What you had wish you had known?

After some mistakes with freshwater I got a disease in it that rapidly wiping out my fish so I will basically wiping out my 55g. I will basically need to start over on this tank, so I want to make sure this tank I get everything right.

So. Everything you guys wish you had known when you had started, just type it up, and I'll read it all to make sure I don't make a lot of mistakes. Anything flies, please help.

 

Things I wish I had known:

1. About Fishlore. Started lurking here after loosing a betta and a few guppies.
2. The nitrogen cycle. Would have saved me some headaches and a few fish.
3. To test my tap. Went crazy trying to figure out why daily water changes were making my water ammonia levels go up instead of down.
4. That this was a awesome hobby. Wish I had known before I did. The best LFS around me closed right as I got into it.

 

Things I wish I had known:

1. About Fishlore. Started lurking here after loosing a betta and a few guppies.
2. The nitrogen cycle. Would have saved me some headaches and a few fish.
3. To test my tap. Went crazy trying to figure out why daily water changes were making my water ammonia levels go up instead of down.
4. That this was a awesome hobby. Wish I had known before I did. The best LFS around me closed right as I got into it.

Nice advice, thanks for the help!

 

I regret being an ignorant human!!!

As humans, we believe the whole world is ours to keep in captivity. Dogs, cats, fish, rabbits, whales, dolphins (watched a good doco on these recently), etc.

We think as humans that we can keep wild animals in our house without understanding.

Research, research, research......

I can't repeat it enough - a fish is a living thing that we're taking into our custody, to provide a healthy environment for it to live in. Some species are captive bred and are 'used to it', but it doesn't mean we should relax on our husbandry.

It's only through Saltwater that I've learnt to truly appreciate what I'm doing/expecting of these remarkable and entertaining animals. I still feel guilty knowing that the fish in my 'lil 3ft 66G setup are restrained/limited (their home was 2000 times wider, and many times deeper)

Please everyone - research, and appreciate what you're trying to do.

Sorry - very big and deep & meaningful - but this is the essence of keeping a pet.

 

Wow, sorry to hear about all your fish dying! Have you considered having a quarantine tank to keep fish in for 2-4 weeks prior to adding them to the big tank? I don't have one myself, and I am still new to the hobby, but I think if I had experienced a massive die-off like you did, I would definitely plan on a quarantine tank.

 

I wish I had known about this site right from the very beginning. I also wish I had know that there is no cure for MTS...multiple tank syndrome, fish keeping is highly addictive. I also wish I had known that taking advice from someone is no replacement for good research!

I wish I had known how quickly it would lower my blood pressure, and raise it whenever something went wrong!

most importantly I wish I had known that keeping an aquarium is best done in the beginning with baby steps and that there are no short cuts

best of luck as you start again

 

That's sad to hear. What disease did they get?

Instead of telling you what I wish I had known, I'm going to tell you what I think are the things needed to know to successfully keep fish.

Totally understand the nitrogen cycle, understand the requirements of the fish you will be adding, be diligent about water changes and have patience.

 

research and more research.When I got into this hobby there was no internet and very few books to do research and not many people giving advice.So I learned by trial and error.Since I joined this site I have gained a lot more knowledge.
The main advice is don't rush things be patient.I got careless awhile back and didnt quarantine my new fish and I paid the price and wiped out about my whole tank{columnaris}

 

That medication is a last resort not a necessity,

 

Fresh water is the first line of defense, not drugs.

Quarantine!

Nitrogen cycle comprehension can make or break a tank.

Have your own liquid test kit

Stock slowly!

Research compatibility

Proper tank maintenance is the cornerstone to an enjoyable tank.

Never listen to LFS staff. Always research!

Do not overstock

Do not under filter

Tropical fish need a heated tank

Bettas need more than a cup of water

Listening to the experiences of others

There is more to plants than shove it into the tank and watch it grow

Never blindly adjust pH

Understanding the closed ecosystem in our aquariums. It is more than a box of water

Weekly bacterial products are a waste of money

I'm sure I could come up with more if I stopped to think about it.

 

That most fish stores don't know what they're talking about
About cycling
That smaller tanks are harder, not easier

 

I wish I had known to research before I added anything to my aquarium (I adopted an improperly stocked tank, but I made it so much worse).

The nitrogen cycle.

Yeah. Those two things cover pretty much everything for me. It's amazing how many problems are avoided when you simply research.

 

I wish I had known about fish lore before I took all the advice of my locals.

Beyond that it is all the basics that the members here can provide. Catsma put it best above with that list.

 

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm planning on making my 55 gallon planted, and moving my guppy fry there and making it a guppy tank so I need to research on guppies and plants. Though I am getting a plant pack from my online fish store (pet solutions) so I'm not 100% sure what's in it but I can probably figure it out.

 

I wish I had known that 17gallons isn't very big. When I got I was going to put so many things in there, only to realize that it wasn't nearly big enough for any of the fish I wanted. If I had know that I would have tried to get my hands on a much bigger tank from the get go, instead of trying to harangue my way through the "but you already have a tank" argument. Also, there is no substitute for space. No matter how big the "minimum tank size" is, fish will always be happier with more water to swim in, something as simple as giving them a bigger tank will make a world of difference in their lives.

 

I wish I had known that 17gallons isn't very big. When I got I was going to put so many things in there, only to realize that it wasn't nearly big enough for any of the fish I wanted. If I had know that I would have tried to get my hands on a much bigger tank from the get go, instead of trying to harangue my way through the "but you already have a tank" argument. Also, there is no substitute for space. No matter how big the "minimum tank size" is, fish will always be happier with more water to swim in, something as simple as giving them a bigger tank will make a world of difference in their lives.

Great advice. I am sure many of us have found out the hard way that are tanks weren't big enough or that we had already overcrowded them or were planning to at some point. This seems to be a common experience for many people. Best of luck!