Ok apart from a tank what do I need

[bigstatistics]

Ok Ok Ok I know what ya thinking "WHAT IS THIS GUY THINKING HE SHOULD STICK TO FLUFFY LITTLE AMINALS" but reality is I really am interested in doing this and doing it right. Ive seen web pages galore saying "YOU NEED THIS" "YOU NEED THAT" "YOU NEED THIS BUT IF YOU HAVE THIS YOU DONT NEED THIS" Argggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh so maybe you guys can help, I want to know no I need to know absolutly everything you need down to the smallest thing, from the filter to the 4way adapter you plug into the wall EVERYTHING!!!!! or the little fluffy animals get it :evil:

Ok ok ok no fluffy animals but maybe just my sanity well if I havent lost it already :oops:

[Luke*]

Hi Bigstatistics, you are clearly insane which is a good start. I'd recommend starting with a:

-cheap box filter (around $10 from LFS = Local Fish Shop, not fish&chips) or hang on the back filter ($50+)

-the filter is powered by an air pump

-a heater (1watt/litre)

-a light (0.5watts/litre or more)

-some gravel (goldfish bowl sells some cheap sacks of the stuff bout $8 a bag)

-a few, and only a few, fish to start with. I'd recommend a few danios. you will need to keep these by themselves for 6 weeks while your filter grows beneficial bacteria on it. this is called cycling and there's info on this on the sticky thread in the main beginners section here. this bacteria converts the harmful wastes from the fish to safe wastes. aslong as you keep up with weekly water changes of around 25% min the safe wastes will stay safe.

as for the 4 plug, if the socket is below the tank, create a 'drip loop', this is where the cord goes from tank, to nearly the floor, then up a bit to the plug, that way if any water goes down the cord it will drip at the bottom and not into the socket. if this happens you will have fish fingers for dinner.

hope this helps

[Wok]

Luke has given you the basics.

It is up to you what type of fish you want.

Cold water

Danios,

White Cloud Mountain Minnows (wcmm)

Goldfish, (includes, Comets, Fantails, orandas, Globe Eyes, Celestials etc...)

Paradise Fish

Corydoras...

... the list goes on.

Advantage of the above is that you don't need a heater in your tank or a light if you get a bit of light in the room already.

Tropical (warm water)

Angels,

Loaches,

Gouramis,

Killies,

discus,

the list goes on much longer for these.

however with these fish you do need a heater.

I personally would start with the following.

1 x Tank.... at least 15 litres.

Hang on Back filter...prices can start from $20

Gravel to cover the bottom.

Plants. (so the fish can hide in it.)

Go for Ambulia or cabomba

6 x White Cloud Mountain Minnows.

small container of flake food

With this setup you should see little babies in about a month.

and you don't have to worry about a heater or a light.

once you see the babies you will be hooked and wanting more and more tanks..... This syndrome is known by all of us here as MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome) I am sorry to let you know that this syndrome is incurable.

You will also experience the law of No Money and small tanks... one day you will wake up and say to yourself 1200 x 450 x 450mm tank is just TOO SMALL.

At this stage your partner will leave you and your children will disown you.. the only friends you will have left are us here in the forums

Hope this helps.

[Kim&Dan]

LOL Wok!

And welcome bigstats! What Luke and Wok recommend sounds perfectly fine to me

Dan

[monaro1]

the first thing we need to know is what size tank do you want,and any idea of what type of fish do you want.

this will make a bit of a differance to what gear you will need

eg;you dont buy a 2 x 1 tank to keep oscars or a fluval 1 to run a 6 footer

bigger is better

[Caryl]

Remember a large tank is actually easier to look after than a small one and will have less problems - or the problems will develop more slowly so you have time to figure out what's wrong and correct it before you wipe out all the inhabitants!

If you want a nice community tank of livebearers and small to medium barbs, tetras etc, I recommend a 3ft long tank minimum. If you buy from the lfs you can get fancy stands etc but it is actually a lot cheaper to have a tank made at the glaziers.

[bigstatistics]

Cheers guys im wanting a tropical warm fresh setup I got a 200l tank with stand, hood and light its all the other stuff im stuck down to what do I need when I clean the tank, test kits, do I need an UGF??? air stones???? salt???? what scrapers do I need?? every tiny little thing you guys can think off is great help cheers :lol:

[Cath]

hi Bigstats,

you have come to the best place on the net for advice .

You will find that, like everything, there are differeing views of how to run your tank.

Personally I've found that the first thing I do is get the plants established. A few dry sheep doos under each plant as you plant, really helps believe it or not and it's cheap.

I don't put fish in for around 2 weeks, by then the plants have reasonable root growth and have started to cycle the tank. (I'm talking a seriously planted tank not just one or two. Also get some flat rocks and build tunnels and ledges, the fish love this sort of thing and it's fun.

As has been said, Danios are good to get first, Neons are great and they will tell you if the water quality is good or not - they are great water testers - also some little corydoras and bristlenose cats.

Make sure you get a small herd of each variety except the bristle noses who are ok with just one or two.

As to cleaning the tank. Personally I don't use a filter once the plants are established - they do this for me. I do around 30% water changes every 1 1/2 weeks.. The plants take care of any algae growth (by using up any nutrients the algae would otherwise thrive on) but while they are establishing, flying foxes are great little grazers. For snail control I found the little Botia Striata were brilliant except they also love fish eggs so don't expect any offspring.

I do use an air stone mainly so the corydoras have something to play in - they love the stream of bubbles.

This way cleaning is very easy and quick.

Hope this helps

Cheers

[bigstatistics]

Thanx Cath any help is greatly recieved :bounce:

[Caryl]

Did the tank come with a filter? If so, what sort? Ideally you should contact one of our Hamilton members and run your filter in their established tank for a couple of weeks then you will have an instant cycle!

Personally I would not use neons to cycle with as they are not very hardy these days.

You have to start of with a few fish and slowly build them up, don't put a whole herd in at once - unless you have had the filter running as suggested above in another tank.

I rarely use test kits these days, only if I have a problem and I haven't had one for a number of years. I would recommend a beginner get pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tests. Learning how to use these will help you know when the tank has cycled.

You will need a siphon for doing water changes and a scraper to clean the front glass. I use a nylon scrubbing pad from the supermarket. It has no soap, mould inhibitors or antibacterial stuff in it. Can't remember the brand offhand and I am at work so can't check.

[DiverJohn]

IMO, you cant go past a BIG filter. On my 4 foot (250L)i have an Eheim 2028 (up to 600l tank) I am sure it was the key to making my tank so easy to look after. I bought the whole setup including tank, stand, filter and fish of trademe.

Remeber you need to consider the system "as a whole". Changing one thing effects the other parts.

[Cath]

if you are having a planted tank, which you should if it is a community tank, avoid undergravel filters - too hard to clean and much up plant cycle.

Again though, I belive, and it has certainly worked in my tanks for the last 2 years in not using a filter - just plant it, my water is crystal clear and all fish doing swimmingly well. If you have a good natural balance going the filter should be surpurfluis, this is only my humble opinion and I know others here will disagree....(I guess it helps that I only use rain water, maybe town water needs filters I don't know.)

Oh also some more gear - a good clean bucket that is used for nothing else but water changes - DON"T use the bucket you use to mop floors

And some old towels, 2 nets - one to catch fish and one to scare them into net with - really helps believe me, Nylon scraper pad as Caryl pointed out, and 2 cats to keep watch over the tank, I find mine always ready to tell me what is happening in the tank.

Cheers

[Snowman]

I wouldn't recommend a beginner start with no filter and agree with DiverJohn a big filter makes for less maintenance, better flow and generally less stress on you and your fish, a lot of fish like to have some current to swim against.

A magnetic algae cleaner (floating type) can also be handy.

You will also need a gravel vac, i'd suggest a medium size.

Air pumps and stones can look great as a bubble wall or flowing out from underneath decorations, rockery etc but be aware that they provide extra oxygen in the water by creating surface disruption which also dissapates vital CO2 which the plants need so it can be a bit of a trade off.

[Cath]

wow, see this is what I mean about this site - I did not know that the bubble wall dissapates CO2, that is really very interesting. I've not had any trouble and the plants in my tanks don't get CO2 injections or anything but then I only have the bubbles going for around 5 hours a day.

Thanks for that Snowman, I'll have to do some more research on that - and I agree actually definately best to get a filter when starting out!

[bigstatistics]

Once again thanx to everyone out there and I will definatly be taking this all in and just hope that this is the beginning of something beautiful :lol: now that I know what to get thats a start all I have to do now is break into my piggy bank and bobs your uncle well aunty in my case but thats another topic :oops:

Until then cheers and this is truely a great site :lol:

[Luke*]

I can get some filter material on the go for you bigstatistics, what part of Hamiltron are you in? It can be ready in 2 weeks instead of the usual 4-6 wait. But if you get some danios they will do it for you but you will need to wait about 6 weeks before adding more *precious* fish.

[bigstatistics]

Just wanted to say cheers to every1 who responded, this site has been a great help and maybe just maybe it can help me keep my sanity while trying to prepare for my first tropical fish keeping experience all though someone did tell me you have be somewhat insane for this hobbie :lol: or is it a addiction, well anyway thanx guys and keep on trucking or would that be keep on tropicalling???? hmmm