Hello!

[Daven]

My name is Daven and i started my first tank for my girlfriend almost two weeks ago today. Wish i would have looked into this sooner, as im taking a great interest in learning this all! Currently we have a 30 gallon, but i will be getting another 30-35 gallon given to me where i will take on a build of my own with something a bit more exotic than the community fish my girlfriend adores. Looking forward to talking with you guys and learning as much as i can!

P.S, i attached a picture of our 30 gallon which is currently cycling. I know now the extent of the begining cycle and its effects, but we had already been given the fish from a downsizing family member. So ive been doing daily 30% or so water changes and testing to make sure they stay happy and lively. Dont hate me lol

 

[ImACoolguy]

My name is Daven and i started my first tank for my girlfriend almost two weeks ago today. Wish i would have looked into this sooner, as im taking a great interest in learning this all! Currently we have a 30 gallon, but i will be getting another 30-35 gallon given to me where i will take on a build of my own with something a bit more exotic than the community fish my girlfriend adores. Looking forward to talking with you guys and learning as much as i can!



P.S, i attached a picture of our 30 gallon which is currently cycling. I know now the extent of the begining cycle and its effects, but we had already been given the fish from a downsizing family member. So ive been doing daily 30% or so water changes and testing to make sure they stay happy and lively. Dont hate me lol

Hello! We are glad to have you here and that's awesome you have read up on cycling. Keep doing those water changes and you will be in good shape.

do you have any ideas for your own build?

You said something more exotic so maybe cichlids? Or do a planted tank keep us posted!


Caleb

 

[Daven]

Hello! We are glad to have you here and that's awesome you have read up on cycling. Keep doing those water changes and you will be in good shape.

do you have any ideas for your own build?

You said something more exotic so maybe cichlids? Or do a planted tank keep us posted!


Caleb

Ive been pretty much glued to the topic the last week and a half, looking up as much stuff as i can. Ive never had to care for plants before, but ill likely try and get some amazon swords and something to cover a bit of the bottom as well. Still have alot to look into as far as substrate and lighting. And since im new to all this still, ill probably have to stick to something a bit easier to care for than some of the chichlids. Id hate to make a newbie mistake and lose one. But i was looking at the boulivan rams since they seem to be a bit more docile and i could probably keep a couple of my favorite coloured guppies from the current tank as well. I like bright and colourful fish that look more exotic and different from your typical basic tank

 

[ImACoolguy]

I see

Rams are wonderful cichlids to start with. They are very docile. The thing about them is to only keep 1 or a guaranteed pair(M/F). 2 of the same sex will fight over territory.

If you wanted to bump up your tank to say a 45g... It's around 30 inches tall. This opens up one of the best docile fish you can own: Angels. Here's my 2:


Angels are cichlids as well. Like Rams, they are on the docile side of the cichlid scale.

Another great option is loaches! Many people don't notice these wonderful bottom feeders but once you get them you won't regret it! Kuhli loaches are GREAT starter ones. Funny, peaceful, and small. They like groups of 5+ and the moe you have the more active and happier they get


Caleb

 

[Anders247]

Welcome to AA!

 

[ImACoolguy]

Forgot about plants lol.

With a decent light, you can grow all of these:

Anubias
Java Fern(left corner), hornwort(top)

Java moss(on rock), water sprite(behind)

Anarchis
Vallisneria

Bacopa Caroliniana

Dwarf water lettuce

I grow all of these plants in this tank:



Caleb

 

[Daven]

I see

Rams are wonderful cichlids to start with. They are very docile. The thing about them is to only keep 1 or a guaranteed pair(M/F). 2 of the same sex will fight over territory.

If you wanted to bump up your tank to say a 45g... It's around 30 inches tall. This opens up one of the best docile fish you can own: Angels. Here's my 2:
View attachment 272560

Angels are cichlids as well. Like Rams, they are on the docile side of the cichlid scale.

Another great option is loaches! Many people don't notice these wonderful bottom feeders but once you get them you won't regret it! Kuhli loaches are GREAT starter ones. Funny, peaceful, and small. They like groups of 5+ and the moe you have the more active and happier they get


Caleb

I had looked at angels, but they seemed like they would have issues with other fish and, like you said, id need a bigger tank since they apparently get alot bigger than i had thought lol Id love to get a large tank, and that is likely a future upgrade for my setup.

For species in my setup, i dont have any issues with aggresive fish if i could find a group that wont just kill eachother. Ive only seen the usual starter fish kept by family members, so the more aggresive and bigger species peak my interest. It is my smaller tank and the fact that i havent been doing this long that holds me from alot of the species i would get. The upside to the bolivian ram was that it was a bit larger, had some nice colouring and fancy designs, and i wouldnt be limited from some of the community ones that i dont have to be overly experienced to care for. Do you know how i could go about having more than one? Like, are the males and females usually good together or is it a trial and error deal?

I grow all of these plants in this tank:
View attachment 272565

I like the way that tank is setup! Something like that would be what id want, i wouldnt want to go too much denser. Since i will likely only have a basic setup for plants at least for now, ive been thinking im stuck with java moss and a couple amazon swords in the corners. And ive seen alot of debate on whether swords will work since they can get large for the tank and some say it needs more than basic lighting. For the current tank, i only have a 24" 20w Aquaglo (T8) bulb that puts me under 1w per gallon. Not sure whats with the other tank but she currently has a basic unheated setup so it might not even have a hood yet. But its free so i wont have to feel too bad about spending money on it

 

[Daven]

ALso, thanks for the replies and welcomes! Its nice to have someone to discuss with and sometimes i wonder how much pet stores just want to sell stuff lol

 

[Daven]

Ok, gonna spam my own thread. Does this guppy look bloated to you guys? Seems like his belly has gotten larger than the rest and im over paranoid since the cycle could be messing with his immune system. Impossible to get a picture of the little rockets

 

[Bbarb27]

No advice on the guppy but wanted to comment on the plants. I have several low light planted tanks using just T-8 bulbs and my plants have flourished - java fern, wisteria/water sprite, anubius, anacharis, aponogeton (bulb plant) and prolific amazon swords. The swords are root feeders, so root tabs help a lot. The only thing I've not had good luck with is crypts, which are also low light plants. So don't rule out a variety of plants because of low lights.


Welcome to the hobby. It's addicting!

 

[Finntastic]

Hello, and welcome. I am planning on getting plants and fish into my 55g and I can show you the list for ideas. Also rams are great as long as you don't have shrimp. Here's the list:
Chili rasboras
pygmy spotted rasbora
ember tetra
otos
honey gourami
green spot betta
salt and pepper cory cats
green cory cats
endlers
killifish

 

[Daven]

No advice on the guppy but wanted to comment on the plants. I have several low light planted tanks using just T-8 bulbs and my plants have flourished - java fern, wisteria/water sprite, anubius, anacharis, aponogeton (bulb plant) and prolific amazon swords. The swords are root feeders, so root tabs help a lot. The only thing I've not had good luck with is crypts, which are also low light plants. So don't rule out a variety of plants because of low lights.


Welcome to the hobby. It's addicting!

Is it ever lol So what kind of substrate are you using and have you been using additives to help the plants? Im still working out the list of fish id like to have, but i was hoping to get more of a natural sand substrate going. The java plants dont get planted in the substrate anyways, right?

Hello, and welcome. I am planning on getting plants and fish into my 55g and I can show you the list for ideas. Also rams are great as long as you don't have shrimp. Here's the list:
Chili rasboras
pygmy spotted rasbora
ember tetra
otos
honey gourami
green spot betta
salt and pepper cory cats
green cory cats
endlers
killifish

Thanks! Killifish is one i havent had a chance to look into yet but based off a quick google image search they do seem to have some nice colour and are at least bigger than these guppies lol Im not sure if flame tetras are the same as your ember tetras, but i like what ive found of the flame variety's colouring. So have you had your betta long? I know the issues most betta have in groups so i was probably going to try and find a docile one to see how it would do. But that plan also was going to have a spare 10 gallon on hand just incase lol

 

[Daven]

The more i come back to the bolivian ram, the more i like it. So id say thats likely what ill build my tank around. Ive also heard good things about cory catfish so id like to get a smaller school of them as well in a nice color pattern. The rest idk.. I know im getting towards the top end of this tank soon but maybe i could work in a school of fancy guppies in too. Males only with whatever cool colours i can find (i really like the leopard kinda styled one in the current tank, so i might steal it... lol)

 

[Bbarb27]

In my low light tanks I use pool filter sand as a substrate. It's inexpensive and easy to clean and I think it looks very natural with the plants. If you use it, wash/rinse it really well first!

I supplement with seachem flourish and flourish trace, as well as root tabs for the swords but no CO2 or macro ferts. Growth is steady but not too fast, so very little trimming is needed. Biggest issue is removing diatoms and occasional algea from the larger leaves of the plants and figuring out what to do with all of the baby swords/java ferns. I prefer to understock fish, which keeps everything fairly manageable for maintenance.

The java ferns do best if you don't bury the rhizome. I've tied mine to small flat stones, driftwood or clay pots and eventually the roots attach and you can remove the thread. I've seen suggestions to use glue to attach the plants but I've had decent luck with thread. The wisteria and anubias can float or be planted.


P.S. I have two 29G tanks and a school of corys in each and they are my favorite fish to watch.

 

[Finntastic]

Daven, I haven't gotten any of those fish yet, it is a long term plan. I have kept multiple bettas and 4 of the 5 have been kept in community tanks and were fine. As for the ember tetras, they are a small schooling fish but are a red color and look amazing in a planted tanks because of the color the more embers the better, but they are not flame tetras.

 

[ImACoolguy]

In my low light tanks I use pool filter sand as a substrate. It's inexpensive and easy to clean and I think it looks very natural with the plants. If you use it, wash/rinse it really well first!

I supplement with seachem flourish and flourish trace, as well as root tabs for the swords but no CO2 or macro ferts. Growth is steady but not too fast, so very little trimming is needed. Biggest issue is removing diatoms and occasional algea from the larger leaves of the plants and figuring out what to do with all of the baby swords/java ferns. I prefer to understock fish, which keeps everything fairly manageable for maintenance.

The java ferns do best if you don't bury the rhizome. I've tied mine to small flat stones, driftwood or clay pots and eventually the roots attach and you can remove the thread. I've seen suggestions to use glue to attach the plants but I've had decent luck with thread. The wisteria and anubias can float or be planted.


P.S. I have two 29G tanks and a school of corys in each and they are my favorite fish to watch.

Not Anubias, with Anubias, you *can* plant the roots but not the rhizome. It can also be tied down as well though.


Caleb

 

[Anders247]

@Finntastic, what is a "green spot betta"? I wouldn't do bettas with other fish......

 

[Finntastic]

Green spot betta. Betta brownorum — Seriously Fish

 

[Bbarb27]

Good catch!

Not Anubias, with Anubias, you *can* plant the roots but not the rhizome. It can also be tied down as well though.


Caleb

Oops - I meant to say anacharis stems can be buried or can float. Agreed that anubias rhizome shouldn't be buried - I tie mine to flat rocks. Sorry!

 

[Daven]

Yeah, i was thinking i could glue or fasten another way to another rock to get it in the open more. We will see what the tank i get has as far as a hood, but im guessing ill want to stay with low lights since the rest brings in a whole new level of maitnence it seems. Too bad most of the low light plants look more like weeds then the farther up ones

Im sure once i get a happy tank set up i will likely try and find a docile betta that we like. Id love to have a nicely coloured male, but they are picky when it comes to getting along with tank mates. I think even if i found a carefree one, these little guppies would bug him until he snapped And ill look into the ember ones as well then! I just always had a thing for fish and such that resembled flame colouring so thats why i thought about the flames. I asume they wouldnt look quite so perfectly coloured in the odd fish store anyways :/