Hi, stumbled on this forum a couple of days ago and, my word what a glut of information. Seeing as I seem to have inherited an aquarium from my daughter, I may be here for the long term ...so hello.
Bit of background, my daughter wanted a 'fish' for Christmas, being a tad more responsible than most I agreed on the condition we did it properly. So from never even wanting a fish, we have gone from the original idea of a a fish to a small tropical aquarium. Seemed to be around the same price as the standard goldfish, but more interesting.
In December we invested in a Fluvel Spec v, some gravel, a bit of wood with some green on it and a few plants. Took them home and set them up..cycling what's that.
A week later we went back and bought 4 Glowlight tetras, 2 Nerite snails and a couple of ghost shrimp. Introduced them to there new home and they were very happy.
The next week we went back and bought a further 4 Neon tetras.....introduced them to there new house-mates, and they are all very happy.
And that I thought was that.....the daughter fed them, dad (me) did everything else...but these little fellas are quite endearing, and I've found myself more interested than the girl. Maybe it's a mid life crisis.
So in January, under duress from the girl that she wanted a pretty fish, against my better judgement we got Henry the Betta. My thinking was, if he isn't happy we can get another tank and he can live there (see what's happening), but he is such a happy little chap. His house mates don't bother him, he doesn't bother them, a happy little tank we have.
Then I noticed the plants weren't very happy, so after some reading I invested in some Flourish Excel. For the size of tank I'm happy to dose without the bother of a CO2 injection system. But the old plants had to go, so off to the LFS I go and get some new plants.
Out with the old and in with the new, the tank now looks lovely, but something on the plants did for Vic & Bob the shrimps, and that's what brought me here. I think it must have been pesticides on the plants (I didn't wash them, I didn't know I had to), so I'll be letting them settle and then we will be getting a new Vic & Bob.
So there we are a newbie to a convert in the space of three months, and now I have my eyes on a 'proper' bib boys tank.
So thanks for the help I beg for and I hope any questions I put aren't too daft.
Bit of background, my daughter wanted a 'fish' for Christmas, being a tad more responsible than most I agreed on the condition we did it properly. So from never even wanting a fish, we have gone from the original idea of a a fish to a small tropical aquarium. Seemed to be around the same price as the standard goldfish, but more interesting.
In December we invested in a Fluvel Spec v, some gravel, a bit of wood with some green on it and a few plants. Took them home and set them up..cycling what's that.
A week later we went back and bought 4 Glowlight tetras, 2 Nerite snails and a couple of ghost shrimp. Introduced them to there new home and they were very happy.
The next week we went back and bought a further 4 Neon tetras.....introduced them to there new house-mates, and they are all very happy.
And that I thought was that.....the daughter fed them, dad (me) did everything else...but these little fellas are quite endearing, and I've found myself more interested than the girl. Maybe it's a mid life crisis.
So in January, under duress from the girl that she wanted a pretty fish, against my better judgement we got Henry the Betta. My thinking was, if he isn't happy we can get another tank and he can live there (see what's happening), but he is such a happy little chap. His house mates don't bother him, he doesn't bother them, a happy little tank we have.
Then I noticed the plants weren't very happy, so after some reading I invested in some Flourish Excel. For the size of tank I'm happy to dose without the bother of a CO2 injection system. But the old plants had to go, so off to the LFS I go and get some new plants.
Out with the old and in with the new, the tank now looks lovely, but something on the plants did for Vic & Bob the shrimps, and that's what brought me here. I think it must have been pesticides on the plants (I didn't wash them, I didn't know I had to), so I'll be letting them settle and then we will be getting a new Vic & Bob.
So there we are a newbie to a convert in the space of three months, and now I have my eyes on a 'proper' bib boys tank.
So thanks for the help I beg for and I hope any questions I put aren't too daft.
