starting a fresh water community..

[DragonFish]

hi. Im looking to buy a tank this weekend. Im thinking of at least 24-30 gal (maybe bigger) to fit in a bare spot in my room.

well, Im used to Salt Water set ups, and I've never truely done fresh water (Aside from bettas).

I know I should "forget" about my SW keeping since FW is entirely different.

well, is there a guide to help me get started with basic FAQ's?

like

How long should the tank be cycled? and what's the best way to cycle it?

what fish goes well together that's bright and colorful?

Air pump or no?

ect ect..

 

[Zagz]

You could have both SW and FW tanks IMO. This article works for both FW or SW on cycling, I used ammonia to jump start the cycle. For the type of fish you can choose from, if you go with a 55 gal tank you could do african cichlids which are the most colorful IMO of the FW fish.

 

[Tiffi]

The possibilities are endless.

What are you looking for? A lot of color? A biotope tank (plants and fishes from one area)? A planted tank? A species tank? Any preferences like cichlids, livebearers, catfish, etc?

 

[Toirtis]

I know I should "forget" about my SW keeping since FW is entirely different.

Actually, wrong...they have many things in common....the first being (as you might have surmised from Zagz's and Tiffi's posts) planning....you need to think about what you will want in the way of fish, plants, etc....as this will determine much of the hardware that you buy.

 

[DragonFish]

well, I already currently have a blind silver molly that I had saved tonight. so, anything that goes well with a molly.

Im thinking of a sandy bottom instead of gravel, and yes, live plants. Im liking angel fish.. they're cute! I just want color too.

 

[Toirtis]

Well, when I hear molly/angel/planted, I immediately suggest a 45-65 gallon tank, as both fish get some size on them, and height of a tank is an issue with angels.....plus the space will allow for a good planted set-up. Now, lighting for a planted needs to be fairly good....so look at a couple of double-tube 4' fixtures....T8s or T5s are a good choice....or even some CF fixtures. Along with this, your best bet would probably be a canister filter, like a Filstar XP3 or an Eheim.

 

[Jchillin]

If you need some ideas, take a look at the FW planted galleries. You will be amazed at the variety of tanks there.

 

[DragonFish]

thanks. I'll check out those galleries

 

[DragonFish]

I would love a big tank, over 50 gal, but it's impossible. the spot I have to put it in is only 24" wide, so Im thinking of a tall 30 gal hex or something.