fresh_creps
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Registered: 11th Sep 05
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not sure if this is in the right section but here goes anyways...
basically i'm wanting to get some tropical fish soon to make my room more interesting (inspired from deuce bigalo....although not that bigger tank  lol), but i've no idea what to get atm.
obviously once i'm in the shop i'll ask about stuff but just wanted to get a general idea about what i need,how to look after them etc as i know a few of you have them.
How are tropical fish tanks and normal fish tanks different?could i just geta normal fish tank and add the stuff to it thats needed?what are the fish like to look after and would i need to clean the tank regularly?
any info would be much appreciated  cheers!
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
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Tropical tanks are heated freshwater tanks, so you can have the better looking and brighter fish from tropical climates...obviously.
For a basic set up you'll need...a tank (size is dependent on what fish you want, numbers and size of room!), a decent filter (internal for smaller tank, external for bigger tanks), heater and lighting. And then obviously whatever decorations you want (sand/gravel/slate/large stones, fake/real plants, drift wood, etc.), and whatever fish you decide to go for. The tanks are the same for cold water as for tropical other than the addition of the heater...for salt water its totally different again and a bit harder.
Cleaning for me normally consists of a water change once or twice a week (around 10-15% each time) and then syphoning all the shite off the bottom once a week during the water change (due to the position of my filter outlet it all collects in one point so is easy).
As for some quick tips...
- Go for some easy/cheap tropical fish at first, as being your first time keeping them you might make mistakes and kill a few...its best these arent £20+ fish!!
- MAKE SURE YOU CYCLE THE TANK FIRST. In other words, buy all the equipment and set it up, leave the filter running on an empty tank with some sort of ammonia source (I use a few prawns you can buy in frozen packs from a supermarket) for a week or two. THEN buy your fish. If you dont do this then you'll probably find your filters wont be able to filter the waste your fish make, ammonia will build up in the tank and they will die!!
- Get as good a filter as you can for the tank.
- Dont leave water changes for more than a few weeks as again ammonia will start to build up.
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fresh_creps
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Registered: 11th Sep 05
Location: Luton,BEDS
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cheers cosmo,very useful info there  will keep it all in mind when i'm getting all the stuff.
i'll post pics eventually when its done!
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
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no probs, Im sure there are pics of my tanks knocking about somewhere. Will give it a tidy up and get some new ones later in the week.
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fresh_creps
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Registered: 11th Sep 05
Location: Luton,BEDS
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nice one,be interesting to see.
me and my mate went looking round a few different places yesterday and some of the fish tanks are  got me seriously excited bout getting a nice tank in my room 
couple pics i took
and the coolest of them all...
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shawboy
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Registered: 1st Jul 02
Location: Wombwell, Barnsley
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i want 1 but my GF aint having none.
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Russ
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Registered: 14th Mar 04
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discus are lovely, as is lionfish, i might sell all my fish stuff apart from my tank and change o marine when i move house.
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Forever_Hatter
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Registered: 5th Aug 02
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Fresh_creps....You been over to Henlow Japanese Koi company? Got a great selection of fish over there (ie Marines,Tropicals and Cold water)
Just see your local
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fresh_creps
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Location: Luton,BEDS
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quote:
Originally posted by Forever_Hatter
Fresh_creps....You been over to Henlow Japanese Koi company? Got a great selection of fish over there (ie Marines,Tropicals and Cold water)
Just see your local
naa don't think so,been to a few places like that though,but i'll def check it out thanks
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Ally
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Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
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www.fishforums.net
Go for tropical, check out that forum as its very useful
Remeber to cycle the tank, and only mix fish who will go together...
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Russ
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Registered: 14th Mar 04
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quote:
Originally posted by Ally
www.fishforums.net
Go for tropical, check out that forum as its very useful
Remeber to cycle the tank, and only mix fish who will go together...
easiest way to check if fish go together is to put them with each other, i have parrots, tinfoil barbs etc etc in with an oscar, hes a greddy cunt but doesnt bother any of them, although i was told they would "kill each other"
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fresh_creps
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cheers ally i'll check it out
yee i'm probs gonna lose a few fish when i start lol, theres so many different ones i want and i know they aint all gonna get along with each other!
saw a propa nemo jobby in 1 tank, 2 clown fish swimming through their big ol' anemonmy (sp) lol
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Russ
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there marine. to start with, ask yourself what sort of fish you want? little shitty ones, or big ones, i wasted loads of money on little shitty ones, bought some big ones and they were all raped and eaten.
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fresh_creps
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lol oh... ah right,see i have no idea what fish are what so i duno what i want realy!just want some nice looking fish, bright colours,unusual ones etc ,would well like some clown fish but duno what else would go.
atm would probably go for lots of little fish rather than 1 or 2 big fish, lion fish is cool as feck but heard they need a huge tank and don't realy get on with many other fish
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
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clown fish are marine, so your going to be looking at a lot more time and money setting the tank up and maintaining it...and also A LOT more to go wrong.
For your first tank I would personally say go with tropicals of some sort, just while you get used to it and the routine you have to have for looking after them.
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Russ
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if you want colourful tropical fish, go for tetras, guppies, mollies etc there little shitty things, but look nice. tropical fish arent really that colourful. marine are far prettier to look at, but like craig said, reet pain the tits to set up, look after
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Russ
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fresh_creps
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hmm valid points cosmo and russ,guess i'll start out with some tropical fish to see how i get on with before i decide to blow my load (excuse the pun) on getting far more expensive fish
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Russ
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all you need mate, is a good size tank, best to go for the biggest you can a)afford b)fit. bigger tanks are easier to look after than small ones. get a good internal filter, fluval or the like, good heater with thermostat and thermometer for the tank. gravel, bit of bog wood and a few plants if you like. get something like Zebra Danios first, 10 of them will cost you no more tan a tenner, hardy as fuck can acutally live as cold water fish there so tuff, test your water every week for 2 months, you'll have no amonia no nitrate and no nitrite. then your amonia will start, then your nitrate, then fianlly your nitrite will kick in and settle your water, then take your fish back to your local shop, trade them in for something you like, but dont overfill your tank too fast as your amonia will spike again. bigger tanks take lonker to get water ready, but are much easier in the long run. then you will need to buy some chlorine killer, aquasafe or something like that. replace about 10% of your water a week AFTER ITS CYCLED NOT WHILE CYCLING as you will fuck up the whole thing. and add the chlorine killer to the water you are adding. er think thats it to get you started anyway. quite a few chaps on here who know there stuff so all will help you, but you pick it up right away, give it a few months and you'll answer all your own questions.
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fresh_creps
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 sounds quite complicated....fuk this
lol just kiddin,will just be something i have to get used to and learn i guess. quite excited bout getting the stuff! just waiting for some £££ really and i can get started.
what kinda places you get all your stuff from?anywhere on the net or you just go to your local aquarium type shops?
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Russ
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trusted ebay sellers, lfs, depends. aslong as your buying decent brands you cant loose, i got my 350quid tank for 50quid on ebay, 3 months old and hed kept tropical fish so filters were already mature
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fresh_creps
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quote:
Originally posted by Russ
trusted ebay sellers, lfs, depends. aslong as your buying decent brands you cant loose, i got my 350quid tank for 50quid on ebay, 3 months old and hed kept tropical fish so filters were already mature
ye i was looking at tanks on ebay,some quite cheap 1's. i'll probs go for one off there or my mate might be able 2 get me a decent one cos he's family friends with someone that owns a fishery type place, whats size is your tank?
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Russ
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240 litres, 48x18x18
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Mather.16v
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Registered: 1st Nov 04
Location: Stockport
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I once saw an episode of planet earth, where the fresh water and salt water were clearly divided
I would like to create something similar, how much would I be looking at?
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Cosmo
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Registered: 29th Mar 01
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do you mean a tank with two different types of fish in it? Or two seperate tanks?
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