Be gentle, I'm new here!!

I have been tank-less for about 10 years now and want to get back into it. My first vist to my local store tells me that things have moved along substantially and I have forgotten a lot. This forum was recommended to me by the store owner. Be prepared for a few "stupid" questions!!

My dad was a fishkeeper, back in the day. He built his own tank into the wall of the house and then bought one from a fish shop that was closing down. It was so long ago that he built his own air pump to run the gravel filter; made his own plant handling tools from some aluminium bars he found and got most of his advice from relatives and friends from Australia (which is where he also got the plans and filter details for building a swimming pool in the garden!!).

He passed away when I was 7 and I tried to keep the first tank going as best as I could, but I did not really understand what I was up to and by the time I was 10, my mother thought it would be best if we found something else for me to do. Rugby was the obvious answer for my thuggish looks!!

Some years later I decided to have another go at it and friend of mine who was upgrading set me up with some gear and I got back into it. It was handy having him about for advice and tips. He was set up with two fresh water and one marine display tanks and about 20 breeding tanks, he even had his own RO unit.

I set up the 160 ltr tank for fresh water (I have always felt that marine is too heart breaking) including the usual suspects (tetras, scissor tails, redfin shark, and the Pleco). The planting went well at the start but due to a dodgy purchase I had a snail plague (yes there was that many!!). A couple of loaches sorted that problem out but then I had a red algae problem which the fish did not like (apart from the shark and the pleco).

It was time to start again but then we decided to move. That was ten years ago and I felt that I wanted to get back into it now. The idea is for at-least 190 ltr tank, fresh water. I have always fancied some Lake Malawi Ciclids or some Oscars but my "managing director" says that she wants something with planting and some colourful fish.

Any thoughts, hints, tips etc. would be welcome.

Welcome to the forum Adrian.

You can create a very nice colourful tank with Malawi cichlids (search you tube to get some ideas)

very good story mate, touching. nice to see you getting back into it. there is no such thing as a stupid question here (unless i'm asking it) i'm not down the road of cichlids yet but i'd skip oscars as the get a bit too big for the planned size tank (but that changes, plans are made to get BIGGER)

anyhow welcome aboard and i look forward to your contribution of questions and answers

dar

Point taken about the Oscars, I will see if we can't think bigger, I'll ask the war-office!!

Will also check out the Cichlid vids, thanks.

WELCOME to the forum and WELCOME back to the hobby!

Whats the quote? 'they can take you out of fishkeeping BUT they cant take the fishkeeping out of you!'

May you have tons of enjoyment. I only got back into it myself this year and am loving every minute of it.

Regards;
Andrew

welcome buddy

you have only posted twice but i like you already... something to do with "managing director" caught my attention

anyway, to answer your question: i always find the best approach to stocking a tank, unless you are doing a biotope, is to go into your local fish shop (namely the sponsors of this forum) and find a pretty fish (yes i do still do this. sometimes) then pick the brains out of the guy that knows the most about the fish in there, regarding water parameters, minimum tank size, tankmates etc. does his tits in but at least he'll (hopefully) end up with a few sales. if you are still not too sure on the advice then you can always post up on here, this is the best place for sound help (better than the OTHER place anyhow...)

again, welcome. sorry for the waffle but thats just me

Showed the gruppenfhurer some of the Cichlid tanks on youtube and she kinda liked them but wondered if there could be more plants. I explained that I thought they would only use them a food and they would soon look a bit bedraggled, Tell me if I'm wrong? (not too keen on the plastic ones). Stick to rocks and bogwood.

Have now decided that Oscars are something for the future, following expansion.

Thanks for the good start-out tip Joey, sounds a bit like a girl going to by a car... "I want a blue one".... but it would satisfy SWMBO and concentrate the advice where I need it.

BTW if you want to see waffle, just wait till I get up a head of steam!

Hi,
welcome to the forum.Stones,Anubia,Java as hard wearing plants and Tanganjicans or Malawis.Simple the best;) Regards,Tim

Hello, and welcome to the boards.

Jay