New Tank, New Keeper

[dreezer]

Greetings to this great new forum. Last week I purchased a 30 gallon (US) hexagon fish tank and was eager to start up a sucessful aquarium. Before buying, I researched and read a lot of what it takes to make a healthy home for my future fish. Most relavent equipment is a submersible heater which regulates the temp rather well at 79oF, a penguin biowheel filter (125 gph), and a 9" bubble wall.

This past Tuesday is when I set everything up and added water. I used Aquasafe to dechlorinate the tap water I put into it. By default, my tap water has 0ppm nitrites, around 40ppm nitrates, 250 - 300ppm GH (hardness), 220 - 260ppm KH, and a 7.8 - 8.0 ph level. I had my water tested at a LFS and they told me the water was ok except for the high ph and it would be best to treat it to bring it down to a safer level. I haven't gotten an ammonia test kit yet, but that is on my list next time I head to the LFS.

This past Friday I bought 6 zebra danios and per the LFS instructions, introduced them using a 1hour drip. Everything seemed to go fine since I put them into the tank. They are a lot more active than what I saw them at the LFS. I assume this is because there are a lot of fish in that tank and its a bit crowded in there. There seems to be a single, more agressive than the rest danio that tends to chase the others if they get near. Is this chasing around normal for danios? It doesn't seem to be harmful but I am cautious as I don't know what the normal behaviour is for this type of fish.

The next day I went out and bought a ph test kit along with a ph decreaser as I was told at 2 different LFS's that its beneficial to decrease the ph down to a 'safe' level. I understand that changing the ph is a risky business and can sometimes do more harm than good if done wrong. The instructions of the decreaser says that 2.5 mL of the chemical treats 10 gallons of water. So far I've only used it twice and only at 2.5mL each time; once Saturday and once Sunday. I know this dosage will only cover 1/3 of my tank, but I figure it is a safe amount. Anyone that cares to chime in, is this an ok thing to do; or just stop trying to regulate the ph altogether? By using the small amount of ph decreaser and with 15 - 20% water changes, would it even make enough of a difference to use it in the first place? I've done three 3% (~1 gallon) water changes since I had fish in the tank (1 per day).

Future fish choices
My current plan is to wait about 2 more weeks, maybe more, until I introduce a new type of fish into my tank. Type of fish that I'm hoping for are small, community fish. Even at adult size I want this aquarium to still be a good sized home for all the fish that I eventually get. Fish that I am looking into buying: 2 - 3 ghost shrimp, 2 - 5 ghost catfish, and around 4 small tetras of somekind. Few questions on my fish choices:

I've read that ghost shrimp only get up to 1.5" and read elsewhere they can get up to 3". Which one is correct? Same goes with ghost catfish. up to 4" in one review while 6" at another. I've read that having anything less than 5 ghost cats would place great stress and lead to premature death among them. Would just 2 ghost cats be ok? People that answer with personal experience is preferred for that question. Are plecos a must regardless for this kind of setup, or would ghost shrimp be a different alternative?

I'm planning on getting a colorful type of small fish or tetra that has a very distinct color(s) like a bright red, orange, blue, etc. and am wondering if there is a fish that has one or more of those colors. I know of the standard red/blue neon tretra, but was looking for something with a different color scheme. I'll have to revisit my LFS to refresh my memory of what all community fish that they have.

Fish I am definitely staying away from: livebearers, sword tails, barbs, or anything agressive.

Here is a picture of my aquarium. Standard aquarium gravel, a large centerpiece ornament that I thought was rather fitting and doubles as some decent cover. I want to stay away from plants, real or otherwise, as I prefer my fish have more space to swim around in. Only other object I thought might be good to put in was a small cave. Do they make ones with suction cups to place on the side? I didn't look all that much at the selection they had at the store.

BTW, the small white dots in the water are actually air bubbles. Besides from what the bubble wall and water pouring down from the filter make, a lot of bubbles float around in the water. There usually are bubbles that form on the underside of the pillar ruins. Is this normal aeration or too much?

 

[brianriv]

I am fairly new at this hobby myself but I would like to say that you don't want to add any more fish until the tank is fully cycled. That can tank 4-8 weeks. It took my 50g 8 long weeks to cycle.

I would like to ask you what a bubble wall is? I have never heard of that before or seen it. Curious if i could use it in my tank.

I started my tank with 6 zebra danios and 6 platies. both group of fish developed its "leader" so to speak. I have had my tank about 3 months and there hasn't been any problem with them. They just chase each other around.

As far as the aeration sorry but I don't know how much is too much or too little. In my tank I have 3 airstones but only one is turned on. I have had it like that for about 2 and a half months I don't know why I just don't remove them. And the filter is an aqua clear 500. It seems to be enough aeration for the tank. At least I hope it is

Well that's about as much as I know. But keep on asking questions there are plenty of very knowledgable people here that will be glad to help.

Oh by the way it is important to be able to have test kits for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. And 40 ppm nitrates is defenatley not good for the fish so maybe someone can help you with that.

good luck and engoy your new fish you will have lots of fun.

 

[Teelie]

Wait until the tank is fully cycled before you add fish that way none die from the cycling. There are several species of Ghost Shrimp which do range from less than 1.5" to over 3" which is why you get weird contradictions on their size. Some are even brackish. Ghost Cats are a schooling fish IIRC, so go with no less than 4 though 6 is better. I think there are a few species with the name as well.

This is one of the problems of generic names; several species of fish can have the same name but not be the same in anything else. Take Butterfly Plecos for example. Three fish regularly are named this; two are true Plecos, one is a loach and of them only one actually eats algae and plant matter.

Plecos, don't use them for algae cleaning. Most are not algae eaters at all and make a bigger bioload than they contribute. They're more a decorative fish or one you keep because you like them, not for maintanence.

Sadly though, nothing can replace doing the algae and tank cleaning yourself. Ghost Shrimp will eat some algae but they're more of a scavenger and won't go after algae often. Same with most of the snails you'll find.

Don't bother with the pH chemical stuff as it at best does a temporary fix and at worst makes huge shifts in pH levels that'll cause pH shock which might kill your fish. If you want to decrease pH, try using RO or filtered water that has as few elements in it as possible.

A bubble wall is a long tube with tiny holes in it connected to an air pump that literally makes a wall of bubbles. It's useful mostly for decoration and creating a current although they can also work good as aeration when the bubbles break at the surface. In a taller hex tank like this, it's a good idea to have some extra aeration and current going due to the height and shape not being ideal for gas exchange.

You can see a bubble wall in my Cory tank here.

 

[dreezer]

Would softening the water be just as bad as messing around with the pH?

For size and amount reasons, I may end up skipping the ghost catfish unless I can find ones that grow at most to 4".

Any recommendations on a colorful tetra or small community fish? Is there some kind of oddball or unique looking fish that is safe to have 1 or 2 of for this kind of tank? Would having 1 betta fit this role well, and would he/she not be aggressive to the other fish I have? Same question with 1 or 2 angel fish.

 

[Bol]

Hi, dreezer.

Your GH and KH are kind of high, but probably not dangerously so (for info, my KH is about the same as yours, and my GH is about 70ppm higher than yours).

So, I personally wouldn't bother with chemically 'tweaking' the pH, KH, or GH right now.

What I would be concerned about is the amount of nitrates in your tap water. 40ppm is usually considered the upper end of the "safe" zone, and many aquarists like to keep nitrates at 20ppm or below.

Lots of plants and lots of light might help with the nitrates, but those aren't really practical in a tall hex tank.

I don't have any experience with nitrates in tap water, but you may want to investigate some sort of filtration for the tap water (perhaps Reverse Osmosis). Also, as far as I know (could be wrong), most systems which will filter nitrates will also probably remove some of the water's hardness, so you may be able to kill two (or three) birds with one stone.

In any case, I'd also mention that I think your Penguin 125 may prove to be underpowered. Manufacturers usually recommend 5 gph of flow per gallon of tank water, and many aquarists prefer something closer to 10 ghp per gallon.

Enough of the bad news.

I will agree that you probably shouldn't add any more fish until your tank is cycled.

For colorful tetras, the obvious choice would be neons or cardinals. Harlequin rasboras are rather distinctive, too. All three are small, schooling fish. You might also consider rummy-nosed tetras, or white cloud minnows.

For a "centerpiece" fish, you might consider a German Blue Ram (or a pair). I'm not sure of the dimensions of a 30g hex, but personally, I wouldn't put an angelfish in a tank that had less than, say, 24" of horizontal swimming room. Not an adult one, anyway.

 

[Teelie]

There are these rock like absorbers called nitra-sorb that will help absorb ammonia, nitrite and nitrate from your aquarium and last about two weeks until they need to be recharged.

There is also filtration which will prove to be the better route as it'll prevent the nitrates from being there in the first place. There are filters you can buy to put on your faucet, or pour water into and it filter it for you and of course water stores who deal specifically in filtering water to purify it. IMO they would be your best option unless you can afford an RO unit for yourself but that's a somewhat costly venture.

Onto the fish. The ones mentioned by Bol are good, though the Rosies might nip the fins of a Betta. The Angels wouldn't be comfortable enough in it I don't think. I could be wrong on that though. You could try some Dwarf Gourami. Supposedly they are not aggressive like their larger relatives are.

 

[brianriv]

just a thought. You might want to look into a bristlenose pleco. I think one would be enough for your tank. They are a very distinctive fish and they eat algea. I am not sure of what size tank is needed for and Angel but if you should happen to get one there natural food in the wild are neons.

 

[dreezer]

Thanks on all the information and fish ideas. After checking out http/www.liveaquaria.com/ I am looking at some of the following fish to add to my tank at a later time:
Harlequin rasboras
German Blue Ram
rummy-nosed tetras
white cloud minnows
Sparkling Gourami
Dwarf Gourami
Licorice Gourami
Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami
Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami
Threadfin Rainbow
Singapore Flower Shrimp
Cherry Fire Shrimp

I am most interested in the gouramis as those certain kinds would seem to fit my tank and go well with community fish. Of course I will only choose a few out of those in the list and not all of them.

Looks like I'll be searching around for a faucet filter since RO filters are a tad pricey even with the cheapest I've seen @ $150.

 

[nightlife20]

id like to point out, from reading this forum and other forums messing with ur ph more often than not can do more damage than good, if ur fish are doing fine then leave it as it is, it just means when ur floating them in the tank and adding water over the 15/30 mins, u will need to do it a bit longer.


take my advice dont mess with things that can mess ur tank up completly. ph fluctuations can cause seriouse damage to a fish's health, after all every time u do a water change u will need to stablise it before adding it to the tank. knowing how mucht to add is also a major factor.

 

[tstenback]

Thanks on all the information and fish ideas. After checking out http/www.liveaquaria.com/ I am looking at some of the following fish to add to my tank at a later time:
Harlequin rasboras
German Blue Ram
rummy-nosed tetras
white cloud minnows
Sparkling Gourami
Dwarf Gourami
Licorice Gourami
Powder Blue Dwarf Gourami
Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami
Threadfin Rainbow
Singapore Flower Shrimp
Cherry Fire Shrimp

I am most interested in the gouramis as those certain kinds would seem to fit my tank and go well with community fish. Of course I will only choose a few out of those in the list and not all of them.

Looks like I'll be searching around for a faucet filter since RO filters are a tad pricey even with the cheapest I've seen @ $150.

Gouramis usually fit into a community tank quite well but in a hex tank you have limited surface area where the gouramis hang. So be careful if you intend on getting more than one type. The males can get pretty aggressive with each other in a tight environment. However having said that i think gouramis can make an excellent top level centerpiece fish. So i would spend some time and find a nice pair of your favorite kind and go with that. Good luck

 

[dreezer]

Went to Petsmart last night and they had a few gouramis but all males. I asked an employee there and she wasn't sure why they only stocked male gouramis. She said it could be a corporate decision thing. Anyone know why that is the case? If I only wanted one pair of gouramis or another kind of fish (1 male, 1 female), is there a good online place to buy fish that will fufil your request for a matching pair? http/www.liveaquaria.com/ looked like a good place, but I'm not sure if they honor that kind of request. For ordering fish online in general, anyone have preferences or do they soely get fish from their LFS?

I was thinking of maybe getting 2 Licorice Gourami because they can breath thru their gills and not have to surface like other gourami. Also may end up with 2 blue rams, and/or 2 gouramis of another kind. Has anyone ever taken care of Licorice Gouramis or have observed their behaviour before? Just wondering if they hang around the top or not. Any problems with having blue rams and gouramis together?

From the picture I provided from before, the pillar ruins object does take up quite a bit of ground area. Just wondering if I should place a small cave on the bottom, or can I get something similar to place on the side via suction cups? If I get gouramis that tend to stay near the top, is there a good site that sells fake floating plants or should I not bother with that? The one LFS near me doesn't have that great of an ornament/fake plant selection. I do want to add another object or 2 but not to make it too crowded either. Any suggestions other than what I mentioned?

 

[clutterydrawer]

male gouramis tend to be more popular because they have brighter colours, that could be why the shop prefers to stock them.

 

[Teelie]

Strange... maybe they just had males by some freak accident? I've noticed at many stores they tend to have mostly one or the other but only males or only females when their stocks are low.

 

[brianriv]

I agree with clutterydraw. The males are more colorfull so general sell better in stores cuz that's what most people want. Just look around for other stores some have more of a variety. Like privatle owned stores rather than chains. Atleast where I live.