Would These Fish Work in My 55 Gallon Show Tank?
- Thread starter The Masked Shadow
- Start date
I am also planning on getting Corydoras. I love it when you guys reply! Please keep replying! I love it ?! I will check this website tomorrow. Have a great day!
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The Masked Shadow
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The Masked Shadow
I don’t know how old you are but you seem young and eager to start keeping fish yesterday.
Take you time and slow down. Once you setup your filter you will need to add a source of ammonia to get the cycle started. The easiest Thing for you might be fish food or market shrimp.
If your getting plecos please feed them, don’t just assume they will clean your tank. They are your pets as well and deserve their own food. If you don’t feed them they will wither away to nothing and die within a month or two.
Get your test kit before you get fish. If not I recommend daily 50% water changes for the first 1.5 months, then you can switch to weekly 50%+ water changes. Without a test kit that is a pretty safe way through your cycle.
With a test kit you can test the water and determine when an actual water change needs to be conducted rather than guessing.
The biggest mistake I see newbies make is get fish and tank all setup on the first day and wait weeks Or even a month before doing a water change bc the lfs recommended they not do water changes during their cycle.
Another thing you will most likely need if you are on city water is a water conditioner, I recommend prime.
Take you time and slow down. Once you setup your filter you will need to add a source of ammonia to get the cycle started. The easiest Thing for you might be fish food or market shrimp.
If your getting plecos please feed them, don’t just assume they will clean your tank. They are your pets as well and deserve their own food. If you don’t feed them they will wither away to nothing and die within a month or two.
Get your test kit before you get fish. If not I recommend daily 50% water changes for the first 1.5 months, then you can switch to weekly 50%+ water changes. Without a test kit that is a pretty safe way through your cycle.
With a test kit you can test the water and determine when an actual water change needs to be conducted rather than guessing.
The biggest mistake I see newbies make is get fish and tank all setup on the first day and wait weeks Or even a month before doing a water change bc the lfs recommended they not do water changes during their cycle.
Another thing you will most likely need if you are on city water is a water conditioner, I recommend prime.
I am getting water conditioner at my local PetSmart. Getting Test kit August 7th. Will get fish on August 16th or 17th (if you guys think that is okay).
Niki_up
, I have 7 pets, and none of them have withered away and died. Daily water changes for a few months are fine too. I know the complications of keeping fish, and am eager to have them. I will barely have enough money for fish! Lol ?. I am still wondering if Dojo Loaches will be ok. Have a great day/night (idk)
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The Masked Shadow
Niki_up
, I have 7 pets, and none of them have withered away and died. Daily water changes for a few months are fine too. I know the complications of keeping fish, and am eager to have them. I will barely have enough money for fish! Lol ?. I am still wondering if Dojo Loaches will be ok. Have a great day/night (idk)-
The Masked Shadow
1. how do I set the correct temperature with the heater?
When setting up for the first time, sit the heater in the water for 15 minutes.....plug it in....most temp for tropical fish is 78-82 degrees.....
2. What and why do I need gh (growth hormones) in my tank, (again, Asking how to set up
)))))
You do not need growth hormones....
3. I am starting with plastic plants, and may be switching over to live plants. What live plants are easy, and good-looking for the fish types I’ve listed in question 5?
Hornwort.....anubis......giant Amazon female plant.....
4. I have a hang-on-the-back filter, and a Whisper 40 Aquarium Air Pump. It spurts air in the tank to make it oxygenated. I ordered a Biochemical Sponge Filter to go on the end of it. Will that work?
Get an an aqua clear hob.....an internal filter too....
6. I have a 17 gallon tank I got for free, and I want something simple (like Ramshorn snails *hint*) that will feed the Dojo Loaches and eventually the Gourami’s. Any suggestions?
You can......but, try breeding convict cichlid in it....you can spawn 3 batches in a month.....
7. I have Play Sand as my substrate. How much of it should I use (in inches)?
1 inch.....too much substrate will collect bio yucky Ness over time.....
8. I am getting fish on August 16th, should I start cycling in a few days?
Yes....
9. Would a steady 74 or 75 degree temperature work with these fish?
78 degrees, nothing lower....
The Masked Shadow
[/QUOTE]
When setting up for the first time, sit the heater in the water for 15 minutes.....plug it in....most temp for tropical fish is 78-82 degrees.....
2. What and why do I need gh (growth hormones) in my tank, (again, Asking how to set up
)))))You do not need growth hormones....
3. I am starting with plastic plants, and may be switching over to live plants. What live plants are easy, and good-looking for the fish types I’ve listed in question 5?
Hornwort.....anubis......giant Amazon female plant.....
4. I have a hang-on-the-back filter, and a Whisper 40 Aquarium Air Pump. It spurts air in the tank to make it oxygenated. I ordered a Biochemical Sponge Filter to go on the end of it. Will that work?
Get an an aqua clear hob.....an internal filter too....
6. I have a 17 gallon tank I got for free, and I want something simple (like Ramshorn snails *hint*) that will feed the Dojo Loaches and eventually the Gourami’s. Any suggestions?
You can......but, try breeding convict cichlid in it....you can spawn 3 batches in a month.....
7. I have Play Sand as my substrate. How much of it should I use (in inches)?
1 inch.....too much substrate will collect bio yucky Ness over time.....
8. I am getting fish on August 16th, should I start cycling in a few days?
Yes....
9. Would a steady 74 or 75 degree temperature work with these fish?
78 degrees, nothing lower....
The Masked Shadow
[/QUOTE]
importracer
, Thanks for answering all my questions! The reason I would want it at a steady 74 or 75 is because of the Dojo Loaches. The Dojo Loaches can’t have a temperature over 76. Still wondering if Dojo Loaches, Corydoras, Platy’s, Neon or Cardinal Tetras, Dwarf Gourami, Powder Blue Gourami’s, and Pearl Gourami’s would work all together in my tank. Thanks for answering all my questions, but my API Master Test Kit won’t get here till August 7th. Does that mean I should start to cycle now, or when it gets here. I will check Pet Stores near me, and if I find one, I will buy it right away. Thanks everyone, and I don’t think I can afford more filters. I won’t have any money to buy fish!!-
The Masked Shadow
Nothing wrong with having temperature below 78 for these fish. I don't usually use heaters in my freshwater tanks, temp is usually more like 72. The fish you listed should be fine.
Have you watched the video on cycling, and do you understand how the cycle works? I doubt your tank will be ready by the 16th or 17th, since that is in just over 2 weeks, if you are starting a band new cycle. Usually takes more like 4-6 weeks. How do you plan on cycling, ammonia dosing? Need to do some real reading on that and figure out which way you want to go- cycling from scratch, adding bio-media from another tank, or using bacterial products to kick-start it. Personally I always use established media from another tank and am able to add a few fish right away.
Have you watched the video on cycling, and do you understand how the cycle works? I doubt your tank will be ready by the 16th or 17th, since that is in just over 2 weeks, if you are starting a band new cycle. Usually takes more like 4-6 weeks. How do you plan on cycling, ammonia dosing? Need to do some real reading on that and figure out which way you want to go- cycling from scratch, adding bio-media from another tank, or using bacterial products to kick-start it. Personally I always use established media from another tank and am able to add a few fish right away.
I think I’ll add Bacterial starter-kits, since I don’t have any other aquariums. So maybe get fish on the first day of September? I don’t know. Can I start
