Everything needed for tank maintenence?

Hello I was wondering, what are all the items needed for tank maintenance? Just so I have everything ready before actually buying anything.

So far I've got the following down:

A tank obviously
Filter
Pump
Heater
Water conditioner
An aquarium safe cleaner
A testing kit
Some sort of gravel vacuum? Not so sure on what exactly that is.
Extra ammonia

I am 100% sure I'm missing some stuff. Anyone knows anything else needed? And have any suggestions on what brands suit best for these?

Thanks!

 

Don't forget liquid fertilizer or root tabs, if you are planning on doing a planted tank.

 

A algea scraper for the glass if you get algea. (You probably will, most new tanks get it)
If you plan on having any plants, aquascaping scissors are always nice for trimming plants.
Rags. You can always use rags when you have fish tanks. I guarantee it. I go to home depot and buy a big pack of Terry towels from the paint isle.
What kind of filter do you plan on using?

 

Oh, I completely forgot to mention, you may also find airline tubing helpful for drip acclimation

 

A algea scraper for the glass if you get algea. (You probably will, most new tanks get it)
If you plan on having any plants, aquascaping scissors are always nice for trimming plants.
Rags. You can always use rags when you have fish tanks. I guarantee it. I go to home depot and buy a big pack of Terry towels from the paint isle.
What kind of filter do you plan on using?

Thanks! I'll make sure to look for those items. As for the filter, I'm not entirely sure on which brands to use I'm hoping to get a 30-gallon filter for a 20-gallon tank, that's one of the reasons on why I posted this. Any suggestions on good brands?

Don't forget liquid fertilizer or root tabs, if you are planning on doing a planted tank.

Okay thanks! I'm not entirely sure if I'll be using real plants or just silk. I'll be looking into it more.

 

You forgot an account at Fishlore...
A gravel vac is just one of those siphon hoses with a larger end attached to one side.
Water conditioner kinda depends on your source water... tap for sure, well maybe, bottled nah. Obviously we have questions... what are you wanting to keep? Are fish pets or food? I think they're both

 

Thanks! I'll make sure to look for those items. As for the filter, I'm not entirely sure on which brands to use I'm hoping to get a 30-gallon filter for a 20-gallon tank, that's one of the reasons on why I posted this. Any suggestions on good brands?

Aquaclear is what I suggest. Imo best hob you can buy, and you can basically put whatever you want in it.

 

Went searching online for some stuff and tell me what you think about these.

Algae-scraper: https://www.amazon.com/API-SCRAPER-...94219381&sprefix=Algae+sc,aps,161&sr=8-5&th=1

Water conditioner: https://www.amazon.com/API-STRESS-A...prefix=Water+conditioner,pets,193&sr=1-6&th=1

Test kit: API máster test kit

Thermometer: https://www.amazon.com/jcreate-Ther...=Tank+thermometer&qid=1594216198&sr=8-14&th=1


OR

https://www.amazon.com/Zacro-Aquari...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VG9KW09FB67GAJQMRG6J

Not sure why the price difference is so high. The first looks better, but isn’t water proof, while the second is much cheaper, pack of two and is water proof, but looks like something very old.

Ammonia: https://www.amazon.com/DrTims-Aquat...pY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU&th=1

not sure if that was the best, but only good one I could find.

Siphon:
https://www.amazon.com/Laifoo-Aquar...aWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1

I’m still looking for good filters, air pumps and everything else. This is what I’ve got down. Currently I can’t go inside any store because of the circumstances outside. So that’s why I’m on amazon.

Tell me if you have any brands which you like better, or if I got anything down wrong.

 

Probably one of the most useful items: buckets. Lol. I have (5) 5 gallon buckets dedicated to fish stuff.

 

Okay thanks! I'm not entirely sure if I'll be using real plants or just silk. I'll be looking into it more.

Live plants definitely make the tank look livelier! Lol. Plus they improve water quality. If you do decide to use real plants, you'll need an light that can grow plants. I can't recommend the best plant light as I'm just starting out, but maybe someone else can?

Even if you decide to go with silk plants, a light makes viewing fish nicer. A hood/lid for your aquarium would prevent the fish from jumping out.

 

I would ditch the Stress coat water conditioner and go with Seachem Prime instead. Its concentrated and it makes Ammonia and Nitrites harmless to fish if under 1ppm. This is beneficial if you ever have a spike after you are cycled.

 

Live plants definitely make the tank look livelier! Lol. Plus they improve water quality. If you do decide to use real plants, you'll need an light that can grow plants. I can't recommend the best plant light as I'm just starting out, but maybe someone else can?

Even if you decide to go with silk plants, a light makes viewing fish nicer. A hood/lid for your aquarium would prevent the fish from jumping out.

I’m not sure if there are any live plant sellers near me, if there aren’t I’ll have to order online (if there’s an option). Do live plants ever make the tank foggy?

 

I’m not sure if there are any live plant sellers near me, if there aren’t I’ll have to order online (if there’s an option). Do live plants ever make the tank foggy?

So far (in my experience of approximately one planted tank ) they did, but only for 1 day. I used Eco-complete as my substrate and I didn't rinse it as I heard the liquid in the bag contained beneficial bacteria. B/c of this, everytime I moved a plant around or stuck it in the substrate, a cloud of "dust" would go everywhere. If you rinse it however, the reviews say that it should cloud VERY minimally for a very short amount of time.

If there is a massive melting of plants, it could also foul up the water, but this should be fixed by partial water changes. Plants dying/melting as they adjust to your water parameters is often because they are farmed above water in order for the plant farmers to save space/time.

 

Hello I was wondering, what are all the items needed for tank maintenance? Just so I have everything ready before actually buying anything.

So far I've got the following down:

A tank obviously
Filter
Pump
Heater
Water conditioner
An aquarium safe cleaner
A testing kit
Some sort of gravel vacuum? Not so sure on what exactly that is.
Extra ammonia

I am 100% sure I'm missing some stuff. Anyone knows anything else needed? And have any suggestions on what brands suit best for these?

Thanks!

For the gravel vacuum, I recommend the Top Fin one, as it has done great for me. It works as a siphon to remove water and you place the end tube in the gravel to clean it.

I’m not sure if there are any live plant sellers near me, if there aren’t I’ll have to order online (if there’s an option). Do live plants ever make the tank foggy?

You can totally order plants online, and I feel like there is a better selection than some LFS. You can look on YouTube for recent reviews on different online shops and what they sell. Plants don't make the water cloudy, but when you first get the tank it will appear cloudy for a little while. That is just because it is so new. Once it starts to establish it will naturally clear up.

 

For the gravel vacuum, I recommend the Top Fin one, as it has done great for me. It works as a siphon to remove water and you place the end tube in the gravel to clean it.

Ok thanks! I’ll go look at that one.

So far (in my experience of approximately one planted tank ) they did, but only for 1 day. I used Eco-complete as my substrate and I didn't rinse it as I heard the liquid in the bag contained beneficial bacteria. B/c of this, everytime I moved a plant around or stuck it in the substrate, a cloud of "dust" would go everywhere. If you rinse it however, the reviews say that it should cloud VERY minimally for a very short amount of time.

If there is a massive melting of plants, it could also foul up the water, but this should be fixed by partial water changes. Plants dying/melting as they adjust to your water parameters is often because they are farmed above water in order for the plant farmers to save space/time.

Ok thanks! Are there any special equipment needed for live plants other than liquid fertilizer and tabs?

 

I find tweezers very useful, i you can get a long pair or a pair of aquascaping tweezers they are great, sorry if someone has already said this i didnt see it

 

You might want to get an air pump, air stone, and airline tubing. that'll oxygenize the water (good for plants and fish).
You also will want a lid

 

I find tweezers very useful, i you can get a long pair or a pair of aquascaping tweezers they are great, sorry if someone has already said this i didnt see it

I don’t think anyone has said this yet. Someone had said scissors though. Thanks! I’ll go and look For those!

You might want to get an air pump, air stone, and airline tubing. that'll oxygenize the water (good for plants and fish).
You also will want a lid

Oh yes I forgot to add that to the list. thanks!

 

Ok thanks! Are there any special equipment needed for live plants other than liquid fertilizer and tabs?

You could totally go for a low-tech planted tank and does liquid Co2 (Such as API Co2 booster or Seachem Excel). If you're really willing to shell out a few bucks you can install a Co2 system but it isn't completely necessary (in my opinion). You should do some research before you decide between the two, especially since there are a few plants that don't like liquid Co2s. You'd also need to purchase a lid with lights meant specifically for aquarium plants.

On a side note, if you have a large enough tank and are considering adding in a clean up crew (Corys or some sort of Pleco) make sure that you're plants have strong roots before you add them so they aren't pushed around or uprooted

 

You could totally go for a low-tech planted tank and does liquid Co2 (Such as API Co2 booster or Seachem Excel). If you're really willing to shell out a few bucks you can install a Co2 system but it isn't completely necessary (in my opinion). You should do some research before you decide between the two, especially since there are a few plants that don't like liquid Co2s. You'd also need to purchase a lid with lights meant specifically for aquarium plants.

On a side note, if you have a large enough tank and are considering adding in a clean up crew (Corys or some sort of Pleco) make sure that you're plants have strong roots before you add them so they aren't pushed around or uprooted

OK, thanks for being so helpful! Do you have any recommendations for easier beginner live plants?

 

As a beginner myself, here are the easy plants that I picked out after literally *hours* of research. This is assuming that the tank you are planning is a tropical freshwater aquarium:

1: Marimo Moss Ball. Cool looking balls of green, and shrimp love to pick algae and food out of them. Every once in a while you have to turn them over and squeeze them. This allows exposure to all sides and squeezing them gets the dirty water out of them.

2: Java Moss (another moss lol). This plant needs to be attached to rocks or driftwood using aquarium safe glue or fishing line. It creates a nice green carpet look. It works great as a hideout for baby shrimp or fry.

3: Amazon Sword. This vibrant plant gets pretty big and requires good fertilization and lighting; once it gets going though its practically unstoppable (at least it is in my aquarium). It will probably melt initially because it is often grown above water in plant farms.

4: Java fern. This plant is slow growing but low maintenance and pretty popular. It attaches to driftwood and rocks so make sure not to bury it as it will cause it to rot.

5: Vallisneria. There are lots of different varieties of different heights and widths but they are all essentially really tall grass. They are fast growing and form a canopy of blades of grass. They also really like root tabs

6: Water sprite!! This was basically the only plant in my aquarium that didn't melt! In fact it sent out new shoots the day after I set my aquarium up. (All of the others melted because of the sudden change in parameters but after a few days they're making a comeback ) Anyways, water sprite is a tall, bushy, and almost lacy plant. They grow fast, and trimming will definitely be needed unless you want you tank invaded lol.

All of the plants I listed are very common, and will be available online. I tried to remember as best as I could off of the top of my head, but make sure to do research on all of them so you know the exact requirements and parameters etc.

 

As a beginner myself, here are the easy plants that I picked out after literally *hours* of research. This is assuming that the tank you are planning is a tropical freshwater aquarium:

1: Marimo Moss Ball. Cool looking balls of green, and shrimp love to pick algae and food out of them. Every once in a while you have to turn them over and squeeze them. This allows exposure to all sides and squeezing them gets the dirty water out of them.

2: Java Moss (another moss lol). This plant needs to be attached to rocks or driftwood using aquarium safe glue or fishing line. It creates a nice green carpet look. It works great as a hideout for baby shrimp or fry.

3: Amazon Sword. This vibrant plant gets pretty big and requires good fertilization and lighting; once it gets going though its practically unstoppable (at least it is in my aquarium). It will probably melt initially because it is often grown above water in plant farms.

4: Java fern. This plant is slow growing but low maintenance and pretty popular. It attaches to driftwood and rocks so make sure not to bury it as it will cause it to rot.

5: Vallisneria. There are lots of different varieties of different heights and widths but they are all essentially really tall grass. They are fast growing and form a canopy of blades of grass. They also really like root tabs

6: Water sprite!! This was basically the only plant in my aquarium that didn't melt! In fact it sent out new shoots the day after I set my aquarium up. (All of the others melted because of the sudden change in parameters but after a few days they're making a comeback ) Anyways, water sprite is a tall, bushy, and almost lacy plant. They grow fast, and trimming will definitely be needed unless you want you tank invaded lol.

All of the plants I listed are very common, and will be available online. I tried to remember as best as I could off of the top of my head, but make sure to do research on all of them so you know the exact requirements and parameters etc.

Okay thanks for all your help!

I'm not sure one which one to choose yet, but maybe water sprite or Java fern? I'll need to do more research. But thanks for all the info and each, must've taken a lot of time! I'll look into each!

 

Hello I was wondering, what are all the items needed for tank maintenance? Just so I have everything ready before actually buying anything.

So far I've got the following down:

A tank obviously
Filter
Pump
Heater
Water conditioner
An aquarium safe cleaner
A testing kit
Some sort of gravel vacuum? Not so sure on what exactly that is.
Extra ammonia

I am 100% sure I'm missing some stuff. Anyone knows anything else needed? And have any suggestions on what brands suit best for these?

Thanks!

Just a couple of things not on the list and I don't think these have been mentioned?

Net
Thermometer (or two)

 

I've been reading and not sure if this has been said but spares! I'm quite OTT with it all but I run 2 tanks and I keep lots of spare thermometer/heaters/air pumps/air stones/light/filter/water ETC (I use RO so I stock up).

You probably will not end up needing to use it, or at least not maximise the use of anything spare, but if the pandemic has taught me anything, it sure is keeping spares of vital equipment. Again, I do a bit of an overkill with the spares but it also saves me the trouble of waiting around for spares, especially in an emergency.

 

Just a couple of things not on the list and I don't think these have been mentioned?

Net
Thermometer (or two)

Oh my gosh I forgot to add those on the list I thought I did whoops.

 

I've been reading and not sure if this has been said but spares! I'm quite OTT with it all but I run 2 tanks and I keep lots of spare thermometer/heaters/air pumps/air stones/light/filter/water ETC (I use RO so I stock up).

You probably will not end up needing to use it, or at least not maximise the use of anything spare, but if the pandemic has taught me anything, it sure is keeping spares of vital equipment. Again, I do a bit of an overkill with the spares but it also saves me the trouble of waiting around for spares, especially in an emergency.

Plus, if you start building up spares, it makes it easier to make emergency short term tanks if you have fish not getting along or getting sick. That's how I was able to setup a hospital tank with only buying a tank. Lol