Thinking of getting fish...

[Elyse]

So, I'm thinking of getting an aquarium. But I have some concerns and questions, and if they can be answered that'll be great!!

I don't know anything about fish ownership, as I've never owned a fish before, so sorry for any noob questions!

- I know the size of the tank is important. I think my dresser's top will be able to fit a 15 gallon aquarium (61 cm x 31cm x 31 cm) regular, or a 15 gallon high (51 cm x 25 cm x 41cm) (L x W x H). But, I'm concerned about the weight and how my dresser may not be able to support the weight. Or is it recommended to have a 15 gallon tank on its own stand?

- I would like fish that are easy to take care of, and a tank that is pretty well self-sufficient. The problem, is that I'll be away for 7 days sometimes for breaks and to visit my family (as I'm at university right now.).

- That brings up the question of food - I heard there are these dissoluble 'sticks' you put in your tank, and that feeds your fish for a week or so...depending on the amount of fish. Does anybody have any experience with these? Do they cloud up your water?

- What about a filter? What brands do you recommend? The quieter the better.

- Do I need a heater for the water? I guess that depends on the kind of fish.

- What about oxygenation? Can you buy live plants that will oxygenate the water naturally? Or do I have to invest in an aeration system?

- Lighting? How much is appropriate?

- What about the set up of the tank? Do I have to decorate it according to the species of the fish, or can I just 'generically' decorate the tank? How easy is it to set everything up?

- I read you're supposed to put water in the tank (after you decorate it, of course!) to let the filter/heater do their thing with the water for 2 days before you put the fish in. Is that true?

- The amount of fish doesn't really matter to me, I just want them to be happy and healthy. What they look like is important, though.

- Clean up? Snails or bottom-feeder fish? How many fish do you need to have to properly 'feed' a snail/bottom feeder?

- what should the pH of the water be? I suppose that's dependent on the fish species, though...

- I've heard good things about Betta fish, but I heard they attack and eat other fish (and each other). Is this true?

Any suggestions/answers/comments are welcomed - I don't want to make a mistake in this!

(The only pet I could push for was fish, my landlord wouldn't allow a reptile or bird because they can 'survive out of their enclosure')

Thanks in advanced...

[Elyse]

*bump*

[Sparks]

umm [MENTION=1]Marc[/MENTION] and [MENTION=4]Sarah[/MENTION] have a tank.... so does [MENTION=5371]Molly'n'Diesel[/MENTION], hopefully they will be able to help you out

sorry i cant help...

[Rosemary]

We have a warm water tank ? Whatever that means?

We have an automatic feeder which we used when we used to go on bike rallies (before the huskies) and it worked very well.

We had our tank made - we only need to clean it every 3-4 months as the filters, etc. do all the work.

Our tank stands on a steel frame (ugly steel frame ) I have no idea how many liters it takes.

We have a heater an an aeration system as well as live plants

We have a pre-historic monster fish that cleans the rocks, glass, etc.

Beta fish - the males fight, but you can keep females together, but not too many in a tank

We have a florescent light, it is on during the day but switched off at night

We have had the tank for 5 years and have never needed to check the PH - we have a kit, but wouldn't know how to use it

Sorry Elyse, as you can see, I am clueless about the tank

[Elyse]

Thanks Rosemary!

Thinking of getting a 'cool water' tank, as I heard they are easier to keep and manage. Not to mention, cheaper, as you won't need to buy a heater?

[Marc]

So, I'm thinking of getting an aquarium. But I have some concerns and questions, and if they can be answered that'll be great!!

I don't know anything about fish ownership, as I've never owned a fish before, so sorry for any noob questions!

- I know the size of the tank is important. I think my dresser's top will be able to fit a 15 gallon aquarium (61 cm x 31cm x 31 cm) regular, or a 15 gallon high (51 cm x 25 cm x 41cm) (L x W x H). But, I'm concerned about the weight and how my dresser may not be able to support the weight. Or is it recommended to have a 15 gallon tank on its own stand?

Thats 57 uk litres so therefore around 57kg in weight. So what you have to look at is that you have to spread 57kg over enough area for the unit to support it. You want to have the largest footprint if you want to spread the weight so go for the lower wider tank .... If your unsure of the weight its 125lb so look at someone who is around that weight and ask yourself if they could stand on your dresser without any stress to the dresser whatsoever. If they could then its safe enough.

- I would like fish that are easy to take care of, and a tank that is pretty well self-sufficient. The problem, is that I'll be away for 7 days sometimes for breaks and to visit my family (as I'm at university right now.).

7 days is fine, you can get a block that you put in your tank which will slow feed for 7 days just ensure you do a water change afterwards when you get back. You can either run a community tank (easiest and just a general collection of fish which will go together, ask at the shop) or you can get a specific type such as angels, malawi (actually a type of angel) ..... Stay well away from Discus as they will die if you look at them the wrong way

- That brings up the question of food - I heard there are these dissoluble 'sticks' you put in your tank, and that feeds your fish for a week or so...depending on the amount of fish. Does anybody have any experience with these? Do they cloud up your water?

They dont generally if you get decent ones, however would always recommend a water change after use anyways (25% with fresh cold water)

- What about a filter? What brands do you recommend? The quieter the better.

Fluval are about your best. Learn that tanks make noise and its not usually your filter, its your pump which you will need to air your tank to give it the oxygen for the fish to breath

- Do I need a heater for the water? I guess that depends on the kind of fish.

Unless you are buying goldfish then the answer to this is yes

- What about oxygenation? Can you buy live plants that will oxygenate the water naturally? Or do I have to invest in an aeration system?

You need to invest in airation system for your tank. Anything which blows bubbles through your tank and there are various different things you can buy for this.

- Lighting? How much is appropriate?

Remember your lighting is for you and you alone. Your fish come from places which are darker than your general room light is during the day. This is for asthtetics alone, the fish do not care.

- What about the set up of the tank? Do I have to decorate it according to the species of the fish, or can I just 'generically' decorate the tank? How easy is it to set everything up?

Again it is up to you as it is for your viewing pleasure only, however ensure you get things that are specifically for a tank. Especially rocks as they can contain minerals that are not compatible with your fish. The one thing you do want is to ensure there is something in there, just so they have a place to hide away.

- I read you're supposed to put water in the tank (after you decorate it, of course!) to let the filter/heater do their thing with the water for 2 days before you put the fish in. Is that true?

This is true for tropical aquarium fish. If you are going for marine fish then a lot longer (up to 3 months)

- The amount of fish doesn't really matter to me, I just want them to be happy and healthy. What they look like is important, though.

Go for malawis as a starter. Tangs are about the brightest. Ask at your local fish shop they will know what you mean if they are any good, if not go elsewhere.

- Clean up? Snails or bottom-feeder fish? How many fish do you need to have to properly 'feed' a snail/bottom feeder?

- what should the pH of the water be? I suppose that's dependent on the fish species, though...

It does depend on the fish. Decide on the fish you want first before thinking about this.

- I've heard good things about Betta fish, but I heard they attack and eat other fish (and each other). Is this true?

The males attack each other, the females are usually ok. Would only usually have 1 male in a tank if you want any of them to survive of any length of time. Personally I wouldnt recommend having these for your first fish.

[Elyse]

@Marc

Thank you so much for all the answers! Just finished reading up on cycling. Never knew it was so complicated to set up, LOL, but it should be worth it!

One question, though...

I'm planning to keep the tank in my room, will that be a problem for sleeping? I'm fine falling asleep with 'white noise' (ie: a fan or a fridge) but I don't want to be kept up at night with the tank going.

EDIT: As for the fish...well...I've been looking at getting a comet goldfish, a few Neon Tetras, and a bottom feeder/snail. Is that a good mix?

Edited September 6, 2012 by SolitaryHowl

[Chewbacca_&_me]

Awesome!! I've got a 46 gallon tank and they are the easiest pets ever lol and so pretty

[Paranormal Wolf]

I see you got your questions answered but I'll share my experiences as I've been keeping fish for as long as I can remember now. I would generally stay away from taller tanks because they don't allow as much air to get into the water since there is less surface area. I've kept tanks on all sorts of things including stands, tables, dressers and what have you. A fifteen gallon is rather small so should be fine on a dresser. I have a twenty gallon in my room now next to my bed on a stand and don't have issues sleeping with it. Its low on water right now so sounds like a fountain but once filled is little noise. Some of the easiest fish to keep are gold fish but in a small tank you could only fit like one goldfish. Beta fish are really pretty, I have a half moon beta but they can sometime be aggressive and can nip the fins of fish. Especially fish with long tails. The neon tetras are really pretty, I've not had those in a while but I did really enjoy them and would be great for a smaller tank since they don't get very big. Its not recommended to mix tropical fish with goldfish for a few reasons. Goldfish produce a lot of waste and ammonia (though a good filter helps tons) and are cold water fish where most tropical fish like warm water. Now I have successfully mixed goldfish and tropicls in the past but most sites and what not recommend against it. One thing to look into that has helped my tank are marimo balls which I got at petsmart. They are Japanese algae balls that out compete other types of algae and can help keep your tank from going green lol. Although you can't keep them with algae eating fish like plecos because they will eat your marimo lol. They have helped my tank stay free of algae.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Paranormal Wolf

[Elyse]

Okay, some stocking options...? Let me know if these fish combos won't work together:

Stock 1:

5 or 6 Neon Tetras

1 Tiger Barb

1 or 2 snails (depending on cleaning needs)

Stock 2:

1 Marigold Variatus

5 or 6 Neon Tetras

1 or 2 snails

Stock 3:

1 Velvet Wag Swordtail

5 or 6 Neon Tetras

1 or 2 snails

Stock 4:

1 Guppy (haven't thought of a species, yet)

5 or 6 Neon Tetras

1 or 2 snails

Stock 5:

Silver Lyretail Molly

3 or 4 Neon Tetras

1 Cory Catfish

Stock 6:

1 Crowntail Betta (male) and 1 or 2 female Crowntail Bettas.

1-2 snails

...see the pattern here?

If you think other fish would go good together, feel free to make up your own list!

Ideally, I'd like a small school of Neons with one 'centerpeice' fish (a fish that stands out from the others but still gets along)...as well as a couple of snails or shrimp to help clean the tank.

Remember, a 15 gallon tank. Would probably put in plants, a cave, and maybe a sunken log if it fits. Will try for live plants, as I read that helps with cleaning the tank, but if I can't find any or if they aren't compatible then fake plants are the way to go.

Oh, and the fish would have to be somewhat hardy. I might take them with me when I travel back home in 8 months.

Edited September 6, 2012 by SolitaryHowl

[Marc]

Okay, some stocking options...? Let me know if these fish combos won't work together:

Stock 1:

5 or 6 Neon Tetras

1 Tiger Barb

1 or 2 snails (depending on cleaning needs)

Stock 2:

1 Marigold Variatus

5 or 6 Neon Tetras

1 or 2 snails

Stock 3:

1 Velvet Wag Swordtail

5 or 6 Neon Tetras

1 or 2 snails

Stock 4:

1 Guppy (haven't thought of a species, yet)

5 or 6 Neon Tetras

1 or 2 snails

Stock 5:

Silver Lyretail Molly

3 or 4 Neon Tetras

1 Cory Catfish

Stock 6:

1 Crowntail Betta (male) and 1 or 2 female Crowntail Bettas.

1-2 snails

...see the pattern here?

If you think other fish would go good together, feel free to make up your own list!

Ideally, I'd like a small school of Neons with one 'centerpeice' fish (a fish that stands out from the others but still gets along)...as well as a couple of snails or shrimp to help clean the tank.

Remember, a 15 gallon tank. Would probably put in plants, a cave, and maybe a sunken log if it fits. Will try for live plants, as I read that helps with cleaning the tank, but if I can't find any or if they aren't compatible then fake plants are the way to go.

Oh, and the fish would have to be somewhat hardy. I might take them with me when I travel back home in 8 months.

Avoid the tiger barbs, they can be a pain in the arse for attacking other fish.

Avoid the Betta (siamese fighting fish they are btw) until your more experienced with fish. Neons are good, dont have them with goldfish.

The setups your looking at above are warm water not cold.

Variatus are nice, maybe look at some zebras too (no not the 4 legged type lol). Mollys are also a good mix for a community tank. Guppys will get their tails nipped at by the neons. Swordtails are also good community fish.

For the algea control try and get some catfish rather than snails. Avoid Plecs as they produce a lot of waste once they are bigger, try and stick to the smaller breeds.

Edited September 6, 2012 by Marc

[LittleLuka]

I have a male Betta but I keep him alone. I dont use a heater but I do have a filter in his tank and he does just fine.

[Elyse]

Avoid the tiger barbs, they can be a pain in the arse for attacking other fish.

Avoid the Betta (siamese fighting fish they are btw) until your more experienced with fish. Neons are good, dont have them with goldfish.

The setups your looking at above are warm water not cold.

Variatus are nice, maybe look at some zebras too (no not the 4 legged type lol). Mollys are also a good mix for a community tank. Guppys will get their tails nipped at by the neons. Swordtails are also good community fish.

For the algea control try and get some catfish rather than snails. Avoid Plecs as they produce a lot of waste once they are bigger, try and stick to the smaller breeds.

Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention I've decided with a warm water tank now. I realized it will be harder to keep the water cool than it would keep it warm ...right? Especially since I like my room nice and warm...

Okay, tiger barbs, Plecs, Guppies= No.

But why not any Bettas? What makes them harder to care for then, say, another fish?

And, yeah, I read you can't put goldfish with other species as they'll either try to eat them, or they'll get aggressive with the other fish.

I'm really hooked on those neons, though. I saw them in a pet store the other day, and they were so great!

So, the smallest breed of catfish I can get is the Cory, right? Should I have 1 or 2? I would like something that sucks on the walls of the tank as well as maybe the plants/other decorative items...and has a minimal impact on the tank. So, what's the difference between snails and catfish then?

EDIT: The zebras and the viriatus look good together...

Edited September 6, 2012 by SolitaryHowl

[Paranormal Wolf]

I do believe cory cats are the smallest catfish. They are really cute and do prefer to be kept in schools. They are bottom feeders but don't stick to the glass like a pleco. I think the only fish that stick to the glass are types of plecos but not sure on that one. With beta fish I've 0nly had issues with a few getting aggressive as kept as the only beta in the tank with no groumies and such but they are big fish so you wouldn't get them anyways for a small tank lol. I've read keeping a male beta with females is kinda bad because when the females make bubble nests for their eggs they get aggressive, this is also true for female angel fish.

[Elyse]

Emailed my Dad asking for the 'okay'. He's pushing for a 20 gallon instead of a 15 gallon. I argued, that, with the 20 gal. I'd need a stand to put it on. There isn't a lot of space in my room, so that's a problem.

Will 5 gallons really make a difference in terms of cleanliness, fish happiness and/or the amount of fish it can comfortably hold?

[Paranormal Wolf]

If possible I would opt for a larger tank, you would be surprised how much of a difference five gallons will make But if you don't have room for it a fifteen will be fine too. Also I find that the larger the tank the easier it is to keep clean. I use to keep my puffer fish in a ten gallon and oh man it got so dirty. Now that I have a twenty gallon for them it stays much cleaner and my twenty-nine gallon stays even cleaner. I hope to get a fifty-five gallon soon for my goldfish.

[Osinn11]

I haven't had tanks for years but I'll mention the fish I really enjoyed back when I did:

Clown loach

Silver tip Shark (mine were all very active and fun to watch)

Bala Shark (pretty mellow)

Black Mollies

I usually kept 10 or 20 gallon aquariums

[jmscott]

Wild Bettas can be put together, however, the domesticated version were bred for aggression.

Make sure you read up on how big the fish will get. 15g doesn't hold a lot. General rule of thumb is 1in of fish per gallon.

Neon Tetras - these guys are good but you need to make sure you dont add in the whole lot at one time.

Tiger Barb- very aggressive in groups of less than 5.

snails-these are fine for most tanks, i personally prefer otocinclus

Marigold Variatus- these are livebreeders, so ask for all males or all females or you will end up with a ton of them

Velvet Wag Swordtail - again live breeders

Guppy - livebreeders

Silver Lyretail Molly- livebreeders

Cory Catfish - these little guys do really well in groups

http://www.mypetsmart.com/care-guides

Edited September 7, 2012 by jmscott

[jmscott]

My tanks are set up a little differently now but here is what i had the last time i took pictures of it.

My residents have changed some, but usually what i have are:

2 Bolivian Rams

4 Flame Tetras

2 Rescue Kilifish

2 Otocinclus

4 Pepper Cory Cats

1 Betta

also have a 5 gal with a betta and otto.