talloulou said:
Have some patience.
Buy the biggist tank you can afford. In most cases longer tanks are preferable to taller tanks.
Stock slowly!
Don't pick fish based on the fact that you like the way they look. Know the fish. How big will it get, does it need to be kept in a school, is it more of a vegetarian or a carnivore? You can't rely on a store employees advice if you don't know them. Sadly many would sell you a Pacu and a nurse shark for a 20 gallon high.
Buy a testing kit. You want 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and nitrates under 40ppm.
There is no such thing as too many partial water changes.
Topping off a tank is not a water change.
Gravel vacs are not optional and should be a regular part of your cleaning routine.
Pythons are the best thing since sliced bread.
Don't even look at pH up and pH down products.
Feed your fish a wide variety of food ideally in very small amounts a couple times a day.
Don't attempt to treat sick fish by buying every single type of medicine available at Petsmart. Most of them are going to do more harm then good.
This is the best advise, But I'd like to add one thing.
Get some sort of rubbermaid container as well, use it as a
Hospital/Quarantine tank! Stock slowly, BUT when you purchase you newly aquired fish, don't drop them off in your main tank. If they are carrying anything from the LFS, and you drop them into the main tank.... You just infected the
entire tank.
Leave them in the quarantine tank for 4 weeks, by then, you'll know for sure, and if they do carry a disease, you're treating a few fish, worst case senario... at least you didn't wipe out your entire stock.
Plus, if you get a sick fish, you have a place to hold it while treating it and helping it recover without the stress of all those other fish, AND you're not treating an entire tank of fish that don't need those med's. Saves oyu money, as well as less stress for the other's.
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jaydawg53 said:
7Enigma said:
I came to add in the point to DO NOT CHANGE YOUR FILTERS! Your directions will tell you otherwise, but don't do it. Rinse it off in tank water if it gets clogged, but don't put a new one in. Get a test kit and watch your levels, and do PWC's when needed, but you're only hurting your cycle by switching out the filters!
Don't EVER change filters, or don't change them while the tank is cycling? It seems strange to never, EVER change them...
(Honest question, by the way, I'm still a newbie
)
Most people suggest only changing your filter's once they are almost falling apart. Your filter's are where the most beneficial bacterial are (the guy's that are eating Ammonia and NitrItes). 7Enigma is right, if you need to, during a water change, take the filter and clean it in the water you
just removed from the tank, not the new stuff. If you just switch them out, then
bye-bye good bacteria, hello ammonia and nitrIte spikes! With a possible bye-bye fishes!
I have heard it suggested that once you start to see your filter close to death, toss in another filter
with it or even have one in there anyway's. This will help the new filter cycle and grow the good bacteria without adversly affecting the tank. This is also a good thing if you have a hosptial tank as I mentioned above, to almost "instant cycle" a tank in an emergency.
I have a HOB (Hang On Back) Filter, along with 2 sponge filter's, and a mini submersible filter in my tank. (All are set on their lowest setting's, so as to not disturb the water too much for my Betta.) Not only are they all cycled, and ready for other tanks, but my tank also has the clearest water you'll ever see!
