# Starting a new Tank.



## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

So I was thinking of starting a second tank. I have been doing a lot of forum cruising and my friend and I decided that a tank with completely live plants and natural rocks, caves and such (to give it a natural look) I figured I would try it. Its nothing to big, just a hand-me-down 15 gallon tank. I was thinking of using pebbles from a local stream system, to give it a more natural look. I wanted to know what everyone thought of the use of stones from a stream. I'll be updating on what I end up putting in it, and the inhabitants when I get them.


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## Dtld9 (Feb 4, 2008)

Are talking about using the pebbles as your substrate? They may not work if they are too big and you want to plant the tank. If you want them for decor then the pebbles aren't a bad idea just make sure they get cleaned off, a bleach dip (1 part bleach to 10 part water)then air dry for a day. DONT BOIL!! They could explode.


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Don't forget to rinse extremely well after bleach dip...then let em sit.


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

i wouldnt use it as substrate. if you are going to have live plants then you will want some eco-complete or flouride or something. as decor they would work but like the other said if you use bleach rinse they EXTREMELY well and let them air dry for a day or two. if they still smell like bleach then rinse them again and let them air dry again. and again NEVER BOIL any kind of stones. they might explode and you could get seriously hurt.


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

hay there
i'll just echo what everyone else has said, just add.......
Welcome aboard.


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

thanks for the input, i really appreciate it all. Being as i am still a novice at this, i dont know most of the terms, by substrate you mean my primary sorce of anchor in my tank? and what would you recomend if i was going to plant my tank, sand or something finer?


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

yes substrate is the "flooring" or primary anchor in your tank. now im not a plant person so i dont know if you should use gravel or sand but i have heard that adding some flourite or eco-complete will help your plants a great deal.

how much of a begginer are you? do you know about the cycling process and how to do it?


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

to be completely honoest, im really new, aside from the ocasional betta or gold fish won at the county fair, this is the most i have ever really done. My folks think it will help keep me away from the drugs in my area and i really enjoy it, but im not totally sure of the cycle process


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

So I present to you as a new member

http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3738

some reading. Have fun


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## Dtld9 (Feb 4, 2008)

Sorry I forgot to add the rinse part that could have been bad


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

everyone forgets something sometime..... thats why we are here! lol

do you understand how to cycle now that you've read the link?


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

i do :lol: thank you very much everyone, im really learning a lot


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

I'm not sure it was really clearly stated here, so I thought I'd say it again. You can always layer the substrate- so you can put something like Eco-Complete on the bottom for the plants, and then the pebbles over it for decoration.


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

yeah i did some reading on it, and decided that was the best course of action if i wanted to plant my tank


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## marinebiologist21 (Aug 23, 2007)

Don't use sand- it will compact around the roots of your plants.


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

ok sounds good, i was thinking eco-complete with brown gravel on top, i need to pick out some hardy plants though, convicts will eat at the smaller leaved plants right?


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

So i ran into a problem... i was cleaning up the tank, prepping it to be filled and all that good stuff, when it slipped and hit a hard decoration, and cracked. I'm at a loss for words at the moment, smoked half a pack of cigarettes in my fit of rage. Anyway, i'm set back a couple steps here, so i need to get a new tank before anything else is done. Thought I'd keep everyone posted, but when i do acquire a new tank, i think it will turn out great. Got some sweet drift wood, and a decent sized lava rock, but ill keep you posted.


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

man that sucks!!! i would shoot myself if i did that lol! well i hope you can get another one quick and get it going. you should go to craigslist. there are tons there that are in mint condition going for under 500 bucks and they come with all the nessicities!


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

The tank was 15 gallons, right? Not too pricey new...at least you didn't have water in it


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

yeah my dad thought i had put water in it already and freaked out, but i told him what was up and it was all good. i was thinking of doubleing from a 15 to a 30, i think everything would fit better but i need to find a well priced tank.


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

deffinately get a thirty! if you dont you will be upgrading soon enough anyway cuz you'll want to have more. lol


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## Flashygrrl (Jan 18, 2008)

Or just get both. Because you'll end up with them anyways. hahahahaha


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

Just watch out- lights get pricey! Like really, really pricey!!

You're going to need a decent one- not just the All Glass Aquarium hood and light combo or equivalent. The wattage and spectrum of those are plant killers. You're going to want at least 2.5-3 watts per gallon , but I'd recommend 5+. For a 30 gallon I'd recommend a 24" Coralife Dual Strip Compact Florescent (freshwater), which is going to run you over $100.

I'm sure there are DIY alternatives, or other approaches, but just be aware, you're going to need a lot of watts of good spectrum light in order to keep these plants going.


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## marinebiologist21 (Aug 23, 2007)

And from recent discoveries I've made, if you do not give the sand a 'stir up' one a week or have snails to sift through it, methane gas can build up in sand pockets and potentially be harmful to your fish and you.


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

Just found a 55 gallon on Craig's list, and im making a road trip out to get it tomorrow or thursday  Hopefully all works out well


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## Dtld9 (Feb 4, 2008)

Gotta love craigs list


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

well thats even better than a thirty! did it come with a filter, lights, exc? or is it just the tank?


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

it HAD all the trimmings, but the guy sold it yesterday, so my search continues. 
:?


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

oh man. well hope you find another. wat is the biggest that you could get?


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

well im thinking that 55 was most likely the most i could afford, but if i found something better, i wouldnt mind driving to pick it up.


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

Good luck! No matter what tank you get, you'll be wishing you had more, bigger ones. So as big as you can go is definitely the most cost effective in the long term!


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

yeah deffinately go big! i have a 29 gal and now i am asking my parents for a 6 foot tank! lol


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

so i had to settle for a 20gallon long, but its set up and looks pretty good, i cant figure out how to put pictures in a post, but its under my tanks if anyone wants to see it


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

wow! your tank is looking good. i love the driftwood.  you said you wanted kribs and something else right? what are you thinking about for the something else?


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

I dont know at this point, something colorful, but im not sure what. I was thinking possibly a pair of swordtails, but then i thought, that would potentially be a lot of fry in one tank at a time, so i dont know, maybe a gourami or two


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

Kribs and gourami can both be rather territorial, even if they occupy different areas. IMHO gourami and cichlids are not a good mix temperament wise.


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

i take all of your opinions very seriously, so if you have any ideas, i would love them


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

i looked in my tank today, and my brazillian sword plant rotted from the roots up. I had to take it out, it was all brown and mushy. All my other plants appear to be doing fine, im just confused as to why it rotted. Anyone know? or have suggestions?


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## Dtld9 (Feb 4, 2008)

brazillian swords aren't actually aquarium plants.


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

really? that feels like a kick in the nuts, and a waste of $3.95 but i do feel stupid cause the people at my lfs lied to me and told me it would do fine, oh well, any suggestions for a replacement?


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

There's lot of nice swords that are *truly* aquatic, Dtld9 is right, Brazilian swords aren't one of them.

The swords I have, other than the standard Amazon sword are Tropica (Rosette), Ozelot and Kleiner Bar. I've also got a Pygmy Chain Sword (Echinodorus tenellus), which is a very nice foreground, and I've been meaning to pick up a Melon Sword.

Anyway, I like all of mine


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

i don think fry would be a problem if you got swordtails because as long as you dont take them out the parents and kribs will keep the population under control.


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## Dtld9 (Feb 4, 2008)

Petco got me on 2 different plants  don't feel bad. Just research before buying.


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## FishGirl (Mar 31, 2008)

How about adding a couple of Mystery Snails? They come in a lot of colors and are as interesting as any fish to watch. I have a golden MS but would love to get a purple one someday.

AND I would take those rotten plants back where you got them and ask for store credit (or replacement with real aquatic plants.) They sell that junk all the time and have to know they won't work out. That's just plain dishonest. This hobby ain't cheap!


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

oh i would take the plant back in a second, but i threw it away, plus i had no money/gas to get there. Its not a big loss, but just upsetting. Just an update on my tank, i went to my LFS today and they didn't have the kribs i wanted, but i did get two Bolivian rams, which look amazing. Hopefully, they will breed and flourish.


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

actually, they aren't Bolivian rams, they are German Blue Rams. I'm not sure im ready for these, kinda out of my league...let me know what you think i should do, take the risk and keep them, or return them. I would hate to see them die because of my ignorance.


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

I think you'll be fine with them, although you should ask your LFS when they came in. My LFS won't sell blue rams for a few days after they have come in because 99% of the time they come down with something (rams don't ship well). But, if you have healthy ones, you'll be fine. They are slightly more sensitive to water quality than some, but they'll eat happily, etc. Just check your water regularly and give them ideal conditions, as you would any other fish.


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

Yeah when i picked them up, they were really stressed out and many of the males were hard to tell from the females due to the stress. But they will be fine with a pair of kribs right? cause im still dead bent on getting them.


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## Ptrain (Mar 13, 2008)

but they seem to be getting used to their new home, the male is now easily distiguishable from the female, his black stripes are showing nicely. they really like to chill by the piece of drift wood i have in there.


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