Photo of my 520L tank

[CRS]

It would be good to know if you have soft or hard water if you go on your water companies website you might be able to find some info - do you ever have problems with limescale?

In a big tank like this with neons if you have soft water I’d do a South American tank with some dwarf cichlids like apistos or laetacara maybe some Cupid cichlids. Some of the nice corydora species, some headstanders, red lizard whiptails, hatchet fish. You might be better with cardinal tetras too very similar to neons but get a bit bigger and also are a bit healthier as neons are a bit over bred these days.

Wills

Managed to find this on the united utilities website:

Typical water hardness: Soft
Hardness clarke: 2.73

Not sure what this means, haha!

Just having a look a Google images, apistos and red lizard whiptails look interesting!

Right, i have a daft question, this is the smallest black sand i can find on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018K4Y9IG/?tag= I assume this is to big?

 

[Wills]

I’m not 100% on the unit but I think that is really soft so perfect for what you want to keep. The sand looks spot on too!

My favourite apistos are the panda types like Panduro or nisjeni. Nisjeni get a bit bigger but both look similar with steel blue and red males and black and yellow females. Some of the line bred ones are cool too like fire red aggazizi. Keep them as a harem with more males than females in a tank this big you could probably have a few males though.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Keep them as a harem with more males than females in a tank this big you could probably have a few males though.

More females than males, surely?

 

[CRS]

I’m not 100% on the unit but I think that is really soft so perfect for what you want to keep. The sand looks spot on too!

My favourite apistos are the panda types like Panduro or nisjeni. Nisjeni get a bit bigger but both look similar with steel blue and red males and black and yellow females. Some of the line bred ones are cool too like fire red aggazizi. Keep them as a harem with more males than females in a tank this big you could probably have a few males though.

Thanks, i'll get some ordered!

So the pump should be here by Monday, so next week i'll finally fill it with water, i see the pump makes it easy for water changes, thats ideal.
then a patient few weeks till i put some fish in.

 

[Wills]

That’s great! I’ve never used the water change feature but it is a good tool and it washes the filters out a bit too. If you can find them have a look for some pull out shelves a bit like a keyboard shelf you get on some drawers as it will help to pull the filters out of the cabinet when you need to do maintenance. One thing I don’t like about the fx range are the ribbed hoses they always gather up loads of muck on the inside. If you can find some smooth piping for it might be good? Otherwise you just need to clean them with a pipe brush every few months.

 

[Wills]

More females than males, surely?

Blimey yes sorry bit of a typo there lol - more females than males definitely

 

[CRS]

What do you guys use to clean the gravel? i've seen some fancy gravel cleaning tools online!
expensive hobbie to get going but then on, once you're set up i guess it's just maintenance and relatively low cost.

Feel free to recommend as much as you like haha, there's a lot i need! i don't even have a net.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

What do you guys use to clean the gravel? i've seen some fancy gravel cleaning tools online!
expensive hobbie to get going but then on, once you're set up i guess it's just maintenance and relatively low cost.

Feel free to recommend as much as you like haha, there's a lot i need! i don't even have a net.

I just use a piece of piping to syphon with, into a bucket. The pipe is 1/2" in diameter. A piece of garden hose would do just as well, although it does help that my pipe is transparent.

 

[Wills]

Yep I just use hose too, in gravel stick it in there and let it get everything out but with sand its a gentle waft over the surface and use a fork or your hands to disturb it all the way to the base. Some bottom dwelling fish can help keep on top of this too.

Being in Manchester worth mentioning you have some amazing shops on your doorstep. Have you been to Pier and Abyss yet?

Wills

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Yep I just use hose too, in gravel stick it in there and let it get everything out but with sand its a gentle waft over the surface and use a fork or your hands to disturb it all the way to the base. Some bottom dwelling fish can help keep on top of this too.

Being in Manchester worth mentioning you have some amazing shops on your doorstep. Have you been to Pier and Abyss yet?

Wills

Who is in Manky?

 

[Wills]

Who is in Manky?

OPs profile says Manchester - though I am assuming Manchester uk

 

[CRS]

Ok thanks guys

No i havent been before, i'm just having a look on there websites now, Abyss have a great stock,

So many species

Tetras: https://www.abyssaquatics.co.uk/product-category/tropical-livestock/tropical-fish/tetra/

https://www.abyssaquatics.co.uk/product-category/tropical-livestock/tropical-critters/ Ooh.

 

[Wills]

I like abyss but pier is my favourite shop ever probably one of my favourite places in the world lol. It’s just incredible and you’ll see fish in there that you won’t get anywhere else. If I ever go over to that side of the country I always take a detour. They have just moved stuff around and have even more tanks now too!

 

[CRS]

I like abyss but pier is my favourite shop ever probably one of my favourite places in the world lol. It’s just incredible and you’ll see fish in there that you won’t get anywhere else. If I ever go over to that side of the country I always take a detour. They have just moved stuff around and have even more tanks now too!

Where are you from?

I'll try Pier! Are shrimp safe with Tetras? I assume those frogs in the link need rocks and air for a complete different set up?

I'll be leaving the shop with a boot full of water bags haha.

 

[Wills]

I’m in East Yorkshire so bit of a trek but if I’m coming back from the airport or over there for work I’ll drop in on way home.

Shrimp are good with tetras but not with some of the other fish I mentioned. I’d stay away from frogs too it can work sometimes but it’s quite restrictive with what you can keep and how you scape the tanks.

Wills