# New aquarium help



## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

i just got a 10 gallon tank and i have 5 fish in there.

2x Angel fish
2x Glofish
1 silver tipped shark

when i woke up this morning the water was a little cloudy. is that bad?
i put the angel fish and shark in yesterday and put the 2 glowfish in today

the temperature is just about 80 degrees.

i have a airstone and filter but the shark keeps swimming to the surface.

please tell me if i am doing anything wrong because this is my first fish tank and i dont want them to die.

thanks!

fishtank - Imgur

EDIT: ever since i turned my light off the angel fish are going to the surface as well.


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## Exterrestrial (Mar 5, 2012)

Is your tank cycled?
Whats the parameters?

Your angelfish and shark will out grow the tank. If you want them housed together I'd recommend 75g or larger.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Exterrestrial said:


> Is your tank cycled?
> Whats the parameters?
> 
> Your angelfish and shark will out grow the tank. If you want them housed together I'd recommend 75g or larger.


would 55 gallon work? 75 is quite large and expensive.
i didn't cycle my tank before i put the fish in, i placed them in only after i added in the recommended amount of water conditioner.

i wont have any Ph levels until tomorrow i forgot to buy one.

angel fish are back to normal but the shark really wants to get out, it wont stop swimming up and down in the corner

thanks!


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## Exterrestrial (Mar 5, 2012)

Most of them time, the fish will die if the tank is not cycled. You cycle a tank in order to get some "Good Bacteria" in there. Without it, fish die. 

Most fish stores sell a bacteria starter. It's usually a liquid and will say "Good Bacteria" or " Bacteria Starter" Something alone those lines. It just adds good bacteria in your tank, but your fish could still die.

Angelfish are best kept in groups. 6-8. They can be kept in two if they are a mated pair.

A min tank size for your shark, some people say 75g. some say 100g. They can grow up to 24 inches.


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## Geomancer (Aug 23, 2010)

A group of Angels would be okay in a 55g, but they alone would pretty much stock it by themselves.

Two can only be kept if a mated pair, as already said. They have to be acquired as one, you can't just buy a male and female and gamble that they will become a mated pair, plus it isn't possible usually to sex juveniles anyways.

A fish-in cycle is very difficult. You need a water conditioner that will detoxify ammonia and nitrite, Prime is an example, and you must do water changes every other day to keep both Ammonia and Nitrite as low as possible.

Read this article for an explanation about the cycling process. http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...inners-guide-freshwater-aquarium-cycle-38617/


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Thanks, I bought a 55 gallon so im probably going to release my shark in a pond and keep the angel fish and glofish
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Geomancer (Aug 23, 2010)

Glofish are schooling also and need a group of a minimum 6 ... I'm not sure on their adult size, you may want to look into that. If they stay small (like neon tetra size) they'll become food to the Angels.

I would not release the shark into a pond, it's a very bad idea to release non-indigenous species into the wild and in many cases is illegal (and for good reason).


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

The glofish are bigger and at petsmart they recommend 3, should I get more? They are the size of a small angel.

Is there a better place for it or should I bring it back to petsmart?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> The glofish are bigger and at petsmart they recommend 3, should I get more? They are the size of a small angel.
> 
> Is there a better place for it or should I bring it back to petsmart?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


If you are going to have angelfish in the 55g, be careful what fish you put with them. Glofish are not advisable.

The cycling issue is going to become serious, and another member already gave you the link for that.

We have fish profiles, second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top, and each profile contains information on tank size, numbers of fish in the group, water parameters, compatibility issues, etc. Check out the angelfish, Scalare Angelfish you can click on the shaded name to see the profile. Glofish are actually modified forms of the Zebra Danio, not a good match with angelfish.

And, welcome to Tropical Fish Keeping forum.

Byron.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> If you are going to have angelfish in the 55g, be careful what fish you put with them. Glofish are not advisable.
> 
> The cycling issue is going to become serious, and another member already gave you the link for that.
> 
> ...


hey i just got my tank in and im going to fill it tomorrow. im using the shrimp method. if im getting this right i put the shrimp in a mesh bag and then leave them in the tank until the PH comes up normal?


my tank is acrylic, it looks bigger than 55 gallons but im not sure.

new tank - Imgur

i have a fluval 4 plus and a heater, is there anything else i should buy before starting the cycle?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> hey i just got my tank in and im going to fill it tomorrow. im using the shrimp method. if im getting this right i put the shrimp in a mesh bag and then leave them in the tank until the PH comes up normal?
> 
> 
> my tank is acrylic, it looks bigger than 55 gallons but im not sure.
> ...


Are you intending live plants? These would be nice with angelfish. A overhead tank light. We can discuss that later. 

The pH is not part of the cylce. Here's some info on cycling written by another member:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...inners-guide-freshwater-aquarium-cycle-38617/


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> Are you intending live plants? These would be nice with angelfish. A overhead tank light. We can discuss that later.
> 
> The pH is not part of the cylce. Here's some info on cycling written by another member:
> http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...inners-guide-freshwater-aquarium-cycle-38617/


would live plants require a CO2 pump? im trying to do this the least expensive way.

thanks! im going to read this again

i might try live plants for aesthetic reasons, how do i plant plants underwater? this is my first real fish tank.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> Are you intending live plants? These would be nice with angelfish. A overhead tank light. We can discuss that later.
> 
> The pH is not part of the cylce. Here's some info on cycling written by another member:
> http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...inners-guide-freshwater-aquarium-cycle-38617/


this video is really helpful


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## Geomancer (Aug 23, 2010)

slojko said:


> would live plants require a CO2 pump? im trying to do this the least expensive way.
> 
> thanks! im going to read this again
> 
> i might try live plants for aesthetic reasons, how do i plant plants underwater? this is my first real fish tank.


No, CO2 is not required unless you have bright lights, which you won't have unless you go out and buy a larger fixture.

The only addition with live plants to your weekly routine will be to use a liquid fertilizer, like Flourish Comprehensive. It's cheap, and you won't use much (less than 5mL/week for a 55 gallon).


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Geomancer said:


> No, CO2 is not required unless you have bright lights, which you won't have unless you go out and buy a larger fixture.
> 
> The only addition with live plants to your weekly routine will be to use a liquid fertilizer, like Flourish Comprehensive. It's cheap, and you won't use much (less than 5mL/week for a 55 gallon).


Right now my 55 gallon doesn't have any lights on it so I have to build some makeshift stand. 
Is this all I need for a planted aquarium?
tetra plant complete substrate, gravel, tetra nitrate minus

a heater, a filter, Nova Extreme 2xT5HO | Current-USA (is this the right lighting?) and of coarse the plants.

are there any certain plants I should get? Is petsmart a good place to get them?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I prefer simplicity; let nature do the work, rather than buying expensive gadgetry. Also, if nature is running things, it will be safer as there is less to go wrong.

Adding CO2 and mega light is raising the level of balance, and increasing the chance for problems. Especially when it is one's first planted tank, keeping it basic and simple is more likely to be successful and rewarding.:-D

The practical guide in the linked video is OK, but in my view one needn't go into that much expense, and nitrate chemicals are not advisable. Let nature do it naturally.

For a 55g, I would get a single tube T5 fixture (the one linked has two tubes) or a dual tube T8. The latter will be less expensive both for the fixture and the tubes. And the tubes need replacing every 12-18 months.

For substrate, plain sand or fine gravel will work fine, and is considerably less expensive. And you want it dark, never white. Fish are not comfortable over white substrates, and they are often less colourful. A fine (1-2 millimeter grain size) gravel or playsand will do nicely.

Several of us here follow this basic natural method with good success. I outlined the whole process in a series stickied at the head of the Aquarium Plants section entitled "A Basic Approach to the Natural Planted Aquarium" which should give you some background to what we are talking about.

Byron.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> I prefer simplicity; let nature do the work, rather than buying expensive gadgetry. Also, if nature is running things, it will be safer as there is less to go wrong.
> 
> Adding CO2 and mega light is raising the level of balance, and increasing the chance for problems. Especially when it is one's first planted tank, keeping it basic and simple is more likely to be successful and rewarding.:-D
> 
> ...


Ok I will take your recommendation for the lighting(dual tube t8) as for the substrate i want it to be all playsand because I like how it looks, will the roots stay and grow if i only use playsand or will I need a layer of gravel? 

You guys recommend liquid fertilizer over sticks in the substrate, or could I benefit from using both?

I read the 4 part guide and it was very helpful explaining how things work.

Im going to stop by petsmart today and see their plant selection. Or would you recommend buying the plants online?

Thanks again, you guys are wonderful!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> Ok I will take your recommendation for the lighting(dual tube t8) as for the substrate i want it to be all playsand because I like how it looks, will the roots stay and grow if i only use playsand or will I need a layer of gravel?
> 
> I read the 4 part guide and it was very helpful explaining how things work.
> 
> ...


Plants will grow very well in playsand; I now have this in 4 of my 7 tanks. Photo below is the largest, my 115g Amazon riverscape, with the Quikrete Play Sand substrate. I switched the substrate last summer.

One has to be careful with plants from chain stores. My local Petsmart has a tank with live plants and they are true aquatic plants. But some stores will sell you terrestrial plants as aquatic, and within days to weeks they will rot. You need to know what you are buying. And sadly, the staff in chain stores sometimes (not always) have no idea what they are selling you. If you have any good fish stores nearby, they should be able to help with plants. We have plant profiles in with the fish profiles, second tab fro the left in the blue bar across the top. The included plants are all good for an aquarium; have a look at them, the ones identified as low and moderate light requiring will work for you.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> Plants will grow very well in playsand; I now have this in 4 of my 7 tanks. Photo below is the largest, my 115g Amazon riverscape, with the Quikrete Play Sand substrate. I switched the substrate last summer.
> 
> One has to be careful with plants from chain stores. My local Petsmart has a tank with live plants and they are true aquatic plants. But some stores will sell you terrestrial plants as aquatic, and within days to weeks they will rot. You need to know what you are buying. And sadly, the staff in chain stores sometimes (not always) have no idea what they are selling you. If you have any good fish stores nearby, they should be able to help with plants. We have plant profiles in with the fish profiles, second tab fro the left in the blue bar across the top. The included plants are all good for an aquarium; have a look at them, the ones identified as low and moderate light requiring will work for you.


wow thats impressuve man, very pretty. i will check my area for non chain fish shops, this forum is amazing with all the plant/fish profiles.

i cant find any dual tube t8's online but im looking at the LED lighing and they are very cheap. would they be too bright for my setup?

Marineland LED Double Bright Marineland LED Lighting System Marineland LED Light Marineland LED Lights Marineland LED Lighting Marineland Single Bright LED Lighting System


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> wow thats impressuve man, very pretty. i will check my area for non chain fish shops, this forum is amazing with all the plant/fish profiles.
> 
> i cant find any dual tube t8's online but im looking at the LED lighing and they are very cheap. would they be too bright for my setup?
> 
> Marineland LED Double Bright Marineland LED Lighting System Marineland LED Light Marineland LED Lights Marineland LED Lighting Marineland Single Bright LED Lighting System


Thank you.:-D

I've no personal experience with LED lighting, so I won't coment on the linked fixture but some other members may.

As for a dual tube T8 in 48 inches (for your 55g), here are two options from Big Al's. Bear in mind this is their Canadian site, so US prices will likely be less. Big Al's has a US site, bigals.com I think it is. The first is a complete hood though in 18 inch width [your 55g is probably 12 inches width and 48 inches length] but this is an example of a complete hood with a dual tube fixture.
Perfecto Double Fluorescent Hood - Black - 48" x 18" : Standard Fluorescent

Then there is the light fixture alone with no tank cover; this would require a glass cover set, you can get them online or in stores, they are not too expensive.
Perfecto Fluorescent Double Strip Light- 48" (Black) : Standard Fluorescent

I only link these to show what is out there. Petsmart in Canada carry some of these, and other stores do too.


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