The Aquarium Thread

[gothicform]

i think the tank is good. i love fluval stuff. it's a big tank. you could literally have 100 tetras in it. that's what i would start off stocking it with - a dozen neons - and go from there.

i get my aquarium stuff from, so compare the price, they have a great range of aquariums too -
http://www.seapets.co.uk/

they sell tropica plants -
http://www.tropica.com/en/plants.aspx

[SO143]

Originally Posted by Tubeman

Nothing too fancy, just a variety of common freshwater tropicals

A few tetras, danios, couple of angelfish... I used to have some Silver Dollars when I kept fish before which I really liked

get some african cichlids tubeman, they are really pretty and i like discus fish as well



silver dollars are nice but they are aggressive and they bite other different kinds of fish, i had a few of them before..

[Tubeman]

Thanks for the tips.

Silver dollars and real plants don't mix too well, I remember they nibbled all my plants to oblivion before

[gothicform]

get fast growing plants tropica has loads. my fish eat plants too, they nibble the leaves away but the plants actually grow faster than they can eat them to start with so i have to prune the plants too.

one piece of advice i can give you is to get a say a dozen pygmy corydoras. they school on the bottom of the tank, eat all uneaten fish food so your nitrate levels stay low and you have less algae.

[Tubeman]

Re: cichlids, yes they look great... you nearly get the same vibrant colours of marine fish but in freshwater. I'll probably do some window shopping in the aquarists and see what I like the look of

[PresidentBjork]

How'd you guys keep your aquariums looking so pristine? Mine always seemed to turn into a brown algae reserve within a few weeks

[gothicform]

Originally Posted by PresidentBjork

How'd you guys keep your aquariums looking so pristine? Mine always seemed to turn into a brown algae reserve within a few weeks

1) activated carbon in the filters
2) lots of live plants that can out compete the algae
3) fish that will eat the food off the bottom of the tank removing nitrates that algae feed on
4) underwater gravel cleaner to hoover up any shit that ends up on the tank
5) lots of friendly bacteria to break fish waste down further
6) regular water changes
7) slightly brackish water
8) many plants are on logs and rocks. remove them and douse them in algae killer, wash, and put back in
9) algae magnet to keep the sides of the tank clean

that's it !

[Tubeman]

...and a Pleco!

[Tubeman]

The deed is done

I pushed the boat out and went for this 260 litre bow-fronted set because it was 14cm deeper than the other one I posted... about £200 more but fuck it...

[gothicform]

deeply jealous of that tank tubey, it's damn lovely.

[SO143]

yes that's a very wonderful aquarium, but the price?

[Tubeman]

I am excite

[Tubeman]

Originally Posted by SO143

yes that's a very wonderful aquarium, but the price?

The bow front adds a lot to the price, but that is the whole shebang, and it's the perfect size for the space, plus the cabinet looks class

[PresidentBjork]

Originally Posted by gothicform

1) activated carbon in the filters
2) lots of live plants that can out compete the algae
3) fish that will eat the food off the bottom of the tank removing nitrates that algae feed on
4) underwater gravel cleaner to hoover up any shit that ends up on the tank
5) lots of friendly bacteria to break fish waste down further
6) regular water changes
7) slightly brackish water
8) many plants are on logs and rocks. remove them and douse them in algae killer, wash, and put back in
9) algae magnet to keep the sides of the tank clean

that's it !

Did all of that to no avail My area's water is very hard and algae just seem to blossom no matter what. When I put the fish outside last summer in a bathtub elevated pond the water turned so green I couldn't see them! Although when I did occasionally bring them out all the little things they had been eating made their colours really vivid!

[PresidentBjork]

I love those kind of tanks Tubular Bells. I wonder how much money the people on this thread have collectively pumped into the Fluval company?

[ferge]

These are all the live plants that I ordered last week ..

It is going to be a mammoth task resorting the tank when they arrive. Think I will have to start with it tomorrow, move the stones and wood into place, organise the existing plants into new positions and try and plan ahead for where new plants can go. It is shameful how excited I am to be playing with little plants in water

[Tubeman]

Where's good to order rocks and logs from?

Can't see anything on seapets or aquariumsdelivered (just the gravel)

[ferge]

I ordered mine from www.aquaessentials.co.uk , although they seem to be a little understocked at the moment.

I spent about 6 hours on my tank today, (and that is just the start of it) 50% water change, plastic plants and ornaments out and new wood in. Just waiting on the new plants to come so I can get it finished, not the best use of my day given I should be working from home.. but needs must

[Tubeman]

Ah thanks, that's spot on

In terms of big pebbles, I seem to recall it's not a good idea to just go down to Brighton beach and pinch a few as any old rock can alter the water chemistry... is that correct?

Should I only be going for 'approved' rocks?

[ferge]

I think it would always be safer to buy then find, saying that when I was younger and had my pet axolotls, we filled their tank with pebbles from a Welsh beach and they came to no harm. Back then though I also used to clean all my tank's media sponges in tap water, not knowing that tap water kills the friendly bacteria your tank needs to remove ammonia and nitrite from the water. I think (probably unfortunately in most cases) fish keeping is a trial and error hobby, in which you learn from your mistakes.

I've read on some other forums of people using kid's play sand and even some brands of cat litter for a gravel alternative, with good results... Can't say I'd ever try it, mind.