Setup for 4.4 us gallon tank

[kei]

Hi there all, i've just started this hobby and at the moment my setup is as follows:

16"x8"x8" rectangular tank (if my maths is correct then this is about 4.4 us gallons right?and 16-17 litres?)
Fluval 1plus sponge filter in the corner
Aquarium visi-therm heater (25W)
some plants in it, not too much but about 20% of tank spreaded out.
gravel, two rocks and thermometer.

I have got the tank set up and the temperature at a correct level (25C) and the filter running. also the water has been dechlorinated.

ok thats the info here's the questions:

1. What fish(es) would be good for cycling the water? I would prefer ballon molles to start with if possible but if not what shall i get? Also i would like to get some invertabres i.e. like one shrimp at the bottom. what kind is suitable for my tank?

2. What would be some good fishes to add in after the initial cycling has been done? I'm hopefull looking towards some top, middle and bottom feeders if possible. I'm thinking here that possibly 5 fishes is the maximum for my tank right? I know i should have got a bigger tank but i'm a uni student at the moment and moving accomodation every year so getting a bigger tank is just not fesiable.

3. My tank does not come with any lighting as you can see. At the moment i just have a 60w "sunlight" light bulb ( the ones that are blue in colour but gives off a less yellow colour compare to standard light bulbs) shining down on the uncovered tank. This is becuase the lfs that i bought the euipment from didn't have a hood that was that small. Is it okay to leave the tank open to the air and have a sunlight bulb shining down (or is a normal light bulb better?).


erm... i think that is all the questions at the moment thaks for your time and help! i'm sure i'll be back for some more q's later on.

 

[Doggfather]

i would suggest some cory's (corydoras) they are small bottom feeders and you could probably keep 4 max.

since you said your a beginner maybe peper cory's would be a good idea, they are easy to look after, and are easy to breed.


also, you don't need fish to cycle the water, just add a small pinch of food everyday, and test the water

 

[sinistral]

I'm not sure if cories would be the best fish to start a tank with, as I've heard they tend to be more sensitive to ammonia than other fish. My understanding is that a few zebra danios might be a good fish to start off with, as they are hardy and withstand cycling. I cycled my tank with platies, which are very delightful-- colorful, peaceful and hardy. Of course, I do think fishless cycling is the way to go, although if you are in the UK I understand a source of pure ammonia is very hard to come by...

Just a thought, but is there any way you'd consider getting a slightly larger tank? A 10 US Gallon tank would have more stable water chemistry than a 5 US Gallon, plus you could keep a few more fish. As a starving university student I could understand if you've already put out all the money you want to, especially after having set everything up. Plus I'm sure space is at a premium in your room (or apartment, or flat as it may be).

If you do go with the 4.4 US Gallon setup, you could have at most about 4 or 5 "inches" of fish. This is something like 3 platies, or 4 danios, or 4 black neon tetras. I've never kept shrimp, so that's a question for the better informed, but I do understand that their stress on the bioload is minimal.

EDIT: here's another topic that you might be interested in reading about: http/fish.orbust.net/forums/index.php?sh...showtopic=21587

 

[akhtar]

zebra danions, 4-5 is a good amount
get 2 each week tho