Very new... To fishkeeping

Hi.


Keeping fish again after 18 years, last was when I was kid in a school. Wife bought a 2 foot for the son and now I'm hooked .

I had to learn fast. The nitrogen cycle almost got me. Was a tough 4 weeks, 4 deaths . I think I got too much fish but it does not look over crowded.

So hoping to learn alot here before I upgrade. To a new tank.

Thanks guys.

 

Hi, and welcome to TASA, as well as getting back into fish keeping.
What fish do you have in your 2ft tank?
Any pics?

 

Thanks.

I got 8 neons. 4 Tiger Barbs. 5 Serpae tets. A Gourami. 1 Angel. The fish are doing good. Colours are popping and are very active. But I need a bigger tank already.

I wanted to know. I ordered a aquaclear 30. What's the process of installing. Should I remove the corner filter first and then install or leave it for a couple days then remove it.

I'll do some pics as soon as I put in the new gravel. This tank was basically a kit for my son. From a pet shop and everything glowed in the dark lmao. I'm slowly making it more natural looking.

 

Whats inside of the corner filter now? Charcoal and filter floss I assume? Install the Aquaclear but take the filter floss out of the corner filter and put in the Aquaclear. Reason being is your beneficial bacteria lives in your filter ( as well as on your substrate, decor,etc). Some may suggest leaving the corner filter as is and install the Aquaclear, giving time for bacteria to establish in the new filter before removing the old one. I suggest getting some Seachem Matrix and putting that in your Aquaclear as well.

 

Thats a large bioload for such a small tank. I would suggest you return, rehome or invest in a bigger tank asap. Tiger barbs and Serpae Tetras are nortorious fin nippers and can harass your angel and gourami to death. If you plan on keeping all the fish....you can get some Seachem Stability to help the biological filter catch up. Just dose the recommended amount. I would also consider more frequent water changes as well with so many fish in a 2ft tank. Dont mean to be a downer, just trying to help

 

Hi and welcome to TASA

I agree that its way too many fish for such a small tank
If you getting a new tank very soon, then go for it but if its still going to take a while then i also suggest maybe you take some fish back
As has been said, the barbs, and this applies to most species, are notorious fin nippers and are best kept in a species only tank so think about what you going to do when you upgrade and either go barbs only or replace the barbs with something more in line with the gourmands and angels
As for the filters, it doesnt really make a big difference whether ou leave the existing one on for a while or you transfer the media from the existing one to the new one just dont let the media dry out while you do it and dont rinse it in tap water

 

No not down about the advice. I'm here to learn and I read most of this already regarding the species, but after I got them. I will be returning the gourami. But the Tigers and Serpae reallyndnt do much chasing in the tank. They mostly chase each other and it's not aggressive. They are really fun to watch.

I've been using Seachem Stability from the moment I learnt about the nitrogen cycle. It made a huge difference. So today is the start of the 5th week I have the tank. All is looking good.

Until I purchase a new tank. I'm hoping the aquaclear will help with the bio load. So I'll just take some of the floss from the corner filter and use it in the HOB.

The fish I have are very small. Visually they dnt look over crowded and swim around quite freely. I will be removing the Gourami. How badly stocked am I. I just learner too late about stock levels and things. The pet shop just gives u what I want with no advice. U learn the hard way that they are in just for business.

 

To figure out overstocked you are, use the Aquadvisor app.
Although not set in stone, it gives a good indication of what your stocking levels should be.

http://www.aqadvisor.com/

 

Hello and Welcome. I am sure you will find all the advice / info you could ever want and more on this forum

 

According to this I'm stocked at 130%. Will my filtration cope until I get a new the tank.

 

Frequent water changes and Seachem Prime are your best bet at this point

 

Depends on how long before you get the new tank and how much growth the fish put on,
As @Amakawa said, frequent water changes and dont over feed
Feed small amounts at a time so you dont have too much uneaten food laying around

 

Thanks Guys. I feed very little. Food is gone in no time. And the water is not murky.

 

Hi.. so I'm getting my hands on a 3 foot. It's the biggest I can go...that's all the space the wife has afforded me.

So I want to do two things to it. I want to paint the back black and I want to frame it with narrow wooden strips. To cover the foam . Give it a nice windowed look. I need to know what paint I can use. Or can I use any paint as long as I give it enough time to dry.

One more thing...I want to build a low level roof. I want to stick some acrylic squares. In the corners of the tank and Middle and rest an acrylic sheet on top. What glue silicon can I use. And how long will it take to dry.

So in a nutshell I want to give a cheap tank...the look of those expensive black framed tanks. I hope u guys understand me

 

@BradK , for the outside you can use any paint that sticks to glass
I used the spray on one that comes in the tins.
First coat doesnt looks so good but after the second coat it looked fine

Personally... think twice about black... it can be a bit overpowering and make it look very dark. Think about a fairly dark blue.
Its still dark but somehow has a different and not so gloomy effect.

You can use Marine silicone
I am always over cautious with the drying period but that is not going to support loads of weight or pressure so I would say two days
I also like to just let the smell go away before adding water

 

Thanks , can u point me to some examples of the dark blue u mentioned.

 

@BradK,

I tried uploading a picture for you but we had a storm earlier and i think my onternet is playing up.. not letting me upload but have a look at my tank in the link below, that's dark blue

https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/2-6m-x-1m-x-700-flash-and-polkadots-new-home.29775/page-

 

Getting error message when I click on link @MariaS

 

https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/2-6m-x-1m-x-700-flash-and-polkadots-new-home.29775/

 

Think its working now...