new here...would like some opinions

champ198

i am new here jsut found the website.
back quite a few years ago i had a pretty large (40 gal tall) or so tank when i lived at my parents house. after i moved out and got married i never messed with the tank any more. well now with having 2 kids in the house we are wanting to start it again.
back then i mainly had Ciclids for the most part...but also had a problem with keeping them alive. back then i didnt have access to the internet like i do now, so i feel more comfortable with getting a tank back since i can learn more about setting it up and so on so it is a nice tank.
im not partial to any certain kind of fish but want something with some color and an active fish and a hearty fish as wel. was hopeing that some of you could help me choose a fish as well as what i need to do to set the tank up right before the fish go in..so please could someone help me out i would really appriciate it as well as my kids.

aunt kymmie

Welcome to TFK and welcome back to the hobby of fishkeeping! Is it a 40gl tall you are setting up again, or a different size tank??

champ198

yes i shoud have put that as well..it is the same tank i had back then

gingerael

Personally, I like to keep live plants in my aquariums because it helps the tank be more self-sustaining. Also, it is good to run the tank for at least a week before adding any fish to it. When adding fish make sure you add them in small quantities. A good starter fish to help cycle your tank are schools of tetras or danios. I like to start the tank out with about 5 schooling fish, the danios tend to be a bit more hearty than the tetras but either option will be a good start for the tank set-up. After that it is really up to you on what you put in the tank. Community aquariums tend to be good because you can always add to them without worrying that a certain fish will become over dominant and kill anything more you add.

1077

Were it me,, I would read up on Cycling a new aquarium or..Starting a new aquarium. There is a topic here I believe entitled.. getting started or something similar. Perhaps someone else could provide that link.
I would then get the tools needed for keeping a tank (ie)Filter,substrate,heater,syphon,and dechlorinator ( SEE PRIME water conditioner) and most importantly,, A test kit such as the API freshwater master kit. The test kit will help you monitor the water while the maturing of the biological filter is happening, and also provide important info with regards to pH which will help you with deciding what fishes would be suitable for the water you have. Not all community fishes share same needs with respect to water chemistry and it is wise to select fishes that will do well and thrive with the water you have most readily available from your tap as opposed to trying to adjust water to suit the fishes which often results unfavorably for the fishes and leads to frustration with hobbyist.
The maturing or Cycling process can take four to eight weeks, and this time can be spent researching the various fishes that interest you and that might be suitable for 40 gal community tank should this be your aim.
Once you have selected a few fishes ,look at the fish profiles here and see what condition's they will require.
Good Luck, and don't be afraid to ask question's here,, as opposed to asking fish store employee's who may or may not be all that helpfulm or knowledgeable.

champ198

In reading that post about cycling the tank...with not having any fish yet i think that would be best..it seems that the easiest way if you can call it that to get the tank to cycle is to decorate the tank as wanted then add a shrimp to the tank in a mesh bago f some sorts....then take a liquid test kit and test it each day till the readings are correct....am i reading this right....a little more confusing for me not having any clue to this at all.

PRichs87

You are correct the shrimp method is a very easy way to cycle your tank. You just need to stay on top of your readings and do water changes when necessary after you add fish.

Make sure you use a liquid test kit though, the strips can be very inaccurate.

champ198

will any pet store have the liquid test kits?

and could someone give me some ideas on fish to use as well.
around here there is not a lot of pet shops and the ones i have seen...are not the best back when i had my tank going and was buying ciclids there was many a time when i would go into the pet store and check out the fish and the tanks jsut looked bad....i know one of the guys i work with is pretty big into the saltwater stuff and corals and all that and i know he has ordered fish online...where would be a good place to do that at?

PRichs87

Dont cycle with fish, just use the shrimp.

API master test kit is a good freshwater test kit many people use, including myself.

If tanks are nasty at pet stores, that usually means the fish are in bad water/ exposed to more problems. Look for clean tanks and a clean store.

champ198

Thanks for all the help....what would be some good fish to start with that are fairly easy to take care of that will put in some color....like i said earlier i really like the Ciclids a lot but im open to any kind really