My 1st real aqarium.. need help please. :)

crazy4fish

thats true. i forgot this was a beginner tank. but if you really like Discus i would say give it a try and keep an eye on your water and we are always here for advice. but if Discus arent on your fav. list i would go with an easier fish.

KarlS

1st of all thanks for the replies, I'm amazed by all the enthusiasts out there.. 2nd the tank pic posted is pretty much want i want.. I love the natural look. 3rd you have all been a great help, i've been buying books and they are a great help, but honestly having people re-count there 1st and knowledge as they go through the steps is 1st class help.

The list i provided was straight out of a book i purchased (Barron's Tropical Fresh Water Aquarium Fish), they have 4 diff. biotopes as examples.. That was the one that resinated the best with me... The 3+1 deal with the angels.. I'm just as lost as the lot of you.. The list was also specified for a tank about 1/2 the size of mine.. So i'm assuming I would just double up everything on the list if i wanted to go exactly the way they described..

As for the fish you guys & gals mentioned I will look though my books, eventually I'd like to have some big fish cruising my tank, but will buy them as babies 1st. A frontosa that i saw was selling for 295$ and well my wallet started to cry when I considered it.. Then i saw the babies we're selling for 30$.

So many options... lol... my wife is starting to get very nervous.. This has become an obsession so very early on..

Karl

bettababy

Honestly, I would scrap that book of yours to start with. Those stocking levels quoted are only something I would suggest to an experienced fish keeper who knows about water quality, territory, etc. What you are planning is not going to be so simple if you follow the advice you've quoted from that book.

I have a suggestion for you... the members here are so well versed, myself included... and I love the coaching and seeing how great someone's end result is... you've told us what you're looking to do... let us help you do it naturally without the book, without the strict guidelines it quotes? We can teach you to do an entirely natural system that mostly takes care of itself, keep it specific with one habitat and fish found there... and we can do it much easier than that book makes it sound.

Would you be willing to scrap what you have from the book thus far and let us help you instead? Start over? I can assure you it will save time, money, and a lot of frustration. Anyone who writes and publishes a book and can't add 3+1 correctly, that tells me there is something wrong right there. Here at ff we can add, subtract, divide, multiply. Also, with all of us combined, we have may more years of knowledge than one author could possibly have alone. Please give this some consideration... let us know!

okiemavis

Hehe- welcome to the addiction! I started with a 10 gallon tank in my dorm room, and now have a 6 foot tank in my living room! And I'd have about 10 more of them if I could. Fish keeping is one of those hobbies where you can really spend as much and as little as your limits allow. I thought I was doing well for myself buying the tank and filter for $200, and then I went out and spent $400 on lighting! Craigslist is your closest ally, let me say that my friend.

Also, Bettababy is a fishy genius! I'd listen to everything she has to say. We'll definitely be able to help you build one crazy setup! Also, it's way more fun to start out understocked, that way when you learn more, you can add tricker fish that you wouldn't have considered at first. It would stink to get your tank all set up, just get a hang of the hobby, and then realize that unless you get another tank, these are the fish you're going to have for the next 15 years!

It sounds like you do want a heavily planted tank- so why don't we start there? Substrate and lighting.

Also, are there any fish that have particularly caught your eye? Frontosas are beautiful fish, and we can definitely work with that, but any others? It sounds like you want a pretty unique setup, so why don't you look around at some oddballs and ancient fish?

KarlS

Bettababy, I'll definitely take you and everyone else up on the offer...the book i agree is not the best of ideas to follow word for word. I bought as a good reference so as to have the names and locations of the fish.

Okiemavis. I like your idea on uder-stocking and building up, reason being i'll be less likely to get over my head and also less of a $$ shock to fill and tank up in one shot.

As for a fish that has really caught my eye is the Threadfin Acara

Another that I find really cool are Leaf Fish..

What i did find out is that these are both from Amazon.. So I guess that's where I would like to start...

What do you think????

okiemavis

Glad to hear you'll be taking advice :D And the Amazon River's one funky area, there's definitely plenty to work with there.

This Acara's really pretty! Definitely a good starting off point- I don't think they're too picky about water parameters as long as the tank's clean. They are cichlids, so they can be territorial and aggressive, although they aren't the worst. You'll just definitely have to watch out for smaller fish, who will become lunch. Also, being a threadfin, watch out for adding fin-nippers. This guy will get shredded by them.

As for the leaf fish, I didn't know much about them so I looked around. There are several kinds of leaf fish, I assume you're talking about Monocirrhus polyacanthus? I read conflicting reports as to whether or not they can be kept with other fish, perhaps someone else can provide more info? If he is alright with other guys though, you'll definitely want fish larger than his mouth, and the Acara does fall under that category.

KarlS

In my 150g tank, do u think 6 Acara's would be an appropriate amount still allowing me to have a good amount of space to add more fish later on, like the leaf fish (if they're compatible)? Also i would really like to see about a nice schooling fish to maybe add in right away with the Acaras.

I've done some research and if i'm right i should be able to get away with some nice tetras....this is speaking about the Acara's that is... Still waiting on someone to let me know about the leaf fish... My searches have revealed the same results on the leaf fish as you.. Basically saying to stay away from fish that can fit in there mouths.. my question is... how big are there mouths????

Once again.. let me know what you guys/gals think.

crazy4fish

i think those accaras are beautiful. them and some tetras would be really nice. as for the leaffish i would stay away from them all the sites i have read say to keep them by themselves plus if you did get them it would limit your possibilities A LOT.

KarlS

One thing thing I have noticed that is common with all sites is that they have some sort of warning concerning leaf fish. Be it to keep them by themselves or to make sure not to have any small fish.... I guess I'll stay away .

As for those Acaras can't wait to get some.

My next question is would it be wiser to start off with the Acaras introducing the tetras a few weeks later, or vise versa. ??

crazy4fish

i dont think it would make a huge difference either way. the only reason that i would add the tetras first would be to lower agression. if you added the acaras first and they picked out their territory and then you put the tetras in...... the acaras might be a bit more mean about the "invaders". but i dont think acaras are too agressive anyway so whatever you want or can find first would be ok i guess.