My first Fish Tank....

[ybt1982]

Hi all

So, I decided that I wanted a fish tank. Always thought about getting one and today, whilst wondering around the local Garden Centre I spotted a tank set and cabinet on special offer. It's the Marina 160 set – like this.

I have a few questions before I decide to buy it, so any advice would be appreciated

1. Is it a good started tank?
2. Will I need anything else apart from Fish and ornaments?
3. I really want crabs and or newts, are there any species of either that will survive in a tropical tank and not a marine?

Of course, if you know of any better deals or kits that a complete novice would be better with then I'm all ears

Cheers

[DarrenL]

ybt1982 said:

Hi all

So, I decided that I wanted a fish tank. Always thought about getting one and today, whilst wondering around the local Garden Centre I spotted a tank set and cabinet on special offer. It's the Marina 160 set – like this.

I have a few questions before I decide to buy it, so any advice would be appreciated

1. Is it a good started tank?
2. Will I need anything else apart from Fish and ornaments?
3. I really want crabs and or newts, are there any species of either that will survive in a tropical tank and not a marine?

Of course, if you know of any better deals or kits that a complete novice would be better with then I'm all ears

Cheers

Congrats on asking questions first, the amount of people who buy a tank and then throw some fish in to wonder why they die the next day is amazing! I had a very successful ecosystem and spent many hours just staring at my fish before I moved to Austria, a tank is very relaxing and serene.

So where do I begin?

Tank size:

The AMOUNT of fish depends on the space available in the tank and the species. Do your research as to how many fish of your choosing you can get into the Marina 160 (as a guide, Neon tetra's which are probably the most popular fish) you will need around 1 gallon of water for every one inch long fish- so that's around 150 neon tetras- and no other species.)

Ecosystem:

This is by far the most important aspect of your tank. This link will give you more information on the chemistry of your tank : http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=waterchemistry...

So, you have your tank, what do you do? Before you fill it with water go and buy:

- water treatment kit (tetra aqausafe is by far the best) - ignore any signs though which say you can add fish straight away- this is a lie.
- testing kit
- PLAIN ammonia (many are sold with addtives)- plain ammonia behaves just like water when you shake it, a few bubbles which dissappear after a few seconds.


Treat your water (follow directions on label) and then add a VERY small amount of ammonia. This will help kick start the ecosystem.

The ecosystem of your tank will exist soley in the filter of your tank (and any substrate such as sand in the bottom of the tank)- and you will need to cultivate good bactria. This is known as cycling your tank- google for some more advice. Some shops sell additives to help kick start the cycling process- its up to you if you want to buy these- I have and it helped me, but some people report no difference.

Essentially your fish will will emmit ammonia from their gills and poo, which your tank should then convert to nitrite and then nitrate. Just 1PPM on ammonia can kill your fish. regular testing of your tank will ensure the chemicals remain at a low level. Whenever you do a water change treat the water and change 20% of the water at any one time- this will reduce stress on the ecosystem and your fish.

Some shops will tell you that after just one week you can add fish- do not listen to them, they are there to make money. Cycling is a process that can take up to one month (sometimes longer)- its alot of work, but when you are enjoying that tank, it will be worth it. If you are getting really impatient, after 2 weeks, if you have seen your the ammonia being processed alot quicker then previously, you could try to add a few hardy fish (like neon tetra's), and keep an eye on the chemical levels, if they rise do a water change as explained above)

You will use the testing kit to make sure that your tank's system is advanced enough to handle the fish.

The fish:

So, you've got your cycled tank, and you want to add fish. Yay!, which fish should you go for?

I would advise that you get a hardy species, like neon tetras. Its also advisable to know which fish are territorial, and which fish do not go together, which are community fish, and which are soletary.

For example, I had a huge tank which stocked a siamese fighter, around 15 neon tetra's and 2 african dwarf frogs. Now most people will tell you not to gets fighters and tetras together as the tetras will try and pull the siam's fins out. My tank was big enough with lots of hiding places for the siam to do it, lots of cubby holes etc... but I wouldnt do it with a smaller tank. I wanted a fighter since I was a kid, if I didnt have it, I could have huge schools of different community fish which are aggressive or terrortorial.

I hope this helped and if you have any questions let me know

D.

[DarrenL]

Ohto add, if you go to your local fish shop and ask for a sample of their established filter they should give it to you for free (or maybe a sample of their water), this will be the best way to kick off your ecosystem and populate your filter with good bactria.

[ybt1982]

Thanks for the great reply

I tend to think about things alot so more research is needed, your link will help lots.

Nick

[therealpigdog]

DarrenL said:

Do your research as to how many fish of your choosing you can get into the Marina 160 (as a guide, Neon tetra's which are probably the most popular fish) you will need around 1 gallon of water for every one inch long fish- so that's around 150 neon tetras- and no other species.)

Agree with everything else in Darren's excellent post, but think his stocking is optimistic (perhaps confusion as to litres and gallons?). The tank is 160l and has a surface area of 585 square inches of surface area. One theory is one inch of fish to every 10 inches square, so about 60 inches of fish (i.e. 60 neon tetras rather than 150).

OP - If you want some stocking advice, then post up some thoughts and I'm sure there are enough people on here to give suggestions as to what will work and what won't. Of course, we'll all likely fall out over it, but hey

P.S. Nice tank - well done for buying a tank that is actually suitable for fish rather than the unfortunately more common nano-tanks.