kiwi101 Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Hi, I have finally figured I need to get my A into G if we are going to fill this tank.... So I guess to start, I need to know the volume it holds? I'm no maths whizz can someone help? The tank measures, 37cm Deep, 42cm High, 87cm Length, once I know the volume, what coldwater fish should I choose and what will I need in the way of pumps and filters? Thanx in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 http://animal-world.com/encyclo/informa ... culate.htm http://www.aqadvisor.com/AqAdvisor.php? ... yInLitres& Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 http://www.fnzas.org.nz/index.php?PG=tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Hi, I have finally figured I need to get my A into G if we are going to fill this tank.... So I guess to start, I need to know the volume it holds? I'm no maths whizz can someone help? http://www.basic-mathematics.com/volume-of-solids.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 I think that makes a 135 litre tank (length x width x height) You will need an appropriately sized filter - it is better to have more filtration than you need, so you are often better to upsize (within reason - if you go far too big, you may blow the fish right out of the water!). I think goldfish are quite messy, so if that's what you get, it may be another good reason to have extra filtration. I think some people would recommend having two smaller filters rather than one big one, as you then still have some filtration if one goes wrong. Depending on what kind of filter you get, you may also need an air pump. If the filter provides surface agitation, you should be fine without. You should also get test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH - if you keep your water in good condition by doing regular water changes and testing the water, you are less likely to have problems with your fish. MAKE SURE YOU LEARN ABOUT CYCLING THE TANK BEFORE YOU BUY FISH!!!! You may already know about this, but if not, have a search on here and you should find most of the info you need. Also, don't be in a hurry to fill the tank with fish - if you add just a few fish at a time, you are far less likely to run into problems, and it gives you a chance to get into a maintenance routine that works without risking losing all your fish if something goes wrong. If you go to the fnzas homepage and look under Articles - Freshwater, there is an excellent beginner's guide to tropical fish (thanks Caryl!)- most of this will be relevant to coldwater fish as well. There are also articles about Filtration (under Technical) and Plants, which may be useful to you. Do you have your heart set on coldwater fish? If not, there are quite a few hardy tropical fish you could consider as well - I think the only real difference is that you would need a heater, as the maintenance and upkeep would be similar. I'm sure you'll get lots of good advice from people on here - good luck and happy fishkeeping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 I make it 135L too but once you take into account the depth of the gravel and the distance the water level will be from the top, it will be 120 - 125L more likely, if not a bit less. In a tank that size I would have 3 goldfish, 4 at the most. They grow large and are very messy. You want a good filter to cope with the waste. I would suggest an external canister filter or a hang on the back (HOB) filter like the Aqua Clear. Do not get an undergravel as goldfish shift the gravel around and expose the filter plates. Both external canisters and HOBs have the motor inside so don't require pumps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Whitecloud Mountain Minnows are cold water fish as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Not to mention leopardfish and paradise fish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquila Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 http://www.ookingdom.com/metric/dim-to-capacity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flosty Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Hi, I have finally figured I need to get my A into G if we are going to fill this tank.... So I guess to start, I need to know the volume it holds? I'm no maths whizz can someone help? The tank measures, 37cm Deep, 42cm High, 87cm Length! Heres an easy way to do it - measurements need to be all in mm and only water volume,do not include glass thickness,so best to take on the inside of aquarium take the length x height x width and divide by 1,000,000 this will give you the number of litres of water e.g (450 x 450 x 450) ÷ 1000000 = 91.125 litres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi101 Posted January 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 You guys all rock! I know a lil about cycling but will need to get more clued up .. Thanks for the mention of how many goldfish too - I know a lot of people have too many in a small area but really didn't know what to expect with this size.. I was very unsure about tropical - but is it really as simple as a heater?? Cool!! I'll do some more research and look at picking up test kits and starting aging water etc... Thank you all, I'll be back when we have something planned to put in the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquila Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Glad everyone could help you so far Just make sure you don't just go to the petstore and buy everything they say you need. Don't go overboard on all the different water bottles either. As already mentioned, good starter kit is to get some Cycle (which jump starts your good bacteria), a water conditioner like AquaPlus, an Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate kit and a pH and water hardness kit (often these are combined in quick test strips). Also a gravel vac. Sometimes, there are cheaper alternatives...for example light tubes and substrate can be purchased from a stores like mitre 10 and Gardens to save lots of money! Use this money instead to invest in a good brand of heater..like a Jager, and a good external canister filter that has room for more then just a sponge (eg. at least a Fluvial 205 would be good for that sized tank I think)...it will make you life easier and less costly in the future Often you can find these at a discount on TradeMe. When choosing fish make sure you can meet their size and water requirements and that they are compatible with each other. Best to start of with some of the hardier species and to introduce the stock slowly to give the bacteria a chance to build up. Fishless cycling is complicated and I think its best to just let the tank sit for a week and then get up to 6 hardy fish to kick start the process. In a months time you can add some more. Cycling isn't all that hard or involved if you just let it happen naturally Give them a nice environment with shelter using rocks or driftwood. Plants are very good too but make sure your fish don't eat them or that they don't require really bright light. Don't get overwhelmed by all the knowledge out there and just keep it simple until you get a hang of it There are heaps of Qs and As on this forum so just use the search function or browse the articles! It's exciting isn't it! Goodluck! You guys all rock! I know a lil about cycling but will need to get more clued up .. Thanks for the mention of how many goldfish too - I know a lot of people have too many in a small area but really didn't know what to expect with this size.. I was very unsure about tropical - but is it really as simple as a heater?? Cool!! I'll do some more research and look at picking up test kits and starting aging water etc... Thank you all, I'll be back when we have something planned to put in the tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 The only difference between keeping cold and tropical is the need for a heaterstat. You also need to research the fish you would like to make sure they are all compatible You have a lot more options fish-wise with tropical too. If you add your location to your profile you might be able to get a little personalised help too if required. Click on the User Control Panel at the top right of the page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 I was very unsure about tropical - but is it really as simple as a heater?? Cool!! Tropical fish CAN be as easy as goldfish to keep, as the maintenance etc is pretty similar, BUT only if you choose hardy and compatible species of fish (ie fish that like similar temperatures, pH etc, and fish that will co-exist peacefully). Some tropical fish are very delicate/prone to disease, so you are best to avoid these at first. I think three of the problems people often run into with tropicals are: 1. They choose fish they like the look of at the pet shop, without properly researching their needs, adult size etc. Often there will be an info card on the tank, but you need to do more research than just reading this before you choose. It can be hard when you see really cool fish, but resist the temptation to buy! 2. They are given poor advice at the pet shop. For example, a lot of shops will recommend you buy neon tetras for cycling a tank, presumably because they are quite cheap. But neons also have a bit of a reputation for dying at the drop of a hat, so they are not really the best fish to put in a new setup. The day after we got our tank we went to look at fish - not to buy, but to see what sort of fish were available and worth researching further. We explained we were complete novices and wanted hardy fish for a small tank, and the girl tried to sell us the most expensive fish in the shop! Now, don't get me wrong - there are shops out there that will give you excellent advice, and that will only try to sell you suitable fish, so I'm not having a go at pet shops in general. But you will also find people who seem very knowledgeable, but who don't really know enough to give you the best advice. 3. They fill up the tank too quickly. The more fish in a tank, the bigger potential there is for something to go catastrophically wrong. If you only add a few fish at a time, it lets you work out a maintenance routine, and negotiate some of the issues you often get with a new tank (eg algae) without risking losing all your fish. We did a fishless cycle, but in retrospect it is probably easier to use Cycle or similar, add just a few hardy fish and do frequent partial water changes. Your tank will go through a mini-cycle every time you add new fish anyway, but if you are only ever adding a small number of fish, and doing regular tests and water changes, it shouldn't cause a problem. Let us know what types of fish you are interested in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Aye, we cycle fishless as well using Cycle or Stress Zyme, then as NZcookies said, add fish slowly, and every thing seems to work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottie841 Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Tropicals are easy and the water in Wellie (newlands) is really good. We just put it strait from the tap in to the tank and dont add anything and the fish are fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Great advice from everyone. 8) TLC Smart Start is another great product that helps to seed the filter with the beneficial bacteria Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter so both ammonia and nitrite can start being converted in the tank almost at once. I have used it with gret results. If you are confused, the difference between cycling with fish and cycling without is as simple as adding fish or adding straight ammonia. Both require waiting 7 days to 3 weeks before adding more fish. Fishless cycling can often be faster since you can raise the temperature and get bacterial populations up quicker - and I personally believe it is more humane. Here are some quick details to get you started if you are interested in goin that route: With the fishless cycling method, no fish are added until the tank is completely cycled. The ammonia levels are created artificially either in the form of adding decaying food, dead fish, dead shrimp or simply by adding a small amount of pure ammonia (without added detergents) from the supermarket. The following steps are carried out: 1. The tank is filled with water and the heater is turned up to 32 degrees. 2. Ammonia is added until the levels are just detectable (up to 4 ppm (mg/L) using a standard aquatic ammonia test kit. 3. The water is tested every day and after a week or so the ammonia levels will begin to drop and the nitrite levels will increase. 4. After a few more days, the nitrite levels will keep rising and eventually it will start to fall and the nitrate levels will begin to increase. 5. Once there is no trace of ammonia or nitrites the temperature can be turned down and a partial water change can be carried out (do not clean the filter or vacuum the gravel). This process will take 7 days to 3 weeks depending on the concentration of ammonia and the temperature as well as whether you have added a product or dirty water from another tank that will seed the filter (it isn't necessary to do that but it can speed up the process a little). A small number of fish can be added as soon as the water is tested to be stable for 24 hours. The number of fish can gradually be built up over time as bacterial populations adjust to the bioload. Best of luck to you. This is the most fun time - setting up a new tank! :bounce: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi101 Posted January 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Yikes, so much info! I hadn't even thought about what types of fish yet and was thinking only 1 species/type as I have no clue which are compatible - I was going to ask you all that Q next.. We have always liked Plecos but I know the tank is too small... but I guess considering tropical opens us up to so much more... I will be back but in the meantime, I'll clean the tank out and make a list of bits n pieces for cycling etc What pet shops are good for fish in the wgtn region, we are in the Hutt but can travel.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquila Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Yikes, so much info! I hadn't even thought about what types of fish yet and was thinking only 1 species/type as I have no clue which are compatible - I was going to ask you all that Q next.. We have always liked Plecos but I know the tank is too small... but I guess considering tropical opens us up to so much more... I will be back but in the meantime, I'll clean the tank out and make a list of bits n pieces for cycling etc What pet shops are good for fish in the wgtn region, we are in the Hutt but can travel.. Bristlenose plecos would be fine for your size tank, just make sure you give them driftwood as its part of their diet. Hutt Pets in Meiling and Animates in Kaiwharawhara are probably the best options in Welly. A few others around though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 I saw that you mentioned you're looking for coldwater fish in your first post, if you're getting into BN's and other tropical fish, make sure they have a heater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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