Tanks that contain fish

[unwashed potato!]

looking at getting one of these bad boys for th bday on 17th but looking around and its hard to know whats good and whats price is a good price.

The best price i have seen was offline in birdworld giving my 125 ltr jumal with cabinet for £200. Thought at first this was way expensive, after all it is just glass and cheap beech wood, but then online they are gonig for at the minimum £250.

Can anyone recocomend me any places to get fish tanks from? Im looking for plain fish tank and must be beech cabinet.

thinking is it cheaper to just get the tank for like £30 and then the water filter light and whatever else is need seperatly and it be cheaper just i got to do it myself?

Also anoy good places to get fish/accesroeis from and any fish i shouold look at getting?

Is it possible to have tiny tiny turtle living with the fish? Would love 1 or 2 of these tiny buggers but fish comes first.

 

[G-MAN2004]

-

 

[Zefan]

You drive, I'll man the guns!

 

[Mr_White]

The sort of size tank you're thinking of will cost about £40 for the tank, £60-70 for a flat pack stand, £35-40 for an internal filter, £20-25 for a heater, oh and of course the lighting unit, another £20-25, the bulb which will be £15 or so, and a basic metal hood which will be £30, if you wanted to do it seperately of course, but this will be a bare tank with a bit of black plastic trim at the top, and nothing else.

And I assume you mean Juwel, not Jumal.

A Rio 125 I'm guessing?

A nice tank but you could find a Rio 180 with cabinet for about £250-280

A 125 is ok but you'll be very limited.

As for the turtles, no.

95% these will be chinese soft shelled turtles which get 10-12"

And these are some of the smaller turtles avaliable to the public, scratch the idea of turtles.

What did you have in mind for the tank?

Do you know and understand about the bacteria cycle and the importance of it being complete before you add any fish etc?

I'll happily help you with any questions you have.

 

[unwashed potato!]

Thanks man i really appeciate the offer and help so far.

I don't know how jumal got there as i know its called juwel, maybe a don edited it in to make me look a fool

Ill scrap the turtle idea then, just saw tiny ones today with long knecks and they seems rather cool to also have swimming around.

Yeah thats the fish tank, how come you know so much about them?. Was thinking of the 180 though my concern is that that might get a bit too big as im only turning 19 in a couple of weeks and its going in my room along with too many others things, but then saying that i have many ideas for stuff inside the tank and i'd hate to spend that much money on a tank and think inf month it too small. Another possibilty was the lido 120 as the shape being more cube like would look better IMO and give more space.

I really have no idea o nwhat fish, was just going to go down to a few places and get ones i like. Is there anything i should know before doing this?

Im lost with the preperation. Before wheni was like 10/11 i had a cheap cheap fish tank with 3 goldfish in it. that had no light or filter or anything except glass so figured any thing more is a bonus and not needed. Im a guy who likes to sleep in slience, is this liekly to make loads of splashy noises and does the light need to be on at night? if so i will have to scrap the idea as i can't have that, unless i cover it up i guess.

Thats all i can think of for now though i know i will have million more questions later

thanks agan

 

[G-MAN2004]

Thanks man i really appeciate the offer and help so far.

I don't know how jumal got there as i know its called juwel, maybe a don edited it in to make me look a fool

Ill scrap the turtle idea then, just saw tiny ones today with long knecks and they seems rather cool to also have swimming around.

Yeah thats the fish tank, how come you know so much about them?. Was thinking of the 180 though my concern is that that might get a bit too big as im only turning 19 in a couple of weeks and its going in my room along with too many others things. Another possibilty was the lido 120 as the shape being more cube like would look better IMO and give more space.

I really have no idea o nwhat fish, was just going to go down to a few places and get ones i like. Is there anything i should know before doing this?

Im lost with the preperation. Before wheni was like 10/11 i had a cheap cheap fish tank with 3 goldfish in it. that had no light or filter or anything except glass so figured any thing more is a bonus and not needed. Im a guy who likes to sleep in slience, is this liekly to make loads of splashy noises and does the light need to be on at night? if so i will have to scrap the idea as i can't have that, unless i cover it up i guess.

Thats all i can think of for now though i know i will have million more questions later

thanks agan
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The best tip for beginners is to never, ever rush into buying fish straight away. You have to let your tank mature until the water is perfect for the fish you want to buy. Just leave everything running how you would normally and after about 2-3 weeks test the water.

Good site here:

http://www.fishlore.com/FirstTankSetup.htm

 

[Solari]

 

[Mr_White]

Thanks man i really appeciate the offer and help so far.

I don't know how jumal got there as i know its called juwel, maybe a don edited it in to make me look a fool

Ill scrap the turtle idea then, just saw tiny ones today with long knecks and they seems rather cool to also have swimming around.

Yeah thats the fish tank, how come you know so much about them?. Was thinking of the 180 though my concern is that that might get a bit too big as im only turning 19 in a couple of weeks and its going in my room along with too many others things, but then saying that i have many ideas for stuff inside the tank and i'd hate to spend that much money on a tank and think inf month it too small. Another possibilty was the lido 120 as the shape being more cube like would look better IMO and give more space.

I really have no idea o nwhat fish, was just going to go down to a few places and get ones i like. Is there anything i should know before doing this?

Im lost with the preperation. Before wheni was like 10/11 i had a cheap cheap fish tank with 3 goldfish in it. that had no light or filter or anything except glass so figured any thing more is a bonus and not needed. Im a guy who likes to sleep in slience, is this liekly to make loads of splashy noises and does the light need to be on at night? if so i will have to scrap the idea as i can't have that, unless i cover it up i guess.

Thats all i can think of for now though i know i will have million more questions later

thanks agan

Well, the Lido 120 is a nice tank and all, but it's a bad shape for most fish, it's a nice decorative tank for small fancy fish such as guppies, a small shoal of tetras, some small gouramies, small bottom feeder etc.

But you're limited to fairly small and docile fish really, a longer tank is always better.

Here's a quick break down of the bacteria cycle, i can go into more depth about various methods when you get the tank if you want.

But here is how it goes, food goes into the tank (you can also buy bottled products to help kick start the cycle, i'll go into those later)

Which gets eaten, and the waste decomposes, the fish produce waste.

This then produces ammonia, which is very harmful to a fish, it burns their eyes, their respiratory system, shortens their life span, and can cause terminal diseases later in life, you don't want any hint of this.

This then gets broken down and eaten by bacteria, which produces nitrite, now this isn't as harmful as ammonia, but can still easily kill a fish, you don't want any of this.

It then gets broken down etc, this then produces nitrates

Now these are the least harmful of the three, and these can be reduced by a lot of live plants, but they're also removed by water changes, which is why you should do weekly water changes of 15-20% of the tanks water.

And you should always add a product such as aqua safe to water going back into the tank, and try and match the temperature, now aqua safe removes chlorine and other harmful chemicals etc.

These will be removed naturally after a few days when you first fill the tank up.

Now as for these cycle kick starting products, there are two, cycle and bio-spira

Bio-spira claims to be cultivated bacteria which is kept alive by being refridgerated, these claims are dubious but it does work in kick starting the cycle and reducing it's over all time.

Cycle is a similar product only in bottled form, not cooled, it also helps.

But all you really need to do is add fish food every day, and some peeled, cooked prawns also help, add a few and remove them once they start to rot and decompose, then add a few more, this eliminates the need for fish which will be in pain during the cycle and will have life long lasting effects.

The cycle from start to finish will take 4 to 6 weeks.

Now onto the fish, it depends if you want decorative fancy fish, or wet pets as they're called, fishes with much more personality that can be tamed, bond with you, you get much more attatched to these like you would any other normal pet.

Feel free to ask me anything else.

Edit: sorry, missed your questions about the filters etc.

I have two tanks in my bedroom and sleep with them fine, the Juwel filters are very quiet, as are most internal filters, there won't be any splashing as the juwel filter outlets are below water level, you'd have to angle the outlet pipe upwards to get any splash.

And filters are very much needed, these harbour and cultivate the beneficial bacteria that keeps all your water chemistry in check, as well as mechanical filtering in removing waste and keeping your tank looking nice.

And the lights don't need to be on at all, Just turn them on and off when you want.

Although if you're going to have them on, it's better for the fish to have a cycle as we do with the day and night, so just simulate that and have them on 10-12 hours a day.

 

[Trigger]

Thanks man i really appeciate the offer and help so far.

I don't know how jumal got there as i know its called juwel, maybe a don edited it in to make me look a fool

Ill scrap the turtle idea then, just saw tiny ones today with long knecks and they seems rather cool to also have swimming around.

Yeah thats the fish tank, how come you know so much about them?. Was thinking of the 180 though my concern is that that might get a bit too big as im only turning 19 in a couple of weeks and its going in my room along with too many others things, but then saying that i have many ideas for stuff inside the tank and i'd hate to spend that much money on a tank and think inf month it too small. Another possibilty was the lido 120 as the shape being more cube like would look better IMO and give more space.

I really have no idea o nwhat fish, was just going to go down to a few places and get ones i like. Is there anything i should know before doing this?

Im lost with the preperation. Before wheni was like 10/11 i had a cheap cheap fish tank with 3 goldfish in it. that had no light or filter or anything except glass so figured any thing more is a bonus and not needed. Im a guy who likes to sleep in slience, is this liekly to make loads of splashy noises and does the light need to be on at night? if so i will have to scrap the idea as i can't have that, unless i cover it up i guess.

Thats all i can think of for now though i know i will have million more questions later

thanks agan

Yeah, steer clear of the turtles I have the Juwel Vision 180- the one with the curved front panel- whatever shape tank you end up with, always buy the biggest you can afford as they're much easier to maintain because nitrate levels etc won't build up as quickly The filter and heater aren't optional, they're a must and must be on constantly- I have mine in my room and the filter pump only makes a faint buzz - damn air pump rattles like anything though so only get one of them if you really want one. Water temperature will depend on the fish you keep but around 24C will be fine. The light doesn't (and shouldn't for that matter) be on constantly and should only be on for about 2 hours a day.

There's quite a few sites with tutorials about cycling a tank so have a read of some of those first- give it a google For fish, I would advise going for cheaper fish to start with- I started with 4 cardinal tetras and a couple of Albino Corydoras which have lasted fine. Talk to the guys in the fish store (Don't go anywhere near pet stores for fish ) about what to go for.

 

[unwashed potato!]

Feel free to ask me anything else.

no thats seems perfect for now, give me a real good insit into what i need to know.

Im gonig to look some more for whch fishs and which tanks i want and post back with an update another day.

thanks

 

[Mr_White]

damn air pump rattles like anything though so only get one of them if you really want one. Water temperature will depend on the fish you keep but around 24C will be fine. The light doesn't (and shouldn't for that matter) be on constantly and should only be on for about 2 hours a day.

How old is the air pump?

Most made in the last few years aren't that bad, the main problem of noise comes from the vibrations making it move about etc.

Put it on some bubble wrap and make sure it can't move, that's if you haven't done that already.

I have a Rio 180 at the end of my bed with an air pump in the cabinet and it's not much louder than the powerhead.

24c is a little on the low side for my liking, fine for most fish but I usually keep my tanks at 25-26c.

As for the lights only being on 2 hours a day, I'm not sure where you got that info from?

10-12 hours is fine, you don't want much more since it's best to replicate the natural cycle.

 

[G-MAN2004]

Yay, we have baby fish from our Three Spotted Gourami lol.

 

[Trigger]

How old is the air pump?

Most made in the last few years aren't that bad, the main problem of noise comes from the vibrations making it move about etc.

Put it on some bubble wrap and make sure it can't move, that's if you haven't done that already.

I have a Rio 180 at the end of my bed with an air pump in the cabinet and it's not much louder than the powerhead.

24c is a little on the low side for my liking, fine for most fish but I usually keep my tanks at 25-26c.

As for the lights only being on 2 hours a day, I'm not sure where you got that info from?

10-12 hours is fine, you don't want much more since it's best to replicate the natural cycle.

It's a fairly new pump- an AquaOne thing but I made the mistake of buying a two-outlet one when I only wanted one As for two hours, no I don't know where I got two hours from either I normally have mine on for about 6 hours- from when I get in from work to when I go to bed. I tend to find any more than 6 and I get stupid amounts of algae growth which is a pain to clean off.

 

[Mr_White]

It's a fairly new pump- an AquaOne thing but I made the mistake of buying a two-outlet one when I only wanted one As for two hours, no I don't know where I got two hours from either I normally have mine on for about 6 hours- from when I get in from work to when I go to bed. I tend to find any more than 6 and I get stupid amounts of algae growth which is a pain to clean off.

Try putting it on a towel or bubble wrap etc, this reduces noise a lot.

And try squeezing the sides of it, some pumps can be poorly made and the casing can make a lot of the noise, try tightening it up if squeezing it helps.

Lights will help promote the growth of algae but if you can avoid putting where it'll get any sunlight, and you clean of any early signs of algae, then you shouldn't get any, but once you do it's a pain to get rid off naturally and lights make it grow even more.

 

[unwashed potato!]

ok update.

I have been back to pets at home and have now seen the corner fish tank and cabinet and not sure which to go with.

Its either the trigon 190ltr costing £349 or the vision 180 ltr costing £299.

Im leaning more towards the trigon though need some advice if the trigon is as good for the fishes as the other rectangle ones are

 

[Mr_White]

ok update.

I have been back to pets at home and have now seen the corner fish tank and cabinet and not sure which to go with.

Its either the trigon 190ltr costing £349 or the vision 180 ltr costing £299.

Im leaning more towards the trigon though need some advice if the trigon is as good for the fishes as the other rectangle ones are

Rectangular tanks are always best for the fish, but it depends on the sort of fish you want.

If you've got say small tetras, and other small decorative fish, then it's not going to make much difference to them.

But if you've got bigger fish (say over 8") or predatory fish, then they're going to need more exercise, they'll have more useable tank space, a bigger fish that likes to swim a lot, and quickly, is going to be very restricted in a corner tank.

But if you've got a bigger fish that is docile and really doesn't move much, then of course a corner tank isn't going to make much difference.

Have you got any real ideas of what sort of fish you like yet?

Since it all comes down to what fish you want.

 

[MeatLoaf]

To be honest i wouldnt buy anything from pets at home. We have one locally and most of its fish are not in a decent state.

As for maturing your tank, i find that getting a handful of gravel from a friend with a setup can help slightly

Or buying a cheap air operated sponge filter and running it in a mates tank for a few days before transferring it - complete with the needed bacteria - to your tank

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Pets at home fish condition varies massively from store to store. Two stores near me get the same delivery each week, but i would only ever buy from one. Turns out the lady who looks after the tanks is an enthusiast, the other store is just a 17yr old numpty who cares not how many fish die.

I managed to cycle tanks with a basis of mature filter material in under a week, it can be done quicker than 2-3 weeks.

Too late to go into details from me, looks like most of it has been covered though! Just dont stock too fast, each added fish is a kick to the balance maintained in a tank. Not sure if this has been said either, get the biggest tank you can, MUCH easier to maintain a bigger tank than a smaller one

Good luck, its a very addictive hobby!!!

 

[Elmer]

Well I thought it was funny

And it reminded me of

 

[unwashed potato!]

Pets at home fish condition varies massively from store to store. Two stores near me get the same delivery each week, but i would only ever buy from one. Turns out the lady who looks after the tanks is an enthusiast, the other store is just a 17yr old numpty who cares not how many fish die.

well i hadn't thought about where to get the fish from, but now i know not to get them from there, though im still going to get tha tank from there as there prices are the best i have seen, unles anyone can reccomend else where?

As everyon is saying knowing what fish i want is most imporatn part can someone give me a website that you either buy the fish from (though dont know how you'd do this) or atleast a site that lists the sort of fish i'd be looking for and information about them etc. Also any reccomendations as to which i should get? looking for nice ones that are kinda small.

thanska again