# beginner with new large tank (pic)



## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

Hello from Australia

i have owned a smaller fish tank about 8-9 years ago just a small 2 foot tank basic stuff like air pump filter had about 15-20 gold fish so now recently bought what i call a large tank with the following details

Size: 1498 x 477 x 1450mm (with cabinet)

Capacity: 360L 

Thickness Of Glass: 10mm

Aluminium Alloy Hood 

6 Illuminator Light Included 4 x 24W and 2 x 39W 

Filter Pump Included HQJ-900G 12W 900L/h

for the moment i will be putting in a few gold fish or some other type of cheap cold fresh water fish im in australia does anyone have an idea on fish? i have read about the new tank syndrome im guessing i will need some type of chemicals? the tank is mainly for a side hobby and for my neice and nephews to come over and feed the fish from time to time after 4-6 weeks of running the tank with cold water fish i plan on upgrading the tank to a tropical tank so i can keep some exoctic fish any help here would be appreciated i need something easy to look after and i also need some help on what i will need to turn it into a basic tropical tank so far im thinking just a heater?
thanks for any replys its much appreciated :wink:


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## Nick (Aug 2, 2006)

Hi and welcome  Thats a pretty darn big tank you got there...Awesome!
Well first things first you need to cycle the tank. The goldfish can do that for yeah assuming your going the fish cycling way...What cycling the tank pretyt much is is that when fish poop it turns into AMMONIA which is very very bad and kills the fish. After a while bacteria starts to accumlate into colonies in your tank and after a little while it eats the ammonia. Then then ammonia turns into NITRITE, which is still VERY bad for your fish and will kill them. which after a little while the bacteria eats that too and then turns into NITRATE which is not very toxic at all to your fish. Your stats should be 
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
NItrate under 40

Basic components for tropical tank is a suitable heater, filter, desired air pumps etc...

You wont need the heater for the goldfish as they are coldwater. We can help you as you go along with ANY questions you may have  I just covered only a few of the things needed and needed to do to start an aquarium. Obstacles after cycling are choosing what fish are compatable and right for your tank and other tankmates. Be sure to include pics along the way 
hope this helps

nick


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Hi and welcome aboard, Gazza.:wave:

Sorry if I may have misunderstood you. But did you say you'll keep tropical fish? If so, goldfish aren't really tropicals and won't need the heater. They are coldwater(more of temperate) fish.

There is still a debate over the use of the chemical "Cycle" so this cannot be verified if it can be used or not. The only chemical I'd use is dechlorinator to eliminate chlorine and chloramine(depending on the conditioner used). There are cheaper alternatives to eliminating chlorine but won't eliminate chloramine. Leave the water standing in the pail for 24 hours and the chlorine should dissipate. Chlorine is a gas so this is easy to remove. Chloramine however cannot be removed. You'll need conditioners which can effectively remove it.

Consider adding fish only after your tank has cycled. What fish are you planning to keep? There are fish with certain requirements which you'll need to research. Try to post a list of your choices and we'll sort them out for you. Some fish thrive in higher temps and will often become vulnerable to diseases when kept in lower temps.

Don't hesitate to ask more questions.

Good luck.:thumbsup:


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

thanks for the replys  i picked up the fish tank today damn its bloody big and heavy! :shock: i bought it off of ebay for AUD$611 brand new what a score :lol: well after i got it home i sussed things out it come with 2x20watt red/purplish what look to be T5 or what ever the new style of fluros are and 2x30watt fluros that look like 6500K or 10000K it didnt come with the 6 lamps as it stated but im happy also included two 900lph power heads the filter is very weird to me anyway first off the pumps pump the water thru two lenghts of hose that run above my filter these hoses have alot of holes they spray the water over the top of the foam than below the foam there are 6 black compartments (mesh looking boxes) all equal in size and they all measure in total about 4-4.5 foot so a very very big filter indeed im assuming?  there ment for some type of filter medium maybe carbon? i dont know  than the water trickles back into the tank via these snorkel looking connections i will have pictures in the next day or two of all these parts as i have only a slight clue as what they do  
the fish i am interested in a couple of months will be australian native fish if its possable main fish i want is a barramundi  bass,golden and silver perch im pretty sure they all live in both salt and fresh water? well im hopping so other than those im im open for ideas on fish and i want a fair few over time need to fill this big tank with something 8)
i also plan on using gold fish as my guine pigs to run in the tank its abit slack but im sure there up to the job how many fish will i need to do this size tank? the gold fish for sale here are about 5-8cm
thanks for all your help its appreciated


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

well i ended up taking some pictures not long ago i need help on sorting out this type of filter so i can get some fish in there anyway here are the pics
the tank is very dirty i havent had a chance to clean it yet 
tank








return jet thingos? 








lights








filter








mesh bucket?








overflow return pipe thingo


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## Andrew (Oct 24, 2006)

nice tank, would make an awesome planted tank, but whatever your taste is i am sure it will maximise your set up.
Is it an ex display model, sorry for asking but i was just wondering why it was traded on ebay.
if it is ex display chances are the lights may have been on everyday, in which case i would recommend changing the tubes- it will brighten your fish colours.

Thats all i can say at the moment, congrats on the purchase!Bargain, i wonder what the postage would have been to the uk???


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

hi andew thanks for the reply  i bought the tank for fish but if i can find a few nice live plants i will put them in but im yet to learn about that as for the tank it was brand new in 2 boxes its made in china so the price was cheap the person i bought it from has a few in his factory im not sure if they ship international? and i spoke to one of my aquarium shops ive been told its a trickle filter so i wil grab some carbon or ceramic noodles tomorrow and some gold fish to cycle the tank


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

Hi gazza, welcome to the board! Sorry I'm late in getting to your post. For starters, that appears to be an eheim tank, a model which is not easy to come by in the USA anymore. They are quite expensive when you can find them. If I remember correctly, they stopped making them years ago. I am doing some checking into your tank and filter, but haven't received all of my answers yet. I'll post about it as soon as I can.
As for cycling with goldfish... 2 things to keep in mind: Goldfish will not be compatible with tropicals, so unless they are meant as feeder fish, you will need to consider where you will move them to after cycling. Another thing to consider is that goldfish are extremely dirty fish, and not "easy" to keep as is often thought. They are prone to diseases, and grow very large. The standard comet (feeder goldfish) averages 14 inches, and the standard fancy goldfish averages 8 inches (I don't suggest trying to cycle with fancy goldfish, this will likely not end well, they are much more sensitive to water conditions and don't cycle well)
If you are set on goldfish, I wouldn't put more than 1 or 2 into that tank. This might not seem like a lot to you, but they grow very rapidly. Standard growth rate on feeder/comet goldfish... they can go from 1 inche to 6 inches inside of 2 - 3 months... so even with 1 month limited time, they should more than double in size.
There are a lot of better, sturdier fish to cycle with, tropical fish, and fish that will blend with your other tropicals, depending on what they turn out to be. I would focus on cleaning the tank with bleach water (1/2 cup of bleach to a gallon of water), letting it air dry for at least a few days, replace ALL filter media, once we have identified your filter, change the lightbulbs, get your gravel, decorations, even live plants if you're wanting them... fill it up, add water conditioner, and I do suggest Cycle, I have found it to work quite well when used as directed, and to remember that the #1 key to success in fish keeping is patience.
I will post again when I have identified your tank, and done a bit more research on your desired fish that you named.


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

Ok, I'm back with information on the fish species you listed... and I'm going to tell you, honestly, there's no way you're going to be able to keep either the perch or the barramundi in a tank that size. The barramundi grows to almost 7 feet long!!! If you follow this link you'll see what I mean: http://images.google.com/imgres?img...firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=X
You're going to run into the same problem with the perch... they get to be over 15 inches http://www.nativefish.asn.au/silver.html
Have you considered something like Australian rainbow fishes? I am guessing your tank is approximately 55 gallons? I'll have to find my converstion chart to be sure, but even if it's slightly bigger than 55 gallons, you'd need thousands of gallons for the barramundi (and that's just for 1 fish), and you'd need well over 200 to keep more than 2 of the perch.
We all love to help, but we need info to work with. Can you tell us what traits you're looking for in your fish other than they be native to Australia? Color? Size? Aggressive/Peaceful? There are a lot of choices out there for you, we'll do our best to help you choose something that is good for that size of an aquarium.


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

thanks for the reply bettababy its appreciated i done some more searching today and i found my whole fish tank is a china copy from the Aquaone brand (link below) the filter takes ceramic noodles and activated carbon as for the fish i filled the tank yesterday to let the water sit for a few days so tomorrow i will let my neice and nephews pick out some gold fish and put them into the tank to cycle it while im there i will grab some gravel (if i can find it) ceramic noodles and activated carbon dont worry about the gold fish my neice will be taking home what she can the rest will be put into a smaller thank i plan on buying to put inside of the cabinet and use those gold fish for food haha i just went for a look in one of my LFS to see what fish they had on offer and called anothr shop to see if they had in stock or could get in the fish i wated they said its highly unlikely as i wanted a few australian native cold water fish ie: barramuni,murry cod,silver/golden perch if i can get these fish i will go this option if not i will need to look into setting the tank up for tropical fish i seen a few cheap loaches they look nice and active 

http://www.aquaone.co.uk/documents/12015018030px.pdf


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

there are quiet a few aussies using 4 foot tanks for these fish i dont mind starting from scrach every 2 years after the fish gets to big for my tank :wink: if i cant own those fish i would like some type of fish that actually looks like a fish (silver perch) is what looks like a good proportioned fish to me something like that would be ideal over say a cat fish etc.. so the probably with me going tropical is #1 the tank water might get over heated in summer i dont want to be forking out for a chiller #2 electricity running all the extra equipment i also want the fish to grow a good size no point having a big tank with guppies in it  i donno if u can link me to some nice fish i will sus them out and see if my LFS stocks them thanks for your help  its appreciated


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

Gazza, once again, let me say, PLEASE don't put LARGE fish like that into such a tank. That is cruel and as the fish get larger, (they grow very fast) the work in keeping it stable gets to be impossible... the fish suffer badly from pollution. Unless you have somewhere to send these fish when they reach more than 6 - 8 inches in length, they will surely die.
I have one suggestion, a tropical fish... but NOT AT ALL compatible with the one's you're so set on owning.
I will help you all I can, but will say up front, if you put a barramundi into a tank of that size, I will refuse any further help.
Would you consider something like this INSTEAD?
http://www.lilviv.com/pets/fish/commtank/aus_rain.jpg
Let me know, as I can suggest a few other species which will mix with the Australian rainbow quite nicely.


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

ok u have convinced me + LFS dont stock the fish i wanted im doing a quick search now heres a few a like

#1 Bolivian Ram 
#2 Bala Shark (i seen a few simular to these in the shopso there avaliable)
#3 Blue Ram 
#4 Calvus
#5 Cherry Barb 
#6 Chilumba Cichlid 
#7 Clown Loach 
#8 Discus
#9 Peacock Cichlid
#10 Grant's Peacock Cichlid
#11 Mason Peacock Cichlid 
i havent done much research on these fish i just went thru the "find a fish" link above all these fish from 1-11 i can see in my aquarium but to single out a few i really like are the following 1,3,6,7,9,11 ive noticed some have the same or multipal names? but those fish above are what i can see my self growing if my LFS stocks them and they are suited to my conditions (hot aussie weather) with no water chiller


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## jlynch76 (Nov 17, 2006)

those are all nice fish just check on compatiabilaty. the ram and the discus make a good match (low ph). peacocks togeather. the calvus could go with the peacocks but not recomended. the rest are okay clown loaches like packs. Chilumba Cichlid is malawi probably to aggresive for peacocks but calvus might be okay again most wont recomend mixing lakes. good luck check out http://www.cichlid-forum.com for cichlid info.


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

As mentioned, these fish would be much better suited for your tank, but you cannot mix them all together. Of those listed as your favorites, also, they can't be mixed all together in 1 tank.
If you're concerned with high temp issues, I will suggest working with the discus & rams. These fish need soft water, (lower pH) and higher temps (84 - 86 degrees fahrenheit). The peacocks like hard water, but not quite so high a temp.... 76-78 degrees.
I will suggest skipping the bala shark, as again you are dealing with a fish that can reach 14 inches... and the cherry barb & clown loaches would need a peaceful tank with the lower temperatures... so not mixable with the others you listed.
Basic breakdown: discus, rams together, ok
peacock cichlids together, ok
calvus, chilumba together, maybe
clown loach, cherry barb together, ok
bala shark, i'd skip this one unless the tank will be replaced with something much larger within the first year.
The best to tolerate the high temps, discus/rams combo
Does this help?


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## trreherd (Aug 7, 2006)

I wonder if he could do parana in that tank and maybe eels, that would be an aggresive tank.
thats to bad you dont like small fish
because my favorit combo is a school of neon tetras a school of glass cats a school of corry cats and some marble hatchets maybe in that big tank you could do a school af tiger barbs with some live plants and driftwood. oh ya that would be sweet


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

Once again we are talking about fish that get very large, very fast, and that tank would only hold them for a short time. Piranah get to be 10 inches in diameter, and will grow really fast, and eels... not compatible with piranah.
Piranah will eat anything else you attempt to keep with them, including plecos.
For eels, that would be a matter of finding the right type of eel, which can be challenging. Many eels will need brackish and saltwater environments. The few fresh water eels easily obtained (in some places) are sand dwelling, and will still get quite large... 8 - 14 inches, depending on species. Eels will eat what they can catch, also. The freshwater species of eel will spend most of their time buried in the sand, usually only their head will be visible, and they are very shy. If you're looking for something to watch, eels would be the last thing I'd suggest.
Once again, the trick here is to get fish that won't get overly large unless you can provide a larger tank for them within the first year or so.
Tiger barbs would be a good idea, especially because you will get a lot of activity, a lot of color, and they are not "small" fish. (3 - 4 inches full grown is average) 
One option for a barb that would get along with australlian rainbows is the denisoni barb. These get a bit larger, 5 - 6 inches full grown. http://images.google.com/imgres?img...firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N
A few of these with a few australian rainbows, lots of plants, that could be a gorgeous tank long term. Just watch how many you put in there... I wouldn't put more than 5 - 6 fish total into a tank of that size.


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

alright i filled my tank two days ago left the pumps running since the tank has been filled i took my neice and nephews to buy some gold fish they come home with one each they were very excited about it now they have left and now i need to tell them one of there gold fish died the remaning 3 were very active once put into the tank 20mins later there all sitting on the bottom like there resting? one is laying on its side giving a bit of a flick every now and again (this is the one pretty much dead) could this be i didnt let the water sit for long enough or could it have been stress from the drive home? 
i also filled my filters out of the 6 filter trays 2 have activated carbon the other 4 have ceramic noodles i am yet to get a few more things in my LFS there was a huge range of fish but i didnt see many names that stod out 
seen a few of the following
ram (one type forgot the name)
shark (pink fins)
calvus (these looked nice)  
all kinds of cichlids
few types of clown loachs
discus
but the best thing is i found a local breeder very close and cheap enough for my wallet with the following if i can set up my tank and keep gold fish alive i will more than likely buy from this breeder 
frontosa (very nice looking fish)
geophagus jurpari 
calvus
Firefin


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

I doubt the problem with the goldfish is that the water hasn't sat long enough. Let me ask a few questions... and anytime you post with a problem, the more information you give us, the faster we can help.
Did you clean the tank before filling it? What did you use to clean it?
Did you use water conditioner in the water after you filled the tank?
What is the water temp?
What type of acclimation did you do when you brought the fish home?
How many fish total did you put into the tank?
Have you attempted to feed the fish? What kind of food, how much?
Are there any decorations in the tank?
Is there gravel at the bottom? Any type of substrate?
Were the fish you purchased "feeder goldfish"?
Have you purchased test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH?
Can you please post the exact test results for those listed above? (most LFS's will test the water for you, but you'll need to ask them to write down the EXACT results and the brand name of the test kits they used, and what kind of test kits they used <strip test, liquid test, dry tab test>)
As for the list of fish you provided in your last post... again, not all of those are compatible. We will do our best to help you sort them out, but it would be helpful if you could select 1 or 2 that you REALLY want.


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

#1 yep i clean the tank with plain tap water and a new washing sponge (unused in the packet)
#2 no water conditioner i was told and read on these forums if i let the water sit for a few days the chlorine will evaporate?
#3 im not sure on the water temp will let u know later on tonight
sat the bag in the water for a couple of minutes than let abit of the tank water into the bag than released the fish into the tank
#4 four fish i thought this was enough
#5 i fed the fish a tinny sprinkle of flake gold fish food (fish were already on the bottom before this feed)
#6 no decorations yet i want the fish to get use to the tank as if there still in the plain 4 sided glass tanks in the pet shop
#7 no gravel for same reason above
#8 the fish were just named "commets"
#9 i dont have those meters just yet but will be getting them before tropical fish go into the tank

thanks for the speedy reply  i dont plan on keeping these fish there only to cycle the tank after this instead of killing them or using them as food i will give them away for another persons tank


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

gazza2006au said:


> #1 yep i clean the tank with plain tap water and a new washing sponge (unused in the packet)
> #2 no water conditioner i was told and read on these forums if i let the water sit for a few days the chlorine will evaporate?
> #3 im not sure on the water temp will let u know later on tonight
> sat the bag in the water for a couple of minutes than let abit of the tank water into the bag than released the fish into the tank
> ...


Ok, let me follow your number system to keep this simple
1) Plain water is the best thing to use for a NEW tank, but a used tank could have many different kinds of contaminants in it. Any type of chemical that the pervious owner might have used would leave a residue on the glass and in the silicone seals, thus making the water put in toxic to fish. Anytime you are dealing with a used tank that you don't know where it's been, it is best to always clean it good with the bleach solution I mentioned in an earlier post. This will help to ensure that your tank is "fish safe"
2)Water conditioner is a MUST! Letting the water stand will, indeed, allow for the chlorine to evaporate, but this will do nothing for the CHLORAMINE. 
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_chlorine.htm This is a good explaination for you.
3)Knowing the temp in a tank is very important BEFORE adding fish. One "dip" of water to the existing water in the bag isn't enough to properly acclimate the fish to a new environment. Your tank water will differ greatly from the water in the bag. Once fish are put into a bag, oxygen levels are limited, ammonia levels rise quickly, and water temp changes quickly. Too fast of a change will throw the fish's body into a state of shock, and this is usually lethal.
4) This is a good number.
5) Did the food simply fall to the bottom of the tank, uneaten? Any food not eaten within the first 1 - 2 minutes will begin to decompose, and pollute the tank water quickly. The first stage of waste is ammonia. Without enough bacteria to break the ammonia down (the nitrogen cycle, explained here: http://hofferstropiclife.com/nitcycle.htm), the ammonia, being highly toxic, will effect the fish.
6) No decorations at all will cause stress. The fish will find nowhere to "hide" and being in a new environment, plus the move from one tank to another, being in a bag, and change of conditions... all very very stressful to ANY fish.
7) With no substrate in the tank, and filter media being brand new, there is nowhere for a healthy bacteria level to grow except in the filter media, which tanks time. With only filter media in a tank of that size, the bacteria culture is very limited on how much space there is to reproduce.
8) Comets are a standard "feeder" goldfish, and with your description of the store tank they came from, these fish are not properly cared for as "pet fish" in any LFS. The purpose behind them is to feed other fish/animals. LFS's tend to way over stock those tanks, meaning the waste levels are usually quite high all the time. These fish are also not in the LFS tanks for very long, and many LFS's will usually have a "feeder tank" set up to make it easier to catch them, count them, add new ones when the numbers go down. Feeder fish are not usually the healthiest fish to begin with, and are raised in overstocked ponds in a breeding facility. Care is not usually taken to see that they are disease free, well fed, or fed properly.
9) You'll be needing those test kits long before you get tropicals into the tank. The only way to be sure the tank has completely cycled is by testing the water for the levels I mentioned (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)
Without testing the water, there will be no way to determine if it's safe enough to add your tropical stock safely.
Things that may help at this point:
Add substrate
Add water conditioner, be careful not to overdose it... too much of a good thing is no good.
Add decorations, which will help reduce stress levels in the fish by providing them territory and places to hide.
Check temp... goldfish need cold water to stay healthy... anything over 70 degrees fahrenheit is dangerous... too much over 70 and it's deadly to goldfish.
Stop feeding for the first 3 days to allow the fish to adjust and be in a condition to actually eat the food offered. Stressed fish will not usually eat.
If the current fish die, you may wish to add a new set of 4, but acclimate them properly before putting them into the tank. Float the bag closed for 5 - 10 minutes, which will allow the temp to adjust gradually, avoiding shock. After 10 minutes, open the bag and roll down the top, allowing it to float in the tank water without sinking. Add a small splash of tank water to the bag EVERY 3 - 4 MINUTES for 15 - 20 minutes, until the water in the bag has at least doubled. If the LFS fills the bag too full, then take a bit out and throw it down the drain to make room for your tank water to go in slowly. In the store we call this procedure "dipping" the fish. One dip isn't enough to alter the water chemistry enough to make it close to that in your tank, close enough for the fish to easily adjust.
With goldfish, you may also find it useful to add an air stone to the tank, especially if the temp is above 70. The warmer the water the less oxygen in it, and goldfish consume more oxygen than the "tropicals" will. 
Also, if there are lights over the tank, turn them off for a few days. This also will help to reduce the stress levels of the fish.
IF you find you need to start again with new goldfish, please decorate and add substrate to the tank before bringing the fish home, and please check the water params to make sure that ammonia levels in the tank have not gone so high that the water is extremely toxic and cannot sustain the fish.
If a 2nd batch of fish dies, then I would suggest emptying the tank and cleaning it throughly with a solution of 1/2 cup of bleach to 1 cup of water as I described in an earlier post in this thread.
Good Luck and keep us posted!


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

well i had a nap this arvo woke up with all 4 fish dead  i have removed the fish and replaced the water i have left the pumps running (power heads) with both attached hoses for airation tomorrow i will buy the gravel and water conditioner the following day i will return to my LFS and buy a single gold fish this should give the water conditioner enough time to circulate thru the complete tank/system and do its job i will use ur advice and see how i go i also read ur above links i will try to find a water conditioner that removes or deals with chlorine,chloramine,ammonia i think this was the problem that killed my gold fish within a few hours i have also tested my tap water a few months ago with my PH and TDS pens i do have these pens but they are not avaliable to be used for my fish tank 
tap water is roughly inbetween 7-7.5
and TDS reads inbetween 50-80 PPM


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## love_my_fish (Sep 17, 2006)

bettababy said:


> I am guessing your tank is approximately 55 gallons?


I did a conversion 360 L = approx. 95 gallons

I like the pirahna idea


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

thanks for the conversion love_my_fish i forgot about that question  
and i dont think pirahna's are legally sold in australia?


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

In 95 gallons, you'd only really have room for 1, maybe 2 piranah... those would be the only fish in the tank.... if that's what interests you, I can coach about that, but will warn, they are a lot of work. That, like the goldfish or even oscars... VERY VERY MESSY fish, add in aggressive, territorial, and with teeth as sharp as razor blades... not everyone is fond of them. The other issue I have seen with piranah is that they lose the "pretty color" as they age, they are simply a gray fish, sort of boring to watch, EXTREMELY SHY, and they eat a lot. Most piranah spend a good part of their time hiding.


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

nah there not my type of fish... i have had 1 oscar years ago i dont really want that type of fish again so a tropical community tank is my aim :wink: i went back to my LFS not to buy more fish but to pick up the propper water treating chemicals ended up buying these two 

Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Stress Zyme
and 
Aqua Plus, Tap water conditioner

i also found a cheap fresh water master test kit to test 
ph
high range ph
ammonia
nitrite
nitrate
i will get this in a week or so and i have been told by the lady at my LFS she will not sell me any more fish untill next weekend shes giving me 7 days to add the two bottles of chemicals above before i can buy more fish haha


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## Kathryn (Sep 10, 2006)

Rams are beautiful fish, very calm and peaceful, so try not to put them with TOO lively a fish. If there are other fish in the tank constantly active, they may get stressed. :wink: 

But i definately recommend Rams, as they're fairly easy to keep, and are gorgeous looking fish.  

Please keep us posted on any updates.


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

The rams would also work with the discus, and both would thrive in the warmer temps, but make sure its soft water. pH should be between 6.5 and 7.0 to keep the discus healthy, and while rams can sometimes tolerate the higher pH, they will usually thrive when it's in that same range.
With rams and discus, you'd have a few big fish with a few small fish... lots of color, lots of personality... and so long as you don't overstock the tank, not too difficult to care for.


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

yeah i like the rams  what else is compatable with cichlids and discus? i picked up some (new) river gravel from a local land scaping store today they said the same stock of pebbles were used in there water features and ponds on display (with fish in them) so gave them a good clean i washed untill it was all clear water and in they went they only had two colours the normal fresh water river colour (brown'ish mixed colours) and white the white i wanted but was a little to dirty i didnt think there was so much dirt in the bags pitty i would have takin the white i hope the fish i buy appreciate the colour of the pebbles lol
as soon as i can keep some fish in the tank alive and happy plus some back ground and features in the tank i will keep u up to date with pictures i might even post pictures as i go along :wink:


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## bettababy (Oct 12, 2006)

Thats great gazza, we'd love to see more pics!
HHHmmm, other cichlids? I'd look at any of the dwarf cichlids, but be careful not to add too many if you're planning to keep discus... dwarf cichlids need space and territory, too.
I'd stay away from any other kind of cichlids if you're planning rams and discus, anything other than the dwarfs will tear apart your discus and eat your rams.
I won't try to post links, but will suggest you do a search online for "dwarf cichlids" and browse them, then see if your LFS has the species you like for sale.
1 other option would be cardinal tetras, but be sure to keep them in a large group of their own kind.


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## jlynch76 (Nov 17, 2006)

i am mostly a tang lake lover. a 95 would make a great community tang tank (easier to community tang than community malawi). Calvus are some of my favorites (have three) along with shellies (have 4 golds) and can work in a 95 with quite a few others. From what I now frontosa work best as a species tank and definatly dont go with the calvus. also if you do what i have seperate rock pile on one side and shell pile on other. 

also check your tap water ie ph, hardness... (LFS will do this for you) I say this because if you want less complications and deaths match the fish to the water in your tap not the tap water to the fish you get... i live in michigan extremly hard water, decently high ph tape at 7.6 ish so african chiclids are an easy match. if it was the opposite like soft and 6.2ish the discuss or rams (S and N American Cichlids) would be great... hope this helps good luck!


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

thanks all info is welcome and appreciated :wink: well it has been 1 week from the time i put in the chlorine/chloramine and stress coat chemicals so i went and bought 4 more gold fish yesteday they have been in the tank for 24 hours and all are alive and really loving the roomie tank :thumbsup: they are settling in very well today they have been very sociable and getting into abit of a frenzy when i fed them but all is well they look to be in great shape ive noticed the more white comets are more prone to new conditions? i will take some pictures when i can


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

here are a few pictures i promissed 

white light on








red light on








gold fish there about 7-8cm


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## Lupin (Aug 2, 2006)

Nice fish and tank, Gazza.:welldone:


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## gazza2006au (Nov 14, 2006)

thanks Blue, i plan on putting in 4 more gold fish in the next few days


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