Newbie

[Topgun]

Complete newbie.

Hi all , looking to get Into this. So just having a look around of what to do and where to start etc.
gonna pop to My local aquatic shop and seek there help and Advice and go from there.
Have a healthy ish budget for start up, any advice will Be gratefully received.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Welcome to TFF

First rule in fishkeeping: Never trust the advice of pet store employees....they are there to make $, not give good advice

Many times, they haven't a clue about proper fishkeeping

We'll help you out with any questions you have...first, read about cycling your tank here: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

 

[Topgun]

Welcome to TFF

First rule in fishkeeping: Never trust the advice of pet store employees....they are there to make $, not give good advice

Many times, they haven't a clue about proper fishkeeping

We'll help you out with any questions you have...first, read about cycling your tank here: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first.421488/

Thankyou. That all sounds very complex and complicated though

 

[Slaphppy7]

Cycling a tank is easy...people make it hard

Start a thread in the Journals section, with any questions you have about cycling, and we'll help you out

 

[Essjay]

If you follow the instructions, it is simply a case of adding ammonia and testing the water. The method tells you what readings to look for and when to add more ammonia.
Much easier than a fish-in cycle where the water is tested every day and a water change done whenever ammonia and/or nitrite read above zero, which often means large daily water changes.

 

[Topgun]

Ok. So can understand a bit more now about what to do, kinda makes sense and I know I can ask for
Help On here so that makes me
Feel better.
What size tank should
I start off with? Small or
Large

 

[Slaphppy7]

The bigger you can get, the better

 

[Rocky998]

20-40 gallons is a good starting size I'd say. Big enough for some good fish selections and steady conditions, but small enough to where its manageable when it comes to maintance.

And welcome to the forum!

 

[sharkweek178]

Ok. So can understand a bit more now about what to do, kinda makes sense and I know I can ask for
Help On here so that makes me
Feel better.
What size tank should
I start off with? Small or
Large

This might sound counterintuitive but a bigger tank is easier to maintain than a smaller one. The water parameters are more stable. Plus, bigger tanks give you more options for fish. You can get bigger and/or more fish.

 

[Essjay]

Decide where you want the tank and measure the space. If it's in an alcove, you need a bit of space on each side to manoeuvre the tank. That will give you the largest size to aim for.
Look at an absolute minimum of 60 litres. These are usually 60 cm long which allow a number of smallish fish. But if you have space for/can afford bigger, go bigger

 

[sharkweek178]

Decide where you want the tank and measure the space. If it's in an alcove, you need a bit of space on each side to manoeuvre the tank. That will give you the largest size to aim for.
Look at an absolute minimum of 60 litres. These are usually 60 cm long which allow a number of smallish fish. But if you have space for/can afford bigger, go bigger

A rookie mistake I would warn people about. Whatever you put your tank, put it on something that is dedicated to holding the tank and nothing else. If you put it on a desk, or drawer, or table then a) they might not be designed to hold the weight and b) when you are doing other things, like closing a drawer, that can scare and stress the fish.