Advice for Noob?

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Oiler3535

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Mar 29, 2015
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Hi all! I have always wanted an aquarium but never had the room/money to take care of one properly. Now in my first (small) home, I just bought a 46Gal bow front. There'so no water in it yet (my wife wants to paint the dining room where it's going first-fairly bright but no direct sunlight), but have a canister filter and heater said to be good enough for a 55Gal, so hoping that'll be fine. I also got a nitrogen cycle starter and tap water treatment for new water at my weekly changes. Plus a few coral/cave/tall plant inserts for hiding spots. Anything else I should make sure to have before I start?

Also, I was looking up stocking parameters, and besides nobody liking the 1 inch per gallon "rule" I haven't found much besides people saying it just takes experience to figure out; not really helpful for a beginner. I went through my local aquarium shop and wrote down the name of every fish I might like, then came up with a preliminary plan, which I'd love to know if feasible or a big noob mistake?

I figured after the tank cycles and tests clean, I'll get 6-8 Xray tetras or Cherry Barbs to start with (~16"). Then a few weeks later I'll start slowly (1 species at a time a week or more apart-I live 45 minutes from the city, so never go near the aquarium shop more than 1-2 times a month) adding the rest of the fish I want. I was thinking 1 angel (~6"), 1 African Butterfly fish for the top of the tank (~4"), a bristle nose pleco (~6"), and 6-8 Dwarf Siam Botias (15-20"). Too much even if I only get 6 of the schoolers?
thanks!
 

Rbishop

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cherry barbs at 16 inches???
 

Oiler3535

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Mar 29, 2015
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8 of them at 2 inches each?
 

Rbishop

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Ahh..I'd probably forego the butterfly, that's just me. How exactly are you cycling the tank? Room to QT the newer fish later on?
 

Oiler3535

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Mar 29, 2015
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The guys at the aquarium store say the bottle of stuff I got will cycle the tank if I put it in and let the system run a week before adding any fish (and they'll test the water before I buy any fish, at which time I'll buy my own testing kit). As for a quarantine tank, I don't have one (zero chance I convince my wife to buy an entire second system too). They said it wasn't a huge deal. I know it risks all my fish.
 

Rbishop

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Duckie

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My personal opinion on the 1" rule is that it prevents too much fish per tank. If you go over you will definitely be overstocked. Aim for understocked as per the "rule" if you can, especially with first tank. There is fish that will require more restrictions than just counting inches - and the 1" rule goes out the window when the tank is too small for even one fish.

Starting out with 46 gallon is good - the bigger the tank, the more stable it is going to be. Bad advice for new fishkeepers: Start out with a 5 or 10 gallon, you can always upgrade later. It is a myth that a twice as big tank requires twice as much work.

As for the stocking list (other than that I wouldn't suggest to go all the way to 46 inches) I would take the angel out. If kept alone it has a high chance of turning aggressive when bigger even if it was peaceful at smaller size. They are supposedly more friendly in a shoal of at least 5 or 6, but that alone would fill up your tank.

From personal experience I can attest to angels possibility to turn agressive - my palm sized (without fins) angel went to the LFS earlier this year as it started to get too nippy with other fish. We raised him from about 1 1/2 inches - and he used to be very friendly.
 

Anders247

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The inch per gallon rule is trash in my opinion. It depends on activity level, size, bioload, and a lot more......
Welcome to AC!
 

phreeflow

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Hope I'm not rocking the boat but imho, your stocking list looks fine for a 46 gallon. Although, I would get 6 each of the schooling fish, not 8. I'd also opt out of the butterfly fish as it may make a meal of your cherries. How about marble hatchets as an interesting topwater fish?

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Oiler3535

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Mar 29, 2015
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The inch per gallon rule is trash in my opinion. It depends on activity level, size, bioload, and a lot more......
Welcome to AC!
Thx for the welcome! I think everybody agrees on the 1 inch rule, that's why I had specifics to critique
 
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