Wanting to start my first tank in years have questions

the last time i had a fish tank it was back in 2014. so ive been out of the game quite a while and im not sure where to start?

heres the basics so you get an idea of what im thinking of

im thinking a minimum 20 gallons or higher with a HOB filter a heater and air pump. as for fish i want fish that are easy to care for till i get the hang of fish keeping

thanks for your time

 

More questions than answers, I'm afraid...

How will you cycle the tank?

Well, do you like nano or larger fish? Do you want a bunch of different coloured fish or a bunch of the same kind, same colour?

Is you tank a 20 long or tall?

How about live plants? Do you prefer natural decor or the resin stuff?

What is your budget?

You might not need a heater depending on the fish you want.

Why run an air pump if you have a HOB?

 

I cant see anything wrong with your plan. Feel free to ask more questions when you start looking at fish.

 

More questions than answers, I'm afraid...

How will you cycle the tank?

Well, do you like nano or larger fish? Do you want a bunch of different coloured fish or a bunch of the same kind, same colour?

Is you tank a 20 long or tall?

How about live plants? Do you prefer natural decor or the resin stuff?

What is your budget?

You might not need a heater depending on the fish you want.

Why run an air pump if you have a HOB?

well i love neon tetras if that helps any

 

kaitlin4599 Just over 4 years ago I set up a project to keep Neon Tetras in a 55 US gallon / 45 UK gallon / 100 litres cube.

24 of them look great in my opinion.




They (and a couple of closely related species Cardinal Tetra and Green Neon Tetra) are my favourite small fish and nothing comes close to them in my opinion. You absolutely have to keep the fish you like the most because then you will happily do what work they need to keep them thriving.

It should be easy but it depends on whether you are able to get healthy stock and acclimate them well.

Unfortunately I purchased 20 fish which proved to have Columnaris and Bubblemouth and I lost 6 in the first few days.




It took me 18 months to get a completely clear shoal of healthy fish that no longer had any visible symptoms.

I am now gradually replacing my Neon Tetras with Cardinal Tetras as they die of old age because the temperature in my tank gets higher than Neons like in summer.

My fish either died in those first 18 months time from Columnaris symptoms at a rate of 1 a month, or if they had minor symptoms they recovered. All the Bubblemouth symptoms cleared up.




These are the things I did.
Pay attention to:
tankmates (no bullying - I keep mine alone except for a Bristlenose)
shoal size (more is better I have 24)
temperature 74F/23C optimum
oxygenation (my filter disturbs the surface to introduce O2)
hardness (I collect rainwater to soften my water)
ammonia (my plants keep this under 0.25ppm)
nitrate (my plants keep this under 5ppm)
security provided by plant cover (I use Hygrophila polysperma)
low to moderate flow
feeding little and often (each Neon Tetra requires 1/2 flake per day as shown by a study into food requirements of aquarium fish)

 

You could do
-mollies/platties and eventually get gouramis
-betta with a peaceful tetra
-ram cichlids (I’m not sure if their “Easy”)
-corys and guppies
- Any other combo of these fish I listed can work to I just put them with ones I think would look cool.

To me all fish are easy to take care of, it’s more the maintenance and money that get harder.

 

I’m not sure if their “Easy”)

Dwarf cichlids (even GBR’s which have a rep for being sensitive) aren’t hard to keep. They need stable conditions somewhere in the ballpark of ideal, and a Fishkeeper that doesn’t slack on maintenance.

 

the last time i had a fish tank it was back in 2014. so ive been out of the game quite a while and im not sure where to start?

heres the basics so you get an idea of what im thinking of

im thinking a minimum 20 gallons or higher with a HOB filter a heater and air pump. as for fish i want fish that are easy to care for till i get the hang of fish keeping

thanks for your time

I would highly recommend AquaClear for your HOB filter. They're quiet, efficient, and easy to maintain.

The first thing you really need to narrow down is the size of your tank - this will determine what fish you can keep.