New Tank, Need Help :lol:

Obelix · Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2004 3:14 am Post subject: New Tank, Need Help :lol:

Hi,

I'd had some problems in the past with overstocking etc so im going to ask first, im going to be getting a 5 gallon "show"/ "tall" aquarium, I have a "Whisper Internal Micro Filter" flow rate 70 GPH, a heater that so far has kept my current 2 Gallon tank at 78 degrees and says it will work from 2-10 gallon tanks, ammonia, nitrIte and nitrate test kits, ammo gun 2 (miracle product) and know all about cycling, benifical bacteri, and testing regularly. My questions are is their anything im missing/ going to need for a larger tank and 2. I'd like to get 2 differnt tropical fish but dont know fish that go well togather so any suggetions would be more then excellent. I'm going to get one or the other of the following tanks if it helps.

http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441779404&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030056&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1082170796045

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/worldpets/aq5galaqkit.html

The urls should work

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3436

Well, it sounds like you're set, although I wouldn't use the ammo gun 2. If a tank is properly cycled & stocked, you shouldn't need anything to remove ammonia. In fact it could actually cause some problems. Let's say for example your fish produce x amount of ammonia. Normally that would be completely taken care of by the bacteria. If, however you start using that ammo gun and it removes 20% of the ammonia, your bacteria colonies are going to shrink because now they only have 80% of x amount of ammonia to feed off of. So if you ever stop using the ammo gun, that extra 20% ammonia will suddenly have no way of being removed and the tank will go through a mini cycle.

Also, I suggest going with the 2nd tank. It has a lot more surface area (more oxygen) plus for most fish, the length & width of a tank is much more important than the height as far as territroy & swimming space is concerned.

-Chelle

Obelix · Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2004 4:46 am Post subject:

Thanks for the advice, actually I have the ammo gun 2 becuase with my first bowel I made the helish mistake of buying goldfish... and now i know that beginners should absolutely never put thoes in tanks/bowels... so the ammo gun 2 is just left over becuase i needed to bring my ammonia way down back then, but you raise a good point that the colonies wont be as big as they would regularly if i kept using the ammo gun 2, im planning on a nice long fishless cycle before fish anyway. Again anybody know of good tropical fish for a 5 gallon tank?

tina1 · Senior Member Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 651

I have a 5 gallon hex tank that I'm going to stock with some cardinal tetras and hatchet fish. Other options would be: bettas, neons, black neons, lemon tetras, cory cats, ottocinclus, guppies, killifish, rummynose tetras. These fish all stay small and like to have some friends so you could fit a small school. Or just get three or four and couple of cories or ottos to clean up. Also, if you have live plants and do frequent water changes you can keep a succesfull small school (4-6) and an algae eater or catfish of some kind in this small tank, it will just take more work. In my opinion, small planted tanks with just one to two species are some of the most beautiful out there.

t_chelle16 · Moderator Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 3436

Personally, I would get either a betta or a dwarf gourami and an african dwarf frog. Other fish that can be kept in a 5 gallon are guppies (I recommend one gender for a 5 gallon), snails, ghost shrimp, oto cats, and cloud minnows (although they prefer groups). There's probably a couple more but that's all I can think of for now.

-Chelle

Obelix · Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2004 5:56 am Post subject:

WOW! No idea I had so many options (definitally better then 2 Gallon heh) Definitally a good selection and I have a friend who owns some guppies and said they reproduced alot... but i dont know the specific type. A nother thing i was curious if i would be able to work a pair or more of black mollys in their? I've thought they were always nice but again im gonna look up all the types suggested and see which go best. Live plants.... ive gotta look into thoes, my beta was happy with very very soft and dull plastic fakes but any idea if plants will raise/lower nitrIte, nitrAte, or ammonia or even problems outside the reguaar fish. If it will help some fish feel more at home then ill do it. Thanks again.

tina1 · Senior Member Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 651

Plants will help your fish immensly! They use up nitrates and ammonia too. Your fish will be more comfortable, act more naturally and be less likely to submit to disease when live plants are present. Also, consider zebra danios for your tank. They are small but very active. They sell the long finned variety here for about $1.29, but you can find "feeder danios" that are the exact same fish at 10 for $1.00. I love doing that and watching them grow up. In fact if your looking to save money you can usually find feeder white clouds, danios, guppies, and neons.

willieb18 · Member Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 87

so plants in my tank will keep my ammonia down?

Obelix · Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2004 4:27 pm Post subject:

I'm gonna go with some plants I saw at petsmart at very cheap prices, but again I wont be able to get the tank for another week or so, so ill buy then. I've been lookin all the suggested types on google and the killifish look really really awsome.and the hatchet fish also look cool. Thanks for the plant idea, ive seen some nice tanks that had real plants inside.

tina1 · Senior Member Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 651

Yes plants will help your ammonia. However, if the tank is heavily planted during the cycling the tank will take much longer to cycle than an average aquarium.

willieb18 · Member Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 87

well i have a 55 gallon tank. and i want it to cycle as soon as possible. so if a plant will speed up the process then i will try it.

tina1 · Senior Member Joined: 22 Mar 2004 Posts: 651

No, plants will slow down the cycle. Plants mainly feed on nitrates so nitrates will need to be present before your plants could even really live and thrive long enough to start on the ammonia.

Also Obelix: Killies can be kinda hard to find but are very suited to small aquariums as their natural habitats are only small seasonal puddles. They will usually die after mating though.

willieb18 · Member Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 87

ok so i am just going to have to wait it out and let it cycle

Obelix · Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2004 2:27 am Post subject:

Well if i do get lucky and find them Ill try my best to keep all males or all females unless they die off around that time anyway.