Starting over again......

Hey guys I have long away from fish keeping. Due to some other responsibility. I gave away my aquarium and fishes to new enthusiasts.
But now I am starting over again with fresh water fishes...
What is your suggetion what type of aquarium should I do.

 

Hi manjit.

I humbly suggest you figure out you want stocking and go from there. What do you like ? Live bearers ? Cichlids ? Oddball fish? Schooling fish.

Do you want a planted tank ? Or a goldfish tank?
What’s available to you locally or can you source online ?

Once you know what fish you want , it’s easier to choose a tank size and style, you can start your cycle as you scape it and get it how you want it to look then add your fish when ready.

 

I got into fish keeping when i was a kid...
I did it for 20 years. Then had to stop.
I did a whole lots of type of aquarium.
But now after 5 years when i am restarting i am confused...
I have done live bearers, chichlids, goldfish, inverts, planted.
Betta tank.
Now I am not getting any new idea what to do.

 

Do you like shrimp ? Or maybe apistogramma’s in a black water set up. Maybe a brackish puffer fish? You have the knowledge and experience to do it.

Does breeding interest you or are you in the been there , done that group ?

 

Do you like shrimp ? Or maybe apistogramma’s in a black water set up. Maybe a brackish puffer fish? You have the knowledge and experience to do it.

Does breeding interest you or are you in the been there , done that group ?

No, I donot get shrimps much around.
Yes I have done breeding not in a aquarium but I a pond. All natural....
Yes apistogrammas in black water setup would look neat....
I am thinking of building a aquarium dining table or coffe table(DIY STYLE).
What do you think.

 

I think that sounds amazing if you can make it work !!

id choose a confident school of smaller fish for that though if it were me . black water would maybe not suit that set up aesthetically , that’s before you think about using it / the fish getting scared from foot traffic/ people using it as a table etc. but I’ve seen some very attractive styles like that.

I’m sure you know to do your research anyway on the set up, but black water tanks tend to be more about the fish and what they need rather than what the owner finds pleasing and has its own challenges due to low parameters. There’s some extremely knowledgable black water people on here that could offer much more of an incite than me , if that’s the way you way you want to go

 

It would also depend what your local water parameters are, knowing this could help with narrowing the options down somewhat.

 

My best advice is to buy the largest tank you can afford and you have room for in your house.
Look for longer tanks over shorter tanks in length.
For example I would prefer a 20 gallon long over a 55 gallon standard tank. Bigger is better and you cannot up-size once you buy. I made this mistake lately.
So go big. Big as you can.
Don't forget you will need a top and a light fixture.

Consider filtration. HOB? Canister? Buy good stuff. I like Aquaclear HOB's. I am running 4 at this very moment. Buy bigger (More GPH) than suggested by the internet and retailers. It makes all the difference in the world. Also HOB's are great for modifications to suit any circumstance.
Pick a good quality heater as well. Maybe an air pump? Power strip? GFCI receptacle or GFCI power strip? Think through every process in this application. Then act on the resulting findings.

Buy a stand thats made for your tank. The exact stand for your tank. And make 100% sure it has leveling feet. Its mush easier to set a tank with adjustable feet.
The Imagitarium Brooklyn Series stands are what I use and I recommend them highly.

Consider maintenance. How you will do regular water changes. Buckets? Python? You will be doing things to your tank and water changes are crucial for success. So figure out how and what equipment will you need for this regular task.

I don't think figuring out what fish you want to keep is at the top of the list. At least not if you go with my suggestions above. My suggestions will be more than adequate for most any fish in the hobby including cichlids.
Good luck and most important. Have fun.

 

Since you have fish keeping experience my suggestion is to take your time deciding what you want to get. No need to rush just to get something going. I've always found the planning phase most exciting!

 

I don't think figuring out what fish you want to keep is at the top of the list. At least not if you go with my suggestions above. My suggestions will be more than adequate for most any fish in the hobby including cichlids.
Good luck and most important. Have fun.

i know we all have different opinions , and that’s fine , but if you naturally have hard water it’s easier to find the fish you like that suit your water. If you buy a 10G then decide you want haps, it’s not going to happen in that tank. I do think it’s helpful to know what you are looking at keeping before you buy a tank for the fish you want.

if you want a betta you can buy a 5G but you’re not likely to keep a pair of apisto’s In one.

I do agree longer is better than taller though. But again filtration can be species dependant.

 

i know we all have different opinions , and that’s fine , but if you naturally have hard water it’s easier to find the fish you like that suit your water. If you buy a 10G then decide you want haps, it’s not going to happen in that tank. I do think it’s helpful to know what you are looking at keeping before you buy a tank for the fish you want.

if you want a betta you can buy a 5G but you’re not likely to keep a pair of apisto’s In one.

I do agree longer is better than taller though. But again filtration can be species dependant.

I agree. Just my humble opinion.

 

My best advice is to buy the largest tank you can afford and you have room for in your house.
Look for longer tanks over shorter tanks in length.
For example I would prefer a 20 gallon long over a 55 gallon standard tank. Bigger is better and you cannot up-size once you buy. I made this mistake lately.
So go big. Big as you can.
Don't forget you will need a top and a light fixture.

Consider filtration. HOB? Canister? Buy good stuff. I like Aquaclear HOB's. I am running 4 at this very moment. Buy bigger (More GPH) than suggested by the internet and retailers. It makes all the difference in the world. Also HOB's are great for modifications to suit any circumstance.
Pick a good quality heater as well. Maybe an air pump? Power strip? GFCI receptacle or GFCI power strip? Think through every process in this application. Then act on the resulting findings.

Buy a stand thats made for your tank. The exact stand for your tank. And make 100% sure it has leveling feet. Its mush easier to set a tank with adjustable feet.
The Imagitarium Brooklyn Series stands are what I use and I recommend them highly.

Consider maintenance. How you will do regular water changes. Buckets? Python? You will be doing things to your tank and water changes are crucial for success. So figure out how and what equipment will you need for this regular task.

I don't think figuring out what fish you want to keep is at the top of the list. At least not if you go with my suggestions above. My suggestions will be more than adequate for most any fish in the hobby including cichlids.
Good luck and most important. Have fun.

For regular maintenance i will attach a hydraulic jack to the top as it is in car hood...
So it can be accessed easily safely anytime...
These are not big issue...
I am just thinking about fishes and setup.
Ok so i think... I would be doing discuss tank
Ok so i think... I would be doing discuss tank