The "new Guy"/hi All :d

[Wigster]

Firstly hello all!

I am currently trying to research the tropical fish and aquarium hobby as much as possible before I actually take the dive, as I have as a child (around 8-ish years old) had a fish, and realised how the lack of knowledge and commitment will leave you with a dead fish.

I have visited 5 aquariums to locally, and unfortunately none of the staff there seem hugely helpful or approachable, hence I am here (I live in Cardiff, South Wales, United Kingdom... just in case any of you can suggest some good aquariums)

Currently this is the tank I plan on purchasing, http/www.fishkeeper.co.uk/Prodshowroomdetails.aspx?id=102
It is £119($230)-ish and comes with the heater and filter, which so far from my research seems to suit my needs, though feel free to give advice, as I'm not hugely clued up on the included filter & heater.

My main concern is the types of fish I should start off with, as I understand I should introduce them gradually.
In the long run I want to have a community tank with a fair variety of fish and about 2 or 3 plants.
Currently I've been told start the tank off with some tetra's, is this true, and if so, what should I add next. I would eventually like 1 or 2 bala sharks, and an algae eater of some variety.

So mainly, if any of you could suggest some fish, as when I walk into my local aquariums I see so many I like, but in my back of my mind I have the "but will they get on with each other" scenario.

Hope to talk to you all soon,
Thanks,
Wigster

 

[ZoddyZod]

Welcome to the forum! You've come to a great place to learn all you will need to get you started.

You are quite sensible to doubt information given by local aquatics shops (you'll see them called LFS - Local Fish Shops on here), they are after all selling fish to make money and some (certainly not all) will 'push' fish into unsuitable aquaria to help with profits or simply because the staff are not fully aware of what they are selling. Some LFS are fantatic though....you just have to find out.

Since you are just starting out, have a look at the superb beginners section and pay particular attention to the 'cycling' section. This is very important and often missed by people new to fish keeping (myself included).

A 110L tank is a nice size to start out with and will give you pleny of scope to have a nice community set up.

 

[KkAaNnEe]

Good advice there from Zoddy. Your best bet is to cycle your tank, see the beginners resource centre, then start thinking about the fish.

If you pick out some fish, take down their names and then we can advise you on what will work. Just to let you know that bala sharks will not be possible. Good luck!

 

[This Old Spouse]

Welcome! Glad you decided to stop by here first before buying all your supplied at the LFS.

Click on my link below my sig to take you to the beginner's resource center which will do worlds for you.

 

[Rynofasho]

Yep, if you fishless cycle your tank, you can put a greater variety of species in earlier and not have to get purely 'hardy' fish just for the sake of not killing them.

There are definitely some fish that appreciate a more well established tank, even if it IS cycled (learned that the hard way with some Cardinals), but you can still keep a lot!

PS, I'm just going to say this now. If you can reasonably afford something like a 200L tank and you are anything like me, just save yourself the money in the long term and set it up now. Larger tanks are more forgiving to changes that you make as well, and obviously you can put more in there!

That is not sound, 'this is the way it should be done' advice, but just saying, if you're feeling sucked in and you are a big researcher and always looking for the next think like me, just start off bigger

 

[stealth300]

Yep, if you fishless cycle your tank, you can put a greater variety of species in earlier and not have to get purely 'hardy' fish just for the sake of not killing them.

There are definitely some fish that appreciate a more well established tank, even if it IS cycled (learned that the hard way with some Cardinals), but you can still keep a lot!

PS, I'm just going to say this now. If you can reasonably afford something like a 200L tank and you are anything like me, just save yourself the money in the long term and set it up now. Larger tanks are more forgiving to changes that you make as well, and obviously you can put more in there!

That is not sound, 'this is the way it should be done' advice, but just saying, if you're feeling sucked in and you are a big researcher and always looking for the next think like me, just start off bigger

I wish i took that advice,im in the early stages of a fishless cycle on my new 110l tank and im already thinking and planning a bigger tank!...As Maccy D's would say "go large"

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

Yeh I started with a 50 litre, then went to a 125 litre now I'm at a 4' just under 200 litres ina space of a couple of months, i am content where I am for the moment, and now just learning to aquascape. No matter what tank you have, you always want it to look better or bigger lol.

 

[moochy13]

you need a 6 foot tank for bala sharks, and they need to be kept in groups. i dont know what you mean by algae eater, but dont buy anything thats labelled as 'algae eater' in the store. the majority of them are chinese algae eaters and they're big hassle. if you were thinking generally about 'one of those fish that sucks the glass', you're probably thinking of a plec. there are loads of types of these fish, again some of them not suitable. very common, suprisingly, are 'common plecs'. these get over a foot long and crap for england, bad for your tank. gibbiceps and sailfin are also a type of common plec, avoid. go over to the pelc section theres a thread pinned at the to called 'plecs under 8 inches'. if you want a plec read it.

contrary to popular belief, plecs wont live on algae, it makes a tiny part of their diet. so they need to be fed just like other fish. also, if you've got algae in your tank, then something is wrong with your lighting arrangements. as mentioned, you should definitely get a tank as big as you possibly can, dont just go for the first one you can afford. you will find out soon that lots of very nice fish are simply too big for your tank. not so much because each individual fish is too big, but lots of fish, like tetras, barbs, cories etc need to be kept in groups to keep them happy. you need to keep this in mind when you're thinking about what fish you want. these groups generally need to be at least 5 or 6.

 

[Wigster]

Wow lots of helpful information, in a short period of time! Thank you all so much .
I'm currently still reading my "The Perfect Aquarium" book, and all the info in the beginners thread, so lots more research to be done, but from what you've all unanimously have said it seems I should re-visit my aquarium store and consider a larger tank, I shall pop down again when I have day off work .

With regards to algae eaters, I quite like the look of catfish... in an ugly kind of way, and if they help clean algae as a bonus in even the slightest I'm happy, I know nothing will ever beat having clean water, good filters/lights and cleaning techniques.

Another question I have is, does anyone happen to know whether the filter that comes with the tank I have looked at currently has a port that I can attach an air-stone to, I particularly like the look of the bubbles the air stones create, and if they help aerate the tank then that's even better . The filter seems to be listed as: "Interpet’s ‘PF’ internal power filter", Which I know may not be a hugely helpful description, but until I have the time to go back to the store I won't have a better idea.

And then if the filter does have a port for the air stone, is it a hard job to hook it up, in my mind it shouldn't be, but I remember in my LFS one section of the wall was just covered in couplings/pipes/bits of tube and odds and ends that all just seemed to be for hooking up aeration systems.

I did have a load of questions, but typically when I've came to write them up now I have forgotten them, so I'll be back I'm sure with some more !

Cheers again,
Wigster

 

[Smells a bit fishy]

I personally would go for a second hand tank, you can get so so much more for your money. You can pretty easily pick up a 200 litre tank for less than £100.

One thing about catfish is that they are very nocturnal, so you will be very lucky to see them at all, and some get very big.

But it's your tank, and that's the great thing about it, you can do whatever you like to it, within reason. For example you don't want to put a fish that grows huge in a tiny tank. Also there are loads of great people on here, so once you come up with a tank, then start cyclying, you can post up a proposed stocking plan, and we will be able to help

I hope you enjoy it hear as much I any many many others do, and enjoy your new hobby

 

[This Old Spouse]

Just to pop in here, I don't know of a filter with an airstone port of any kind. With filters you'll be getting enough surface agitation to not need an airstone, but if you like the look of them you can probably pick one up dirt cheap from fleabay.

 

[Wigster]

Just to pop in here, I don't know of a filter with an airstone port of any kind. With filters you'll be getting enough surface agitation to not need an airstone, but if you like the look of them you can probably pick one up dirt cheap from fleabay.

Well I can't remember where I read it, but apparently there are some filters that sort of have a air out part that you can attach a tube to, which allows air to be blown down and into the air stone? I believe it was called a venturi device?

 

[fluttermoth]

A venturi just draws air down from the surface and then blows bubbles out of the normal filter outlet; they won't run an additional airstone.

If you want to run airstone (bearing in mind they will not improve oxygen levels or allow you to stock more fish and are for aesthetics only) you'll need an air pump.

 

[Wigster]

Okay, after a very long day of driving back and forth I finally bought a tank, the slightly bigger one than I planned, the "AquaTropic 100 Aquarium Set", which is 160 litres. Link: http/www.fishkeeper.co.uk/Prodshowroomdetails.aspx?id=103

Just one question atm - The Interpet’s ‘PF’ internal power filter that came with the set has a carbon filter. For the fishless cycling process would it be best to remove this carbon filter, or leave it in, as in my mind I can't work out whether it would slow down or aid the process?

I shall post a new topic with photos of my set up in the coming days, but after spending about 5 hours today driving back and forth between LFS' and then another 4 hours or so setting up the cabinet and cleaning gravel I have not got the energy at the moment .

Cheers once again,
Wigster.

 

[fluttermoth]

Take the carbon out and replace it with something else.

You don't need to run carbon in filters normally; it doesn't remove ammonia, nitrite or nitrate, and is really only useful for removing tannins, if you have bogwood and don't like the look of the 'tea' coloured water, or the remains of medications when you've reached the end of the course.