Questions About A 40 Gal Tank!

[CCRunnr141]

Hello!!! I set up a 40 gal tank on 2-12-08. I have a 10 Gal tank and wanted something bigger. I have alot of questions and please answer to the best that you can:

1. What kind of fish can I put in a 40 Gal. tank?
2. How many of a certain kind of fish could I put in the tank?
3. I want alot of different fish, What would be a good arrangement of fish I could put in the tank?
4. What size of filter should I get? Should I get a 50 gal filter? A 60? What would I need with the different types of fish?
5. How many pounds of gravel do I need for the tank?
6. Do you know a good place to buy gravel? One thats cheap? A website?
7. I have calcium build up on the top of the tank, what can I use to get that off?
8. I want fish that breed. Can I have a fish like Convict Chiclids and a couple other types such as Cherry Barbs, Tin Foil Barbs? What types of fish could I have with the Convict Chiclids? Could I put Black tailed Sharks with them? I realy need help in the fish part!!!
9. Just if you have any overall suggestions, shoot them out there I need alot of help. So please answer these questions to the best of your ability. I was using Yahoo! Answers, but nobody there would give me a decent answer. So I'm counting on the Forum to help me. So Please DO!!!!!

Thanks,
[email protected], you may also email me with suggestions or anything I dont care. I'm a friendly guy!!

 

[Fryfly]

I'll give you my idea from a newbies perspective, nobody can tell you which fish to actually buy as it's a very personal preference hobbie. I got loads of good suggestions by looking around but what my biggest consideration was the 3 levels of the tank and how I could get activity in each.
I bought a book and looked for which fish preferred the bottom which the middle and which the top then I struck off all the ones that would eat the others meaning I would end up with a community tank. I Stayed away from tankbusters(the LFS will sell them to you but you shouldn't buy them as they'll be cramped and outgrow your tank- not fair) and fish that require special attention like discus or marines as I wanted to learn first and have more of a buffer to make mistakes which I've done and am still doing. Thankfully the guys on here will help you outta those

2. How many of a certain kind of fish could I put in the tank?
from what I've learnt - 1nch per gallon rule - research how big your fish gets and the total length of all your fish shouldn't exceed the 40gal. but others will give you a better indication

3. I want alot of different fish, What would be a good arrangement of fish I could put in the tank?
This will be your personal choice, check out the species section on here and pay carefull attention to how big they get. As a suggestion think about populating your levels. bottom middle top but if you want loads of different fish you looking at a community

4. What size of filter should I get? Should I get a 50 gal filter? A 60? What would I need with the different types of fish?
others will answer this better. But my advice would be to do a fishless cycle - my biggest regret, you will be misslead by others like the LFS but this is the best way to prevent you killing off your first fish.

5. How many pounds of gravel do I need for the tank?
no idea - depends if you want a planted tank or not but again others better informed

6. Do you know a good place to buy gravel? One thats cheap? A website?
I bought mine from where I could see what it looked like

7. I have calcium build up on the top of the tank, what can I use to get that off?
?

8. I want fish that breed. Can I have a fish like Convict Chiclids and a couple other types such as Cherry Barbs, Tin Foil Barbs? What types of fish could I have with the Convict Chiclids? Could I put Black tailed Sharks with them? I realy need help in the fish part!!!
Spend some time choosing the ones you think are cool then the guys and gals could tell you whether they are compatible. Dont black tailed sharks grow to like 30cm - that's pretty big but going through the species pages on this site and books will give you the best start


9. Just if you have any overall suggestions, shoot them out there I need alot of help. So please answer these questions to the best of your ability. I was using Yahoo! Answers, but nobody there would give me a decent answer. So I'm counting on the Forum to help me. So Please DO!!!!!

Have a look around this site you will find a wealth of info already in place - welcome to the forum - I know I was.

 

[Ace Of Spades]

Im a newbie but I thought id have a go at your questions

1. What kind of fish can I put in a 40 Gal. tank?
GOURAMI!! I love them and they are so playful and active, i think the Op Gourami's are quite hardy aswell from what ive heard..

2. How many of a certain kind of fish could I put in the tank?
Depends on the size of the fish you get I guess

6. Do you know a good place to buy gravel? One thats cheap? A website?
Pets at home is good as you can see the gravel.

Thats all the questions I feel obliged to answer as im a newbie and dont wanna lead you in the wrong way sorry if this was awaste of ur time hehe

 

[cgbender]

Ok food for thought time......

As for the fish when your looking into getting fish look up schooling sizes (if they would rather be alone or with there own kind), temp and water conditions

As for the substrate you have several different options expesialy if your gonna get a canister filter. So what you should think about now is what you really want the tank to look like, weather you want live plants or fake plants, or rocks or drift wood. Sand or gravel is a big debate .... and i have seen really cheap ways to do sand.

If you want to do live plants, how heavily do you want to plant. Have you looked into flurisite, druaplant, Iron rich ..... well you know they have substate that do all sorts of things ... i have seen substrate that leaches asidity and some that turn your water basic. Or tricks like peat in the filter for that matter.

Hey fryfly I would like to thank you for your post and for actualy going though it with such detail and for pointing out the tankbuster fish and general rule of thumb for stocking fish ... it took me 3 months of reading post before I saw anyone share that one or the more complicated {tank lenght times width divided by twelve = inches of adult fish sutible for a tank }

Anyway going back to the original subject start planing your tank and think of all things you want to do with it then cut out whats not fesable ... and edit from there ... feel free to respond with what you come up with im interested to hear you ideas as are others ..... it gives the rest of us ideas .... hell I have legos in my tank