New Setup Advice

[peter1209]

Hi,
I was just looking for some words of wisdom from someone with regards to a new setup. About a year ago we tried to setup a tank with some neon tetra's but failed badly. It was a 20 litre tank, water temp was fine, nitrates etc where all ok and tested by ourselves and the shop we bought the fish, in fact they won't sell you the fish unless you bring in a sample of tank water for them to test first. All the fish died within a week and the shop gave us our money back.

Now I have picked up a 90 litre tank and would like to set it up (or I should say my mrs wants tropical setup and I'm the one who has to sort it lol).

In terms of equipment I was looking at the fluval 106 filter, anyone got any odjections to this filter and will this be suitable? I know it says up to 100 litres but with our previous setup the filter said up to 50 litres and personally I think this was the issue with the failure.

Heaters is where i'm completely stuck, I dont want to spend a fortune on one but I then again something thats not too cheap and not going to work properly.

What about air pumps, is this something I should concider putting in this size of tank or will the fluval filter be enough?

Any other equipment advice would be most welcome.

In terms of actually setting it all up I have 6 in 1 water test strips from King British, Stress Coat+ and Stress Zyme+ from API to add to the water, I was told that these make tap water safe.

First fish for the tank will just be guppies, my mrs was like a kid in a toy shop earlier today but I managed to get her round to just sticking with guppies for now, I have read somewhere that these are good fish for new setups, is this the case and how many fish are suitable for a new setup?

One last thing, I dont know if this is possible but the tank I picked up has a silver plastic hood and silver plastic trim around the bottom which is looking tired and scratched, is there anyway I can paint these black and if so what paint should I use, the inside of the hood can stay silver as its not really seen.

I think that pretty much covers it, hopefully no one was put off after seeing a long post, i'm really quite nervous as our first attempt was a complete failure even with all the advice from the fish shop.

Many thanks.

 

[librarygirl]

Hi and welcome! My replies below in blue.....

Hi,
I was just looking for some words of wisdom from someone with regards to a new setup. About a year ago we tried to setup a tank with some neon tetra's but failed badly. It was a 20 litre tank, water temp was fine, nitrates etc where all ok and tested by ourselves and the shop we bought the fish, in fact they won't sell you the fish unless you bring in a sample of tank water for them to test first. All the fish died within a week and the shop gave us our money back.
The fish likely died from cycling (I explain this a little more below). The tank was too small for neons anyway, unfortunately.

Now I have picked up a 90 litre tank and would like to set it up (or I should say my mrs wants tropical setup and I'm the one who has to sort it lol).
Nice! That's about 23 US gals so you have some room to work with.

In terms of equipment I was looking at the fluval 106 filter, anyone got any odjections to this filter and will this be suitable? I know it says up to 100 litres but with our previous setup the filter said up to 50 litres and personally I think this was the issue with the failure. Should be fine, but it's just about enough for the tank size. I'd go a little bigger with the 206 if you can manage it.

Heaters is where i'm completely stuck, I dont want to spend a fortune on one but I then again something thats not too cheap and not going to work properly.
Get an adjustable heater; the pre-set ones aren't that great in my experience. Aqueon makes pretty good adjustable heaters. A 100 watt heater should suffice. I'd also get an in-tank thermometer (like this) so you can double-check the temp of the water.

What about air pumps, is this something I should concider putting in this size of tank or will the fluval filter be enough?
The Fluval should suffice. If you like the look of an air stone you can certainly add one though.

Any other equipment advice would be most welcome.

In terms of actually setting it all up I have 6 in 1 water test strips from King British, Stress Coat+ and Stress Zyme+ from API to add to the water, I was told that these make tap water safe.
I'd ditch the strips (which aren't very accurate and long-term they'll cost you more) and get the API Master freshwater kit. Stress Coat alone should be fine (the bacteria in a bottle products are hit and miss at best) but once you run out, get some Seachem Prime. It's one of the best dechlorinators out there and it's more concentrated so it'll last longer. You should also read up on cycling; letting the tank run empty doesn't cycle it. You can do a fish-in cycle with a few fish to start with or do a fishless cycle with ammonia. This link explains both methods: Guide to Starting a Freshwater Aquarium - Aquarium Advice

First fish for the tank will just be guppies, my mrs was like a kid in a toy shop earlier today but I managed to get her round to just sticking with guppies for now, I have read somewhere that these are good fish for new setups, is this the case and how many fish are suitable for a new setup?
Guppies are fine to start with. They are pretty messy and can breed prolifically though so less is more with guppies unless you get two of the same gender. I'd start with two. For other stocking ideas, it's best to maybe visit some local fish shops, see what fish you like and then research them (don't let the shops sell you anything without researching first) and ask here for more help.

One last thing, I dont know if this is possible but the tank I picked up has a silver plastic hood and silver plastic trim around the bottom which is looking tired and scratched, is there anyway I can paint these black and if so what paint should I use, the inside of the hood can stay silver as its not really seen.
Not sure on this one, I think Kylon Fusion spraypaint, but let someone else confirm that.

I think that pretty much covers it, hopefully no one was put off after seeing a long post, i'm really quite nervous as our first attempt was a complete failure even with all the advice from the fish shop.

Many thanks.

 

[peter1209]

Nice, thank you for all the advice, I think I will go for the fluval 206 then, its hardly any difference in price anyway. I have been looking at all the guides with regards to cycling, most of it makes sense although i'm gonna have to go over it all a few times again lol.

I'm a little nervous with advice from our local fish shop, I was in there the other day asking for advice and to be honest they seemed a little unsure, basically I was just asking for some advice on cleaning the tank I picked up, I know I cant use any chemicals but wondering if there was any products suitable for this, in the end some warm water, sponge and care did the trick and all was well.

 

[peter1209]

Looking throught the various online shops etc prime seems very expensive here in the UK, about £30 for a 500ml bottle, not sure about else where. I was looking at Tetra Aqua Safe Water Conditioner which is almost 1/3 the price, has anyone used this and had ok results with it?

I have ordered the API test kit which looks much better than strips and easier so thanks for that advice. Is there any other products I should get to put into the tank, I have been reading about using pure amonia for the fishless cycle, what do people use, i cant seem to find something suitable or is this something that fish shops dont supply and I need to find elsewhere?

 

[shellieca]

Looking throught the various online shops etc prime seems very expensive here in the UK, about £30 for a 500ml bottle, not sure about else where. I was looking at Tetra Aqua Safe Water Conditioner which is almost 1/3 the price, has anyone used this and had ok results with it?

I have ordered the API test kit which looks much better than strips and easier so thanks for that advice. Is there any other products I should get to put into the tank, I have been reading about using pure amonia for the fishless cycle, what do people use, i cant seem to find something suitable or is this something that fish shops dont supply and I need to find elsewhere?

Prime is a little pricey BUT you typically use less than other products, 1 capful for a 50g tank for example. I have 6 tanks of various sizes & one 500 ml bottle lasts me for months with weekly water changes on each tank. I've not used the Tetra but plenty of people do, but I think you want the one that says water conditioner plus . . . I think. Read what it does & compare it to Prime. Pure ammonia usually is bought at a janitorial supply place or a hardware store. If you can't find pure ammonia then you can use raw shrimp, its just harder to calculate, its smelly & messy.

 

[peter1209]

Silly me

I have since found places that stock prime for a decent price, about £16 for 500ml so i've gone ahead and ordered that.
Talking it over with the mrs she would like if possible to do a fish-in-cycle so its back to more research for me.
I was in the fish shop earlier today and was looking for some equipment, mainly things like a small air pump, net etc and a gravel cleaner. Asking for advice there once again proved painful, conflicting advice on almost everything which just left me feeling confused. Problem is they are the only retailers of fish for miles apart from the comercial pets stores like petsathome which is even worse, they havnt a clue in there.
Forums like these are certainly alot more helpful and thanks for all the good advice.