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 Fish and Aquarium
 Newbie to fish...
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| Posted by | Topic subject: Newbie to fish... |
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Zakk New Member  Posts: 4 |
posted 08-18-2003 04:37 PM
  
I have a couple of questions here. So bare with me.  I just bought a 5 gallon fish aquarium. I had to buy a heater for it cause i wanted fish besides goldfish. I have a question about the heater. In the directions it says that the pilot light will turn on and off when the degree of the water varies, but it doesn't, i have to watch the water temperature and then turn it on or off. You have to manually turn on the heater. Maybe i just got a real cheap one, it is a 50 watt for 8 bux or something. So will I just have to always watch the temperature of the water then? Next question, I just had to scoop up a dead fish. It was stuck to my filter, Should i only have one kind of fish in my tank? cause i have two different kinds, and i don't know what they are called. and i have a sucker fish. they are real small though. They seem to get along. i had to get rid of two other different ones cause i think they were too aggressive and bit the fins off of another fish. what are some good types of fish to have. maybe i am just picking the wrong ones. please help. give me lots of info because i really want my fish to stay alive! Thanks Zakk IP: Logged |
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kc5gvn Member  Posts: 251 |
posted 08-19-2003 12:29 AM
A 50 watt heater is large enough for a 10 gallon tank. Any time it comes on in a 5 gallon it won't stay on for very long at all if it is adjusted right due to the smaller area that it has to heat. One reason you may be having a problem is that the room temperature is keeping the tank warm enough so that it does not come on. 1)If the tank is too warm and the heater is on turn the dial counter-clockwise just until the pilot light goes off. 2)If it continues to come on with the tank too warm repeat step 1 untill the problem is resolved and then go to step 3. 3) Let the tank sit for 24 hours before making anymore adjustments. 4) Locate the arrow on the adjustment knob and take notice of what mark it is aligned with on the heater base. Turn the knob clockwise 1 mark and wait 1 hour before checking the tank temperature. 5) If the tank temperature is still too low after 1 hour, adjust the knob clockwise 1 more mark. 6) Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have achieved the desired tank temperature. Hope this helps. [This message has been edited by kc5gvn (edited 08-19-2003).] IP: Logged |
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Zakk New Member Posts: 4 |
posted 08-19-2003 04:03 AM
Ok, thanks for your help, I'll go over those steps. Thanks again Zack IP: Logged |
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dianenm Member Posts: 56 |
posted 08-19-2003 06:21 AM
Hi, I'm confused about your fish problem.. do you only have "sucker" fish so far? or other kinds? for a 5 gal you should really only need one sucker fish.. once you start getting algae! and even then supplement with algae tablets. A pleco is the most common kind, but they do get big. chinese algae eaters get aggressive and also big. If I were you, I'd get an otocinclus (oto) as they stay quite small- an couple inches max. And these are attractive fish and won't fight. also, the rule is one inch of fish per gallon of water. Try to keep in mind the grown size of your fish when you buy. I always search the net about fish I'm interested in or have seen in the petstores. I write down the name and then search at home. I can't emphasize reading about fish enough, but it's part of the fun for me. Have fun!! also.. for your size tank I'd suggest one oto once you get algae and a school of 5 neons. neons are beautiful little fish. be sure to put a couple plants in there for shelter. again, enjoy! [This message has been edited by dianenm (edited 08-19-2003).] IP: Logged |
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Zakk New Member Posts: 4 |
posted 08-20-2003 04:08 AM
Hey... I do have a sucker fish, i also have 5 really small fish, they are probably about an inch long each. i will look up those neon fish and the oto. I just asked the guy what are some good fish to start off with. i do have some plants but they are fake. thanks for your help Zakk IP: Logged |
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rhomba Member Posts: 13 |
posted 08-26-2003 10:55 AM
it all depends on what kind of community you want to have in your tank...like my boyfriends...he likes schooling fish so he has a bunch of different tetras in his tank....as for mine i love diversity. I have an albino shark...a bala shark...a redtailed shark...a black ghostknife fish two african dwarf frogs and two female bettas....i'm waiting on a male...when my boyfriends breeding bettas frys hatch IP: Logged |
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Zakk New Member Posts: 4 |
posted 08-26-2003 12:39 PM
alright, i went back and found out the name of my fish are kennyi's. they are cichlids? i am still trying to find some research on the internet about them. well at the store the guy said they could be with these other fish, well, i found out that they are somewhat aggressive and territorial. they killed the other 3 fish. so now i just have my 3 kennyi's and the sucker fish. i am just gonna stick with these fish for awhile. i don't think it is safe to put any other fish in with them thanks for your helpzack IP: Logged |
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dianenm Member Posts: 56 |
posted 08-26-2003 03:27 PM
Cichlids aren't the best beginner fish in the world. LOL. The kenyi might fight amongst themselves, esp in such a small tank. and are they purple or yellow? the purple are females and the yellow males. best not to have more than one yellow. They will outgrow your tank fairly quicky if they live. I think they get 3-5 inches each. they like hard salty water, so you need to do really frequent water changes (weekly minimum) and also, get some aquarium salt and put in a tablespoon per 5 gallons. If you can find a piece of holey limestone, they'd probably appreciate it a lot! no point in real plants as they will probably eat it, but so far my cichlids have left my amazon sword plant alone. Good luck! I'd also suggest feeding them slices of zucchini and get some tetra spirulina flakes (or other brand) so they don't get malawi bloat. These mbuna cichlids are herbivorous. [This message has been edited by dianenm (edited 08-26-2003).] IP: Logged |
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rhomba Member Posts: 13 |
posted 08-30-2003 10:12 PM
chiilids i have found to be an aggresive fish accept to thier own kind :P IP: Logged |
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