Questions: I jsut started a 12 gallon FW tank...

[illuminum]

I just bought an Eclipse 12 gallon tank and have 5 rainbow Tetras in them. I've also bought three plastic plants (I'll put real ones in there later) and two rocks. So far the Tetras are hiding in the corner near the pump. Anyway, here are my questions:

1) I was told my the fish store to feed them once every other day for about two weeks. Does that sound ok?

2) How often do I need to do a 25% water change? Once every week? two weeks? ( I should dechlor the new water, right? )

3) How often should I change the filter?

4) How often should I scrub the tank for algae?

5) How long should I wait for the tank to be fully cycled so I can put other cool fish and/or crabs in?

6) Do crabs scratch acrylic tanks?

7) I REALLY want a reed fish. Would I run into some problems if I bought a reedfish for my 12 gallon tank and just get a bigger tank in the future once it grows out of it? Also, what does a reedfish's diet consist of?

I know you've probably heard these qestions a million times but I'd appreciate it if you could answer any of these questions

 

[Allivymar]

Hiya illuminum and welcome to AquariumAdvice

And do I have some advice for you LOL

1 & 2) I'm guessing the reason your lfs said feed once every other day was to keep the amount of waste down. The water changes will probably be daily in the beginning. In other words, both will help prevent ammonia levels from getting too high. I see you mention the cycle. Do you understand it and how ammonia is converted to nitrItes which is converted to nitrAtes by certain bacteria? If not, you may want to read this: http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html . Do keep in mind ammonia and nitrItes are deadly to fish. If you haven't yet, go pick up some water test; I suggest an ammonia test, a nitrIte test and a nitrAte test at the very least. This way you will know where you are in the cycle, and when you have to do a water change (you will need to dilute the ammonia and nitrItes or they will kill your fish). Daily testing is necessary initially; once the tank is cycled you don't have to be AS diligent. I test every week.

3) What sort of filter do you have? If you have a filter which comes with a Bio-Wheel, once the tank is cycled you could change the filter part as often as you want. I change mine (my tanks are cycled) anytime they are clogged; sometimes I rinse them out in tank water, other times I replace them completely (too expensive to replace em each time!). If you don't you may have to be more careful as a good portion of the bacteria will be living in the filter media. By replacing you are removing the bacteria. I'm guessing, since you have an Eclipse, you have a Bio-Wheel tho.

4) This question will answer itself. When algae shows up and intereferes with your view, you'll scrape it off *grin*

5) Each tank is different. It can take from 2 weeks to over a month for some people. Thing is, it is NOT a good idea to add fish till the tank is cycled. You are just bringing in more waste and don't have enough bacteria to deal with it yet if you add more fish. Once the tank is cycled (and by that I mean there is NO ammonia and NO nitrites; maybe some nitrAtes) its ok to add fish slowly.

5b) A 12g tank is not that big. You don't have room for a LOT more fish now, as rainbow tetras get to be about 2 inches each full grown. Maybe 3 cories would fit.

6) Dunno

7) Try a google search to dig up some info. If they are the reed fish I'm thinking of, they max out at about 30 inches long, are consummate escape artists and eat live food (which means those tetras unless you buy a tank specifically for the reedfish). They will not fit in that 12g.

 

[Madame_X]

5) How long should I wait for the tank to be fully cycled so I can put other cool fish and/or crabs in?

I bought the same tank three weeks ago and I too REALLY wanted a crab, but everyone here suggested against it. The more reading and research I did, I realized everyone was right.

Although your LFS might tell you otherwise, crabs are only semi-aquatic and need access to dry land on occasion. Putting them in an aquarium with no means to get out of the water will shorten their lifespan dramatically. I have since found that the better fish stores around town keep their crabs in a half-full aquarium with an island in the middle. If you watch, most of the time, the crabs will be sitting on the rock, not fully submersed underwater.

I witnessed a pair of fiddler crabs in a freshwater aquarium at a not-so-great LFS that looked as if they were desperate to escape. All they did was sit in the corner trying to climb the bare walls to no avail. It was really sad. That broke me of my desire to put a crab in my aquarium.

If you really want to keep crabs, consider another aquarium where you could set it up for their proper environment. It may sound silly now, but I think you'll soon find yourself wanting another tank. This fish thing is addictive!

 

[harleychick]

Ditto what Allivymar said.

And you just don't know how the fever to get a bigger tank will set in. LOL! Start saving your money now.

Keep a close eye on your ammonia level in a tank that small. While it's cycling, if the fish look distressed, check it immediately.

Oh, and one thing Allivymar didn't say, is yes you do need to dechlor the water.

~ T

 

[tkos]

And make sure to get a dechlorinator that removes chlorine and chloramine. Many water municipalities are making the switch and you will never know. Most dechlorinators out there do both.

If you are planning on getting live plants anyway you should get them soon. Since you are cycling with fish this will help the process. Yes, it will slow down the cycle as plants use the ammonia and nitrites/nitrates, but in the long run it will make life much easier for your fish as they won't get stuck with too high of levels.

 

[echo7]

i don't think it would be wise to add many more fish at all to your system- maybe a few cory cats or some danios, but besides that it sounds pretty full already. you mentioned getting crabs- do you mean crayfish- i once had a crayfish catch a rosy barb- the barb only survived because i poked the crab and it let go of the fish- later on i put the crab in a breeders trap.

the smaller crabs are usually capable of eating neon tetras, glowlight tetras, and pretty much any fish that size.

in a good fully cycled tank you shouldn't really get algae unless you overfeed or leave the lights on very long. if you do you should clean the glass as needed.

good luck with your tank

ps. in the future if you start another tank of that size you shouldn't cycle it with so many fish. i would only cycle a tank with that many fish if it was over 40 gals. by cycling with so many fish and doing 25% water changes everyday stress by shock and may cause ich. in addition if you change that much water the water should be almost exactly the same temp. otherwise ich is almost inevitable with all but the hardiest fish.

 

[IXTA]

I had my reedfish in a puney 10g for a yr. He didn't grow at all. I have him in a fiftyG now. He is happier. I rec at least a 50 for the reed. I felt I was abusing him a bit in the smal tank. He is not as squirly as before, and he is docile in the 50. Maybe he learned, Learned Helplessness. see my gallery for my reed.http://www.aquariumadvice.com/photopost/showgallery.php?ppuser=1741&cat=500