Total Beginner

[emeraldking]

Welcome to the forum, Steve...

 

[Steve1969]

Welcome to the forum, Steve...

Thankyou Emerald

 

[Steve1969]

Hello again. Don't be afraid of keeping the tank water in the lower end of your fishes' ideal range. Cooler water holds oxygen better and slows the fishes' metabolism, so they'll actually live a bit longer than in warmer water. I prefer not to heat my fish tanks. I keep my place at 72 degrees in the Winter and 77 in the Summer. Most of my fish tanks are set up in my basement, so the temperature there is a pretty constant 72 degrees. I keep the fish food to a minimum, so the tanks stay very clean between water changes and the fish are more active foraging around the tank for any pieces of food that were missed.

10

Thanks 10,I’ll do that,as I’ve read on a post not long ago(not being rude forgot the persons name) ask the temp they’re being kept at from the supplier and slowly nibble it down so not to shock the fish with the change,and it slows reproduction and that suits me as that’s a chapter to far for me at the minute,I’m gonna order a water testing kit Tom on line,I’ve bought tap water neutraliser,I’m looking for a tank now but,I’m not rushing I want a nice 4 foot one.
Reguards
Steve

 

[Lcc86]

View attachment 330467View attachment 330467

Not as hard as my parents' but hard enough!! I think you've been given some great options to suit the water parameters you have, good luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Essjay]

There are two hardness units used in fish keeping, ppm (also called mg/l calcium carbonate) and dH (also called German degrees). Fish profiles will give hardness in one unit or the other.

Looking at the table from your water company, when researching fish, the numbers you need for your tap water are -
256 ppm and 14.5 dH.
Ideally those numbers should fall within a fish's hardness range.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

There are two hardness units used in fish keeping, ppm (also called mg/l calcium carbonate) and dH (also called German degrees). Fish profiles will give hardness in one unit or the other.

Looking at the table from your water company, when researching fish, the numbers you need for your tap water are -
256 ppm and 14.5 dH.
Ideally those numbers should fall within a fish's hardness range.

That's incredibly close to my water range, which is 253ppm and 14 dH

Happy to help with fish I've found I can keep. Such as corydoras species that can live in that range, and happily live with livebearers.

 

[Steve1969]

Not as hard as my parents' but hard enough!! I think you've been given some great options to suit the water parameters you have, good luck with whatever you decide!

Thanks Lcc.

 

[Steve1969]

That's incredibly close to my water range, which is 253ppm and 14 dH

Happy to help with fish I've found I can keep. Such as corydoras species that can live in that range, and happily live with livebearers.

Thanks Adorabelle

 

[Kieran Brennan]

Welcome to the forum - I'm newbie too so I'm looking forward to seeing how you get on and all the expert advice is good for me too!
Best of luck.

 

[Steve1969]

Welcome to the forum - I'm newbie too so I'm looking forward to seeing how you get on and all the expert advice is good for me too!
Best of luck.

Thanks Kieran and good luck

 

[Steve1969]

Welcome to the forum.

Thanks 603

 

[Steve1969]

I have a 15 gallon tank (56 liters). I made the mistake of paying little attention to it after awhile, thinking I had it going great (I did, but didn't realize how fast things can deteriorate). Because of the small size, I have to pay a lot more attention to it than tanks I've had in the past. The less water, the more easily drastic changes can occur and the faster it can negatively affect the plants and fish.

Doesn't mean you can't do it. It just takes more attention and effort.

I haven't done a tank that small, but it's not that uncommon. You might do well to look for info from folks already keeping small tanks and take comments from the general populous with a big grain of salt.

I've kept fish for years, but I always did it the same way as I did when I started (when I was 12- in the 70s). When I started back up, I did a lot of research and suddenly found I was doing everything wrong. More scrupulous reading showed I was doing SOME things wrong and that there is a lot of myth mixed with opinion mixed with several right ways to do things out there. I like the articles written by David Bogert- he cites research (some others, some his own) and calls out clearly what is his opinion vs what is evidence based fact.

The bottom line, though, in my experience, is that keeping an aquarium is not nearly as hard as the TONS and TONS of information out there would make it seem.

• set up a filter
• cycle the tank
• put in easy plants
• don't feed too much (I know I feed too much, it's hard for ME not to)
• change the water regularly (more if you feed too much )

When I started, I knew absolutely nothing but what my neighbor (who gave me the tank) and what the pet store told me and I had years of fun doing it. Now, there's tons of info to ensure I do it right, but one doesn't have to go too far down the rabbit hole of data to have a healthy aquarium with healthy fish/shrimp/whatever.

All the best and welcome to the fun!!!

Thanks for your advice Muddy

 

[ExotixMom]

Hello peeps,I’m Steve,I’ve just bought a 25L tank with the intention of having some neontetras in it,the tank came with a heater and a pump/filter combined,there is nothing else with the tank,it has a lid with a light in,there is no gravel,plants or anything,I’ve bought it second hand so it’s been used.
I know nothing at all as I’ve never had a tank before so I’ve joined this forum from the word go so I get off on the right footing.What are the first things I should do,any help will be greatly appreciated,I’m going to collect some books I’ve just bought off market place in a minute to help me aswell.
Kind Reguards
Steve

You'll get good advice here...Essjay has given you basics. Definitely "cycle" your tank or your new babies will start to die by the time you come up with names for them.
I know you want fish now, but it's like preparing for a human baby...getting everything right before they come home keeps undue negatives to a minimum. You wouldn't bring home an infant and then find out you need blankets, diapers, formula, clothes, a crib, wipes, baby shampoo, a pram, etc.
Use a good water conditioner, like Prime from Seachem during your water changes. As for the Neons, you might be able to have 3-4 in there. Rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gallon of water *minus water area for gravel, equipment, etc* You may try something more "nano" that a Neon, like Embers. Embers are tiny and you may be able to have 6-7, since their body area is about a half-inch of fish. Feeding only 1-2 times a week also, tiny amounts only. Remember, fish are gluttons like puppies and will eat until they kill themselves with bloat. Plus, the extra food is bad for the water condition. Each fish needs a portion as big as their eye only.
First cycle, get a good water conditioner, a good water analysis kit, and don't overcrowd or over-feed and come back here to ask these "Fish Masters" any time you have questions or need to know what's next. I'm no master, but I have 3 freshwater "Nano tanks", specializing in the smallest fish I can find so I can have small schools. I also have an "aggressive" tank, a big blue Crawfish tank, a "nursery" tank, a "hospital" tank and I'm about to try my hand at a "dirt" tank. You'll learn a lot here and be able to find threads regarding your issues. I'm on here any time something doesn't look right with one of my babies, so there's always something you can learn from these guys! I hope this is just the first step to you falling in love with fish and aquatic animals and plants. Also, don't forget to vote monthly for Fish of the Month and Pet of the Month...it's just people like me and you putting their babies on display for others to enjoy, too! Good Luck!!

 

[Steve1969]

You'll get good advice here...Essjay has given you basics. Definitely "cycle" your tank or your new babies will start to die by the time you come up with names for them.
I know you want fish now, but it's like preparing for a human baby...getting everything right before they come home keeps undue negatives to a minimum. You wouldn't bring home an infant and then find out you need blankets, diapers, formula, clothes, a crib, wipes, baby shampoo, a pram, etc.
Use a good water conditioner, like Prime from Seachem during your water changes. As for the Neons, you might be able to have 3-4 in there. Rule of thumb is 1" of fish per gallon of water *minus water area for gravel, equipment, etc* You may try something more "nano" that a Neon, like Embers. Embers are tiny and you may be able to have 6-7, since their body area is about a half-inch of fish. Feeding only 1-2 times a week also, tiny amounts only. Remember, fish are gluttons like puppies and will eat until they kill themselves with bloat. Plus, the extra food is bad for the water condition. Each fish needs a portion as big as their eye only.
First cycle, get a good water conditioner, a good water analysis kit, and don't overcrowd or over-feed and come back here to ask these "Fish Masters" any time you have questions or need to know what's next. I'm no master, but I have 3 freshwater "Nano tanks", specializing in the smallest fish I can find so I can have small schools. I also have an "aggressive" tank, a big blue Crawfish tank, a "nursery" tank, a "hospital" tank and I'm about to try my hand at a "dirt" tank. You'll learn a lot here and be able to find threads regarding your issues. I'm on here any time something doesn't look right with one of my babies, so there's always something you can learn from these guys! I hope this is just the first step to you falling in love with fish and aquatic animals and plants. Also, don't forget to vote monthly for Fish of the Month and Pet of the Month...it's just people like me and you putting their babies on display for others to enjoy, too! Good Luck!!

Thanks Mom,I appreciate your advice,I’m totally aware of the importance of learning and getting prepared properly before stocking with fish,originally my plan was to have a 25l tank with neons in. But after chatting with essjay and other kind guys and girls who have took their time to give me good advice,I’m now looking patiently for a nice 4ft tank to give me a wider scope to choose fish.The water in our area is Hard so the choices I make will be made with that in mind. I’m spending now until after Christmas to get things in place toGet off to the best start possible,I’m looking forward to when the time is right and the goal is achieved but I’m in no race and am finding this part of the journey fascinating too.learning about how a tanks echo system works.
Kind reguards
Steve