My First Setup

[sugarfree]

My girlfriend's mother recently gave me a aquarium because she didn't want to take care of it. I believe it is a 25 gallon SeaClear tank with a Eclipse hood. The tank currently has a Cichlid that I believe is a Neolamprologus Sexfasciatus in it, but I will probably get rid of this fish because I would like a community tank and can't put anything else in with it. After I get rid of the Cichlid I plan on getting 1Peppered Corydoras, 1 Rainbow Shark, 2 Bristlenose Catfish, and 2 Neon Tetra. I plan on getting these fish when they are small and upgrading my tank as i may need to as they get bigger. Will all of these fish be ok together?

Also I was wondering about the water chemistry for my tank. Right now I just have my Cichlid in heated tap water, and it seems fine. I was wondering though what tests I NEED to get to test my water, and what they should read. For example I know I'm probably going to need a pH test and that it should read about 7. And also this tank has some scratches on it and i was wondering if there are any good compounds or anything that will remove scratches, or how much a new Tank (not hood) would cost.

Thank You

 

[XxTitleisTxX]

welcome to AA

Hey sugearfree, welocome to Aquariumadvice

ok firstly you can get a tank brand new for about $20 if its 25gal. I'd Assume your tank has a filter and you dont need to "recycle" it. If you want to keep live plants you should have about 2-4 watts for every gallon of water depending on what plants you want to keep (flourescent). I also know that is you are going to get neons you should have atleast 4, preferably 6. I dont have any experience with the other fish you with to keep or the compatibilities. Also i dont know much about seclear and if its glass or acrilic living in Australia, we really dont have a brand choice when it comes to the tank or hood. Because it has fish in it ATM, you would probably only need to test for pH only.. But if you ever start a new tank completely you should test for Ammonia, Nitrate, nitrite, and pH. You also should get a heater. 100-200W is ok for that tank and you need to be sure to

 

[XxTitleisTxX]

and you need to be sure to

scratch that :/

 

[fearlessfisch]

hi there,
i agree that you need more than 2 neons....they will be unhappy and stressed without a group of at least 5-6 or so.

did you add dechlorinator to the tap water? that is the only chemical you definitely need to add. fish stores will try to sell you all kinds of junk to add, that will be more likely to hurt than help. fish just need clean, dechlorinated water.

if you used new tap water, your tank has not cycled yet. check out the articles here to read about cycling....it's very important that your tank be cycled first before adding your most delicate fish. always best to add fish gradually, too, for reasons that will be clear after you read about cycling.

honestly, i have a pH kit, but i hardly use it. fish adapt well to different pH's, and most of the people on this site will tell you not to mess with the pH that comes out of your faucet anyway....the test kit would just be to monitor what you have and make sure it is stable. pH will regulate on its own as the fish live in the tank.

you will, however, NEED test kits for ammonia and nitrite, in order to monitor the cycling process. you will need to be doing partial water changes over the next few weeks according to what the test results tell you.

good luck, and congrats on the new tank. i don't know anything about scratches on acrylic. you might check online (fish stores like bigalsonline.com for new, ebay for used) to see what glass tanks are going for. they don't scratch as easily.

 

[sugarfree]

Will 5 tetras fit ok with the other fish I want to put in my tank? Also does any1 know how much these fish or test kits cost?

Thanx

 

[fearlessfisch]

i don't know how big the bristlenose catfish and shark get, so someone will chime in if i am wrong, but with 25 gallons you should still be okay. aren't most of those fish bottom dwellers, though? not much swimming in the middle of the tank? i might get just one type of catfish and something else that swims in midwater....if you get a corycat, you really should get at least 3. they are very social fish and happiest in groups. when i had just one, he nearly died of loneliness before i realized what was wrong. but bristlenose eat algae, am i right?

the nice thing about getting a new tank is you could go bigger! honestly, larger tanks are easier to maintain anyway (more gallons equals more stable water chemistry) and you can put in more fish! you could always use the acrylic for a quarantine tank, which you'll want anyway for new additions.

check out drsfostersmith.com or bigalsonline.com for test kits. you can get a master test kit for about 20 bucks at petsmart that will give you tests for nitrite, ammonia, ph, water hardness, and i forget what else. the kinds with the droppers are more accurate than test strips, according to what i've read here. prices for fish are different at lots of stores. i never buy online because shipping is so expensive but you could see what they're charging at liveaquaria.com.

 

[sugarfree]

The Bristlenose catfish (algae eaters) get to be about 5", and the Rainbow Shark 6". I dont really have the money for a new tank, and the only reason that I was thinking about getting a new one is because mine is slightly scratched, but thanks though. Also what are some cool mid dwelling fish?
Thanks

 

[fearlessfisch]

oops, way bigger than i thought. i'll just be quiet now 8O

i would go to a fish store and see what catches your eye. other people here should be able to chime in with suggestions about a cleanup crew.

 

[sugarfree]

http://www.novalek.com/kpd51.htm Here is the ammonia chloramines and chlorine remover I just got today. Is it any good, and will it make my tank fish ready? On a side note this tank has already been cycled.

 

[rubysoho]

Just to let you know, the peppered cory will need a few buddies, maybe 2 or 3 more. They do best in groups. However, I would not suggest any cories if you are planning on having the shark. They occupy the same swimming space and you might get some harrassment from the shark. Same with the neons, they'll get eaten by the shark (whatever fits in its mouth will be eaten eventually).

Depending on how long your tank has been set up with the cichlid (and how big the cichlid is) your tank may already be cycled. It takes about 2-3 weeks to cycle a tank with fish. Get the liquid test kits of ammonia and nitrites and if they test 0, then you are ready to SLOWLY add fish. A pH test kit is useful to because if your water is naturally hard or soft, you can find fish that prefer that particular pH. Of course, you can use crushed coral to raise the pH and drift wood to lower it naturally (never use chemicals to raise or lower your pH..or to block ammonia for that matter) Leave any plecos for last because they will appreciate algea in the tank.

Most importantly, keep coming back if you have any questions, and Welcome to AA!!!

 

[rubysoho]

oh, someone mentioned you needed 2-4 watts of light per gallon if you decided to go planted. There are some very nice planted tanks that have low lighting at around 1 to 1.5 watts per gallon. Infact, someone recently posted some very nice photos of a beautiful low light tank. inexpensive and pretty!

 

[sugarfree]

Do neon tetras stay on the top or bottom of tanks?

 

[rubysoho]

They stay around the top/middle.

 

[FawnN]

If you are looking for a peaceful community tank, I would definitely not get the shark.

How long has your tank been up with the one cichlid? Has it been cycled? To make sure, you need to go out and buy a test kit for Ammonia, NitrItes and NitrAtes. Those 3 are a definite must in this hobby.

As for the fish you want to add, tetras are all shoaling fish along with the cory's. Have at least 4 or more of the tetra's and cory's.

And when you are acclimating them to your tank, be sure to take your time and float them in the tank.

 

[sugarfree]

The people that had this tank before me cycled it. How much does the peppered cory cost?

 

[pkremer]

Price is all determined by your area. Fish cost differently in different parts of the country and the world.

This is just my opinion, but for a 25 gallon, you could add more fish than what was in your wish list, and you probably should if you are going to put those fish in.

I know cories like to be in groups, as has been mentioned. I wouldn't ever just put 1 in. The rainbow shark will get big, and although he might be OK while he is small, as he gets larger, he will get cranky and might start to fight with those other peaceful fish. Neons should definitely be in a school. If you decided to not get the shark, a small group of cories, a few catfish, and 6-7 neons will give you a nice look...

Paul

 

[FawnN]

Hey Sugarfree,

I'm from CA too. I got my peppered cory's at a petsmart and they cost $4.99 each. I bought 4 of those and 2 bronze cory's, which cost the same.

I've seen them here from the petco's to the mom and pop stores from $3.99 to $5.99.

They are worth every penny I spent on them and then some. They are great!

 

[MarkLehr]

I'm concerned about your fish selections. I do not think Bristlenose are a good choice for the tank you describe, or any plecostomus for that matter. Bristlenose are a fairly aggressive species of pleco, have quite a large body mass, produce a ton of waste, and are generally not for the beginning hobbyist. A single Bristlenose will produce more waste than 20 Neons. Keep that in mind. For an algae eater, you want to buy Ottocinclus catfish. Do not confuse this with a "Chinease Algae eater", which is a completely different fish. You should buy 3 Ottocinclus, as they do prefer the company of one another.

Your rainbow shark will be a 50/50 chance. Sometimes they just settle in peacefully, but sometimes in a small tank they get very territorial. Probably best to avoid.

Your Cory's and Neons are a wonderful idea and would make a very impressive tank just all by themselves! You could have 4 or 5 Cory cats and 15 Neon Tetras without a problem. If you prefer more variety, but at least 5 to 7 Neons and then add 4 or 5 other community fish. For the record, i've always found Neons spend 80% of their time near the bottom of the aquarium.

 

[FawnN]

Bristlenose are a fairly aggressive species of pleco

I'm sorry Mark, but I totally disagree with that. I have owned mine for some time now and have many friends who own them as well and have yet to see or hear about any aggression.

As for creating tons of waste, I would say that any bottom dweller, savenger and or algae eater will create ton's of waste and not just the BN pleco.

 

[sugarfree]

Would different colored cory's not get along with ea. other?