Sheepsnana

Actually, I love getting lots of responses, even if I disagree. You'll notice I deliberately left out tank size :slfg: I've said it before, and I'll happily say it again:

:slfg: +1

In short, Yes. I do Joe, I do see that some small fish could be happy in a small tank. But My Personal Opinion is that a minimum tank size should be 54L. (and I wouldn't put more than 15 tetras in there) Ty for the tip Alan

Actually, go with Ira and the FX5.

If you can afford it, Eheim 2075 Pro 3 If not, there should be an Aqua One equivalent. Hollywood's also currently have this on special: Aqua One Nautilus 2700 incl UV

They shouldn't be keeping fry without a decent sized grow out tank. I have recently discovered that my Gourami don't like my 300L tank, it's too tall for them. They prefer shallower water. So they have a new tank that I will be setting up at some stage... :nilly:

ok ok :nilly: , like I said, I plan on comparing them. I said anything under 60L is cruel, but I think I'll amend it to 54L (60cm x 30cm x 30cm). But that's is just me. I am honestly shocked that shops can sell 34L tanks :facepalm:

I think we need to stop treating beginners like idiots. Most of the idiots I know think that they know better. If someone is reading my article, it already shows that they are willing to research the best conditions for their new pet. I wish this information had been available to me when I was researching my first tank - it would have saved me $400 or so.

There were a few people lately ask me about how to set up their own aquariums, it was their questions that prompted me to take this approach rather than the "here you go, get a 200L - 400L tank, a canister filter with 1000LpH - 2000LpH flow, medium size dark gravel, basic T8 lights, as heavily planted as you can afford, and cycle it using live liquid bacteria and a few fish. Do a water change 25% a week." Now I plan on saying, if you want a smaller tank, expect problems. Water parametres and spikes, algae blooms, etc. More water = good. If you want to use a small internal filter, you will get a lot of flow, but not a lot of biological media. A sponge filter takes up more space inside the tank, but has much more bio media. A canister or a sump is the best way to go, it's quiet and it's outside of the tank/display area. If you want to do a fishless cycle, which to some people is more humane, the you need to find the right type of ammonia. Cloudy ammonia is Cloudy. If you want to do a live fish cycle, keep the water changes up. Be vigilant. If you can get bio media from a friend, GREAT, but keep an eye on it and start stocking slowly. If you don't want live plants, that's fine, but the more the merrier. See? Not huge, but I do plan on expanding it a lot.

Not so much a pamphlet as a "here are your options, now make an informed decision, or look into the options further"

Aquarium complete worked better than TLC imho

Other end into the garden, and it's fine.

lol If the SPCA cant help me, this will be my next step

If it works out to be too big, I can break it down. But I am thinking, from the mind of a newbie, they want to know what options they have. I have met a few people lately starting fresh, and they honestly think the only difference in filters is price and branding. I plan on giving them point notes so that they can start to make an informed decision. If it gets to in-depth, I'll break it down into different articles.

Let me give it a shot :slfg:

I would like to raise the bar a bit further. Prevention is better than cure.

Hi Guys, I am wanting to write an article about the various ways to set up a tank. Not quite a do's and dont's, more of a listing the pro's and con's. However, I don't have anywhere near as much experience as some of the others on this forum. Here's the jist of my idea: Substrate: None, a little, lots. Plants: No real plants, a few real plants, full out planted tank. Stocking levels: low, high. Filtration: sponge, internal, canister, trickle. Cycling: borrowed media, fishless, fish with water changes. If anyone is willing to help out with a bit of time and typing, and can put up with a few questions, please let me know. Kind Regards, John

I have emailed the SPCA asking about what steps will need to be taken. At the very least I should get pointed in the right direction.

I wonder if there is someone at the SPCA that I can talk to about this... :cofn:

This is the problem camtang, currently in NZ fish are treated like second rate pets. :an!gry

They may have no authority, but that doesn't stop it being cruel.

I also do it this way

I had a spare hose from a canister filter that I could attach to the kitchen tap. I could then attach a clear hose (about the same diametre as a garden hose) to the other end. The hose would not fit directly onto the tap as they were the same diametre. The filter hose had an inside diametre that was very snug with the outside diametre of both the tap and the clear hose. I got lucky. I added the conditioner to the tank after removing 50% of the water, ready for the fresh water to go in. If you are filling the tank from scratch, when you add the conditioner probably matters a lot less. 1. Attach filter hose to kitchen tap. 2. Get clear hose ready (One end in the tank, one end by the sink) 3. Turn on tap to test for water temp (I felt the water temp, didn't use a thermometer as some people do). Ensure the water is simply going into the sink (easier to manage). 4. Attach clear hose to the other end of the filter hose, and begin filling tank. Please note that others have a simpler method, please refer to an earlier post: http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=59281&p=637817#p637696

Why cant the kids in our area do this instead of tagging NS on everything?

20 x 6 x 6 = 720L. If these are the outside dimensions, then you will need to consider the glass and any ornaments, as these will take up some of that 720, but probably not much.