New To The Hobby

[Stang]

Hi everyone!

I recently bought myself a 36x14x18 40g tank which I have running at the moment. I'm pretty new to the tank owning world but I've done a lot of reading so far, and have been picking up a fair bit of info, but still a big noob.

I really want to upgrade my tank size (hehe) and really wanted to go something like 72x20x20 180g, but there is no way I think this wooden floor could handle it.. heart breaking. So I'm thinking I will go with two tanks, the one I have in the lounge and a 48x18x20 75g tank in front of my PC desk, which will border the dining room, so open on both sides (will be ok like this?).

Now, after speaking to the LFS I cleaned (rough sponge and water) the tank, got new gravel and replaced the crappy internal filter with a nice external which is fairly large 1800lph, filled it and let it sit for 5 days. Then came the fish.. so in went two kissing gourami and an oscar (all babies).

My plan now after much reading is to move the oscar into the larger tank and leave the kissers in the smaller, then turn the smaller into a semi planted type environment and add a couple more smaller fish (if possible, suggestions?).

The other question is about the oscar in the bigger tank, now I've read text that say 2 in a 75 is ok, and text that says otherwise. So I ask, is it possible? At the end of this year I will probably be moving and I want to move to a house with cement floors so I can get the tank I want (but I don't want to risk getting caught out here and have suffering fish of course). So if not two oscars, what else would be possible?

Anyway, at the moment all fish are getting on super, the water is nice and clean, however I have been doing regular test and have some concerns there. My pH has going from around 8 to 7.4 in 3 days, and I did a 20ltr water change on the first day I was testing (tested before the change). My water is reallly soft, so I'm wondering how I can fix it up? Adding limestone rocks perhaps?

gH: ~53ppm
kH: ~110ppm

Thank you for reading if you got this far, looking to hear from some of you experienced tankers

regards,
Stang

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Hiya Stang, welcome to the forum.

there's one key factor you seem to have not been told about with oscars, two of them will fight like crazy and eventually the stronger will kill the weaker. unless you get a proven breeding pair (unlikely and complicated process and still no guaratee's of peace) you should either just keep 1 or keep 6+ (which needs a tnak in the region of 400 gallons). so nope i would definatley not advise you to put two oscars into a 75g tank.

that's really the minimum tank size for 1 oscar with no companions, if you want more fish i'd really advise you to see if you can get a 5/6'x2'x2' then you can get oscar some friends. it's not a good idea to keep him with just a couple of fish, you need to have a fair few to spread the aggression out, nice companions obviously space permitting can be clown loaches, larger plecs and catfish, silver dollars, bala sharks, parrot fish or other medium-large cichlids providing there's at least 4/5 in the tank.

hope that helps a bit with your descisions

i'll dig you out a good thread about pH in a minute too

thread about pH

 

[Stang]

Cool thanks for that, you seem to be doing a bang up job helping us noobs out

With regards to the pH and gH, I was thinking that the best solution to raise the gH would be adding some limestone, but I'm worried it will raise the pH too much because it's already a bit on the high side? I guess it's hard to say though because it seems to have a bit of fluctuation. If I added some limestone, what would be the best way, mixed in with filter media or placed in the tank? Also, how much?

With regards to the 75g, if I put oscar in there now and grow him with a couple of other tank mates (i.e. all from babies) would that help with aggression in the future or make no difference?

If he is alone will he go mental?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

he won't go mental kept alone, yes with companiosn it's best to get them all as babies and let them grow up together, it's certainly easier than introducing adult fish with an oscar, however that being said there's guarantee he won't turn on one of his companions even if they've been together years and likewise it's also not impossible to fish when he's a bit more grown up.

can't help much mroe on the pH, gH and kH stuff, i've not got my own head around it just yet tbh!

 

[Tessla]

Miss Wiggle covered everything for your oscar, but you'll want to keep a few things in mind about your kissing gourami. If you do go planted or semi-planted, make sure that you get fast growing plants like anacharis or plants with tough leaves like java fern or anubias as the kissers will do a lot of damage to any plants with soft leaves. They tend to be very gentle, but I wouldn't keep them with very small fish since they do get pretty big. Smaller botia species like the zebra loach would make great bottom feeders in this tank as would corydoras and perhaps a smaller variety of pleco.

As for pH, GH and KH, check out the article in my signature, I found it very helpful.

 

[vinylman]

Hi Stang,
In your post you say you let the tank run for five days, then added your fish. You need to know about tank cycling. Sadly, if you haven't cycled, the prospects for your fish aren't good, Please read the thread about cycling. Did your LFS give you any advice on setting up a new tank?.

 

[mommyof2bettas]

I agree with vinylman. You need to cycle your tank or your fish will get stressed out, and probably die Please read the pinned topic about cycling and cycle your tank, your fish will thank you

 

[Stang]

Yeah I know about doing a fish and fishless cycle (after getting fish). I have been monitoring the water everyday, and the filter I have is very large for this tank. So far I have noticed no nitrite and the nitrates haven't shifted from about 8-10ppm, so there probably isn't any bacteria growing there yet. The ammonia levels have not been detectable, although there is a *small* shift up the scale on the test. The 3 fish have been there since Sunday and I have done one water change of 20ltrs, and will do another tomorrow. I don't intend on adding anymore fish until I get my new tank in and cycled, ATM I will keep these fellas clean, and hope they can stimulate some bacteria growth. Any comments on this?

Don't worry, I intend on taking good care of my fish.

 

[mommyof2bettas]

I know we all intend of taking good care of our fish
just pointing out that IMO it's easier to do a fishless cycle since there are no chances of fish dying.
but I know you're taking good care of your fish

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Yeah I know about doing a fish and fishless cycle (after getting fish). I have been monitoring the water everyday, and the filter I have is very large for this tank. So far I have noticed no nitrite and the nitrates haven't shifted from about 8-10ppm, so there probably isn't any bacteria growing there yet. The ammonia levels have not been detectable, although there is a *small* shift up the scale on the test. The 3 fish have been there since Sunday and I have done one water change of 20ltrs, and will do another tomorrow. I don't intend on adding anymore fish until I get my new tank in and cycled, ATM I will keep these fellas clean, and hope they can stimulate some bacteria growth. Any comments on this?

Don't worry, I intend on taking good care of my fish.

not ideal but sounds like your doing ok

test for ammonia and nitrite every single day at the moment, any day you get a reading for either do a 20% water change, you'll find in a few days it'll start properly and you'll probably be doing water changes every day for a few weeks

 

[Stang]

Thought I might add a picture to this... my first attempt at a tank - not the greatest picture, but oh well.