New Tank, And It's My First!

[mat_wire]

Evening all. I'm very new to all this, but the hobby has always interested me, so recently I thought why not?! So I have recently started at 120L (30gallon) Fresh water tank. It's planted with fake plants and various decorations, the temperature is somewhere between 25-26.5 C. It's filtered by a Fluval U3 internal filter and also has an air pump. The water is still a bit cloudy as the tank is only two weeks old, I believe this is part of the tank cycling, and along with regular 25% water changes should clear. I am having a water test at P@H every couple of days. Anyway that's the background. When I get round to stocking the tank I would love some angel fish. Are these suitable for a new tank, and also what fish can/can't be in the same tank as them? If I have missed anything crucial during the set up of the tank please feel free to let me know! Many thanks for all your help in advance.

Regards

Mat

 

[KittyKat]

Hi, welcome and thanks for seeking advice before buying fish.
 
Firstly, some bad news: your tank is much too small for angelfish. There's a variety of tank sizes that are recommended for them, but essentially they need to be tall and long. Having help angelfish before, I would personally recommend a minimum of 120l×60t×45w cm and ideally 150×60×45 cm. Why? Because they can grow very big and tall. They also do best in groups of 6+, which means that they need to be able to get away from each other if one decides to be a bully. Having said that, I'd happily go for 10+ in a 5 ft tank because they are very social.
 
Next up, read about fishless cycling: it is generally the easier method of cycling. Regardless, you need to be adding some form of ammonia into the tank or you're just sitting the water (which doesn't do anything). You will need your own liquid test kit set.
 
And lastly, don't believe anyone, research lots of sources and especially be sceptical of anyone that stands to make money out of you. From my personal experience, I recommend that you find a good LFS and skip on P@H.

 

[Ch4rlie]

 
KittyKat has pretty much said it all there.
 
P@H are ok, maybe you might want to have a look at Maidenhead Aquatics or there will be one or two small local fish store am sure, nearby.
Advice form chain store LFS tend to be taken with a pinch of salt as these stores generally just want to sell you their products, so do your research first, that the most important tip you can do before buying any live stocking.
 
Asking on this forum when you are in need of advice is a good way of getting some decent information.
 
One thing I do suggest, is to get a water testing kit, pretty much a necessity really, recommend getting a liquid test kit, (paper strip tests are notoriously inaccurate), better with something like API Freshwater Master Test Kit, tends to be from £25 to 35 in stores, online can be bought from £16 to £20 from Amazon or eBay.
 
The cycling a tank link which KittyKat talks about is this one if you have not already seen it yet...
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
 
Your tank size is about ideal for a beginner and doing a fish less cycle is the way to go, so you already ahead so far! Keep up the good work 

 

[nortonmad213]

hey, welcome to the clan

 

[mat_wire]

Hi guys, thanks for the warm welcome, and also the advice you have given me. It's a shame about the Angel fish as i really do like them, but ultimately it's not fair to keep them in a tank too small for them. So am I right in thinking that my tank hasn't even began cycling yet as there has been no amonia added? I have read that adding a couple of flakes of food will help kick start the cycle, is this accurate? The whole cycling issue is confusing me somewhat. I don't know if I'm just over complicating it, but it would be of great use to have it spelled out to me in simple terms! Thanks guys. Have a good day.

Regards

Mat

 

[mat_wire]

Sorry guys just seen the link on cycling posted above....very helpful! Thanks again!

 

[KittyKat]

Rotting flakes will produce some ammonia and that's all the do. I prefer to just get some household ammonia, a pipette and go for the dose and wait for double 0s method as it seems to be fastest.

 

[SarahR]

Hi mat_wire,

In case you're interested in another opinion, here it is.
Angelfish definitely do not need to be in groups of 6+, in fact it's extremely unnatural. Babies or juveniles are often stocked in groups to allow them to pair up naturally, since they are impossible to sex with any accuracy before maturity. Once they begin to pair off, pairs need their own tank, because they will aggressively attempt to drive any other angels away. The only way to avoid this is to crowd them sufficiently enough that they cannot pair off and establish territory. That seems to be what is being promoted. 10+ angels in a five foot tank is way too many, except for the purpose of supressing normal aggression and pairing.
Adult angels are best kept in pairs, and a thirty gallon tank is perfectly fine for a single pair of angels as long as you don't plan on adding much else. A few dithers or a couple of bottom feeders would be ok.

I keep and breed quite a few angels. They have been my favorite since childhood, in other words, a very long time);
They are not difficult fish, nor the easiest. I wouldn't call them "beginner" fish, but I don't really like that concept anyway. If they are what you want and you do a little homework, you should do fine with them. Good luck with your new tank.