for live bearers (i think my son will like the colour and fins of guppies) - would two male guppies and three or four female guppies leave room for one larger fish (i'm thinking maybe a red tailed black shark)
RTBS is too big and yes it will harass guppies, but guppies are cool fish, but as said before they reproduce like rabbits!


5. if so, will a red tailed black shark harrass guppies?


6. what kind of catfish is suitable for my tank? i haven't enough room for a school of corys (cories?) amd i fear a pleco might grow too big - are there dwarf plecos out there? I am not sure but a bull dog plec might work for you, however, I would personally go with a group of oto's

Others to consider...You could have a couple dwarf puffers in there, but they are finicky eaters (but great to look at)
Shrimp would be good, I would have them in my tank if my catfish would not eat them
Danios would probably need more space and would become nippy
glowlight tetra's or others


hope this helps

 

[Schmill]

Agree with all of the above, ESPECIALLY fishless cycling, it's a must!

Also please do bear in mind that with livebearers they WILL breed if they are happy in their conditions. You can spend an age carefully calculating your stocking levels, only to then have your female guppy supply you with 10 little guppy fry. You then have the situation where you have to try and cope with an overstocked tank, or give away / sell some fish.

Personally I have gone with the latter option as I love the look of both male and female guppies, and they have yet to make available a guppy 'morning-after pill'! However this is in my 300L tank, so obviously the impact of a few guppy fry being added to the tank is a lot less for me than it would be for you in your 40L tank.

 

[smithps]

Hi folks. Thank you so much for all your posts in response - clearly i h ave a lot to learn. I shall go with the fishless cycling and see how that goes. Many thanks again for the advice.

Regards to all

 

[GeorgieP]

HELP! just added this post to another thread but think this will be better. Bought a tank, set it up as instructed, 2 weeks later bought 4 hardy fish, all good so far. 3 months down the line ammonia still 1.00 after god knows how many water changes. Very little feeding and no ammonia in tap water. About to give up.

 

[cowboy507]

HELP! just added this post to another thread but think this will be better. Bought a tank, set it up as instructed, 2 weeks later bought 4 hardy fish, all good so far. 3 months down the line ammonia still 1.00 after god knows how many water changes. Very little feeding and no ammonia in tap water. About to give up.

test your pH, if it is below 6.0 your cycle might have stalled. add some crushed coral, or sodium bicarb (baking soda). test your tap pH. a water change should raise the ammonia, but if it keeps on falling you may need to seek other advise.
this thread should help if you did have a pH crash
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=292725

what type of test kit do you have? (if you dont have a liquid test kit, buy one, dont rely on test strips, these are very inaccurate)
what size of tank?
what fish?
you might also get more responses if you post your own thread. if you do make sure you add all that i have asked

 

[waterdrop]

Hi folks. Thank you so much for all your posts in response - clearly i h ave a lot to learn. I shall go with the fishless cycling and see how that goes. Many thanks again for the advice.

The ideal way to go about the fishless cycle is with a daily log of some sort at home and frequent posts here to your thread. The members here then can help confirm or correct whether you've got the details of the fishless article as they were meant.

~~waterdrop~~