Tropical fish people help pls

[Halcyon]

Hey there everyone,
Im back from my hols on the meditaranean coast and I now want to make some changes in my room.
First thing is I'd like to set up a tropical aquarium.
So I'd appreciate any help in what to do.

I used to have gold fish so have a rectangular tank already.
I have one of those filters that sits under the gravel and then a tube that comes out in which I have the little air bubble stone thing that then bubbles out underwater. Is this going to be OK ?

Now for the fish I'd like to have some of those small ones. Those that look like they have little neon lamps in them and some other little species like that that are nice and colourful.

I take it Im going to need some form of heating device and would appreciate if anyone knew what I need to get the right temperature.

Apart from that do I need anything else. I know Il need plants and stuff but I can sort that out later.

Thanks for any help,

Tim.

[Electrolyte01]

Your going to need a water heater in there for them fish, or they will die from the cold water.

[Silent Wings]

http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/Setting.htm might help you ;)

[danielf]

Search is a wonderful feature :)

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=7770

Have a look at post 5 by flubflow.

[Paul K]

Size of heater will depend on size of tank but most of them have the rating on the box or your local pet store will be able to tell you. Under gravel filters are fine to use, and the airstone will help to oxygenate the water but real tropical tank plants are better as the fish can hide in them when they want and can give birth in them too.
Main thing is to make sure the tank is perfectly clean and the gravel is clean too before you use it again.
I know the fish you are on about, some shops label them as neons lol

[Electrolyte01]

Yeh I know the fish, my grand-dad has them. Look really nice when the light is on them (lovely blue glow) :D

[Paul K]

Are they the neon tetra type fish? Think thats the name but not sure :erm:

[danielf]

Are they the neon tetra type fish? Think thats the name but not sure :erm:

That is the name :)

[Halcyon]

Coool. Thanks for the replies.
Im going to check out those links and then get a heater and set stuff up.
Thanks.

[Indians]

A couple of words of advice..
Start of with a couple of 'hardy' fish first say like Mollies, just have a couple in the tank for the first 2 to 3 weeks, gives the beneficial bacteria time to build up in the UG filter, then you can add some more of whatever you like (fish shop will advise on compatible species).

De chlorinate the tap water with a proprietary water treatment, and use it also for your partial water changes, 10% every 1 to 2 weeks.

I'm sure your local fish shop will be happy to advise.

Kept tropical fish for a few years now, used to breed Angels, I'm just in the process of setting up my first Tropical Marine Tank, a whole different ball game !

[Matth]

You'll also need a flourescent lamp, both to keep the plants growing, and to show off the fish - and a cover is essential for several reasons, heat losss and condensation, and the fact that tropicals are far more likely to jump - I've NEVER had a coldwater fish jump, but even in the short space of removing a cover, tropicals can and do!.

Another salutory lesson from ages back, one morning, I noticed the temperature was a bit low, and when I felt the tank by the heaters (centre thermostat, heaters at each side), one was hot, the other cold one of the heaters had packed up!

I had a spare set wired up for an unused (hospital/breeding isolation) tank, so I threw them in, just getting the thermostat top above water, and the heater clear of the gravel.

I'd favour a 2 heater system, since there's a chance that it may fail to 1 that will keep some heat going, or if you use combined heater/thermostats, two independent systems, well spaced (you want to avoid heater A shutting down thermostat B).

Ther are other ways to heat, if you don't like the idea of immersed electric heaters, but they are not as versatile - the old kludge of an electric lightbox under the tank, doesn't do the plants much good.

If you watercool your PC, how about putting the radiator in the tank?

Being serious again, I did have spares of everything, mostly on hot standby (other than the lamp) - spare heaters, spare air pumps (though they were rubber cup bases, and nothing like as good as the diaphragm based "prime mover" that was 6 watts, and about twice as powerful, but quieter, than the 4.5 watt units.

Rotary pumps are more expensive, but quieter unless they squeak!
Main problem with most pumps though, is drumming - the pump itself hums gently at 50Hz, but if it rattles anything else (the tanks were in my bedroom).

If you DO use air pumps, you DO NOT switch them off overnight - if you are over the unassisted capacity of the tank, the fish will suffer, and biological processes in the filters will be disrupted - if you do not wish to keep pumps running, then do not use them at all and balance the tank's ecosystem accordingly.

[paulyoung666]

and going by the experience of my bro , dont get any frogs for the tank , yes they look good but ........... they can be nasty little b@stards as well :disturbd: :disturbd: :disturbd:

[Nidge]

Make sure you get some Clown loaches, they set any tank off real good, they are a good bottom feeder fish, get some silver sharks I've had 3 now for over 5 years and they are well nice.