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Ok, so in a few month's time, near Yule (Christmas for none Pagans ) I wont to start up my own Tropical Tank. nothing big, it'll be a 2ft tank sorta deal.

I need to know the following:-

What kind of eqipment do I need?
What are good first time fish for this tank size?
How hard is it going to be to look after?

I dont wont to get this wroung, as it's the animal's who will suffer for it. so any advice would be greatly recived. I already have a cold water tank up and running, so I know how to look after a basic cold water tank.

Cheers me'dear's.
Water Pixie.
xxx

If it bite's you' BITE IT BACK!

Welcome Pixie!

Here's a great article that will answer a lot of your questions:

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/3153.1.htm?15#

It sound like you're getting a 20 gallon tank (US Gallons, that is) so you'll need a filter, rated for that size tank for sure. I bought my first set-up as a kit that came with all the basics.

I would recommend using a liquid chemical test kit to test your water parameters rather than test strips as the strips don't seem to be as accurate.

I would recommend cycling your tank without fish if you have the patience and can wait to have fish. Use pure ammonia to get the tank started, you can even sprinkle some fish food in there to help as well. Here's a good read on fishless cycling:

http://www.fishprofiles.com/articles/article.aspx?id=31

As for the type of fish, give a good look through the profiles on here, you can really have a wide variety of difficulty levels of fishkeeping from super hardy easy fish like Zebra Danios, to some more sensitive, tricky-er types like some of the cichlids.

I would continue to do what you're doing and ask a bunch of questions on this site. There's a lot of really experienced people who post here that can help you avoid pitfalls and help solve problems you may have.

Good luck and welcome to FP! /:'

Thanks for that, I had no idear about nitrate and ammonyer and cyceling!!! it's all news to me.

I was going to invest in a start up kit if I could, but just in case I couldn't I wonted to know what I would need.

I can most deffiently wait to stoke the tank I like the idear of cyceling without harming any fish, so I think that's the meothd for me. Now all I need to do is get the start up kit lol.

Cheer for the advice, I'm aying it to my hard drive for later reading

Water Pixie!
xxx


If it bite's you' BITE IT BACK!

my advice for a bigginer and equipment is you could take a risk and learn alot realy fast and spend a bit more and buy everything seprate or you could buy a starter kit which means you will gradualy learn just a bit slower then if you bought seprate the stuff in the starter kit is also a bit cheaper so theres another downfall but it comes with everything but a stand and rocks a 20 gallon in canada is only about 250 dollars here for the starter kit

hope that helped,platy boy

33 gallon 7 neon tetras-5 platys-3 bleeding heart tetras-2 corys-1 rainbow shark-2 L83 gibby plecos

Hello Pixie

You have done one very correct thing coming to FP first. Dont make a BIG mistake in buying a tank kit these are usually made up to a price, that is as cheap as possible. Not only will all/most of the bits and pieces be far from top and reliably quality there is a very good chance the tank could be made from a poor quality thin glass.

Before buying the products get the best you can afford and dont fall for the trap I will get a better one later. If you do that you could have bought the top of the range first up. There are many copies around especially filters they look the same from the outside but the internal workings are just not up to standard. Also many of these products you might find it difficult to get spares or even filter pads etc.

Read as much as possible then post a list of what you are thing of getting also make sure your LFS is a reliable one by that I mean not a super market type but a privatly run and owned these are usually the best.
Tell us you location and there is bound to be some inyour area who could help you.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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My brother has gone and brought me a 27liter hexagone tank for my room. he did this without me knowing about it. it's a kit tank I think that's what you were refearing too, but it can be over hauled, the glass tank it's self is a nice thick sturdy glass, so it'll do as a tank so to speek.(The tank was won on-line from someone who had brought it as a first tank for themselve's) it has an inbult light/filter/pump/ now I dont know if these will be any good. so what I'm going to do it take the hole tank into my LFS and ask the guy their what he think's. the tank is pritty much brand new as it was only used for about two month's. I dont think the tank is a cheep job thow, as the lighting and filter/pump lide was replaced with a brand new one that the guy said ended up being quit expensive (he even kept the recite's to show me lol) so I dont think this is a cheep jobbie.

I live in somerset/england UK, my LFS is a privert run shop, the guy who sell's animal's their keep's cold water and tropical fish himself and is a lovely, knowlagable guy. so I know he'll be honest and up front with me about what I can and can't do, and also what I need to buy.

As I said befor I'm takeing is slowly. so when the tank arrive's I'll go and see him about it. if it's no good, then the tank will be returned and I'll go on looking for the right kinda tank for Me

But it's a start thank's for all the advice, I'll keep comeing back and bugging you all with qusgien's lol.
Water Pixie!
xxx

P.S.

I wonted to add that I wont to learn slowly, I can't learn fast due to my dyslixyer, it's a real pain. I can pick up stuff quickly, but it's remebering it that's the bugger for me. that's why I'm going slowly. I really wont to set the tank up, and have plat's establised for at lest two month's befor I think about adding fish. and I dont wont a big tank, it will be a resonble size because I dont have anywhere to KEEP a big tank.

If it bite's you' BITE IT BACK!