wanting to start an aquarium have questions

[kaitlin459]

the last time i had a fish tank it was back in 2014. so ive been out of the game quite a while and im not sure where to start?

heres the basics so you get an idea of what im thinking of

im thinking a minimum 20 gallons or higher with a HOB filter a heater and air pump. as for fish i want fish that are easy to care for till i get the hang of fish keeping

thanks for your time

 

[SaraB]

First thing first make sure you cycle the tank.

Are you doing fake plants or real ones? If you go fake make sure you do silk and not plastic, it's safer for your fishes fins. If you go with real look for the ones labeled beginner. These tend to be low light and dont need extra fertilization.

Well you can't go easier than tetras. Black neons or cardinals will fit in a 20 gallon tank. If you go with a longer tank rather than a taller one you can do rummynose tetras.

 

[Ulrichsd]

What are your motivations for fish? For a child? Personal enjoyment?

It is good to be realistic regarding your commitment to maintenance. Are you willing to do weekly water changes? Every other week? Once a month (minimum imo for any aquarium).

By far the biggest and most costly mistake for beginners is not understanding cycling. Plan to cycle for 4 weeks and resist the urge to get fish right weekend you get the tank.

 

[Ulrichsd]

Hers a site that list fish suitable for a 20 gallon: https://m.liveaquaria.com/category/...+2855&s=lh&r=3120&start=1&page_num=1&count=24

 

[trennamw]

There's a book, "The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums", it's under $10 on Kindle. It makes a good case for why a "starter" aquarium should always be at least 29 gallons. It also has excellent stocking schemes for 29 and 55 gallon tanks. I haven't seen any other resource, ever, that is better at giving full stocking schemes, and there are a very wide array of them.

That book, and this community, are what helped me go from fish-killer to fish-keeper

I'd visit some small local aquarium shops and talk to people, get a feel for one you want to have a relationship with. One that serves a lot of customers in the same water district as you, possibly. Ask whether people tend to need to do anything with your water, other than treat for chlorine. Avoid stores that try to suggest using "pH Up" and "pH down" products, in my opinion.

I had really good luck cycling my tank with ammonia, and some donated "dirty" filter from a local community member. And the big water sampling kit by API I think it is, that comes with a bunch of test tubes and little bottles off chemicals. Though their pH test, as I recall, was hard and I ended up using a gardening kit that my LFS suggested, just for pH.

 

[Fishlover76]

In my tank I have a zebra tetra that basically looks after its self. It can be left when I go on holiday and be alive when I come back. Very hardy. x