My first Aquarium...

Hi all...

I'm just starting out, so I'll have lots of questions!

Background first: I got a lot of second hand equipment from a friend of mine. It included a 160L Juwel tank, with 2 T5 lights, a JBL Cristalprofi e900 Filter, a Hydor 200W heater, a cabinet, and a few other bits and pieces. I've tested the filter, lights and heater and they're all fine. I managed to crack the bottom pane of the tank, and after some research decided it'd just be easier to get a new one, especially as my Wife is buying it for me for my birthday!

So I ordered a tank from Seahorse Aquariums today, they're making it to fit my current Cabinet and tank frame / lights etc. It should be done in 2-3 weeks.

Next is planning what to put into it! I've thought about this a lot, it's like trying to make a jigsaw, but you have so many pieces and they're not all from the same box! Trying to decide between all the fish and plants is tough. I would like real plants, but also know that it'll add more difficulty (more to keep alive) so I'm not going for a fully planted tank.

Anyhow, here's my current plan. My tank will be 100cm long and 40cm wide. I'm going to put down some 'AquaBasis' and then some Gravel or Sand. I was thinking of having the substrate slightly higher in the back left corner and sloping down to the front right corner.

Then I'll put some plants in, but not too many. Some Vallisneria in the background, going from the left side to about halfway. Then some Anubias in front of that, not going quite so far to the centre. So basically the back left will be planted, but nowhere else.

After that I'm thinking of putting a decent side piece of wood/root in the middle-ish of the tank, though I'll probably go for a good looking 'fake' piece so I don't have to worry about the effects of real wood on the water - one less thing to keep an eye on. And on the right hand side I'm gonna put a decent size rock (also fake) with some holes in it for swim-throughs.

So that's that layout I'm thinking of, any thoughts or suggestions?

As for fish, I'd love to get maybe 6 Corys (possibly Sterbas). Do they have to have Sand, or would fine gravel work too? I was also thinking of getting maybe 6 Barbs (possibly Gold) which apparently should be fine with the Corys and with the semi-planted tank. After that I'm not sure, maybe some Killifish, but maybe something a little bigger (Dwarf Gourami?), I just don't know. Once again, any thoughts or suggestion on my choice of fish?

I'm really in no rush, my Wife will buy the first fish in mid-November (on my birthday itself) so I've over 2 months to get the tank sorted, and I'm starting from scratch, so hopefully asking lots of questions here will avoid some of the mistakes!

Thanks in advance.,,

J.

Thanks for your reply John.

You're right of course, a lot of opinions regarding the layout of a tank, and its contents, are based on knowledge of fish/plants and what goes well together, but a lot of them are also based on the person's preference, and that changes from one person to another. When it comes down to it, I'd like the tank to look like how I have it in my head. But it's very helpful to get everyone's opinions of it, especially if there's a reason why it wouldn't work (like maybe two fish species not getting on!).

I would personally prefer gravel (as, like you've said, I've heard it can be easier to maintain), but I just need to make sure that it's a gravel that the Corys (and other inhabitants) are happy about.

I didn't know that the Anubias prefer to be anchored to wood or stone. I'd also been looking at Java Fern but discounted them for that reason. I'll keep that in mind, but I suppose the basic plan (longer plants in the back, smaller in the front) is still ok, I just need to narrow down the choice of plant!

I really don't know what other fish to go with, after the Corys and the Barbs. I'll keep an eye out when I'm in shops (I tend to go to Seahorse Aquariums) and see what catches my eye. And then see whether they'll fit into my environment. Once again, 'in my head' I've got an idea of a couple of small shoals and then a couple of slightly bigger fish.

Just another quick question. As I've said, I plan to have the tank active for a good few weeks before getting fish, so all going well it'll be well cycled with the plants going strong before I add any fish. However, the two fish I've selected so far (Sterbas Corys and Gold Barbs) are both 'group' fish and I'm planning to get 6 of each, as from what I've read they prefer shoals of at least 6. Now, is it ok to add 6 fish at once to a tank, especially a new one? I have read that you need to make sure you don't add too many at once to give your tank time to adjust to the new biological load. But I also don't want to get 2 Corys and have them stressed by being in such a small group?

Thanks...

J.

Hi Jason,

As john said said most of the set up is down to personal preference. You will change your set up many times before you hit on exactly what you want. I would go for real bog wood and real stone with small round pebble or sand substrate(my corry's love digging around in the sand)Plants can some times be tricky when you are starting off. i would start with mostly fake plants and maybe one or two low maintenance plants , over time replace the fake ones as your tank matures.

As for stock, corry's are one of my favourite bottom feeders and yes it is better to keep them in groups of 4+ , oto's are another option and they are very hard workers when it comes to keeping the glass clean. As for mid tank fish Tetra's are probably the most common and there are plenty of different ones to choose from, at the moment i have a small shoal of glowlight tetra's which are a fantastic little fish especially when the light hits them, but rummy nose tetra's are my favourite you will need to get 5-10 of these for them to shoal properly for you. As for you feature fish I really like my kribensis but i'd advise something less aggressive and less territorial for someone starting off.Platy's are a nice little fish, sword tail or dwarf gourami .

Just make sure you research each fish and make sure your water perameters suit your stock and make sure the fish are good tank mates, this will save a lot of time and money. It's great to see someone putting so much time and effort in to researching the hobby before they have even put water in a tank.

Stuart.

john has given you best of advise, killi fish are not a good starter fish, with your 3ft tank you have many choices but gouramis are top feeders with say rainbow fish as mid water swimmers and corys or loachs as bottom feeders would make a lovely tank mix. as for plants many need long hours of good light with co2 to make sure they grow well and will need feeding too which can produce algae, floating plants are great in a tank and you can keep african butterfly fish and a male beta on the water surface. you have an open book with a new tank but you are doing the best thing to ask help here before you buy. keep us updated on how you get on.

Thanks for your replies...

Each suggestion of a fish has me checking them out online to see what I think of them!

It can be tough though, as there are some conflicting reports out there. Some sites might say that Tetras need heavily planted tanks (which I won't have), and others don't. Some say Gouramis are fine with smaller fish, others say they'll eat them. I'm sure it doesn't help that 'Tetras' and 'Gouramis' are such a generic term for lots of different fish with lots of different characteristics!

To be honest, I went with Barbs as Tetras seem to prefer heavily planted tanks (or so I've read). If that's not really the case, I'd love some Tetras, they add such a splash of colour. I do like the Rummynose Tetra, but I really don't want to keep any fish is conditions that stress it, and like I said, I'm only going to have one corner of the tank planted (at least that's my current plan anyhow!).

But, when it comes down to it, I'm quite open to lots of different options fish-wise, I feel like I have the bottom of the tank sorted (the Corys) so it's the mid / top to work on.

Thanks...

J.

P.S. I forgot to say, thanks John for the advice re cycling / adding fish, it's good to know that come November I can add a few Corys at once and not worry too much!

jason, john is soooooooo correct about cycling your tank, right now your kinda putting the horse before the cart by looking up fish online, may i suggest you spend little time also looking up the basics of water chemistry and how the whole thing works together, next your first purchase should be a good water test kit like the API one. it will cost you 30 plus but its basic equipment to have. if i was starting over again id buy just one or two easy to keep fish species and as i learn about fish keeping slowly add more and more.

Hi paulv...

Don't worry, I won't be rushing in to buying / stocking fish before I have the water chemistry all sorted!

It's gonna be approx. 2-3 weeks before I have my tank. Between now and then I'm going to spend a little money as I have it each week, spreading out the costs so to speak. I still need to get one more bulb, I still need to get substrate, wood, rocks etc. And as you said, I still need to get the testing kit. I'm making a purchase about once a week, and once I have the tank (and therefore somewhere to put the water!) I'll get the testing kit.

Ideally I should have a tank with substrate, plants, rocks/wood etc. filled up with treated water and running in a month or so, basically around the start of October. That'll give me all of October and some of November to get the water right before I go adding fish (as the first fish will be a birthday present). I've spent a lot of time looking up cycling, and while reading about it is obviously different to doing it, I feel like I at least understand the basics and know where to start once I have a tank with water in it! I do plan to do a fishless cycle, as I have plenty of time, and I'd rather not stress out any fish. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't be on here asking questions about cycling as I'm doing it!

All my questions about fish and which fish to go for is just advance planning, I'm a divil for thinking about stuff a lot and planning everything! I'd rather try (as much as possible) to ensure that the substrate / plants / decor I choose will be a good match for the fish I'm going to get in advance, instead of getting the wrong stuff (like, for example, filling the tank with a substrate that isn't great for Corys).

I do appreciate you stressing the importance of cycling though, as I know how bad it can be if people just go out and buy all the fish they want and throw them into a brand new tank...

J.

all i can reply is congrats on doing it the right way by thinking and researching it all first. i was the dive in and learn by my mistakes fish keeper of which there are many . the forum is a great way to learn and there is no such thing as a silly question. just be warned once you start keeping fish its more addictive than heroin BTW in only 10mins down the road from you heading for Rathcoole and ive a few pieces of bog wood if you ever want to use it in your new tank, all you have to do is drop in and get them.

Thanks Paulv, I appreciate that offer! I'm unsure about using real wood as I've heard it needs to be soaked / boiled for a good while before it goes in the tank, hence me going for 'fake' wood just to make one aspect of the tank easier!

Apart from being a planner anyhow, circumstances (lack of money and waiting for my birthday) are helping me take my time and do it all slowly!

J.

i understand about the bog wood it will stain your water but i keep plecos so i need it for them as its an important part of their diet. this is just my personal opinion but if any one has plastic plants and wood they may as well just float plastic fish, in saying that the new range of false plants look so very real. dont get me going on lack of money ( ( ( .

And last but definitely NOT LEAST, Quarantine Tank ! Quarantine Tank ! Quarantine Tank !

It will save you Heartache in the end not to mention lots of Money!

H.

Kudos for your considered start. A lot better than my start when a plastic bowl and two goldfish arrived for Father's Day last year. Look out for tank creep plastic bowl is now three tanks on of which I am trying to sell

Hmmm... A quarantine tank? I've looked into this and I have to admit, while I can understand the advantages of it, I really don't think I have the money / space to get two tanks up and running. Would most people on here have a quarantine tank?

J.

A quarantine tank needn't be too big. For most occupants of a community tank, an 18 inch tank would suffice, with a small heater and a sponge filter. And it needn't be kept running "just in case".

Should look into a couple of water drums
To leave your in over night to dechlorinate your water
For water changes

Well, I've finally made a start:





Admittedly it's not much of a start, I don't even have a tank yet, but you gotta start somewhere!

J.

So you've eschewed a freshwater or saltwater aquarium and decided to go for a drywater one then

Yep! It makes water changes a doddle...

J.

That is a nice piece of wood. Could you stick it in a friends tank with some Anubias attached to get it started.

It's fake wood actually, so not sure if plants will like it!

Took a big step towards getting my set up running yesterday as I collected my new tank! Very happy with the job Seahorse did, and it's 10mm glass so much sturdier than the original tank. Unfortunately I can't put pictures up as the Broadband is down in my house at the moment.

Just a couple of quick questions. What's a good water conditioner for tap water? I've heard Stress Coat (or is it Stress Zyme, I can't remember which at this moment) is good, but I've also read that it's not as good at conditioning as it used to be? Also, as this is a brand new tank, is it ok to add the water to the tank (when I get to that stage) and then the conditioner, or should I mix in the conditioner before adding to the tank? Obviously when doing water changes in future I'd mix the conditioner in first.

Final question (for now!). When doing water changes, how do you get the new water to the same temp as the tank water? Do I need to get two heaters, one for the tank, and one to heat the new water during water changes?

Thanks as always...

J.

I use EasyLife Fluid Filter Media to condition my water. I don't know anything about the science of it but I do know that it wasn't until after I started using it that some of my tank inhabitants started to breed; possibly coincidence though. As for the first time you fill the tank, you can fill it and then add the conditioner.

When it comes to water changes I've never pre-heated the water. I've sometimes left the water overnight to let it reach room temp (usually 18-21 degrees in my home) but since my changes tend to be smaller and more frequent either way when I add the water the temp only ever drops a degree or two. The only time it ever dropped further than that, my cories started spawning the next day

I'd condition the water before it goes in, get a water drum or two and the night before the water change fill them and put the required amount of conditioner in and leave them over night so that their temp comes up a bit.

Stuart.

Thanks for your replies. Any ideas where to get a water drum? Doesn't need to be big, maybe 20-30L? I was thinking of trying B&Q or that kind of place?

Another question now. I'm planning to have some plants in one corner of the tank, and I'm planning to put in some substrate for the plants (like Aqua Basis). As I'm only putting plants in one corner, should I only put the Aqua Basis in that one corner, and then use my gravel for the whole tank (covering the Aqua Basis and the rest of the tank)? Or should I put Aqua Basis all over the tank, and then cover it with gravel?

I'm thinking that if I only want plants in one corner, there's no point covering the whole tank in Aqua Basis. But, then, if I ever decided to do more plants, it'd be handy to have the whole tank ready for it (if you know what I mean)?

Thanks...

J.

P.S. Here's the next pic...

Halfords do 25L bottles for €20 I think. As for the Aquabasis, I'd put it where you think you're likely to plant up later on too. Chances are the plants in the corner will start to spread

I would suggest getting 2.5L of aqua basis and let it go as far as it can and you can always use JBL 7 balls later if you want more plants.

Great, thanks for your replies...

Yet another question. Is having a 'sloping' floor a good / bad idea? I'm thinking I'll have the back left corner (with the plants) higher than the front right corner, kinda going for a diagonal slope effect. Anything I should watch out for? Is there a min. or max. depth of susbtrate that I need to be aware of?

Thanks...

J.

A bit of progress made, there's finally some water in the tank! Got the gravel cleaned and into the tank, on top of the AquaBasis. Put in just enough water to cover the substrate, so here's what it looks like now:





It's not easy to tell from the picture, but the substrate reaches the surface of the water in the back left corner, and then slops away to the front and right side.

I'm hoping to get some plants this weekend, so all going well I should have the plants in the tank (along with the 'wood' and 'stone'), the tank filled, and the filter / heater up and going by Sunday night. If I get all that done, I then have about 6 weeks to get a fishless cycle done.

J.