new user, first tank, excited and getting addicted already

[palmforce]

Hello, just receivde a superb birthday pressy, 60l tank with all the bits to get started, I am now looking at an empty tank and getting excited about what fish to start off with, I'm am raising the temp to 75, have done all the water treatments inc some bacteria juice to get it all kicked off, how long should I leave it before I do my first water test, also any recommendations on a super hardy fish to start me off once its all ready to go, any other advise would be greatly appreciated, thanks martin

 

[phishfriend]

I highly recommend you read the article " guild to starting a freshwater aquarium" on the home page. Not only will it answer all you questions. If you follow it's advice. It will save you money and frustration. I also highly highly recommend you get an "active" sponge filter from angle's plus. ( there is a link in the article) this can cut your cycle time in half.

As for fish. If you choose to do a "fish in cycle" go cheap! Molly's or guppies and only a few fish.

Good luck and ask questions!

 

[phishfriend]

And welcome to the site!!

 

[palmforce]

Thank you,

Whats the lifetime of these fish you recommend, also I have a friend who is bringing round some water from his tank which is supposed to help with the breaking in cycle process, should I test the water before and after this happens.

 

[Aqualady40]

Hi and welcome to AA

 

[palmforce]

Cool site and thank you

 

[phishfriend]

Their life will depend on the tank conditions but generally a year or more. If you can get you friend to give you a used filter pad or some gravel this will help a lot more then water. I recommend if you can put his/her gravel in a medium bag that you can get from your LFS that way after cycle you can return it to them. Not to mention you may have different gravel colors that you don't want mix

 

[phishfriend]

I would also bring your temp up to about 80 to 82 degrees F. the bacteria like it. After your cycle is done you can drop it down to around 78f

 

[Annakhil]

I highly recommend you read the article " guild to starting a freshwater aquarium" on the home page. Not only will it answer all you questions. If you follow it's advice. It will save you money and frustration. I also highly highly recommend you get an "active" sponge filter from angle's plus. ( there is a link in the article) this can cut your cycle time in half.

As for fish. If you choose to do a "fish in cycle" go cheap! Molly's or guppies and only a few fish.

Good luck and ask questions!

+1 for all the advice given especially about the seeded sponge filter. it really helps your cycling process

 

[_skyla_]

Hi I started with platys also another hardy live bearer. Molly get quite a lot larger than guppys and platys though so I'd stick with the smaller species for your size tank. Also endlers livebearers would be a good beginners choice, google them all and see what you think.

 

[palmforce]

Brilliant, I'll look this up, I'll tweak the temperature aswell and I'll be asking for some of his gravel and filters now, thanks again for all your help, the starter link on the home page is also top class, I can see this becoming an addiction due to how excited I am now and I've not even got any fish yet hahaha, wish I'd got one sooner, loving it...

 

[_skyla_]

Brilliant, I'll look this up, I'll tweak the temperature aswell and I'll be asking for some of his gravel and filters now, thanks again for all your help, the starter link on the home page is also top class, I can see this becoming an addiction due to how excited I am now and I've not even got any fish yet hahaha, wish I'd got one sooner, loving it...

Haha tell me about it! It is one very addicting yet rewarding hobby

 

[KevinM]

Welcome! Good luck with your first tank. Youll enjoy this hobby very much when everything is up and running... just watch out for that dreaded MTS

 

[_skyla_]

Welcome! Good luck with your first tank. Youll enjoy this hobby very much when everything is up and running... just watch out for that dreaded MTS

It's the inevitable it will happen it spreads to all of us lol well at one stage anyway untill we built up an immunity

 

[KevinM]

It's the inevitable it will happen it spreads to all of us lol well at one stage anyway untill we built up an immunity

Immunity? more tanks? lol

 

[_skyla_]

Immunity? more tanks? lol

An immunity to not buying more tanks Yes haha I am not immune against the dreaded mts yet but I'm trying to conquer this syndrome before it gets outta hand

 

[phishfriend]

Welcome! Good luck with your first tank. Youll enjoy this hobby very much when everything is up and running... just watch out for that dreaded MTS

Sooooo true! I started a tank for my daughter and now I'm already planning a cichlid breeding tank 40g and a 90g community tank.

 

[palmforce]

Welcome! Good luck with your first tank. Youll enjoy this hobby very much when everything is up and running... just watch out for that dreaded MTS

OK, been reading a lot since I got the setup but not stumbled across MTS yet, just asked my mate Google and seen they are snails, I take it from your post you can't just pick the buggers out then lol

 

[KevinM]

nah Malaysian Trumpet Snails are actually really good for your tank


The MTS we are talking about is Multitank syndrome lol. once you get one you WILL get another =P

 

[palmforce]

nah Malaysian Trumpet Snails are actually really good for your tank

The MTS we are talking about is Multitank syndrome lol. once you get one you WILL get another =P

Superb lol, OK last question for a while I promise, this is probably a stupid one but need to know, got a couple of real plants to go in the tank, they come in a plastic stand with some king of light brown foam stuff in it, I have enough gravel at the rear of the tank to cover this but do I remove the plants from the plastic stand / foam, or do they go in as they are and get covered up, want to get this right but can't find any info on this subject. Paranoid about getting things spot on, many thanks martin