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Fish tank help


pistol pete

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Well i have just been given a 6 foot 300l fish tank with metal stand (wood covered)...

 

I would like marine but its lots of money and it takes a lot of looking after from what i hear..

So i am going to to go tropical i think.. I know it will still take looking after etc..

 

I am setting it up properly over 2 weeks to ensure it settles properly before fish go in..

 

one thing i need is the filter (the only part it did not come with).. any recommendations..

 

the main question is what good plants can you get?

and i think it is just gonna be a communal tank (my first tropical tank)..

one thing i have to have is the small sharks..

but am i right in thinking best to get a couple of plecos, first and a few small ones while the tank settles over the first couple of months.. (can you get neons for tropical??)

 

I am getting half sand and half gravel for it.. (do you have to use specific sand.. i do have a sealed bag of children's sandpit sand (very fine).. any good??..) or should i get proper fish tank sand...

i shall keep pics going as it gets better..

I have treated the water already..

it has a small circulating pump and 2 heaters in it at the mo to get the water up to temp

will get a filter (canister type) just don't know what one.. then leave it another week before any fish..

 

it has been placed where the sun will not hit it

image

wife is repainting the wood work at the weekend

 

thanks

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Guest Goughy

Make sure the water is treated well before getting fish in there and also remember that if you want to add stuff to it once it is running that you will need to put that in treated water as well to insure it doesnt effect the balance. (Dont just grab a few stones off the beach and drop them in for example)

 

Also think about some algae eaters because once it starts going green it is a nightmare to clean! I think you can get a UV light which is meant to help kill off the algae and stop it completly but probably worth looking into as I am not 100% sure...good luck!

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Filter wise, really don't scrimp, cheap filters don't turn over enough water, so the tank get dirty quicker, meaning you have to spend a lot of time cleaning

 

If you can get one go for a Fluval FX-5, it's one of the best know canisters around, but they have recently brought out a new version, so you might get one for around £100-£150 if you look about

 

A pic in my Tank thread here http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showthread.php?242989-Thought-I-would-do-an-update-on-my-huge-Tropial-Fish-with-new-pics-obviously

 

I am another one that can vouch for Maidenhead Aquatics, I travel 30 ish miles each way to mine, so if you have one in your area, go and ask for some advise

 

Get a water testing kit and test everything water wise, before introducing any fish and then only add a couple of fish every few weeks, while still testing the water

 

Another thing on the filter side, you can not over filter the tank, so when you read on the side of the box it suits a 300 litre tank, I would advise getting as a minimum the next version up. High water turn over means LESS CLEANING

 

Another thing to consider is an air pump, again a decent air pump helps with oxygen levels and reduces nitrogen

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excellent many thanks..

you tank looks brill...

love the black orange fish you got

 

defo think i shall get a fluval...

 

The fish you like are Clown Loach and you can have them in a Tropical Community tank no problem, they won't be as big as mine in the shop though, unlesss your lucky and have £100 a fish

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as a general rule the bigger the tank the easier it is to look after and cycle

 

Google 'fishless cycling' have a good read! This is very very important!

 

have you conditioned the water? How are you measuring the condition?

 

Zebra Danios are good starter fish to start with

 

Avoid sand imo esp sand that isnt specific for a fishtank - you dont know what it has been treated with, if you add drift wood, stones etc - wash them all out thoroughly!

 

Community tanks are good but ensure you dont have any conflicting fish in there

 

Live plants will make the up keep of the tank a tad harder even though they do absorb nitrates they will also perish with time even though biomass properties can accelerate the cycle time if you are taking plants from existing aquariums, some artificial plants look almost as good, especially under water

 

Your filter needs to go in asap as this is what holds the friendly bacteria (in the sponge)

 

Get a few hardy fish to start with and dont go to supplier and buy a load of fish as its exciting!

 

I would have a good look around here http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/88578-general-faq-topics-and-guides/

 

finally enjoy! You will sit there for hours once its all up and running, particularly at feeding time!

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As already said Fluval FX5 is a good external filter for that size tank, that way you don't have to worry too much about what sort of substrate you use, and it can also be changed without upsetting the filter, if you should want to change the type of fish you keep, and believe me you will eventually;)

 

Also as already mentioned, have a look into fish-less cycling, as it can cut the time that it would take with fish, without the risk of loosing any, there are plenty of write ups on this if you search, but it basically involves using doses of household ammonia to simulate fish waste, which in turn will start the production of the bacteria needed to process the fish waste, here is a link to just one article on fish-less cycling, but there is plenty of reading out there,:)

http://www.oscarfishlover.com/how-to-cycle-a-tank/fishless-cycle

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well thanks for your help so far peoples..

i have ordered a fulval 405.. so 100L over my tank so should serve well..

 

got some sand in there now with red/black shingle at each end.. (looks how i want it to)

 

got some deco for it as well as an air pump and air wall..

 

got the lights for it.. i bought 2 types.. 1 daylight and one 1 moon light..

 

how is it best to do it..? day light 12 hours and moonlight 12 hours?

or nothing of a night as 9pm till 7am.. from 7am till 5pm the day light then moonligh till 9pm??

 

thanks

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next up is check water and fish.. but here it is soo far..

 

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pleased with how it looks.. just needs painting black and a crash helicopter ornament

 

really pleased with the changing dark to light effect good vs evil etc etc

 

figures have been checked and known to be safe in the water..

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Lighting - i have 2 bulbs one thats good for fish, one that helps plants grow, they just get turned off at night time by a timer.

 

 

Interesting theme lol. Lots of good info in this thread. I also use Maidenhead aquatics.

Add your fish slow. My tank is only 160l although i have 2 others but it's full of plants and things.

 

I prefer the natural look and I have different kinds of snails in there. But that means I can't have loaches as they eat snails. But they help clean my glass.

My Pleco cleans the glass too but they need bogwood in the tank to chew on. Ottocinclus (if I spelt that right) eat algae 2 but I had a hard time keeping them for some reason. I think they also need real plants. Corys will clean your sand too.

Shrimp will also clean depending on the type but are not always good with big or aggressive fish (tasty!) and need a well established tank to survive. I have 2 huge filter shrimp that catch food in frons on there arms.

 

Fish selecting is important. Sharks are aggressive and like hiding spots, caves etc mine would chase fish till I moved him to another tank full of tiger barbs... Tiger barbs are hit and miss. I kept all mine together with nothing else to be sure. But are ok in a nice shoal.

Angel fish can also be mean!

And some fish are territorial.

And some need a male and female to be happy. Even if they don't breed

 

I'd avoid Plattys. They give birth to live young. Which is fun. But they are horny buggers and you can't get rid of them! The fish shop wouldn't take them off my hands for the same reason

 

With a nice big tank like yours once it's ready I'd look at getting some rainbows. they have good size and come in different colours. They also shoal which looks cool. I always wanted some but my tank isnt big enough.

I'd also get a bunch 20+ of smaller shoaling fish. Something like a rasbora (there are different kinds) I only have 8 but they look great swimming in a bunch.

 

Another thing to considder is your tank is a living picture. Some fish swim at the bottom like corys. Some at the top like guppys and some in the middle. Like neon tetra

I don't like the top swimming fish in general but it's good to get a balance when you have a big tank.

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thanks for the info..yeah i am after a nice communal tank but want lots of colour and veriaty..

we had something at work which cleaned the glass ugly bugger and he grew.. he grew big...not sure what it was but gonna get one of them

i have some wood to go in the but need to soak it before it goes in

 

I am defo after a shoal of fish.. i think would look good in the tank..

 

going to a good fish shop been recommened by a few people at the weekend see what they are like there and how htey will help with picking the fish..

 

I woudl like it to look quite "busy" with fish.. but obv don't want to over crowd them

 

ill keep this thead updated as the fish "slowly" get added

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ive been keeping fish since i was 8 (marine, arowanas, cichlids etc) i would deffo get an external filter, if you get green water that cannot be controlled (if sat in direct sunlight) then get a uv steriliser. also i would avoid sand purely on the fact that it is too fine and can get sucked into pumps and can also make water changes difficult

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