My First Fish Tank

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Ciano

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
8
Location
Ireland
I am thinking about gettin a fish tank but have no knowledge at all about keeping fish. The main problem i have is space. The best fitting tank I can get is 20" wide, 20" deep and 35" high (I think thats about 60 gallons). It is rectangular in shape and made solelyof glass. Is this a good idea? What equipment will i need, lights, heaters filters etc. ? What fish can/should I keep? Please help because I am very keen on starting this hobby. Thanks!
 
Odd shaped tank...

You can pretty much keep most fish species (FW naturally) and your equipment will depend on what you want...

Do you have any idea of what kind of tank you want? Look through the gallery pix at some people's tanks and you could get some good ideas.
 
Have no clue what so ever... not even when it comes to decor... would ideally like fish that are relatively docile.... this more for a bit of rehab more than anything else as i am havin operation soon and will be spending alot of time at home....
 
Research, research, research...thats where you want to start. There are many different styles of tanks, filters, lighting, fish....etc.etc.etc. Do a little bit of research and come up with some ideas for fish you would like to keep and whether you want plants or not, then we can offer a little more advice for you.

Welcome to AA Ciano.............. :n00b:
 
I think the actual volume is closer to 50g, but I could be wrong. It doesn't say on the tank and the seller didn't tell you?

Anyway, the first thing I would recommend is that you pick up a good book. There's usually a selection of beginner books at the LFS, at bookstores, and the library. It's a little expense before you get into the big expense of setting up your aquarium. Grabbing some issues of Freshwater and Marine Aquarist or another aquarium magazine from your LFS, if they're available, will be helpful too.

As Bear said, that aquarium also has an unusual shape. It has a reduced surface area, so you want to be careful about aeration and overstocking (because the water has less area to absorb oxygen for your fish through), but it's not as big a deal as it sounds.

Also, as was said, it's important to know what fish you want to keep. Generally, the lighting that comes with your aquarium hood is adequate for the fish. If you want to keep live plants there's a whole additional group of issues to work your way through, but I'm assuming you're just going to keep fish. In that case I would recommend silk plants for decorating your tank in general, though there are a few species that will readily tear them out of the substrate and move them around. However, for many fish, plants help them feel more secure. For some fish they also provide a spawning medium.

What heater you need depends on how many gallons of water you have, so we need a definite number on that first. Same thing with filtration. Filtration is also affected by how many fish you have and the waste habits of said fish. Different species create different waste amounts regardless of size (ex. a 2" oscar is going to produce more waste than a 2" tetra).

You will also have to consider what your substrate will be. Gravel? Sand? Nothing? There are advantages and disadvantages to each type, but you may want to wait till you decide on the fish you would like to keep before you pick one. Decor is also important- I've mentioned plants, but many fish like rock caves and structures, as well as driftwood in their tanks.

To help you decide what fish you want, you should look into getting some atlases as well. You can also post some information about what you would like to see in fish. For example, cichlids offer intriguing behavior and a strong tendency toward parental care, making the fry-raising process a delight. Rainbowfish are fast and colorful. Tetras can make the ultimate peaceful tank when they are schooling together. Etc. Let us know what you are interested in, and what you hope to get out of the tank and your fish.
 
thanks... i think since this is my first project that live plants could prove too challenging aswell as all other components, am i mad choosing this shape tank.. will fish use the height or will they gather at the bottom. I'be done some small research and think maybe tetras...or livebearers...or...pleco's and corys, maybe angelfish or neons...
 
I can see a very nice little tank with some angelfish and platies, perhaps, with corydoras to clean up at the bottom (EDIT: well, not technically "clean up," but fill in the space down there). I would recommend staying away from any of the common plecos sold in pet stores (get too large), but there are several smaller species that have great colors and stay at a manageable size.

Corydoras will tend to stay at the bottom of the tank, but tetras and livebearers will go wherever they please, provided all parts of the tank have adequate cover. The neon tetras in my 20g hex rise to the surface at feeding time, and otherwise just cruise in whatever direction they please. Angelfish can be kept with some tetras, but unless you can find some large neons when your tank is mature, I'd stay away from them.

Do you know about cycling? Fishless cycling is very popular, and not hard to do. You will need a liquid test kit for it, but these are not expensive and they will also help you in tank maintanence. The most important tests you will require are Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and pH, but it's easiest just to get a general test kit such as AP's Freshwater Master Kit, which also includes GH and KH. These latter two will come in handy if you are having issues with your pH (not normal) or if you are having changes in your tank for an unexplained reason that does not seem to involve waste.

Here's an article on fishless cycling for your reading pleasure: http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycle2.html

Angelfish, by the way, are one of the better choices for your tank. Their height (8"-10" on adults) is better suited to tall tanks. However, if you could give the thickness of your glass or if there's any information on how many gallons exactly that the tank is it would be useful.
 
wll i found a system online that helps you calculate the capacity of the tank and that gave me 60.6 gallons, with a tank so tall what is the best way to decorate (for want of a better word) so that all parts of the tank offer coverage etc. Also how exactly do you put the electrics into the tank. Do the cables simply run along its inside? Thnk you all for great help!!!
 
Have you bought the tank yet? If not look at this website:
http://www.alysta.com/books/fishtank.htm
and find the size that best suits you. The only equipment that actually goes in the water is the heater, which are insulated and just sit in the water. Note that there are non-submersible heaters so make sure you know what kind you have. And most fish dont use the vertical space very much so you wouldn't be able to fit as many fish as you normally would in a 60g. Confirm the size of tank you want and then we can help you with equipment.
 
Except for the heater and powerheads if you put them in, there shouldn't really be any electrical stuff in the tank. As long as the tank is big enough (that one is), I just put a power strip in the stand and connect the plugs for the filter, heater, bubblers/powerheads, lights, etc. to it.

All right, so let's guesstimate a roughly 60g capacity (it's probably a little lower, but a gallon or two on such a large tank and what you're trying to set up is negligible).

Filtration: An Emperor 400 would do nicely, as would a Fluval 404 (or 304, but the price difference between the two is negligible..to me, anyway). I actually have always used Penguin 330s on the 55g tanks I've set up over the years, but that's at the very top of their range and I wouldn't suggest you use them on anything over 55g unless you had no other choice, particularly if you end up being prone to overstocking (true of 95% of aquarists :p).

Heating: Always use submersible heaters, not the cheap hang-on ones. There's a lot of squabbling over what brand is best. I use Visi-therms in my tanks without issue, but other people have said they've gotten their fish burned. Same with other brands. I would suggest an Ebo-jager, but they're going out of business so I don't know if you could find any. A commonly used ratio here is 5 watts to a gallon, so for a 60g you need 300 watts of heat. You could buy a single 300w heater, or alternately run a pair of 200w heaters in case one breaks.

Aeration: This is especially important in tall tanks. Of the limited surface space you have, you want it to be moving at all times. This is most commonly accomplished with an air pump (I have yet to find one that isn't noisy, so someone else needs to leave a suggestion here) and a "bubble stone." The bubble stone has to be attacked with a needle every few months, as mineral deposits in it will decrease the number of bubbles.

Another option is to use a few powerheads tilted slightly toward the surface. Powerheads are often used to power UGFs, but they are better used for this purpose. What you want is continuous movement on the water's surface without blowing your fish around the tank- if you end up getting a canister filter, some of them come with spraybars that will aid in this effort. Powerheads can also be used to keep "dead spots" from growing in your tank.

Decor: I would buy the tallest fake plants you can find. In my 20g it looks very attractive to have the tallest toward the back and curving around the sides a little. You can also buy or convert your fake plants into floating plants to make your fish feel as if they have more coverage, but remember that it will also decrease the amount of aeration you're able to provide.

To stretch up the length of a tall tank you could either build rock structures- for the fish you have in mind, however, you might want to think about assembling a collection of driftwood. Some is sold with holes cut in it that fish can swim through, and some is sold as if it was just collected off the beach and is very natural-looking. You could make a "tee-pee" of driftwood at the center of the tank or lean the wood against some river stones. Wrapping any mossy-looking plants you have around the wood will increase the "naturalness" of its appearance. If you're really interested in having your aquarium appear very natural, I would suggest finding the book "Underwater Gardens: Aquarium Designs Inspired by Nature." It's very informative and has excellent pictures.

Remember that your tank should have some kind of flow- try not to make it look too cluttered or messy (unless you are really aiming for an "impenetrable jungle" feel), because you will spend all your time glaring at a certain configuration of driftwood rather than enjoying your fish! :mrgreen:

Fish: Consider some of the following-

Top: African butterflyfish or silver and marbled hatchets. Be aware that African butterflyfish are fairly intolerant of other surface-dwellers, and many have to be fed crickets when they are first purchased. All of these fish will appreciate modest plant cover at the surface.

Top-Midlevel: Angelfish or pearl gouramis or one male betta or dwarf gouramis. Note all the "or's" here. As far as angelfish go, I wouldn't suggest more than two due to the tank dimensions, but I'm sure other people would say you could wing three or four easily. Pearl gouramis are at the extreme edge of what I would recommend as far as the size of the fishes in the tank (they can reach 5"), but are extremely rewarding and peaceful fish. They can be shy, so make sure you have that plant cover ready. I would suggest 1 if you would like it to be your "showpiece" fish with the rest of the fish being smaller, but if you really desired to and you had the coverage you could probably swing 3. A male betta would certainly appreciate such a large tank, but cannot be kept with gouramis and other relatives, and don't appreciate any fin-nippers. Dwarf gouramis can be tricky- I would suggest you ask around a bit before picking out any of them.

Midlevel: Neon tetras, cardinal tetras, and many other slim-bodied fish would work well here. Keep in mind that these are schoolers and it's best for their health to have 8+, and preferably 10 or more. If you're going to keep angels, I would suggest black neon tetras over neons and cardinals, as they are both hardier and less likely to get eaten. Neons and cardinals both require a mature tank, and you have to be very picky about what fish you choose. Make sure none of the fish in the dealer's tank have hollowed-out gut areas, as this is a symptom of wasting disease in these fish. Also consider platies over tetras, or have both platies and tetras. Guppies are a little risky with angelfish or gouramis, but they can be done. I keep male guppies with an angelfish in the 20g and have had no issues.

Midlevel-Bottom: Consider a single kribensis or a pair of Bolivian rams. These are dwarf cichlids that will relish a cave (you can make one out of rocks or search the forum for one out of PVC pipe and gravel) and some rock structures to make a territory out of, though anything with gaps and dark places to hide will work. These fish are extremely rewarding both in behavior and in terms of the colors they produce. Kribensis tend to be yellow with black stripes and pink or purple stomachs, while Bolivian rams are a more gold-tan body color with orange-ish bellies, red and blue fins, and hints of magenta. Kribensis can be a little more aggressive toward each other and toward other fish when breeding, which is why I would suggest only one of them as opposed to two Bolivian rams. With the lack of horizontal space, you might even want to go with just one Bolivian ram.

Bottom: Corydoras are an excellent choice. These catfish require company, so get 3 or more. They are completely non-aggressive in my experience and do not bother anybody except when they blunder into them. You could also consider kuhli loaches or some of the other loaches.

I'm not suggesting you put all these fish together at once, but I'm just offering some options. HTH.

Also, most of the equipment you can find for much cheaper online. Check out the AA sponsors, for example.
 
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