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First Aquarium, Suggestions/thoughts

17K views 126 replies 13 participants last post by  neo83 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello Everyone

I have finally managed to get myself an aquarium. It's a Fluval Roma 125 which is a 125 litre tank. I have setup the tank with the decor and just started the fishless cycle. Aquarium decor Freshwater aquarium Aquarium Aquarium lighting Aquatic plant
.

Apart from the decor, I have two live plants, one is Java Fern and the other Java Moss. I also put in a Interpet Airvolution AV3 air pump connected to two air stones and is very quiet, thankfully. I have got the ammonia level currently upto 2ppm. I'm thinking of using Tetra SafeStart and use Homebase Household ammonia as its source rather than fish. Fingers crossed as to how it will go :).

Before I put in the ammonia, these are the water readings (tested with API liquid master kit):

NH3: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 40-80 (troubling me, what should i do?)
pH: 7.6

After i added NH3, the readings are as follows:

NH3: 2ppm
NO2: 0
NO3: 40-80
ph: 7.6

Temperature: 27 Celsius

It's just been a day or two since i added NH3, but will add TSS today and leave it for 5-7 days before i test again. Hopefully, according to what i read 2ppm ammonia will not kill the TSS bacteria. Any suggestions always welcome.

Stocking:

I want to stock gouramis or angel fish, Guppies, Platys, Mollies, Neons (not if i have angel fish) and any algae eaters (red cherry shrimp any good?). I have read a lot about stocking size requirements, considering the adult size of the fish as a requirement and the like. I would appreciate your thoughts on the number of each species i mentioned i can have for my tank (125l - 33 US gallons). Please be considerate as i'm a newbie and i'm not planning to overstock my tank. Please also advice fish stocking on the basis of different areas of the tank

Thanks
 
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#86 ·
best solution for you, go buy two timers for an outlet. Plug your lights into one so every day it comes on and off at the exact same time. The other one plug your airstones into. but offset it, two hours after lights go off kick on airstones, two hours before lights kick on turn them off. Leave lights on for like 8 hours or so, the normal lighting your room gets should act as dust/dawn effect.

That's how my tanks are setup. Except now I'm installing a dust/dawn lighting unit, turning the natural light off completely in the room (covering window).
 
#88 ·
best solution for you, go buy two timers for an outlet. Plug your lights into one so every day it comes on and off at the exact same time. The other one plug your airstones into. but offset it, two hours after lights go off kick on airstones, two hours before lights kick on turn them off. Leave lights on for like 8 hours or so, the normal lighting your room gets should act as dust/dawn effect.
Thanks Aaron, got the timers already and set them up yesterday

There's so many different issues on-going in this thread it's hard to keep them in focus--at least for this old dude.:roll:
Sorry! :)

On the sponge filter for the QT, I would simply place the sponge filter in the main tank and run it for a few days then disconnect it and leave it there. Bacteria will colonize the outer surfaces (running it a few days encourages this more quickly) as they do every surface under water. Then when you move it to the QT and start it, the bacteria are on it to consume ammonia.
Great thanks. i will hopefully arrange something soon

Photosynthesis occurs in "daylight" which means when the plants are receiving sufficient light be it overhead tank lights or natural light (like in front of a window, normal diffused light in a room is not normally sufficient light). Sufficient light means adequate in intensity and duration; increasing one to compensate for too little in the other does not do it, there must be that balance.
thanks for clarifying that

In the video I spotted the "clamped fins" on the platy. I'm not expert on diseases, but I concur with other's advice to monitor and maintain good water quality.
Thanks byron and to everyone who suggested to maintain the water quality. The red platy's high fin seem to be standing up a bit now and no longer staying clamped always, it seems to be moving a bit now. Definitely a bit of improvement and hopefully be its best soon.

On the cichlids, I would not add another cichlid of any species with a Bolivian male in a 33g tank.
:evil: :cry: :-( :roll:
 
#87 ·
There's so many different issues on-going in this thread it's hard to keep them in focus--at least for this old dude.:roll:

On the main filter flow issue: fish that naturally occur in slow moving streams and flooded forest should not be subjected to fast water flow from filters. They have to work harder and that wears them out (just like you having to ride a bicycle up a hill as opposed to level ground), plus it is stressful. Fish that need stronger currents are built for that, but this does not include the fish you have in your tank. So the least flow through the tank the better. We can't assume that fish "like" currents just because they often swim in them in our tanks; they may have little choice, plus they also expect food to be coming by in the current so there is an incentive for them to get in it. But this is still not natural or healthy.

On the sponge filter for the QT, I would simply place the sponge filter in the main tank and run it for a few days then disconnect it and leave it there. Bacteria will colonize the outer surfaces (running it a few days encourages this more quickly) as they do every surface under water. Then when you move it to the QT and start it, the bacteria are on it to consume ammonia.

Light. I agree with Aaron's suggestions. Fish do not need light and would be quite happy without it. But plants need it, so on an aquarium with plants the light must be sufficient for the plants without overwhelming the fish. And a timer is good because the fish and plants are used to a regular period of light and dark in nature--basically 10 hours of light, 10 hours of total darkness, and 4 hours dawn/dusk in between. You can adjust the "light" period either way, but I would not go below 10 hours of tank light unless there is real need (i.e., algae issues) to reduce it. Provided the nutrients are in balance, the plants will be fine. And "dark" means complete darkness, no room lights. And ensure there is light in the room when the tank light comes on and goes out, this will avoid startling the fish. Daylight or a room lamp will do, on 20-30 minutes prior and 20-30 minutes after.

Photosynthesis occurs in "daylight" which means when the plants are receiving sufficient light be it overhead tank lights or natural light (like in front of a window, normal diffused light in a room is not normally sufficient light). Sufficient light means adequate in intensity and duration; increasing one to compensate for too little in the other does not do it, there must be that balance.

In the video I spotted the "clamped fins" on the platy. I'm not expert on diseases, but I concur with other's advice to monitor and maintain good water quality.

On the cichlids, I would not add another cichlid of any species with a Bolivian male in a 33g tank.
 
#89 · (Edited)
Hello everyone

The other day i got bored and tried my best to snap some pictures of the fish. Most of them are a bit blurry as the fish are fast moving buggers as you know :), but there are some decent one's. Here is the link Picasa Web Albums - Praveen - Fish

BTW, which would you consider as the better shoaling species between 6-10 of harlequin rasboras and flame tetras?

Thanks
 
#90 ·
Hello everyone

The other day i got bored and tried my best to snap some pictures of the fish. Most of them are a bit blurry as the fish are fast moving buggers as you know :), but there are some decent one's. Here is the link Picasa Web Albums - Praveen - Fish

BTW, which would you consider as the better shoaling species between 6-10 of harlequin rasboras and flame tetras?

Thanks
I still think that is a male Bolivian Ram; and you have some lovely sword plants.

If you want a fish that will remain together in a group, nothing beats rasbora. All 3 species in the genus Trigonostigma will remain in a group almost consistently. I have T. espei and T. hengeli now, and have had H. heteromorpha (the Harlequin) previously, and they shoal together well. Some of the other rasbora species also do so it seems to be inherent in the group.

Among the characins, the species of Rummynose are probably the best for shoaling. Hemmigrammus bleheri and Petitella georgiae certainly do; I've not come across H. rhodostomus so can't say. Cardinal tetra tend to remain relatively close, though they swim much less, preferring to remain within plants in dimmer light.

Byron.
 
#91 ·
Very nice fish and plants. I also want to place my vote for harlequin rasbora I have them in my 55 and they are always together and I think there color would complement the bolivians very well.
 
#95 ·
Thanks byron, i'll remove any brown dying leaves next time i do the water change.

I got the 12 harlequins. They got some nice red on them and look great when they are shoaling, although my guppies are nutters and they always try to break the shoal by swimming right through it. :evil: I just hate them. I don't know, may be so much of in breeding has caused it on guppies, but they are the fish i have seen least character in :(.

i'll try and post a video of the harlequins soon :)
 
#96 ·
Right guys, youtube is playing up for some reason, so a delay in adding the video.

In the mean time, i got a question regarding air stone. When the air stone is on and when the bubbles pop up at the surface, they normally spray/burst upwards and i'm a bit concerned about the spray going onto the lights. Is that an issue or is that safe enough? It really freaks me out and really puts me off from switching the air pump on.

Thanks
 
#99 ·
I'm no expert - someone more knowledgeable will hopefully come along.

I would expect any light sold for aquarium use to be adequately insulated against water getting in. My current tank which came with the light has a plastic cover (like a sheet of plastic) over the light housing. I think the 35-litre I used to have just had the compact globe in there, without the plastic sheet. There does seem to be a usual amount of condensation on the lid and I'd expect the light to be able to deal with a bit of moisture. I don't think there's anything to worry about, but wait for someone better to reassure you.

Does your air-pump have a selector to choose a lower pump speed? If so, maybe you could select the lower speed until you get some reassurance? Or get another air-stone that diffuses the bubbles more so that it doesn't splash up?
 
#100 ·
tanker;511465. Does your air-pump have a selector to choose a lower pump speed? If so said:
Sorry, the air pump doesnt have a speed selector unfortunately, although it has two outputs. Will have to think about the air stone as not sure how much that will help, but again i know nothing about the various types either :). Thanks for your help
 
#101 ·
You can get different sized airstones. If you get a bigger airstone, the air from your pump should be more diffuse. The one I've got in my big tank is a long one that creates a little bubble "wall". You can get the long ones in different lengths, like this Amazon.com: Elite 12in. Long Air Stone - Elite A974: Kitchen & Dining: Reviews, Prices & more. If you had a long airstone, the air would be coming out over the whole length of the airstone and not just in a little clump like it does if you've got the ordinary sort of airstone.

I'm not sure if this is the way to go, it's just a suggestion.
 
#102 ·
There should always be glass between the water surface and any light tube/bulb. The danger is that water splashing up onto a hot tube could cause it to explode. And fish do jump, and hitting the tube may have the same effect but in any case the fish would probably die. The housing of the fixture itself may have protective this or that, depending. Most fixtures I have seen say a glass cover must be under the light. If the fixture is suspended high enough above the water, this becomes perhaps unnecessary. But there is still the issue of water evaporation. A lot of water evaporates from a tropical-temperature aquarium, and this water condenses on the glass cover and thus remains within the tank, or without a cover it dissipates into the room and into the walls and ceiling much like vapor in a bathroom without ventilation. Plus dust and stuff can get into the tank, and this is best kept out. Unless you have a tank that requires an open top due to the type, as with plants that extend above the surface or terrestrial plants that have roots in the tank, etc., I would cover the tank. You can get plain glass covers for standard size tanks, and the front panes slide back for feeding quite easily.

On the issue of the airstone, I've forgotten why you think this is necessary. ??

Byron.
 
#104 ·
Sorry to but in but my tank hasnt got a casing around teh bulb or ND Y GLASS BETWEEN WATER AND LIGHT? IS THIS A PROBLEM?
 
#105 ·
In my view, the actual light tube/bulb should have a pane of glass between it and the water surface. Hoods that are made for tanks usually have a piece of plain glass under the light. If you buy a light fixture to place across the tank with tubes/bulbs in it, there should be a glass cover over the tank; most manufacturers will say this oin the instructions. Either way, water will not splash or condense on the light tube/bulb but on the glass, and fish will not jump onto the tube/bulb.

In open-top tanks specifically intended as such, for instance a plaudarium or vivarium or with plants growing into the air, the light can be suspended above so the tube/bulb will not likely be affected with water.

Byron.
 
#107 ·
Sorry guys havent checked my post in a couple of days and have got so many replies. Thanks everyone.

Tanker - I have got a 6" airstone at the moment, like the amazon link you posted.

Byron, you are making me nervous now :(. The lid came with the tank and fits into place. The electrical part of the lighting unit is ofcourse built into the hood and covered, but it's the tubes which are not covered by anything except for a plastic casing at the terminals. So any water which evaporates or sprinkles because of the air stone will go direct to the tubes :(, although i have kept the bubbles to as low as i can.

The only reason i got the airstone is, since i have a bit of plants, i'm using the spray output mode on my filter Fluval U3, which is apparently suited for plants. So i'm hoping a bit of bubbles from the air stone would cause some surface agitation in turn maintaining the necessary oxygen levels.

In terms of the glass pane, i'm not sure even if i get one, it'll be able to slide in properly between the hood and the tank top edge :(. Anyone else have the fluval roma tanks with this issue?

Byron, on another note, my plant leaves have brown spots all over them? :-( help please!!!

Thanks
 
#109 ·
The lid came with the tank and fits into place.
I'd contact the manufacturer and ask them about the safety of the hood arrangement. As I said before, you'd expect them to have a safe arrangement in prefabricated tanks as they are sold to be used the way they are designed. They have an obligation to sell a safe product.

In terms of the glass pane, i'm not sure even if i get one, it'll be able to slide in properly between the hood and the tank top edge
If your tank is anything like my prefab tank, I don't think so. My tank with the glass covers has a ledge around the top of the tank which supports the glass lid. My other tank with the plastic hood has no support for a glass top.

Another idea - how high is your water level? Maybe you could drop it a bit, if it's quite high.
 
#110 ·
Byron, on another note, my plant leaves have brown spots all over them? :sad: help please!!!
I need more info. What plant species to start with; and a photo of the entire plant would help.

Also, i'm planning to get an external filter, currently looking at either a fluval 305 or 405. Do you think 405 will be too much for a 125 litre?
Unless you have need for more water flow due to the type of fish in the tank requiring more currents (some do, many do not), I recommend keeping the flow minimal in planted tanks. Plants and fish benefit. When selecting canister filters, I always buy the one rated for the size of tank. Then I use the spray bar to reduce the force, and I attach it across the end wall and aim it into the glass to further lessen the force directly into the tank. The filter intake at the opposite end of the tank creates a nice flow down the length of the tank which is usually adequate.

In the case of Fluval, the 205 is rated for up to 200 litres/40 US gallons. This would be the canister for your 125 L/33g. My 33g tank has a sponge filter which is adequate for the SE Asian Pond setup with very small still water fish. The Fluval 205 would allow more water movement, and again depending upon the fish you intend to have in the tank it should suffice.

Byron.
 
#112 ·
Thanks Byron for the advice. Here are some pictures of the leaves. I have amazon swords which are shown in the pictures below:

Picasa Web Albums - Praveen - Plant Brown S...

Also there is one picture of the Java Moss which has some whitish stuff on it. I may not be explaining it better, but i hope you can see there is something on the java moss. Is that any kind of algae?

I would appreciate if you could take a look at the leaves and kindly advice me. I'm currently dosing Seachem Flourish once a week, the day after the water change, as you advised. Shall I increase the dosing to b-weekly?

Also, appreciate the advice on the canister filter.

Thanks very much
 
#113 ·
Thanks Byron for the advice. Here are some pictures of the leaves. I have amazon swords which are shown in the pictures below:

Picasa Web Albums - Praveen - Plant Brown S...

Also there is one picture of the Java Moss which has some whitish stuff on it. I may not be explaining it better, but i hope you can see there is something on the java moss. Is that any kind of algae?

I would appreciate if you could take a look at the leaves and kindly advice me. I'm currently dosing Seachem Flourish once a week, the day after the water change, as you advised. Shall I increase the dosing to b-weekly?

Also, appreciate the advice on the canister filter.

Thanks very much
I'm going to have to ask for more details. Some of the swords appear fine, a couple do not, but it may be old leaves. The JM has a problem, I thought it was poor growth (the bit at the front particularly) but it may be algae, there looks to be some brush algae, but I may not be seeing it clearly.

Can you provide info on light (type, how much, length of light period daily); water parameters (hardness, pH and temp); tank size. I got the bit about Flourish Comprehensive once weekly. Are any other products going in the tank aside from this and water conditioner? And how often and how much water changes?
 
#115 ·
You're absolutely correct, I don't remember:roll: and for the reason you mention.

I can suggest a couple of things. First, the light may be unbalanced with nutrients, i.e., too much light. A second Flourish Comprehensive dose weekly shuld help with this. But there is then the carbon (CO2). Each aquarium is different so this may be OK, but the light period may need to be reduced a bit, say to 9 hours. But I would do the twice weekly Flourish for a couple weeks first and assess the results before tampering with the light.

I can't say if the light is T5 or T8, but I would suspect the latter. It may say on the end of the tubes. Do you know the Kelvin rating for each? Going solely from the names (which can be very misleading) I would expect the appearance to be somewhat purplish, though this doesn't stand out in the photos. The issue with the JM I suspect is light and nutrients, I have seen similar in one of my tanks; moss does not do so well in harder water since it cannot use carbonates for carbon, so there may be a CO2 shortage that is not balanced with the light. Let me know about the K first.

Byron.
 
#116 · (Edited)
Thanks Byron. Will certainly try out the bi-weekly dose and see how it goes. Shall i continure pruning the dead/dying leaves on the swords as i can see more leaves growing from the crown.

I have just checked the lights and they are T8 lighting apparently. i do not see the purplish nature in the lights though, and to my eyes they appear as natural light although i do wear glasses :). One is power-glo 20W with 18000K and the other is Aqua-glo 20W with 18000K rating btw.

Also, could you please explain what the brown spots mean. I mean does it correspond directly to increased lighting?

Thanks
 
#117 ·
Thanks Byron. Will certainly try out the bi-weekly dose and see how it goes. Shall i continure pruning the dead/dying leaves on the swords as i can see more leaves growing from the crown.
Yes, that is OK.

I have just checked the lights and they are T8 lighting apparently. i do not see the purplish nature in the lights though, and to my eyes they appear as natural light although i do wear glasses :). One is power-glo 20W with 18000K and the other is Aqua-glo 20W with 18000K rating btw.
Ah, there's a light issue here. Kelvin is the colour temperature of light; mid-day sun is somewhere around 6000K (going from memory). A lower K number means more red and less blue, and a higher K number means more blue and less red. Plants need red light as well as blue, so that is one problem. Too much blue will encourage algae which is not anywhere as demanding.

Measure the tubes end to end (not including the prongs) and look for daylight or full spectrum in those lengths in T8. GE, Phillips and Sylvania make these, calling them daylight or something similar; if they have a Kelvin rating it will be around 6500K. That is what you want, and you can get these at hardware stores for a fraction of the cost of "aquarium" makes, I have the Phillips on some tanks and the GE on another. The colour rendition of plants and fish will be different, much more natural than at present. You could put in one daylight and keep one of what you have if you like that appearance. Or two daylight, up to you. Over a 33g I think you would be OK with one of each. I only have a 25w full spectrum over my 33g and it is fine.

Also, could you please explain what the brown spots mean. I mean does it correspond directly to increased lighting?
If you mean the brown ragged edges to some of the sword leaves, that is likely a nutrient issue. But if these are the older leaves, this is common when plants are moved to a new tank (from the store for instance). Swords (Echinodorus species) are heavy feeders; I have to dose Flourish twice weekly in my tanks or they quickly let me know they are not happy. Substrate fertilizer is very useful with these plants, a tab next to each plant's roots would benefit, but it is not essential. I have grown fabulous (in my view anyway) swords for years with only liquid fert.

Increasing nutrients and fixing the light should resolve this whole issue in my opinion.

Byron.
 
#119 ·
Were it me, I would just use Prime water conditioner (as you said you do) since to my knowlege it is the only one that detoxifies nitrite and nitrate. That will handle the tap water on the water change day. live plants (you have lots) should handle things after that.

Is the reading of 40ppm yours or the water company's? I mention this because if you are using the API nitrate test kit, the bottle of regent #2 has to be shaken for 2 minutes minimum, not 30 seconds as indicated in the instructions, or you can often get a false and high reading.

I would check the tank nitrate prior to a water change, and then the day after, just to see any variance. Shouldn't be an issue, but it is best to make sure. Most fish will manage with 40ppm, though most of us suggest 20ppm as the maximum, and in planted tanks it is usually below 10ppm.

Byron.
 
#120 ·
Thanks very much Byron.

The reading from the tap water according to the water board is 38ppm, although when i tested before, it was anywhere between 40-80ppm on API liquid kit. I'll test it again before the next water change. Yes, i remember the 2 minutes shake as advised by you in this thread before :).

I have come across fluval life-glo with 6700K rating. That is closer to 6500K. would you think that'll be suitable?
 
#121 ·
Thanks very much Byron.

The reading from the tap water according to the water board is 38ppm, although when i tested before, it was anywhere between 40-80ppm on API liquid kit. I'll test it again before the next water change. Yes, i remember the 2 minutes shake as advised by you in this thread before :).

I have come across fluval life-glo with 6700K rating. That is closer to 6500K. would you think that'll be suitable?
That's fine; by "around 6500K" I mean roughly 6000K-7000K, most manufacturers are 6500K, Hagen's Life-Glo is 6700K and Hagen make Fluval brand so that is fine. It's your call, Fluval may be more expensive than hardware store tubes, but either will be good.
 
#127 · (Edited)
Guys i have a quick question about my apistogramma viejita.

I have today seen a black clearly visible blotch on the viejita. It surely wasnt there before and only noticed it today. The only difference today is i have added a female apisto for the male. Is it some sickness or is it part of the show to the female (as it has never left the female till now and been following her showing off all afternoon)? Appreciate any help. The pictures are below:
Freshwater aquarium Aquarium decor Aquarium Feeder fish Fish


Freshwater aquarium Aquarium decor Aquarium Fish Fish


This is the video of the apisto and clearly there is no distinct black spot on it

Thanks
 
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