Something's Fishy !!

[lashbear]

We've got a fishtank !!

It's only a little 14 Litre (3.7 gallon) tank.

We're getting it all set up - it'll be freshwater, we can heat it if needs be, but what fish should we get ?

I'm thinking a couple of guppies and 5 neon tetras. ?

We can't wait to bring our babies home. What would you suggest (we like colour and shiny when it comes to fish)

[Snowflake]

Paging Gemini Cricket! Paging Gemini Cricket!

Lashpair, way cool!:snap:

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Awesome! I grew up with freshwater fish. :) My favorites were the mollies, especially golden ones.

Remember, your initial set of fish are probably going to die, so don't get too attached, and don't buy expensive fish at first. Guppies are a good start. Your second and third batch might die too. Chemical levels take a while to balance out. I'm sure you already have a test kit and the right additives to help out.

I'd recommend, along with the pretty fish, you get an algae eater or two, and a catfish. They'll keep the bottom of the tank clean. Once your levels are ok and your fish stop dying, you may want to invest in a plecostemous (sp?) fish, which keeps the sides of the tank clean too. These grow to a size to accomodate your tank, come in cool skin patterns, and have personalities.

Avoid - tiger barbs and anything shark-looking. They tend to have bully personalities and gang up on other fish.

Awesome project! Enjoy! :)

[mousepod]

I know that this is a saltwater tank, but the idea of our favorite Aussies getting a fishtank makes me think of this:
http://www.geekroar.com/film/archives/nemo_tank-thumb.jpg

[Moonliner]

I know that this is a saltwater tank, but the idea of our favorite Aussies getting a fishtank makes me think of this:
http://www.geekroar.com/film/archives/nemo_tank-thumb.jpg

Busted! :D

[Gemini Cricket]

We've got a fishtank !!

It's only a little 14 Litre (3.7 gallon) tank.

We're getting it all set up - it'll be freshwater, we can heat it if needs be, but what fish should we get ?

I'm thinking a couple of guppies and 5 neon tetras. ?

We can't wait to bring our babies home. What would you suggest (we like colour and shiny when it comes to fish)
A 3.7 gallon tank is tiny. The general rule of thumb for how many fish in a tank is usually an inch of fish per gallon of water in the tank. Neon tetras are small but they can grow to be an inch to an inch and a quarter. Guppies can grow to an inch and a half.

Like CP said, the first group of fish may die. So, I'd start off with some tester fish. You can get some from an aquarium store that stock feeder fish. I'd get one of those to start off your aquarium.

But before you put your primo fish in, you need to make sure your aquarium is cycled. You need to build up nitrate levels in your tank. These nitrates will get rid of ammonia in your tank that build from fish waste. So, I'd get an ammonia, nitrite and nitrate testers. The best are the test strips. When your ammonia levels get high, do partial water changes. After awhile, the ammonia levels will drop and nitrite levels will raise. Continue with water changes. (Make sure to replace only a 1/4 of the water or so.) Then after about 3-4 weeks, nitrites will drop and your nitrate levels will go up. Nitrate gets rid of ammonia which is good. After that, you're set to slowly stock your tank. Don't stock too fast or the ammonia levels will spike. Once the amount of fish you want is in the tank, just do 1/4 water changes every 2 weeks or so.

Smaller tanks are harder to get the levels right. But it is possible.

So:
1. Start with a tester fish.
2. Check ammonia levels. When the levels are high, replace 1/4 of the water.
3. After Nitrites build up, continue the water changes.
4. When nitrates appear, stock tank slowly.
5. Do regular 1/4 water changes.
6. Stock tank slowly.
7. Check for ammonia spikes.
8. 1/4 water changes every 2 weeks or so.


Also, get your fish from a aquarium store that stock healthy fish. If there are a lot of dead fish in the tanks in the store you are in, that's a bad sign. I've had better luck with independently owned pet stores.

If you have more questions, post them here or PM me.

........

Also, most importantly: Don't name your fish until you know that they won't die on you anytime soon. You don't want to name one of your prized fish Kylie and get all attached to only have her die on you in a couple of days. Save the heartbreak and name them later.
:D

[madmonkeygirl]

As GC said i agree wholeheartdly since i work for a petstore. With the general rule of thumb for fish and space and water and tank size...GC you beat me to it...so nothing new to add there...and good luck...i only have a 1.5 tank for free and have a Beta in it :) Wanting to upgrade to Nemo tank we have now but it is $35 so not anytime soon...

[Gemini Cricket]

Also, I'd stay from Plecos. Some plecos can grow to be 16". And, girl, that's too big for anyone's tank. ;) I'd go with a Cory Cat for the bottom of your tank. It's like a little vacuum cleaner at the bottom of your tank.

[lashbear]

Wow ! Thanks for all the wicked advice everyone !

and about the Cory Cat, GC - wouldn't a cat have trouble breathing at the bottom of a fishtank while it's vacuuming ?? Does it use a little snorkel ?

and I think mousepod meant this:


http://www.geekroar.com/film/archives/nemo_tank.jpg

[Morrigoon]

Angelfish

[Moonliner]

Wow ! Thanks for all the wicked advice everyone !

and about the Cory Cat, GC - wouldn't a cat have trouble breathing at the bottom of a fishtank while it's vacuuming ?? Does it use a little snorkel ?

and I think mousepod meant this:


http://www.geekroar.com/film/archives/nemo_tank.jpg

Doh!

[mousepod]

Ok... fine...
http://www.mousepod.com/lot/nemo_tank-thumb.jpg

[alphabassettgrrl]

Angels can get aggressive. I second the vote for something to clean the tank, plecost or something similar.

I currently have a teeny aquarium, and it has a snail and a dwarf african frog. It had a sucker fish but we just lost the little guy and I need to replace him.

In the past, I've had tinfoil barbs which are shiny and pretty though I don't know how big they get. Oh- make sure you get fish similar in size and temperament. Freshwater shrimps might be fun, but you'll need to make sure your fish are bigger than the shrimps (some of them eat fish, I think). You might want to get a plant or two to give fishies some place to hide, and to aerate the water a bit. They'll need to be trimmed when they get too big, but only once in a while.

Enjoy your new tank!!! Fishies are pretty.

[Not Afraid]

I've been thinking about getting a fresh water tank. I just want a few colorful goldfish though - and an algae eater.

My saltwater tank looked a lot like the Nemo tank. I had a porcupine puffer, a blue tang and a yellow tang (no clown fish, though).

[lashbear]

[quote=Not Afraid;197682]I've been thinking about getting a fresh water tank. I just want a few colorful goldfish though - and an algae eater.

My saltwater tank looked a lot like the Nemo tank. I had a blue tang and a yellow tang[quote]

I chortle when kiddies run around identifying Blue Tangs as Dories. :rolleyes:

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

We've got a fishtank !!

It's only a little 14 Litre (3.7 gallon) tank.

We're getting it all set up - it'll be freshwater, we can heat it if needs be, but what fish should we get ?

I'm thinking a couple of guppies and 5 neon tetras. ?

We can't wait to bring our babies home. What would you suggest (we like colour and shiny when it comes to fish)

Fresh water turtles are fun. Until they eat all of the other fish you bought. Or until you forget to clean the tank, and your entire place starts to smell of sickly, dying, very pissed off fresh water turtle.

[Disneyphile]

I've been thinking about getting a fresh water tank. I just want a few colorful goldfish though - and an algae eater.I started with just one goldfish and looked what happened. Now, there is no room for any other fish since he grew to freakish behemoth size.

[Not Afraid]

DP's goldfish got a WOW!!!! out of me.

[Mousey Girl]

I ended up with 3 snails. They are doing a wonderful job at eating the algae, right now they are the only thing in the tank that has any green.

It took a while for my tank to stabalize, but it seems to be doing well now. I have a 10 gallon tank with 3 different sizes and types of goldfish.

[lashbear]

I'd love to train a snail to eat just the algae from the front, and leave the rest on the sides to benefit the eco-system. :D

[Mousey Girl]

I was not thrilled with the whole snail idea, but they are the only thing that can survive with the gold fish. They are really neat to watch. Eventually I will get some tetras again and turn the tank into more or a tropical tank. I had to start with the goldfish, because of The Boy. He had won a fish at the fair.

[Disneyphile]

We had 3 medium snails until Otto, the behemoth goldfish, decided to have escargot one evening.

We should have seen it coming, considering we named the three of them Ess, Car, and Go. :rolleyes:

Sadly, their little shells are all that remain. :(

[Not Afraid]

I have a question about ssetting up a goldfish tank. When I have had a simple goldfish bowl in the past, I put water and a dechlorinate in the bowl, along with gravel, waited 5 minutes, put the goldfish with the bag into the bowl to get the water temp the same then dumped the goldfish in the bowl. II changed the water ever week or so and that's it. Fish was fine for a long time.

So, why is there time needed for a tank to neutralize (or whatever it's doing)? I know that in a saltwater tank, it takes time, but it doesn't make sense with a fresh water tank.

[madmonkeygirl]

Just remember rule of thumb for tanks every inch of fish one gallon of water...and if you have a smaller tank you can do fine with an algea eater but not a i can't spell it starts with a P algea eater lmao..those grow to 24 inches in length not everyone is knowledgable about that.

NA you need to let a fishtank get the levels of amonia and nitrate and PH all that rather than a fish bowl is smaller than a tank thus no need for a filter like a fish tank...i don't know just we tell customers who buy the tanks to set it up and let it run for 48 hours or more and then get fish otherwise the fishies die....GC knows more than i do about this...i'm just a novice...all i have is a Beta thinking of getting the Nemo tank from work to put a few couple goldfish in lmao...

[lashbear]

Just remember rule of thumb for tanks every inch of fish one gallon of water......all i have is a Beta thinking of getting the Nemo tank from work to put a few couple goldfish in lmao...
So, we can have 3 one inch fish and a .7 inch fish :D

...the aquarium shop we go to has some beautiful Bettas. But I'm still lured by the shiny Neon Tetras.. :blush:

[katiesue]

Betas in my experience are easy to keep and hard to kill. Ours have lasted two to three years or longer.

[lashbear]

Betas in my experience are hard to kill..
I don't know.. a mallet ought to do it.

Sorry, that was totally un-Lashbear like.

Back to the real me.

[lashbear]

Betas in my experience are easy to keep and hard to kill. Ours have lasted two to three years or longer.
Hello, Real Me™ here.

I think we'll look into the Beta thing further then. :)

[katiesue]

I don't know.. a mallet ought to do it.

We had one that jumped out of the bowl and onto the floor when I was at the store. I came home and thought it went down the garbarge disposal because it was sitting next to the sink ( I was cleaning the bowl). I was home for at least 15-20 mins before I decided I should check and see if it was on the floor. It was, kind of under the cabinets. So I finally decided I'd have to deal with the dead fish. I went to pick it up and it jumped. Scared the bejebbers out of me. It's name was Marilyn but Maddy started calling it Jesus because it came back from the dead :D

[blueerica]

I'm no expert, but I always enjoyed the fish we had at the dental office I worked at. We kept a tank of aggressive fish and one plecos, and death was rare in that tank. Only thing is, once one is slightly down and out, the others will go after it, but I figure it's survival of the fittest, and that sort of thing doesn't bother me.

[Gemini Cricket]

My 55 gallon tank has 12 guppies, 3 cory cats, two albino Chinese algae eaters, one bristlenose pleco and one angelfish named Wanda.