My First Fishtank

[DannyScene]

So for my birthday my little sister gave me her old fish tank, it's not massive but it should be fine for my first tank, it has a built in light and filter and has a heating element so I can go tropical

The thing is I have only ever kept fish once, about 15 years ago I had 4 clouded mountain minnows which in all honesty I forgot to feed and after returning from holiday they were of course all dead

Now for my new tank I'm thinking something small so I can get a few so maybe 4-5 tetras and either a shark or a betta

Does anyone have any tips for a first time fish keeper?

How long should I let my water sit in the tank before adding fish?

[Nimby]

It would help to know the actual size of the tank, type of filter, and whether you are in a hard or soft water area.

[DannyScene]

I'll have a look at all the kit tonight and take some photos to hopefully give some more info

[Jasandjules]

DannyScene said:

How long should I let my water sit in the tank before adding fish?

You need to go and do a lot of reading before adding fish. Get the correct test kits etc and understand fishless cycling..

[DannyScene]

Jasandjules said:

DannyScene said:

How long should I let my water sit in the tank before adding fish?

You need to go and do a lot of reading before adding fish. Get the correct test kits etc and understand fishless cycling..

I'm guessing its far more complicated than when I used to win fish at the fair and just plopped them into a tank full of tap water then haha

[Jasandjules]

DannyScene said:

I'm guessing its far more complicated than when I used to win fish at the fair and just plopped them into a tank full of tap water then haha

Well, in fairness I've never done freshwater, but I have things like RO units.... But I do think freshwater still has testing for NO2, NO3 and so on.

[DannyScene]

Jasandjules said:

DannyScene said:

I'm guessing its far more complicated than when I used to win fish at the fair and just plopped them into a tank full of tap water then haha

Well, in fairness I've never done freshwater, but I have things like RO units.... But I do think freshwater still has testing for NO2, NO3 and so on.

Looks like this isn't going to be as simple as I'd hoped and is likely to become more akin to a hobby than just having some cool fish in my room

I was hoping to get a mixture of a few different tetras and they'd school together but a bit of reading say's they won't unfortunately

[DannyScene]

Looks like the tank is only a 22 litre so my new plan is simply a lone male betta and possibly some slightly bigger variety of shrimp so long as the betta keeps himself from eating them

[slowx]

It's only the initial start up that are time consuming, after that, it's just maintenance.

Small tanks are harder to control, but it's best for newbie, instead of spending lots of money on big tanks and equipment, a small tank can let you see what it takes to keep fish alive in a tank.

N-cycle is very important, a least get a No3 test kit.

Good luck