tank help please.

Hi all.
how you all doing.?

can i ask for a lot of help please...

hope im in the correct place to post my ask for help.

I have a tank, the Boyu byg 86.
the link is to show you the tank.
www.amazon.in/Boyu-Diamond-Aquarium-BYG-86/dp/B07FK21L39.

We have had it for 8yrs or so, at 1st we had 3 gold fish in with a tank cleaner (cant remember the name of).
They died about 1yr & half ago & the tank is just sitting there empty with no life (with water & plastic plants inside),
Im only getting round now to thinking what & how to sort it out, (last yr we got married & was a busy yr). Now i want my fish back, so if you can please help id be great-full.

Ive looked over the internet for what kind of fish to go with...& at what kind of background...

I dont no if to go warm or cold, i have a heater in the tank as we had 12 neon tetra.

I was looking at the background...rocks / caves.
& then a nice stock of plants.
but...
Im no good with plants & plastic dont look that good.

Are tank plants easy to keep for a none gardener,? (the only thing with plants im good at is cutting down with my mower).

My 1st quick idea is, with the size of my tank.
On the back wall of the tank, a poster of a stone wall (cave look).

Then in-front of that a physical stone wall / cave for the fish to swim in / out.

Then in & around the stones / cave some greenery.

Id like it to go from floor to to lid.
But stones are heavy. Are there any artificial stones / rocks out there light weight.?

Ive seen on the internet that you can make your own using play sand & some kind of cement then paint them & use silicon to stick them to the size / shape you want.
Any views on this.?

Then the next thing is fish.... warm or cold.

Ive seen, again on the internet ....

Dwarf Cichids.
Peacock gudeons
Pencil Fish.
Threadfin Rainbow
Tetra .. black.. red .. lemon.. serpae
Shrimp (for cleaners)

But no idea what with what & if they will be appropriate for my tank or cave / stone look.

Any help would be great, please if you could.

thanks a lot.
talk to you soon.
trik.

Just a quick reply as I'm at work.

From what I see, 86 litre tank so decent amount of space.

Your fish selection is pretty decent, but look into tetra species as some can get a bit larger. I like Flame Tetras, and they're pretty hardy. Dwarf gourami are nice too.

As for plants, there's lots of easy ones you can pick up.
Java Fern
Anubias
Bacopa
Crypts like Crypt Wendtii or Crypt Spiralis
Water Wisteria (Hygrophila Difformis)

There's loads more but that should give you a start at stuff to look at

hi Dihanio.
thanks a lot for your reply. appreciated..

i went with this tank for its space it takes is very little, & its tall, i thought that the fishes would swim around like mad.

il have a look over the plants you say of. i haven't even thought about them yet.
Cuz my tank is tall, & the fish ive been looking at, in there description
its says the xxxx fish swims in the mid - top part.

So im still not convinced on fish to get. but something is pulling me to the shrimp for there cleaning description.

& i do like the look of so of the cave backgrounds,

so yes, great, thanks for the reply & il look at the plants you say & try picture them in my head with the cave / rock.

If you can think of anything else. im here. & of course il be asking (if you / all dont mind) about how to do plants & stuff.

thanks Dihanio
talk to you later. dont work to hard

If you want shrimp, you'll need smaller fish, else the shrimp will end up being expensive fish food. You'll need specific food for shrimp too, they're not just cleaners.

To help cleaning, look at nerite snails, and maybe otto catfish. Excellent algae eaters

In regards to mid/top fish, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Most fish will use all the tank.

You could get small corys for the bottom, if you like. And something like hatchets for the very top.

Yes, I read about shrimp being breakfast or dinner for the others.

I also had a look at was there tank mates...
Came back with the tetras, so il see if my choice is good.
& yes I was thinking Otto.

I haven't looked at snails yet tho, I'm thinking that they'll be similar to the 1s you get outside.
Again I haven't looked over the plants you said of yet.
I was going to have a look around then start pecking your / all your head's about this & that.
I'm at work but it's quite due to not much to do with this covid-19 thing.
Thanks a lot for the information dihanio.

No, the aquatic snails aren't like the ones you get outside Don't put them in your tank

Have a read up on what you'd like in the tank and you can ask here. If not me, there's sure to be plenty of people willing to answer

how you doing dihanio, sorry only replying now.

i did like you say, have a read up & i took alook at the plants, & now im back to bug you all .

were do i start..

you know my tank size is ..24 h x 14 w x 24 l =inches.

Substrate, ive read that black or dark colour will show the colours of the plants & fish off better.
What kind of substrate would i use for a planted tank.? or is it down to my price range?

How much in KG would i need.?
I also read that a minimum of 1 & 1/2 inch depth of substrate. Is that right.?

The background i seen is .. stones. with this i can carry it up the wall behind & the side of the tank by 6 inch eirther side the put some house plants around, blend it all in.

smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07YX15QDN/?coliid...ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

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Plants...
i was looking at , again for my size tank
Hornwort , these grow to 24 inch, cool hay, for at the back wall or corners inside.
Anubias - these grow 18 inch, for the sides
Java Fern - these grow 10 inch, for in-front of the hornwort & by side of anubias
Bucephalandra - these grow 4 inch, .. may be 1 or 2 at the very front at front glass.

I see that these are on a easy beginners page (somewere). I am right.?

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Fishes...
Red Shrimp .
Blue Tiger Shrimp . x total 12.

Blue Mystery Snail
Ivory White Snail x total 4.

Black Phantom Tetra
Red Phantom Tetra
Lemon Tetra x total 12

Otto Catfish x total 4.

Again i read that the tank mate would be basically compatible.

What do you think.?
also My numbers, am i over stocked.?

----

I have a air pump, i had a little air stone & id put it on low bubbles for few minutes every so often, I do like the look of the air curtain, would i be ok with either.?

The plants , will there roots get into the silicon & cause it to leak over time.?

How would i safely make hills on my substrate with out using excessive substrate.?

If i slope the substrate from back to the front, what depth would you start at & end with.?

Can snails crawl out of the tank & take there own tour of our home.?

Snails, may be good cleaners so i read, but what about there waste, what goes in must come out..?

At the moment the tank as water inside, If i empty it Saturday & cleaned it out, it will be ok left alone for a few weeks before i re-fill it with water,.?

I also read, that
my tank is = 8 kg,
1 gallon h2o =3.7 kg .. 22 gallons (my tank) = 81.4 kg

then with any thing i put inside my tank ..substrate/ plants/ ornament = ...kg

my god thats a lot weight... over 2 & half big bags of coal., Ive got the tank sitting on a real wood tv corner unit, but i did put a few reinforcing pieces of timber into it.

Can you please take a read over my post here & let me know what you think. Any help is appreciated.
thanks a lot all.
talk to you soon.

Hi all.
Hope your well & staying safe.

I got some 7 kg bag of seachem flourite black clay gravel on Friday,
I put into my totally clean tank.
It's about 1 - 1.5 inch deep all over but flat. I'd like to get a bit more, I see the same brand sells a 3.5 kg bag but I can't find this anywhere on the internet for sale that will post to me.
I see they sell 3.5 kg same brand but sand, & I didn't want to use sand.

Do any of you no where I can get the clay gravel in the 3.5kg?

Also what do you think about this clay gravel stuff.?
Pros & cons?

Thanks all for your info.

Trik

Hi all...an update on what I'm doing.
Today we went to under water world. (brilliant shop & the guy in there is great. ) . I got some stuff....
Tetra . Test 6 in 1
A 1" air stone, to replace an old 1 on my ornament.

Plants,...
(How the guy told me what they are in my normal lingo, but I forgot, so here goes.
Hygrophila corymbosa 'stricta'. x1
Lobelia cardinalis .x1
Anubias barteri . x1
Mircosorum pterpus . x1
Lobelia cardinalis 'mini' . x1
Anubias barteri Nana 'gold' . x1
Pogostemon helferi. x1.

At the moment I've put them into a 10litre clean paint bucket with full submerged luke warm water.
I may mess about later or tomorrow now.

What do you folk out think of the plants. ?
For some 1 like me that is good with a lawn mower & the only green fingers I have is when I'm removing thorns out of my self ,I'm getting a bit excited & looking forward to my completion.

Talk to you later.

All perfect plants for a novice.

Take your time planting them/setting your tank up. You don't want to go back to it soon after, when you're unsire of the placing of some plants.

Hi Dihanio / all.
I started about 11.45 am today & got most of it done for 4.00pm

I had to put new pipe & air stone in & pin it in with the glass sucker cup things.
Then with the help of the missus if she hasn't got her own stuff to do..removed the foam or the stuff around the plant roots & I placed them in the tank.

Just hope I haven't over planted.

I put some water in the tank but only 1/4 filled it, light is on & il put another bit in in awhile, think the guy in the shop said something like don't fill the tank just yet, something about let the roots take hold for a day. (I think he said something on that line, but I've been to bed since & may of got it wrong )

I got my background & shrimp hide out & a new digital thermometer coming on Thursday, so il be back at it then for a bit after work.
I did get this water tester Saturday as well...Tetra 6 in 1 test.
Il use this before I get my fish.

It's looking good tho.
Can't wait till Thursday...
If I can il try take a picture Thursday & post it here.

Talk later, keep safe.
Trik

Morning.
As you seen above I've just planted my tank filled it with water.

I put the heater on & noticed no light is on..(great ). Think the brand is aquel. & It's a good 6yr old, think I paid €20 - 25. So I think it's done a good days work, on permanently.

My tank temperature at the moment with no heater is fluctuating 20 - 21 degree c'.
I have a new heater coming today hope.
Brand... Sunsun yrb 810 -100 wat.

I ordered it from Midland aquatic supplies, there website looks fairly good. Can even buy the fish from there, but I'd prefer to go local for that.

Any of you familiar with this heater unit.?
Also, if theres a 1 or 2 degree c' in a difference between the plants - shrimps - fish, will it harm or kill off any.?
Say if plants are 22 - 28 c'
The shrimp are 18 - 22 c'
The fish 22 - 28 c'.

I'd be ok with an c' of 22.
But if 22 is least for the plants & fish
& max on the shrimp... that's it's boarder line for it all.
No room for error.

Or could I put in the strimp 1st at 22c' for a week or 2 then turn up the temperature to 23, then they'll be climatized / settled, then put the fish in a week or 2 after.
I won't be getting shrimp or fish for about 4 weeks any how, it just thing I was thinking of.

Thanks all.