atatjacob1 Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 Hello everyone, I am new to this forum and relatively new to keeping fish, I have since purchased a tank (400L, 1600x500x500) and have had trouble with conceptual ideas. I would like plants but it is not a must as I have heard they can be costly and I don't want to make a beginners mistake and botch the lot. I have yet to decide what I should stock the tank with, currently in my possesion I have the aforementioned tank, an Eheim proffesional 2220 external canister and 4 UV tubes. I am looking for a relatively cost effective fish tank though since it's so big I could raise a lot of funds while it cycles. I would also like to look into breeding so I was thinking of getting some Leopard Fish to start and breed to get into the routine of feeding the fish and cleaning the tank and filter(s). All advice appreciated. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 Welcome to the Fishroom! What I like to do when starting a new tank is find photos of aquariums I like online. If you show us photos or sites that you'd like to imitate, we can help out. Also, it's useful to add your location via the User Control Panel in the top right corner of your page so local members can lend a helping hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atatjacob1 Posted March 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 viewtopic.php?f=29&t=62533 viewtopic.php?f=29&t=61885 I really like both of these tanks, the second one from sheer simplicity and the first because of it's natural look with vines anf what-not. I am still unsure of what fish to put in though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reptilez Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 Welcome to the forum! Wow 400l is big for a first tank!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 400L is going to be relatively expensive no matter what you do with it, budget dictates the end result really. an Eheim proffesional 2220 external canister and 4 UV tubes. Do you mean you have a light unit with 4 tubes in it? Knowing the size and power of these tubes is important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted March 29, 2013 Report Share Posted March 29, 2013 i think the best way will be to decide what fish you want to keep first and taylor the tank to suit them. If you aren't sure what you want that is likely to be the hardest decision as there could be so many options of which other fish you can or cannot keep with them. Then if they are plant friendly you can add as you go so it doesn't need to be expensive first up but the most important thing for a successful tank is to plan initially and setup correctly. if you do that it should be an easy tank to maintain and more enjoyable in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Thats a really good piece of advice Smidey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atatjacob1 Posted March 31, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 :gopo: I know 400l will be big and expensive but It could be more expensive. I think I am leaning towards things like rams (Bolivians, Standard Blues, Golds and Electrics, not sure which) and other things like cardinals, phantoms, sailfin plecos and maybe angels. Out of the two links I posted earlier I really liked this viewtopic.php?f=29&t=61885 one and it looks very feasible (economically and skill wise). Any recommendations? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trinox Posted March 31, 2013 Report Share Posted March 31, 2013 Welcome! 400L is a large tank, you have plenty of options, are you after lots of little fish (schools of fish) or less larger fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atatjacob1 Posted April 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 Not to sure on everyone's definition of little and big, I am aiming for fish that'll grow to about 10cm and maybe 15cm. So things like rams, sharks and just some schooling fish like some cardinals, phantoms or those little orange and black stripey guys that move like a carpet along the bottom, tiger loaches was it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sophia Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 There are tiger barbs but I think you mean clown loaches, in which case they can get much bigger than 10-15cm and live for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillnzcookie Posted April 1, 2013 Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 those little orange and black stripey guys that move like a carpet along the bottom, tiger loaches was it? Maybe you mean Kuhli loaches? http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/pangio-semicincta/ The absolute best piece of advice I have ever had (and which seems to be the fishkeeper's mantra) is: take care of the water, and the fish will look after themselves. Make sure you understand what cycling a new tank entails BEFORE you buy fish - there are several different ways to cycle a tank, and it probably doesn't matter which one you choose. I recommend buying test kits, so that, if something seems to be going wrong, you can quickly check what the problem might be and react accordingly. I would be willing to bet that the vast majority of fish fatalities can be attributed to problems with the water (eg ammonia, high/low/fluctuating pH). Try to choose fish that thrive in similar water parameters. Although you will read that most fish can live at pH 7 and 24-26 degrees, that doesn't mean they will thrive in those conditions. If you know whether your tap water is hard or soft, you can then choose fish that like the conditions that will be easiest for you to provide, rather than constantly having to work to maintain ideal conditions. For example, our tap water is very soft, so we chose fish that like soft water and a slightly acidic pH. There are ways to alter pH and hardness without having to constantly dose the tank with chemicals (which, in my experience, created more problems than they solved), but it is easiest to choose fish that will thrive in the water you have! Planted tanks are great, and can be low maintenance - as long as you choose plants that suit your conditions! They can take a bit of time and trial and error initially to get everything in balance, but after that they can be very low maintenance. If you Google "low-tech low-light planted aquariums" there are lots of good sites with information on how to start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atatjacob1 Posted April 1, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2013 :gopo: Thanks a lot, yes I was referring to the clown loaches, I have seen the big ones at HFF Albany, I live close to it so I can go regularly. Thanks for all the advice NZCookie I think I'll look into a low tech, low-light tank as suggested. I was aiming for a temp of 25-26 degrees and a pH of somewhere between 6-7. I am studying pH in biology at school so it is good to learn that way as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted April 4, 2013 Report Share Posted April 4, 2013 Wow 400l...you must post pics! Caper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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