Haven't kept fish since I was a child, but looking through the thread and having my own place now is making me wonder about going back to tropicals! If I did get set up again, I'd most likely be after a curved corner tank on a pedastel/stand - any recommendations and likely costs?
Your current Fish tank Setups!
- Thread starter Malt_Vinegar
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Can someone in the know help, the "harlequin rasbora's" that dbmzk1 posted, are they definitely harlequins? I also bought 6 x harlequin rasbora's today from my LFS (first ever fish) and they don't really look the same. Not as reddy coloured and the black part isn't the same shape.
Edit: Just using google images, mine look like the results for harlequin rasbora where as the ones above look more like "lambchop rasbora"?
Mine are indeed Lambchop Rasbora (T. espei) as opposed to standard Harlequins (T. heteromorpha) that yours are, but many people just call them Harlequins as they are very similar. Like many similar fish, like Plecs etc, they all end up getting called the same thing, sold as the alternate name etc. They are very similar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigonostigma
I'm hoping to upgrade already lol, i'm on the look out for a 5x2x2 or maybe even a 6x2x2 with sump. I've bought a few corals for my 3x2x2 now, got a red/blue acan, a hammerhead, a pink zoa with about 150 polyps, a birdsnest coral and a pulsing xenia now. It's getting addictive 
Ok, so I've been doing a lot of reading given that I was last into this as a child and wasn't hugely knowledgeable back then.
To sum up my questions in a nutshell:
- I might be able to get a UFO 550 (without stand) for £35, which seems ideal, any detractors? Why don't they seem to be stocked online at the retailers linked in this thread?
- I'd want to establish a tank with permanent plants this time, partly for aesthetics but also for a better ecosystem - any good reading material? (I'm working my way through this thread but it's biiiiig!)
- Practicality of both fish and inverts in a tropical freshwater tank?
I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions as I work through the thread and plan this out a bit more!
Cheers.
To sum up my questions in a nutshell:
- I might be able to get a UFO 550 (without stand) for £35, which seems ideal, any detractors? Why don't they seem to be stocked online at the retailers linked in this thread?
- I'd want to establish a tank with permanent plants this time, partly for aesthetics but also for a better ecosystem - any good reading material? (I'm working my way through this thread but it's biiiiig!)
- Practicality of both fish and inverts in a tropical freshwater tank?
I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions as I work through the thread and plan this out a bit more!
Cheers.
It's aqua one, not the best quality as its cheap chinese build, i know some places don't stock them because of this, and spares can be hard to get.
Look at the UKAPS website for planted info.
As far as inverts go it restricts you from larger fish, which isn't an issue for most people.
Look at the UKAPS website for planted info.
As far as inverts go it restricts you from larger fish, which isn't an issue for most people.
With inverts, if you choose ones such as cherry shrimp who breed happily in freshwater, you find your tank gets overrun by them.
If you have shrimp such as amanos, they will produce eggs, but they will fail to make it past the larval stage, keeping numbers in control.
Got a load of cherry shrimp I need to offload, any takers in the southampton area?
If you have shrimp such as amanos, they will produce eggs, but they will fail to make it past the larval stage, keeping numbers in control.
Got a load of cherry shrimp I need to offload, any takers in the southampton area?
Guess you won't post? as I have been after some Cherry Shrimp for ages but can't find any locally. I'm near Brighton.
wow, they look great - quick question on setup if I may - done a test and out nitrate level is high (guess thats it going through its cycle) but also the water is very hard - could I do a water change with water from a Brita drinking filter or in line fridge filter (I dont think it adds anything but thier websites say consult a specialist!)?
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No Brita filtered water is not suitable for fish.
For a start it only removes approx 10% of the Chlorine so you still need to add a conditioner.
Also the problem is not what it adds its what it removes, it will soften the water too much and removes the buffering capacity of the water so you will probably get PH swings.
Take a look at this thread : http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/347491-purer-water/
Thanks for the info - doing a lot of reading and loads of sites contradict eachother - my main problems are very hard water and high nitrite levels.
I have no fish, have done a 50% water change and a 15% water change but the nitrite levels are still high, may have dropped a little but not much.
I have taken one of the live plants out as it seemed to be looking unhealthy so have only 2 live plants left in there - am I doing something wrong or just being impatient? SHould I just leave it alone and see what happens?
I have no fish, have done a 50% water change and a 15% water change but the nitrite levels are still high, may have dropped a little but not much.
I have taken one of the live plants out as it seemed to be looking unhealthy so have only 2 live plants left in there - am I doing something wrong or just being impatient? SHould I just leave it alone and see what happens?
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I think you might just be being a tad impatient. The cycling part can take a long time and the fact you now have nitrites is a good start. Does your tap water have nitrites too?
The bacteria that convert Ammonia to Nitrites tend to build up pretty quickly, it's the bacteria that convert Nitrites to Nitrates that took much longer when I recently did it.
To give you an idea, it took 28 days for my tank to cycle. So pretty much a month. Some people claim to have done it a bit quicker, some slower. It's just one of those things, be patient.
Another thing, I noticed that the Nitrites didn't go down steadily, they practically disappeared over night
D) and other people have said the same thing. It's nice when it happens.It is WELL worth the wait. Very satisfying.
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Ahh brilliant, yeah I saw those at my LFS but went for the ones I did in the end.
I guess i'm just a little bit sad, I like to know exactly what I have. For example, my LFS had some "XL Harlequins". After not being able to find this breed online I gave them a miss.
I now have 5 ghost cats in my tank:
And 18 cherry shrimp:
I think you might just be being a tad impatient. The cycling part can take a long time and the fact you now have nitrites is a good start. Does your tap water have nitrites too?
The bacteria that convert Ammonia to Nitrites tend to build up pretty quickly, it's the bacteria that convert Nitrites to Nitrates that took much longer when I recently did it.
To give you an idea, it took 28 days for my tank to cycle. So pretty much a month. Some people claim to have done it a bit quicker, some slower. It's just one of those things, be patient.
Another thing, I noticed that the Nitrites didn't go down steadily, they practically disappeared over night
It is WELL worth the wait. Very satisfying.
+1
You can't beat a naturally cycled tank, it will only reap benefits. Don't try and cut corners.
