wagonman Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Hi all well finally got my tank (100litre) up and running with 10 plant's in it. And i thought i would start a thread for my question's. (can't b bothered starting a new thread everytime i have a query) Thank's for looking. p.s feel free to leave any other word's of advice you think i might be interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 1. The only time you have too many plants in your tank is when there is nowhere for the fish to swim. 2. You need pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tests. Never use the Up and Down solutions that come with some kits. A basic pH is all you need, make sure it is for freshwater. A simple one is all you require, not one with the other chemicals included. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate kits seem to be around $20 - $25 You can also buy all in the one kit. Shop around as prices vary. 3. Testing during cycling is useful, or when something is wrong. Otherwise, I never test at all. If you are new to fishkeeping, testing before and after water changes, and recording the results, can be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted September 18, 2006 Report Share Posted September 18, 2006 There is a kit available from the same manufacturers as those in the auctions which does all the tests that Caryl mentioned. It should be cheaper than buying them as single kits. I think mine cost roughly the price of two kits for all four tests + high ph. I used to test every week when I first started, more so while my tank was cycling, mainly to see what was happening. Like Caryl, I don't test my freshwater tanks at all now, even the fry tanks get neglected! (this has probably got a lot to do with starting a Marine tank a couple of months ago, which gets all the attention and testing.) There are arguments regarding accuracy of test kits, but I consider them useful mainly for monitoring any change, which is what you are looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted September 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 what temp should i have my heater set to and is it ok to have the cord in the tank aswell. it says it is full submirsable but im a bit wary of doing it :oops: . is it ok for the heater to be against the glass of the tank aswell? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixiejanet Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 Mine`s set to 75....that`s about average for tropicals... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoban Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 The heater should have come with lil suction cups for mounting it on the glass without directly touching the glass. As for temp it will depend on the fish you keep. My main tank and matunaty ward are both set at 78ish where as the wife's tank and my Nursery are both set at 75ish. If it is labeled as submersible than there should be no issue with the cord in the water mine are usually mounted right beside an uplift from the ugf close to the filter output to semi hide it and make sure it is in the water circulation area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 btw they mean farenheit, not celsious. I'd aim for 78-80 F, 25-27 degrees C. Yea you put the heater and top part of the cord in the tank, there should be a diagram showing how to do it. It would be a good idea to now and then check your pH in case it's swinging or going really low or really high from something or other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 You need to get your priorities right. Test kits are useful but it is more important to get into the habit of doing the right thing so you do not create the problems that you are testing for. If you cycle the tank properly, get plants established well and only introduce fish slowly and make any changes slowly, nature and your tank will take care of itself. I have been keeping fish for many years and don't own any test kits, pH or hardness adjusters or charcoal. That is my choice, others find them useful but I think it is more important to get into the right habit than become very skilled at measuring your mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 My tanks are set about 22 - 24C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 Mine are 27-28C and 29-30C for fry tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke* Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 I've got a theory that the warmer the water is the higher the metabolism will be and the faster the fish will grow, this also may mean they will die sooner than otherwise. Live fast die young? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me love fishy Posted September 20, 2006 Report Share Posted September 20, 2006 I find the most important thing to do is make sure you do good water changes in your tank. I usually do a water change once every two weeks of about 30%, but you will probably need to do water changes more often until your tank is properly established, and if you have fish that are particular about their water you might need to do them more often. But if you do water changes and clean your filter material in tank water every couple of water changes, ie when it gets clogged, then this helps to keep your pH and nitrate cycle in check. I have some of the tests you were looking at on trademe and they are good, easy to use. I only use them now if there is a problem, but they are quite useful when you are first setting your tank up to keep tabs on your water, as mentioned by others. good luck with your fishies, don't be scared to ask any questions, you will find others here like to give advice to newbies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted September 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 ok i have put 5 fish in the tank after having it empty for 10 days feeding it fishfood, and with 8 plant's. 2xneons 2xpeppered catfish 1xmollie i changed about 20l of water the night before adding fish. i seem to have a furry type of algae (looks like mould spores, and feels slimy) growing over everything (cat fish and mollie seem to be eating it). my ph is 7.6, temp is 27 i am feeding them masterfoods community diet food. do certain fish like certain food? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimTam22 Posted September 30, 2006 Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 Yea certain fish do like certain food - Not mine though they love all food haha I like the sound of the fish you have put in - I bet it looks great I don't know what the slimey stuff is but I have noticed it in my tanks too when they are first set up - my fish ate it too and they were fine so i don't think it is anything to worry about :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted September 30, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2006 I like the sound of the fish you have put in - I bet it looks great :Dquote] yeah i will wait a week and get 5 more. will post pics soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted October 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2006 ok i now have 9 fish in the tank. 4xneons 2xpeppered catfish 1xmollie 1xangel 1xfemale fighter my ph is 7.6, temp is 27 all is going well, my ph level has always been 7.6 each time i test it, i still have no light yet, i have quite a lot of condensation build up in the lid and am still looking for a light to suit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted October 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2006 well got my master test kit today and all the test's are as follows ammonia = 0.25 nitrite = 0 nitrate = 40 ph level = 7.6 do they look right? i also have 1 neon that has gotten super fat lol pregnant? i dunno. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me love fishy Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 do you have any lights yet wagonman? fishies prefer to have a day/night cycle and if you want plants to live in your tank you will need lights as well. How are the fish doing now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted October 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 do you have any lights yet wagonman? fishies prefer to have a day/night cycle and if you want plants to live in your tank you will need lights as well. How are the fish doing now? no light yet i had one neon die, it got really fat and i found it dead in the tank, it looked like it had exploded or the other fish had eaten it, it was hollow. my fighter seemed really sick, it kept hanging round the bottom of the tank trying to hide in the rock's but now it seems fine. the angel fish even tho it is small seem's to be bit of a bully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 did your neon get pinecone like before it died (scales sticking out)? it may have been an egg bound female also. keep in mind angels are cichlids and therefore can be bullies, some are super placid but some think they can take out fish 5 times their size :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted October 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 did your neon get pinecone like before it died (scales sticking out)? it may have been an egg bound female also. keep in mind angels are cichlids and therefore can be bullies, some are super placid but some think they can take out fish 5 times their size :lol: no it just looked fat and was acting fine and yeah the angel fish thinks its the boss of the tank :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted October 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 i have lost 2 neon's so far, 1 as quoted above and the other has just disappeared, i can't find it anywhere so i might not bother with them anymore and just concentrate on bigger fish that aren't going to get lost in the rocks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted October 14, 2006 Report Share Posted October 14, 2006 angels will take out neons, not all of them do but some will (and they dont have to be full grown to try). i have only had one neon eater out of 6 angels ive kept. i wondered where my pack of neons were going (angel was killing em, BN eating the bodies before i noticed) and then found a neon one day with just his tummy bitten out i would suggest trying larger tetras, cardinals are a larger version of neons pretty much but are more pricey, rummies are stunning and also get bigger. of course there is all the larger tetras too (bleeding hearts etc) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagonman Posted October 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 my mollies arent getting aong the black one keeps chasing the white one and attacking it, now the white one just hides in the corner to scared to move poor bugger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted October 15, 2006 Report Share Posted October 15, 2006 im not too up on mollies but perhaps they are two males? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.