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Thank you Mebbid and Justin for your replies. It really helps get others thoughts when you just don't know. I was looking at the various Lionfish breeds that are common to this hobby and was wondering why the tank size was on average 75 gallons for the Volitan specie (120 on LiveAquaria) since...

So, while doing research on the hobby and getting familiar with the various common fish people keep you run across a lot of sites with a min. tank size for a fish and I'd like to understand a bit more on how those numbers are arrived at. After much consideration, it seems like it (should)...

Thanks for the replies, yes it was boiled and the soaking took place in dechlorinated water too. I guess I'll just start doing water changes, since there are no fish yet I figure I can do them pretty frequently (daily?) so long as I don't disrupt the bio culture I'm trying to form. Its a...

Despite soaking the piece for a number of days prior some of the tannins reminded. What is a good way to remove the discoloration? Can I run a carbon filter to catch them, or are water changes the only way? What about those tank cleaning products, like Tidy Tank? No, I don't have a filter on...

Thanks for the advice all, it's great to hear it from people who have done this before ;) I am betting if I ask the guy at the pet store he would let me have 5mL of tank water... my guess is that he's using the city tap water too. Already acclimated! Thanks

So I have a new tank that I'm getting all cleaned and ready to start cycling, so in preparation I bought a water test kit (vials and solutions, not strips) and I found the pH of my faucet water is 8.0 straight from the tap. Most of the fish I'm interested in keeping have a range between 7.0...

Thanks, I will definitely give it a read. In between my post and yours I learned of AqAdvisor, seems like a cool tool. Does it tend to do a pretty good job for stocking? I plugged in my list above and it said I was at like 2/3 capacity, that's kind of exciting. I thought it sounded bare, but...

I'd like to get people's opinions on stocking a new 46g tank (36x15x20h) I'm thinking about getting. This is my first tank so any opinions on my choices is appreciated. 5 - Boeseman's Rainbow Fish (2m + 3f) 4 - Kulhi Loaches 3 - Bamboo Shrimp I was originally trying to squeeze in some cardinal...

Not a bad idea using half and half. I'd like to use live. I'm just worried I'll kill a plant and make my tank toxic. Reading should quell my fears. Thanks for the advice.

Guess I should just start reading up on it and decide if I want to take it on along with being new to keeping an aquarium. When in doubt read.

Are live plants difficult enough that I should avoid them on my first tank? I'm intimidated by them and wanted to know people's thoughts on how difficult they are in addition to starting a new hobby. Anyone do live plants on their first tanks?

Thanks for the info. I'm happy to get info from a Rainbowfish owner. When I read about certain fish online a lot of resources seem to contradict each other. I will keep your words in mind. All the tanks I'm looking at are 36" long and I understand Rainbowfish are sprinters, I was thinking of a...

Well the biggest thing I'm trying to decide on is how big of a tank to buy. I'm limited in length to 42" or less, so a 46g bow front is looking like the largest commercially made. But the lfs has good prices on 29g kits, 38g kits, and I found a 46g on Craigslist. As for fish I am thinking of...

Excellent link. Thank you!

I have a nice piece of obsidian rock that I'd like to put in my next tank. Is there a guide or procedure to getting something ready to be put in an aquarium? Common sense makes me think that for a rock you really only need to clean it (no detergents or lingering chemicals) and sanitize it (via...

All great suggestions! Thank you! I love the look of the Kuhlis. I will definitely look at adding some of them.

I'm looking to start a freshwater tank (29g-38g) and was wondering what people liked for colorful bottom feeders? I'm thinking I'll have black sand or gravel substrate so some pops of color would be nice. It would be nice if these guys would clean up algae too. Thanks.

Very true on selective breeding being man-made. But yes, I was referring to tattooed or dyed. Thanks for the reply!

I just learned of the Dwarf varieties a couple days ago! A good alternative. Thanks.

Thank you all for your help. I feel more confident, information overload leads to analysis paralysis, and this sort of discussion helps hone me. Crazy, Thank you for the insight on the Rainbows, it's always good to get first hand experience on the specie. I'll try to get the longest tank I...

I'm not interested in support man-made fish coloration, but I like the looks of the Painted Platy. Are those colors man made? They look natural, but other fish with "Painted" in their name are man-made. Thanks!

That's the thing, I haven't decided yet. I'm thinking I'd let the fish decide what size tank I got. I believe I have a 42" length maximum (which may not be enough room for the Rainbows -- I have another topic in Getting Started on that) Right now it's anywhere from 29-38g, maybe a 55g if I...

Okay, that makes sense. So a school is a school, different fish don't really have different definitions. Specifically I was looking at the Boesemani Rainbow and Cardinal Tetra.

Reading on the Boesemani Rainbow I've learned they need room to swim. One site said 48" minimum, another said >30". My question: is there a good rule-of-thumb for a fishes body length vs. the length of the tank? Like 10x or 15x? Or does this vary too much on the specie? I've seen Barbs in...

The first rule of fish club is to do your research, so like a good budding aquarist I've been trying to read up on all the fishes I am interested in. Unfortunately, there is a lot of contradictory information out there. I've read for a specific specie that they school, and I've read that most...