Planning my First Tank

Hi,

I'm in the process of buying a tank, heater and pump.

Tank 60*30*40

I am going to buy black gravel and a black background. I am thinking of a live plant tank or fake colourful coral.
The tank must be a tank which has a flow to it as in i want to see the fish clearly. I'm thinking of very colourful fish.

Please give me advice on equipment, fish and type of tank.

 

Hello again MJB!

Well, you need a filter, heater, thermometer and a light to see your fish

You might need a canopy/hood for your fish, especially if you have fish that like to jump out. Or a curious cat. Canopies go for about R80

Obviously, you also need fish food. You will need a water dechlorinator, for making tap water safe for your fish and beneficial bacteria. I would suggest Seachem Prime or Scape Dechlorination.

For colorful fish, you can take a look at the following:
* coloured danios http://glofishtankdiy.altervista.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Origins.png
* Glowlight tetra
* Lemon tetra
* Neon/cardinal tetra
* Guppies (very good beginner fish), or other live bearers. I just prefer guppies
* Gourami
* Paradise fish
* Betta (Siamese fighting fish). Just note that some of them don't like being with other fish
* Rosy barb
* Cherry barb
* Blue/Golden rams (just read up very well first)

There are many others, I just listed some I could think of now.


Furthermore, I would highly suggest that when you first fill your tank, that you don't add the fish immediately, but rather after approx 4 weeks or so. Google tank cycling, then you'll know what I mean

 

Thank you so i just need a light, bacteria and water conditioner. I am already informed about the water.

 

So happy these artificial colored fish aren't available overhere (dyed nor genetic changed).
Mother nature made some beautiful colored fish on her own.

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I agree with you there @DoubleDutch
Those GM fish are not for me. But hey, some people like them, so I added them to the list


@MJB, since you're on a budget, you can skip the bacteria. It's not strictly needed, it just helps to cycle your tank faster

Any ideas of fish?

Feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help and give input where possible

And don't feel deterred by MASA, I promise you all of them wanted to help

 

All you can do is throw small pieces of fish food in the tank every other day. But rather try and safe for the seachem stability its the most important.

The Tranquility Effect

 

i want to do the right stuff for my fish so im going to do the bacteria, for the nitrogen cycle. Im just still wondering about the tank.

 

Glad to hear that. Bud if you can stretch your wallet rather go for a 3 footer not that much more. If you can and you going with a 3 foot then get yourself 250ml Seachem matrix as your biomedia thats enough for 100 liters. Rather ask for input before buying filters and heaters. Rather safe then sorry.

The Tranquility Effect

 

My 2c worth....buy the biggest tank you can afford, buy the biggest canister filter you can afford, everything after that becomes easy....

 

Forsure if you cannot afford a canister filter buy a decent internal filter.

The Tranquility Effect

 

https://www.olx.co.za/ad/brand-new-fish-tank-filter-and-heater-IDT7fuR.html#fbf6743dee

this is the tank I'm going for

 

What do you guys think of the tank

 

SHOULD I GET FISH AND MAYBE 1 OR 2 SHRIMPS OR IS THAT A BAD IDEA

 

Nice tank. Bad idea fish go through lots of stress in a new tank where paramaters are not ideal. Patience. I was able to get fish after about two weeks. As I mentioned get seachem stability and a small tub of fish food. The fish food is food for bacteria so all you do is add like one flake every other day broken into small bits. Test your nitrates, nitrites and ammonia as soon as you have a near 0 read with nitrites and ammonia then you can start with a few fish like 3 per weekend.

The Tranquility Effect

 

GUYS PLEASE TELL ME HOW THIS STUFF IS, I TRUST YOUR OPINION.
http://www.takealot.com/lifetech-2010-aquarium-heater-200w/PLID42174493
https://www.amazon.com/Microbe-Lift...000YQ2K9O/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
https://www.google.co.za/url?sa=i&r...TZ3oDZslGDOyXVjoz0YxVNBQ&ust=1475490209265152
tHE PUMP IS A h500 WHICH ISNT ON THE INTERNET SO I SHOWED YOU H200

 

Go to your local petshop and buy seachem stability bud

The Tranquility Effect

 

You will end up paying more when ordering online, than if you visited a physical LFS.
Depending on where in Centurion you are based, there are quite a few pet shops that can sell you the products you are looking at, at the same or lower prices than advertised online.

You can start your tank up, and add a few fish after 24 hours, if you use something like Seachem Stability, Microbe-Lift or similar.
Shop around, as prices vary enormously from shop to shop.

A 60cm / 2ft tank is relatively small, and the HOB filter you are looking at will be sufficient.
You want to try and get about 4 times the tank capacity circulated per hour. More is even better.

Shrimp want stable established water conditions. I would suggest you wait 4-8 weeks before adding shrimp, if you want to go that route.
Also check the compatibility of shrimp and the fish you decide to keep.
You may end up feeding your fish an expensive snack.

 

Its a good starter setup for 600 you can get 250ml seachem matrix, put the sponge if the filter does come with one at the bottom of filter then put matrix on top of it and then cover it with filter floss. My 2 cents wait a few days before adding fish.

The Tranquility Effect