Want to have a Freshwater (Tropical) tank
- Thread starter skmackley
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mistersprinkles
Aquarium Advice FINatic
For a moderately stocked 55 gallon I would recommend a canister filter and a HOB filter. How about an Eheim 2215 canister and an Aquaclear 70/300 HOB? Keep both the outputs on the same side and run the Aquaclear on low. That way you have a calm side for the gouramis. You could JUST get an Eheim 2217 but IMO, that's just barely going to cut it for water circulation.
Rocks are cheap or free. Careful what rocks you use, some rocks will increase pH. Stick to something easy to identify like granite. Don't use sharp rocks.
Malaysian driftwood will stain the water less than mopani driftwood, and is easier for plecos to eat.
Eheim Jager would be my suggestion for the heater. I've always used them and never had a problem.
PLEASE go to Maidenhead Aquatics. It's the best fish store in the UK.
BTW you don't need to cycle your new tank. Just take a sizeable amount of biomedia and some gravel from your existing goldfish tank and put it in the new tank's filter. Start with a very small number of fish (ie, just the platys), then gradually add more as time goes by.
OR, if you want to be able to just go to Maidenhead 1 time, and add all your fish at once, do the fishless cycle with ammonia you buy at the store.
Rocks are cheap or free. Careful what rocks you use, some rocks will increase pH. Stick to something easy to identify like granite. Don't use sharp rocks.
Malaysian driftwood will stain the water less than mopani driftwood, and is easier for plecos to eat.
Eheim Jager would be my suggestion for the heater. I've always used them and never had a problem.
PLEASE go to Maidenhead Aquatics. It's the best fish store in the UK.
BTW you don't need to cycle your new tank. Just take a sizeable amount of biomedia and some gravel from your existing goldfish tank and put it in the new tank's filter. Start with a very small number of fish (ie, just the platys), then gradually add more as time goes by.
OR, if you want to be able to just go to Maidenhead 1 time, and add all your fish at once, do the fishless cycle with ammonia you buy at the store.
mistersprinkles
Aquarium Advice FINatic
mistersprinkles
Aquarium Advice FINatic
so will you write me a check list i need for the whole thingand where in UK i could find them :L great person
Sure. And I think Maidenhead will have everything you need. Fish, equipment, etc.
For the 55gal tank itself and the 2215 filter, you could look for used ones on Ebay, Kijiji, other forums, stuff like that. And save some money.
~55gal tank
~glass top
~dual T5 striplight
~Seachem Fluorite gravel
~Eheim 200W-250W heater (just because it gets down to 15C in the room I'm inclined to suggest 250W)
~Large bucket for water changes
~Seachem PRIME water conditioner
~malaysian driftwood
~Eheim 2215 filter +Aquaclear 70/300 filter
OR
Eheim 2217 filter by itself
~Rounded smooth rocks. Granite is a wise choice.
~Plants (Java fern, windelov fern, java moss, anubias, crypt wendii, hornwort {floating for gouramis})
mistersprinkles
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I doubt it. It'd be convenient, though, wouldn't it? If you could just order all that stuff and have them bring it to you?
Still, if you have a car, which I'm assuming that you do, I can't see how a 1 hour drive would put you off so much. I once drove 2.5 hours each way to pick up some particularly nice O. lithobates (a Malawi cichlid) from a guy several towns away from me.
mistersprinkles
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I am on Maidenhead's website now. They do not appear to carry the products I suggested for filtration. Here are some suitable alternatives that they DO carry.
Fluval 406 Canister Filter - Fishkeeper
Canister filter
AquaManta CH 200 Heater - Fishkeeper
Heater
Honestly the more I look at their site the more it looks like they have limited selection. Also you have to buy aquariums WITH an expensive stand and cabinet setup. A bit ridiculous. Buy your supplies (everything that isn't a fish) at a local chain store with more selection. THEN go to Maidenhead for the fish themselves.
Oh your mother has to drive you. Now I understand. Well, best of luck with your negotiations on a longer car ride. Explain that they have better quality fish there and it's worth while.
mistersprinkles
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Buy everything that isn't a fish, set the tank up, cycle it, and when you're ready, get the fish. For the stuff you're getting you should set the heater to about 80F That's just right for the angels and tolerable for everything else.
Do you have access to New Life Spectrum food over there? The Discus formula pellets would be the best thing for the Angelfish. Good for your other fish to eat too.
You're going to need a few different foods.
Pellets for fish like rams, gouramis, angels, catfish
algae and bottomfeeder tabs for the shrimp and pleco (if you plan to have a lot of fish there are specific shrimp foods you can buy)
and some frozen. Mysis shrimp for the angels and rams, brineshrimp for the gouramis and cats. You can throw in some frozen bloodworms too but feed them very lightly. Very.
Um i am un sure i will have a look, see if anyone local is selling anything!
please go to -
www.petsathome.co.uk
and find products there, please note that the fish are rubbish
please go to -
www.petsathome.co.uk
and find products there, please note that the fish are rubbish
mistersprinkles
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Fluval 406 External Filter | Pets at Home
That's it. All they had. And I vastly prefer a 2217 to a fluval 406. I think it is a better filter. You have REALLY crapp shops around where you live. Sorry. The heaters they had only went up to like 25 watt.
I suggest you make a forum post asking where other people in the UK get their stuff. I've seen UK posts with Eheim filters and heaters, and what have you, lots of times. So it IS available there.
Just make a new forum post "UK People- Where do you get your FW equipment?"
mistersprinkles
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I guarantee you there is a quality mailorder company that will have the quality supplies, foods, etc that you need. For example, where I live, we have BIG AL'S.
Big Al's Canada - The Pond and Aquarium Hobby Specialists
They sell 20 of everything you could ever want, and have a quality fish selection too.
They deliver.
Has to be something like that nationally operating in the UK.
mistersprinkles
Aquarium Advice FINatic
If it's all you can find you can go with that FLUVAL canister filter. Just try to find a quality 200-250W heater too.
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