Tank Essentials

[Viper]

Hi guys, new tank owner here.

So I'll be bringing home a 5 foot long tank tonight! (Juwel Rio 400),

...but I've yet to buy all the aquarium maintenance and essential equipment that i'll need to get it started and keep it going. I've been learning from the forum for weeks now and feel ready to step into the wonderous world of fish keeping.

I've just ordered a Liquid Testing kit (API) and a new filter (FX5), but that's it so far.

Could you guys name some things (however big or small) that I'll need to get in order to maintain and run a healthy aquarium.

I'm thinking of ordering this starter kit Shown Here because I'm lazy.

I've missed something haven't I?

 

[Duck and Dive]

Aquarium heater? and gravel?

 

[rdd1952]

First off, I would forget the kit. You don't need everything there and it seems high but I'm not in the UK to know what things cost. I do know that supplies there seem to be higher than they are in the states. The filter you have should be great as you have close to 10x the tanks capacity. I generally prefer dual filters (and heaters) on a tank that size (any tank of 4' or more) though for better filtration.

1) Heater
2) Net
3) Dechlorinator - should remove chlorine and chloramine
4) Food - type depends on the fish you get
5) Thermometer
6) Gravel Vacuum & Buckets OR a Python which is preferable for such a large tank.
7) Substrate
8) Decorations and/or plants
9) Ammonia (for a fishless cycle)

Optional items you may want:

1) Airpump and airstones or bubble wand along with tubing
2) Powerhead
3) Upgraded lights depending on whether you will have live plants

I'm sure some one else will add more.

 

[Viper]

Aquarium heater? and gravel?

A Heater ofcourse! Something I hadn't looked into at all as I think one does come with the tank, we will see, I'll definately start looking into them.

Optional items you may want:

1) Airpump and airstones or bubble wand along with tubing
2) Powerhead
3) Upgraded lights depending on whether you will have live plants

I'm sure some one else will add more.

All good stuff, thanks!, I'm ticking off a list as I read (buckets added, how'd I forget that one).

Is an Air pump better for the fish/plants?

 

[rdd1952]

An airpump is generally just a matter of personal preference. For plants, it's not good as an airpump adds O2 into the water and plants need CO2. If you don't have enough surface disturbance though, you may need an airpump to keep enough O2 in the water for the fish. As a general rule though, you don't need it.

 

[backtotropical]

A Heater ofcourse! Something I hadn't looked into at all as I think one does come with the tank, we will see, I'll definately start looking into them.

If your Rio 400 is brand new, yes they do come supplied with a heater.

 

[Viper]

If your Rio 400 is brand new, yes they do come supplied with a heater.

That's one less thing to buy then , I'm only wondering now if one heater is enough for a tank this size, do you think I need two (one at each end of the tank)?

 

[backtotropical]

If your Rio 400 is brand new, yes they do come supplied with a heater.

That's one less thing to buy then , I'm only wondering now if one heater is enough for a tank this size, do you think I need two (one at each end of the tank)?

I wouldn't buy another heater just yet. Try it first. If one heater can steadily maintain the temperature you want, then no need for a second.

However, having 2 heaters is also a precaution for if one stops working. It's personal choice really.

 

[Squid]

An airpump is generally just a matter of personal preference. For plants, it's not good as an airpump adds O2 into the water and plants need CO2. If you don't have enough surface disturbance though, you may need an airpump to keep enough O2 in the water for the fish. As a general rule though, you don't need it.

I would agree that an airpump is rarely needed. The fact that the airpump adds 02 into the water is not so much an issue for the plants. It is usually the fact that an airpump causes excess surface agitation that (i believe) causes the levels of co2 to reduce/excape the water..

Squid

 

[CFC]

Thats it, air pumps dont actually add oxygen directly but just speed up gas exchange at the waters surface driving CO2 out and letting O2 in. Most tanks dont need one but they are usefull to have if you need to medicate a tank as some medications can lower the ammount of free oxygen in the water so the faster gas exchange can be very benefitial.

 

[rdd1952]

That's basically what I meant. If the percentge of CO2 is reduced then naturally the percentage of O2 is increased.

 

[backtotropical]

An extra powerhead does a much better job of surface agitation (and therefore oxygenation), so i would never have an air pump for anything other than aesthetic effect.

 

[CFC]

Actually an airstone does a better job than a powerhead pointed at the surface (unless of course the powerhead is fitted with a venturi) Its all to do with the ammount of surface area disturbed, the millions of tiny bubbles exploding on the surface create a huge surface area to interact with the air where as the powerhead just pushes a smooth stream of water, think of it as the equivilent of a sponge versus the surface of a smooth stone of identical size.

Of course the vast majority of tanks get enough oxygen to keep the fish alive just from having the filter return ripple the surface and its only in times of higher oxygen demand that an airstones higher efficiency is really of any real use.

 

[andywg]

If the percentge of CO2 is reduced then naturally the percentage of O2 is increased.
Not necessarily, the levels of CO2 and O2 dissolved in water are mostly independent. Adding one does not drive off the other.

Also to add, any dechlorinator that deals with chlorine will also be fine for chloramine for two reasons:

1) Very few water treatment plants in the UK utilise chloramine
2) sodium thiosuplhate (the active chemical in chlorine dechlorinators) will still break the chlora/ammonia bond and will bond to the chlora part, it will just leave ammonia untouched for the filter bacteria to process.

 

[MartinD]

I've pretty much got 2 of everything just in case something goes wrong in a tank.
With having 2 heaters, filters, buckets etc etc, you know you're always in a good way in case of any emergencies.

Heater blows - it's replaced with the spare

Filter stops - it's replaced again with a spare.
Having spares mean I don't have to worry about my fish and I can always go the following day to my LFS and pick up a new one to replace it!
My personal opinion is that i'd never forgive myself if i suffered massive loss because of equipment/hardware failure and I didn't have a spare
Granted, it costs a little more in the long run but I value the happiness of my fish more than the extra £50 or so on a spare filter and heater