Starting a tank

[canuck]

I'm just starting to set up a new tank (29 gal) and have a couple of questions. First, does the choice of decorations and design of the tank affect the fish? My daughter, who was the catalyst for my new hobby, really wanted brightly coloured gravel and bright decorations in the tank. Do the colours of the stuff in the tank affect the fish? We're planning to get goldfish if that has a bearing.

My other question is regarding test kits. The salesperson at the LFS sold me an ammonia test kit and a multi-test kit for pH, nitrite, nitrate, hardness & alkilinity. Are these multi-test kits as effective as separate kits for each test? These are test strips, but in doing some research on the net I've also seen vial tests. Is one better than the other?

I'm planning to try fishless cycling for the new tank but I want to be sure my test kits are accurate before I start the process.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[gale]

First, does the choice of decorations and design of the tank affect the fish? My daughter, who was the catalyst for my new hobby, really wanted brightly coloured gravel and bright decorations in the tank. Do the colours of the stuff in the tank affect the fish?

You can use any colors you want in the tank-it depends on the look you're going for. My kids also pick out stuff so in our big tank we have blue, white and pastel gravel, a hot pink cave, a bubbling dinosaur and a little gremlin looking thing. In the small tank there is aqua gravel, a bright yellow fake coral looking thing and a bright pink anemone looking thing plus a little no fishing sign. The fish don't seem to mind any of it.

We're planning to get goldfish if that has a bearing.

Goldfish are actually harder to keep than tropicals. For one thing each goldfish needs a LOT of room due to how messy they are. For a 29 gallon you might want to limit it to 4 fish, but they will outgrow it before too long. I just got a great magazine from Aquarium USA which is a 2004 yearly special or something (got it from the lfs) and it has a big article on keeping goldfish.

I'd like to know also about the strips. I'm doing daily testing right now of both of my tanks and it's a pain doing all the drops, etc. But I am sure I read that the strips are not as accurate. I think they refer to them as guess strips instead of test strips.

 

[The-Wolf]

hi,
the colours do not really affect the fish, It is us that have to put up with neon pink 24/7 etc.
a 29 gallon tank will be ok for two goldfish and no more. Please read the pinned topics in the coldwater fish forum, If you haven't already done so.

liqued test kits are more accurate than the paper strip ones, having said that the paper ones are better than no kit at all.

Welcome to the forums.

 

[gale]

a 29 gallon tank will be ok for two goldfish and no more. Please read the pinned topics in the coldwater fish forum, If you haven't already done so.

okie dokie I stand corrected. Only 2 goldfish, and not 4. Sorry!

 

[freddyk]

Strips are less accurate, but it does the job, and is much easier. You don't need to be exact, you really just need an idea. If any ammonia or nitrite are tested positive, it is too much. Alkalinity, hardness etc. really aren't important, the goldfish will do fine in the water you provide, so it might be worth buying seperate ammonia and nitrite tests, since it's all you really need.

 

[gale]

Strips are less accurate, but it does the job, and is much easier. You don't need to be exact, you really just need an idea. If any ammonia or nitrite are tested positive, it is too much. Alkalinity, hardness etc. really aren't important, the goldfish will do fine in the water you provide, so it might be worth buying seperate ammonia and nitrite tests, since it's all you really need.

Thanks for the info. I might get some strips then, and use them for part of the week and then make sure I use the drops at least a couple of times a week. It's just that my tank seems to be going into a mini cycle due to my stupidity and I'm checking it daily right now.