Simple questions

[CharlieKlein]

So I've kinda overlooked theese questions.

How do I fill my aquarium? After I set it up, and can I use tap water?

What do foods for theese fish, and how do I feed them? German blue ram, apistogramma, neon tetras, Cory cats, rumynose tetras, guppies, panda garras, dwarf gourami?
Thanks!

 

[Vienolac]

So I've kinda overlooked theese questions.

How do I fill my aquarium? After I set it up, and can I use tap water?

What do foods for theese fish, and how do I feed them? German blue ram, apistogramma, neon tetras, Cory cats, rumynose tetras, guppies, panda garras, dwarf gourami?
Thanks!

You need to use some kind of water conditioner. Most people would recommend prime.

How big is your tank. How long has it been set up.

You can probably feed anything from flake food to freeze dried/frozen food to algae chips to seaweed. Some people feed them other things.

When doing water changes fish don't have to be removed( putting this because I used to think they did)

 

[CharlieKlein]

You need to use some kind of water conditioner. Most people would recommend prime.

How big is your tank. How long has it been set up.

You can probably feed anything from flake food to freeze dried/frozen food to algae chips to seaweed. Some people feed them other things.

When doing water changes fish don't have to be removed( putting this because I used to think they did)

Ok, so tap water is ok? And can I just use buckets to fill up? It is a 37 gallon tank and I haven't set it up yet. I will be starting a build thread in 2 days! But what foods will I need? Wil algea wafers and flakes be all?

 

[Lt.]

Ok, so tap water is ok? And can I just use buckets to fill up? It is a 37 gallon tank and I haven't set it up yet. I will be starting a build thread in 2 days! But what foods will I need? Wil algea wafers and flakes be all?

1-I use my tap, given its well water, and I used to use prime on my new water, but I stopped and they seem fine, so I don't bother with it anymore.
2-I use a one gallon pitcher for my 45 gallon (i'm young), so buckets are fine.
3-I have Rummy nose Tetra, zebra danio, a leopard danio (only wanted 4 zebras but got 3 zebras and a leopard danio, but leave it to an LFS employee) 2 mystery snails, 3 bronze cories and a peppered Cory, and 20ish ghost shrimp. All I feed them are flakes and algae wafers, but I'm sure other foods wouldn't hurt.

 

[BettaGal]

Ok, so tap water is ok? And can I just use buckets to fill up? It is a 37 gallon tank and I haven't set it up yet. I will be starting a build thread in 2 days! But what foods will I need? Wil algea wafers and flakes be all?

Tap water is fine as long as you condition it. Seachem Prime is what I use. It removes the chlorine ions in the water, which all water conditioners do, but it also detoxifies ammonia and I believe nitrite. For my snails and Cory cats, I have Hikari algae wafers. They have no copper or copper compounds and they have spirilina algae. For my dwarf gourami, I use mostly Tetra flake food and give treats once in a while of freeze-dried shrimp or bloodworms. Sometimes I use sinking granules, but my fish don't care for them much. As for stocking, that is not my forte. Someone else can help much better. Using buckets, make sure you're careful not to freak out your fish with it. Mine don't like the fast inflow of water and the sand flies everywhere if I don't pay attention.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Thank you!! So if I do 20% weekly water changes (is that the best?). So in a 37 gallon, would doing like 4 trips ( 2 gallons of water) taking water out and then 4 trips taking it from the sink? And them put the conditioned?

 

[jmay33]

1-I use my tap, given its well water, and I used to use prime on my new water, but I stopped and they seem fine, so I don't bother with it anymore.
2-I use a one gallon pitcher for my 45 gallon (i'm young), so buckets are fine.
3-I have Rummy nose Tetra, zebra danio, a leopard danio (only wanted 4 zebras but got 3 zebras and a leopard danio, but leave it to an LFS employee) 2 mystery snails, 3 bronze cories and a peppered Cory, and 20ish ghost shrimp. All I feed them are flakes and algae wafers, but I'm sure other foods wouldn't hurt.

+1 on everything they've said. I have a tank stocked very similarly to this one and I take care of it the same way, only I add shrimp pellets. Everyone loves them!

 

[CharlieKlein]

So those three? And what's the process of feedin? How much, how often, where in the tank?

 

[Lt.]

So those three? And what's the process of feedin? How much, how often, where in the tank?

I don't think it matters where in the tank you put the food most of the time. I feed every other day, or whenever I wanna see a good show.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Ok, so if I feed every day, then how much flakes and algea wafers and shrimp pellets? On another note!! So if I do 20% weekly water changes (is that the best?).So in a 37 gallon, would doing like 4 trips ( 2 gallons of water) taking water out and then 4 trips taking it from the sink? And them put the conditioner?

 

[Lt.]

Ok, so if I feed every day, then how much flakes and algea wafers and shrimp pellets? On another note!! So if I do 20% weekly water changes (is that the best?).So in a 37 gallon, would doing like 4 trips ( 2 gallons of water) taking water out and then 4 trips taking it from the sink? And them put the conditioner?

What I do during my weekly 25ish% water changes for my 45, which is my only tank:
1~10-15 trips to the bath tub with the 1 pitcher, meaning 10-15 gallons removed
2~every time I fill up the pitcher, if I choose to use a water conditioner or aquarium salt (yes, it still a FW tank, but that's a whole other discussion), I put the proper dosage in the pitcher, and then turn on the tub faucet to as close to my tanks temp. as I can get it. Then let the water mix itself through the movement it makes when it falls into the pitcher.
3~add 12-17 (more than I took out since I get a bit of evaporation) gallons back to the tank. When I pour, I pour slowly so that I don't disturb my gravel on the bottom.

I add as many flakes as my fish eat in roughly 5 minutes. I also add 2 or 3 algae wafers, crushed into 5 or 6 pieces. As for shrimp pellets, I have no clue since I have no experience with them.

 

[BettaGal]

Ok, so if I feed every day, then how much flakes and algea wafers and shrimp pellets? On another note!! So if I do 20% weekly water changes (is that the best?).So in a 37 gallon, would doing like 4 trips ( 2 gallons of water) taking water out and then 4 trips taking it from the sink? And them put the conditioner?

Make sure you condition the water you're adding before you add it. Fill your bucket or tub or whatever you use with fresh, clean water; then add conditioner to this water, then add that back to your tank. I add algae wafers every few days usually and feed every morning when I turn the light on. I add like a tap or two, not accurate, and what my DG doesn't eat, the Cory cats will.

 

[Vienolac]

[
Tap water is fine, I use 6 gallon buckets to do my water changes for my 20g. Just try and get the templates the same. Because temp shock can kill fish as well as bacterias

Yah somewhere between 20% and 30% should probably be good.

I would suggest getting yourself an API master freshwater test kit. So you can check your levels on your tabk of ammonia nitrite and. Nitrate. Then you could figure out a better schedual for that.

Also. If you can cycle your tank before hand otherwise you may find your fish dying all of a sudden from ammonia spikes

 

[CharlieKlein]

Thanks. Everyone, you've been really helpful!! So i currently have conditioner for my betta fish that says treats up to 50 gallons. Us that what I can use? So to get this straight, I can just use a pitcher and make about 9 trips there and then on the way back, put the correct Anount in the empty pitcher, fill with correct temp water, and then repet 9-12 times? I think I got it! So then when I begin my tank, I set everything up, then just make like 40 trips there and back to fill it up? And then put the correct conditioner in?

 

[Vienolac]

I'm pretty sure you are supposed to mix the cleanser with the water. Before adding it to the tank. And I think some have a time limit before putting in with old water.

Thanks. Everyone, you've been really helpful!! So i currently have conditioner for my betta fish that says treats up to 50 gallons. Us that what I can use? So to get this straight, I can just use a pitcher and make about 9 trips there and then on the way back, put the correct Anount in the empty pitcher, fill with correct temp water, and then repet 9-12 times? I think I got it! So then when I begin my tank, I set everything up, then just make like 40 trips there and back to fill it up? And then put the correct conditioner in?

That will be fine to use. If you don't want to make many trips. You can do it all in one large container. Just take out the water from the tank you wish to change. Then fill container back with the same amount if not a little more, condition to appropriate amount of water conditioner. Then add back to tank.

If setting up a new tank, fill tank with water, condition water while it's in the tank. Will make it easier

For ex. I have a 20 gallon, I use 2 6 gallon buckets. One Which I fill up with water to the second line. Condition and get that going, then while removing the water it gives the other water a minute to sit and condition. Then when I'm done I fill the tank back up. And dump the other water down my bathtub and rinse all the gunk away.

 

[CharlieKlein]

So for water changes, for each bucket I put the conditioner in then full it with water or vice versa? Then pour in the tank.
Onto feeding. Would doing like 1 crushed algea wafer and a bunch of flakes once a day be good?

 

[Vienolac]

So for water changes, for each bucket I put the conditioner in then full it with water or vice versa? Then pour in the tank.
Onto feeding. Would doing like 1 crushed algea wafer and a bunch of flakes once a day be good?

I edited my other post and added some detail. Should explain it all.

Food.
I when I feed flakes. I usually add just a little at a time. And if they eat all of it I put just a little more in. If I over feed. It means they stopped eating. And there is still a bunch of left over food.

And before I go to bed I put algae chip in the tank.

But there stomach is only about as big as their eye balls are, and fish in nature eat maybe 1-2 times a week.

 

[Rivercats]

Don't overfeed. Start with a much lower amount, you can add a pinch more later. I have alot of fish in the 220g and I might feed 1/4 teaspoon of food and every 2 or 3 days I add 5 or 6 cooked, deshelled peas to that. Fish don't need much food, they have very small stomachs, and over feeding just adds excess nutrients to the tank. Algae wafers are a treat here and only used a couple times a week.

As for water changes 50% weekly ensures you always have pristine water conditions which really helps if you tend to overfeed. And yes, I do a 50% WC on my 220g weekly along with my other tanks.

 

[CharlieKlein]

So for the algea wafers, isn't that the only Cory food?

 

[Vienolac]

The would probably eat some algae or something growing on the bottom of the tank. I'm not really sure what my panda Cory eats. He doesn't eat anything that I can see. For sure. And he won't even touch the wafers. But when I put food in the tank he will swim around and attack the gravel for food lol.

Maybe I think sinking shrimp pellets are good too