Clueless With Keeping Fish

Hello everyone.
I am a novice to keeping fish.
I am setting up a tank for myself and my granddaughter's interest.
I have purchased an AquadistrI Superfish Home 110 which is a modern tank quoted as 118 litres.
I have followed all the instructions including biological and tap-safe treatments, and temperature stabilisation; ornaments, an extra filter pump, artificial plants etc.
In a few days it will be ready for fish but I don't have a clue how to proceed.
Can any of you good people give me advice on which tropical fish to buy and the quantities?
Here are my restrictions:-
Need to be affordable as my budget is limited.
Need to remain fairly small.
Colourful and interesting is good.
Low maintenance maybe.
I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks.

 

Male guppies are one of my favs. They come in all colors and stay small. Just don't get any females unless u want lots of babies. Theyre also very hardy. I also like mystery snails and nerite snails. Do u know about the nitrogen cycle? How do u plan on cycling the tank?

 

Before you add any fish you should study the nitrogen cycle extensively. There are many conflicting opinions and it is important to choose a plan carefully and then make sure you follow the instructions for that plan very carefully. It is easy to get confused with multiple opinions and different procedures for different processes.

The safest is the "fishless" process. That requires patience. It can take 3 to 6 weeks, sometimes more. But if you mess up, you do not kill any fish.

Lots of nitrogen cycle threads and information here. Reviewing a few of these will give you a sense of the process. You will see lots of stories of cycles gone bad and dead fish.

https://www.fishlore.com/aquariumfishforum/forums/aquarium-nitrogen-cycle.101/
Putting fish in after just a few days can be done, but it has risks and you have to be really vigilant about monitoring and treating the tank in accordance with whatever process you are using.

I am 16 days into a fishless cycling process and am still not ready to add fish. I was hoping for this weekend, but looks more like next week. Might even be the following week.

cjcboy

Another thing about the fishless cycle is that it give you lots of time to research fish. I have been through several ideas and I still do not know exactly what I will do for sure. Probably will not know for sure until I go to the fish store.

The yellow plastic plant in the background was the plant I found him in if that helps

Thank you, I will add a picture of what my filters intake looks like..is there anyway of making it safer? I wasn’t aware that a gourami would be capable of that

This is my filter

 

Welcome to Fishlore, sorry you're not ready for fish yet as your tank needs to cycle properly and get the proper bacteria to support any fish you add. You need to research fishless nitrogen cycle.

 

Just remember it takes 3-8 weeks to cycle your tank before fish to be added.

 

Nitrogen Cycle

 

Since everyone else has told you about the nitrogen cycle, I'll skip that part and get right to your question about stocking. If you want easy and inexpensive I'd suggest starting with danios. There are several varieties, and some are of course more difficult to find and more expensive, but any place that sells aquarium fish should have one or two of the less expensive varieties. Black Skirt tetras are also easy to find, inexpensive, and relatively hardy. There are many varieties of tetras, with some of them, like neons, being more flashy than others. The neons can also be bought for a few dollars, but sometimes aren't as hardy as the other varieties. I'm not saying not to get them, but just be aware that you may lose some. That's of course true for all fish anyway.

Corydoras catfish are another good option for beginners, and the plainer varieties are inexpensive. All of these fish I mentioned are schooling fish, and will do better in groups. The size of the group will vary depending on variety, but all of them will likely do better in groups of at least 5.

Platys, mollies, and swordtails are all easy inexpensive fish, but they're also all live-bearers, so you will likely have offspring to deal with. That's less likely with the fish I recommended above. You may still get a few offspring, but in much smaller numbers.

There are several fish (like plecostomus) that are often sold to beginners that will quickly become too large for the average aquarium. Be sure to research the mature size when considering all fish.

 

JettsPapa was kind enough to address the questions you asked rather than lecturing you about the nitrogen cycle like I did. So I will add my two cents on that subject. With the disclaimer that I am a newbie so take whatever I say with a grain of salt.

I would start with a theme. Once you have a theme you can begin researching the fish that go with that theme. See if they like similar water parameters (temperature and ph).

For the 40 gallon tank I am currently cycling, I am planning a moderately planted tank with a school of small fish maybe tetras or rasboras and few larger fish, perhaps gouramis and some bottom feeders, maybe cories or otos.

There is information on this site that will help you learn about different kinds of fish.

https://www.fishlore.com/freshwaterfish.htm

 

Thanks everyone for you replies.
If I had not joined this forum, and asked for help, then I would surely have "gone off half-cocked"and ended up killing my new fish.
I can see that I need to do some homework on the nitrogen cycle and cycling my tank.
I will do this before I buy any fish, but thanks for the information on varieties.
I wonder how many enthusiastic novices end up having a bad experience.
Cheers

 

I wonder how many enthusiastic novices end up having a bad experience.

Lots
Read some threads in the cycling section and you will see many tales of woe.
You are smart to have gotten here early.

 

Thanks everyone for you replies.
If I had not joined this forum, and asked for help, then I would surely have "gone off half-cocked"and ended up killing my new fish.
I can see that I need to do some homework on the nitrogen cycle and cycling my tank.
I will do this before I buy any fish, but thanks for the information on varieties.
I wonder how many enthusiastic novices end up having a bad experience.
Cheers

I don't know, but I suspect a large number (with me included).

 

I also want to cover a few other bases such as temperature, substrate, and filtration. The tank looks to be a good size for a beginner, roughly the same dimensions as a 29gal tank which provides many options for stocking. It comes with the filter and heater right? Most fish require warmer temps around 76-82F or 24-29C. The temperature needed depends on what fish you want.

Soon as you start looking for the fish that catch your eye do some researching on each species to find out their requirements. If you want some sort of bottom feeder then be sure to have a soft substrate, sand is a very good universal substrate. It's affordable and looks nice, many fish appreciate sand over gravel as well. I use cheap play sand and pool filter sand found at the local hardware stores.

Generally for communities tanks the stocking consists of 3 types. Bottom feeders, schooling species, and a larger "centerpiece" fish. Bottom feeders like a school (6+) of kuhlI loaches or corydoras would do well in that sized tank. A single bristlenose pleco or other small pleco would also do well. A school of danios, tetras, barbs, small rainbows, or rasboras would add some nice activity and color to the tank. Then you can add the centerpiece fish, which could be a single fish are a group. So perhaps some platies, a group of honey gourami, a pair of dwarf cichlids, the list goes on. Perhaps see what fish are available near you, make a list of the species that catch your eye then do some researching at home. You want the fish to be good for your tank setup but also be compatible for keeping together.

 

If you want some sort of bottom feeder then be sure to have a soft substrate, sand is a very good universal substrate.

I made this mistake. I bought Eco-Complete which is supposed to be good for plants. Now I have come to understand that it is not friendly to bottom feeders. Had I known that, I would have gone with sand or a fine gravel. So not I have to live with what I have or replace the substrate. Replacing the substrate will a waste of what I spent and might set my cycling process back.

 

Cant say it enough, the most important thing is what you can't see, the beneficial bacteria that break down the fishes waste (ammonia). Get a good water parameter test kit, and know what you are measuring. PH and total alkalinity and water hardness are important too, if you want the fish to thrive, and maybe even breed. Don't be intimidated, it's really quite simple once you learn . You have come to the right place!

 

I agree with danios and tetras. Many different varieties and plenty can be had for less than $2.00 per fish.

 

I'm not familiar with the filter in your tank kit, but you can save money (in WV, USA at least) by using reusable sponges (squeeze & rinse) and/or chemical-free polyester floss. It is cheaper compared to the monthly disposable cartridges (changed monthly due to the carbon inside).

Sponges may vary in how big the 'pores' (the holes inside the sponge) are. The finer the pores, the smaller 'dirt' that will be caught, and the sooner you may have to rinse clean.

You can also use polyester filter floss (such as 'loose pillow stuffing' or as a 'batting' for quilts); as long as the polyester has absolutely no added chemicals, such as to be less flammable to fire. It is 'finer' than the sponges and can be bought cheaply in bulk.
Some individuals (like myself) don't worry about using carbon too often for everyday use.

A smaller hospital/quarantine tank can help avoid and address problems, for both plants and livestock. A quarantine tank is useful to avoid 'unwanted pests' (like my snails) from my live plants, to isolate a fish, or to separate and treat a sick fish.

For lower maintainance, some (but certainly not all) of the factors are the stocking (the number of livestock added) and to avoid overfeeding the fish.

I learned the hard way to make sure all fish food (not to mention chemicals) are out of children's reach.

My experience is with a 10 gallon guppy tank, with a reusable 'medium-fine' sponge I squeeze and rinse throughly in un-chlorinated water. My quarantine tank has come in handy a few times already.