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Hey, I'm a fish newbie thinking about starting an aquarium. I know smaller tanks are harder to maintain but I don't have a ton of space, is 15g big enough for a starter? Or should I try to make room for one 20g+?
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Dec 17, 2013 00:38
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If you can do a 20, that would be awesome. 5 gallons makes a lot of a difference when poo poo goes wrong.
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Dec 17, 2013 00:42
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A standard 15gal and a 20 high (what most store carry) have the same foot print. Unless height in an issue as well. It's true, more volume is easier because it's less susceptible to water quality swings. Specifically pH, ammonia and nitrite. Read the first post in this thread and do your best to understand the cycle process. Ask questions if you have any. What kinds of fish do you want?
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Dec 17, 2013 00:45
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Ah, okay cool. Yeah I've been reading the stuff on cycling for a bit, I -think- it makes sense so far. As for fish, I haven't gone fish-searching hardcore just because I wanted to make sure I could commit to the space before getting too excited. Probably just some smaller, easier fish to start out with, I think a lot of tetras are really pretty, so them and whatever goes well with them would probably be a good start, right?
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Dec 17, 2013 01:14
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I found tetras to be really shy unless they've got really large schools. Under a dozen and they'll still hide from you like you're going to eat them.
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Dec 17, 2013 01:20
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Coulrophobia posted:Ah, okay cool. Yeah I've been reading the stuff on cycling for a bit, I -think- it makes sense so far. As for fish, I haven't gone fish-searching hardcore just because I wanted to make sure I could commit to the space before getting too excited. Probably just some smaller, easier fish to start out with, I think a lot of tetras are really pretty, so them and whatever goes well with them would probably be a good start, right? I am not an expert, but for a smaller tank I love platies! They get 2.5 to 3 inches tops so with a 20 gallon I would feel comfortable having 12-15 fib depending on the filtration. You can easily keep them happy with little hidin spaces and a 1:3 male to female ratio. And babies! Babies that you can grow out for 6 months and sell back to the fish store. Once I reached a decent breeding population, I stopped paying for fish food.
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Dec 17, 2013 03:27
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Coulrophobia posted:Hey, I'm a fish newbie thinking about starting an aquarium. I know smaller tanks are harder to maintain but I don't have a ton of space, is 15g big enough for a starter? Or should I try to make room for one 20g+? Make the room now because you'll wish you did later. More space means more fish.
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Dec 17, 2013 03:43
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Platies look really cute!  And yeah having a bigger tank is probably better in the long run, it's just the available space I'm worried about at the moment. SynthOrange posted:I found tetras to be really shy unless they've got really large schools. Under a dozen and they'll still hide from you like you're going to eat them. Would having a few different kinds of tetras work? Like if I had 6 neons, 6 of another kind (black phantoms look cool...), or some other combination would that make them a little more comfortable?
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Dec 17, 2013 03:50
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Similar looking tetras will school together, but as far as I've seen, it just seems to be a numbers issue when it comes to getting them relaxed.
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Dec 17, 2013 03:54
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When it comes to schooling fish, in my opinion, the minimum is 6. More is better. They should be the same species for maximum comfort. I've got a tank with Cardinal Tetras, Harlequin Rasboras. The tetras and Rasboras really contrast nicely, they will shoal with each other, but if I make a sudden noise or bang something on the counter they will segregate into their respective groups. Rasboras are not tetras of course. Platys are good hardy fish, they come in a variety of colors. They do make babies readily. Have a plan for the babies though. otherwise you'll find yourself with a tank full of them and no room for anything else. Same thing with Guppies or Endlers. Platys and Guppies will cannibalize the young, Endlers generally won't. You won't likely find Endlers unless you're looking for them specifically though.
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Dec 17, 2013 08:05
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Coulrophobia posted:Ah, okay cool. Yeah I've been reading the stuff on cycling for a bit, I -think- it makes sense so far. As for fish, I haven't gone fish-searching hardcore just because I wanted to make sure I could commit to the space before getting too excited. Probably just some smaller, easier fish to start out with, I think a lot of tetras are really pretty, so them and whatever goes well with them would probably be a good start, right? Neon Tetras can be fussy things - once they're established, they're pretty solid, but I've found them to be quite difficult to begin with. They need a relatively large amount of settling time - not a big issue in a new tank, but something to be aware of - and they do seem to prefer the lights off to begin with (not a big surprise as they breed in the dark). They're very much "just so" fish - once the tank is properly up and running and the conditions don't change, they'll do really well. I went through 2 schools of 10 before my current set have flourished. Basically I left this lot in a quarantine tank for about 8 weeks with no lighting (so just natural light) before transferring them. I've only lost one in the (approx) six months I've had them and they're quite bold for school fish. I've even had them nudging my fingers on occasion. What I've found to be great starter fish are Mollys - quite friendly fish, they're naturally curious (if somewhat greedy) and they'll tolerate a reasonable amount of "fiddling" with the tank while you're getting up and running. That's not to say you shouldn't cycle, but they're good for 1st fish once you've been running without fish for a few weeks. My Rainbow Shark is actually one of the very first fish I got (over a year ago now) and he's been rock solid. He's quite tame and nibbles my arms when I put them into the tank so I can offer a tentative recommendation for one of these guys. Bear in mind you can only ever have one though - they're very territorial, but not aggressive. Swordtails are also pretty robust starter fish. Mine even bred within the first few months of being there. They look good, cover most of the tank (you'll find certain fish "patrol" at different depths) and are friendly and non-aggressive. Ultimately, the advice in the OP is spot on. I'd recommend Gouramis purely because I have loads of them and they're brilliant fish. Careful with Dwarf Gouramis though - whilst being very pretty fish, they can carry fish TB and are known to be prone to it. I've lost 3 Dwarfs to it 
Sonic H fucked around with this message at 22:35 on Dec 17, 2013 |
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Dec 17, 2013 14:37
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That's good to know about the tetras...also thanks for the other fish recommendations. That rainbow shark sounds adorable. I never would've thought they could have so much personality  Thanks for all the advice, guys! I probably won't be able to get started until the New Year anyway (holiday wallet pain) but this is a really good starting point for all the necessary research and such. I'm gonna keep lurking the thread in the meantime, of course.
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Dec 17, 2013 19:32
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Coulrophobia posted:That's good to know about the tetras...also thanks for the other fish recommendations. That rainbow shark sounds adorable. I never would've thought they could have so much personality Mollys are a good recommendation for beginner fish, and they are also quite attractive. But be aware that they reproduce very easily as well, as they are livebearers.
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Dec 17, 2013 19:46
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Here are pics of my stuff. About a year ago, a colleague of mine brough an old 54L aquarium to work, and we slowly started out with just one boring, grey guppy. Some roots, lava rock, misc plants, and we slowly but surely started getting more fish. I probably won't get many brownie points for saying this, but we kinda treated it like a trashbin, buying bundles of random fish at the store and tossing them in there to see what would happen. Some lasted a few days, some a few months. I think the record is 4 hours from purchase until death; some lame Danio. We bougth a few cichlids, and they have been the survivors, in spite of rare water changes, no medicine, zero plants, and a dubious feeding strategy. We have a Jack Demsey, an Oscar, a Zebra, and a few small bottom feeders that are also tough as nails apparently. The bummer is that they max at a small size; I guess they adapt to their surroundings. Our pride and joy however, is a red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus), who is also very tough. The first one unfortunately died as it crawled out of the tank (remember to tape your holes), so I bought another one. After a recent shell change, it's as big as the old one, and has a beautiful blue color. It's a super fun guy, as it attacks the other fish, shuffles around gravel like a bulldozer, eats plants, and looks cool. Here he is, with the cichlids in the background:  After getting inspired from the office aquarium, I bought a little 20L shrimp aquarium for home. It's a complete package with a filter, heating element and light all in one. Doesn't look super beautiful, but it was easy to get going, and the form factor fit my space. I have some java moss, "algae balls", and some basic plants. The plants started out poorly, wilting and almost shedding half a leaf's length per day. After about a month they sort of stabilized, and are now in decent condition; they were just too long to begin with it seems. I bought 10 adult RCS shrimp, and have around 13 babies that are over 1cm in length now. One female is also pregnant, and carries around a sack of bulging, throbbing eggs right now.  I've added two of those sucking catfish, and have snails out the wazoo, even though I didn't add any deliberately. They must have come with the plants.It's so fun to see life evolve up close. 
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Dec 17, 2013 22:03
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I need your guys help. I have a 39 gallon tank with sand substrate, brackish water, and a fish that loves to kick up sand. I have gone through one impeller based filter since I bought the tank, and the second filter is dying quickly. As of right now the impeller rattles really bad, and I have to wash the inside of the filter once a week due to sediment build up. Anyway, as I have a job now, I am in the market for a new filter, but I don't know what to get. I need some sort of filter where the suction happens post filtering, due to the amount of sediment that gets kicked up. I was looking at maybe getting a canister filter, but I don't know how they work, so I am not 100% sure if that would suit my purposes. I tried using a prefilter sponge, but that just resulted in such a reduced water flow that it wasn't worth it.
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Dec 19, 2013 23:26
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If your sand is large enough grain, you could try a thinner prefilter. I run a little bit of spandex and it doesn't slow down flow that much. I used to use cheesecloth, but it doesn't hold itself on and I'm pretty lazy.
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Dec 19, 2013 23:43
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jadebullet posted:I need your guys help. I have a 39 gallon tank with sand substrate, brackish water, and a fish that loves to kick up sand. I have gone through one impeller based filter since I bought the tank, and the second filter is dying quickly. short term fix, take out the impeller and use vaseline on it.
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Dec 20, 2013 10:06
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Already did that. The sediment sure abraded that off real fast. It unfortunately didn't help the noise too much, and the next day all of the Vaseline was gone.
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Dec 20, 2013 13:25
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jadebullet posted:Already did that. The sediment sure abraded that off real fast. It unfortunately didn't help the noise too much, and the next day all of the Vaseline was gone. Are you able to show us a picture of your current setup? Canister filters are very easy to use, and there is a few online guides for the generic and specific branded ones. They usually come with decent instructions as well.
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Dec 21, 2013 02:56
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So I am mid fish move, got the tank set up and pH is normal. Also took the time to fix my lightbar. Bad news: I get there to move the fish and I find out my old roommate who I was paying to feed the fish got drunk and forgot a few days in a row. Cichlids murdered and ate 4 fish. gently caress.
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Dec 22, 2013 00:18
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dirtycajun posted:So I am mid fish move, got the tank set up and pH is normal. Also took the time to fix my lightbar. How are people so irresponsible.. Sorry to hear about that. What did you lose?
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Dec 22, 2013 00:44
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demonR6 posted:How are people so irresponsible.. Golden ram and a pink glo tetra, two Otto's.
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Dec 22, 2013 02:22
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dirtycajun posted:Golden ram and a pink glo tetra, two Otto's. Aww man, any loss is bad but a Ram and Oto.. two of my faves.
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Dec 22, 2013 06:21
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After trying to find a good home for my iridescent sharks and failing, and having them outgrow my 90 gallon tank, I have decided to just bite the bullet and get a small, molded pond. Is this the right thread for "ponds", which I consider just very large tanks. Any tips or tricks to watch out for, any advice? The largest tank I've had is 150 gal, and I suspect the "pond" I settle for will be significantly larger. These guys deserve a better home, want to make sure I put my best foot forward.
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Dec 23, 2013 02:49
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xxEightxx posted:After trying to find a good home for my iridescent sharks and failing, and having them outgrow my 90 gallon tank, I have decided to just bite the bullet and get a small, molded pond. Is this the right thread for "ponds", which I consider just very large tanks. Any tips or tricks to watch out for, any advice? The largest tank I've had is 150 gal, and I suspect the "pond" I settle for will be significantly larger. These guys deserve a better home, want to make sure I put my best foot forward. Outside or inside? If outside good luck with raccoons and cranes.
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Dec 23, 2013 03:25
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LingcodKilla posted:Outside or inside? If outside good luck with raccoons and cranes. I had good success using a motion-activated sprinkler to keep the critters away. Here's the one I used: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000071NUS/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1387769577&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40
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Dec 23, 2013 04:34
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LingcodKilla posted:Outside or inside? If outside good luck with raccoons and cranes. I live in a city. Raccoons are less of a concern to me than feral cats, rats, and roaches are. Plus I plan to build in some shelter with rocks or plants, they seem happiest when they have something over their head. ed: Most likely outdoor at this point.
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Dec 23, 2013 05:34
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edit: Cleaning/re-org done. I've got a shitload of Vallisneria (straight and corkscrew) going free if you do want some. PM me if interested.
Sonic H fucked around with this message at 19:06 on Dec 23, 2013 |
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Dec 23, 2013 13:24
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Got an early Christmas gift of a light stand and umbrella, and had a brief chance to try it out this morning on my frontosa tank. Really hoping to swing a new 120g in the next month or two to replace this old rear end scratched to hell 55g. DSC_6311.jpg by meramsey, on Flickr  DSC_6301.jpg by meramsey, on Flickr  DSC_6312.jpg by meramsey, on Flickr  DSC_6291.jpg by meramsey, on Flickr
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Dec 24, 2013 17:21
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Shakenbaker posted:Bought one of those Current USA LED fixtures like I mentioned last page, a 24 inch unit. Got sent two of them, but I only paid for one. Woohoo! This is from a few pages back, but I have two of these fixtures (one on a 55g the other on a 90g, neither planted) and they have been great! I love the different looks you can get with them.
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Dec 24, 2013 17:52
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Goldmund posted:Got an early Christmas gift of a light stand and umbrella, and had a brief chance to try it out this morning on my frontosa tank. Really hoping to swing a new 120g in the next month or two to replace this old rear end scratched to hell 55g. Those pictures are so beautiful! What kind of camera is that?!
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Dec 24, 2013 18:02
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durrneez posted:Those pictures are so beautiful! What kind of camera is that?! Thanks! I use a Nikon D7000, Nikkor 105mm macro lens and a few off camera flashes. You can get really good results without spending nearly that much though.
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Dec 24, 2013 18:06
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Poly ansorgii ate Poly senegalus (albino). I don't understand how a 5" poly fits into a 6" poly, but it does. Merry Christmas!
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Dec 24, 2013 21:47
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My betta has a tiny, like pixel sized hole in the center of tail fin. His fins otherwise look fine and continue to grow and heal from what they looked like when I got him. He is behaving same as usual. Is this something to be concerned about or just regular wear and tear?
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Dec 24, 2013 21:53
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Early Christmas present for me. My Emerald Rasboras finally had some eggs hatch. I noticed them trying to lay more, so hopefully additional babies are on the way. Now if only my Celestial Pearl Danios / Galaxy Rasboras would flare less and spawn more. Also, anyone had any experiences with Assassin snails eating fish eggs? I saw one eat what I think was an egg off a leaf, but I'm not sure. They've become a bit prolific in my tank, so they could be running low on preferred foods. I didn't expect them to breed in all honesty.
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Dec 25, 2013 06:36
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My betta ingested a piece of looseleaf yerba mate last night and didn't die! I figured he was a gonner for sure. Bet he had a fun night, he was already in a quarantine tank.
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Dec 27, 2013 10:05
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Oh bettas. When will you learn just because you can put something in your mouth, doesnt mean you have to? Oh right, never.
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Dec 27, 2013 10:58
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FuriousxGeorge posted:My betta has a tiny, like pixel sized hole in the center of tail fin. His fins otherwise look fine and continue to grow and heal from what they looked like when I got him. He is behaving same as usual. Is this something to be concerned about or just regular wear and tear? This turned into a tear right down the middle overnight. Anyone know if this will heal and if there is there anything I can do to help?
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Dec 27, 2013 17:06
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If there was a tiny hole already, it just makes it easier to snag and tear. Nothing to do but wait for it to heal up and check for sharp/rough objects in your tank.
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Dec 27, 2013 17:15
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I don't gently caress around with fin holes. I have a cheap plastic quarantine tank (Labeled [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gO7uemm6Yo]MASH[/quote] in honor of my current home country) and in he goes for a week of salt treatment. It's so effortless and fin rot takes ages to heal so I go all preventative on that little guy. Nothing but the best for Wee-bay. 
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Dec 28, 2013 05:16
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