Alright so I finally am going to post my question because I havent seen anyone else ask it (either im an idiot or no one has asked it). Anyways I got a eclipse hex-7 tank for christmas, I havent heard much about them and I am now wondering if I should put anything in it! I cant return it though because my grandmother got it for me and she expects to see something in it when she comes back for another visit! So my questions are; How many fish can I put in there? what kind of fish? Does it matter what kind of plastic plants to make it look like they are in their environment (if that even matters) And also i am going to go out and buy all the kits (nitrate and ph stuff), so do i need anything else? I need some help here people!! I just want to do this right and want my fish to be happy!! Thanks and hopefully someone is listening out there!!
Dazed and Confused
- Thread starter missy_4
- Start date
you need:
test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, maybe ph as well.
a heater
water conditioner/dechlorinator
plastic plants are fine
some kind of cave or wood for shelter/hiding places
equipment for gravel cleaning and water changes
as far as fish. . .
you need to cycle the tank somehow. cycling the time when the beneficial bacteria grow in the aquarium. these bacteria convert fish waste (ammonia) into nitrite and then nitrate, where is becomes safer and can be removed through water changes.
at the top of this forum is a thread entitled "Freshwater Cycling", read that for more info.
7 gallon tank. . . . pretty small, you'd have to really keep up with water maintenance.
you could always get a betta and a snail/ shrimp -OR-
maybe 5 neon tetras and 2 oto's for algae control later on -OR-
one trio of guppies, as long as you don't get obsessive about saving the babies -OR-
an african dwarf frog
test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, maybe ph as well.
a heater
water conditioner/dechlorinator
plastic plants are fine
some kind of cave or wood for shelter/hiding places
equipment for gravel cleaning and water changes
as far as fish. . .
you need to cycle the tank somehow. cycling the time when the beneficial bacteria grow in the aquarium. these bacteria convert fish waste (ammonia) into nitrite and then nitrate, where is becomes safer and can be removed through water changes.
at the top of this forum is a thread entitled "Freshwater Cycling", read that for more info.
7 gallon tank. . . . pretty small, you'd have to really keep up with water maintenance.
you could always get a betta and a snail/ shrimp -OR-
maybe 5 neon tetras and 2 oto's for algae control later on -OR-
one trio of guppies, as long as you don't get obsessive about saving the babies -OR-
an african dwarf frog
Read over the threads and sticky posts on cycling a tank for a start. Before you can put fish in there, you'll need to get your tanks set up and cycled. This can take a few weeks, but the end result is a very good home for your new fish.
Once your tank is completly cycled you can add fish. Untill then, you have a few weeks to look over the web at fish, and try out stocking lists. Post em in here and you'll get some excellent feedback about size, compatability, potential, and number of fish you can keep.
Welecome to the world of fishkeeping! May I suggest as an initial stocking item you consider
Endler's livebearers. You could keep a school of 7 or so in that tank, but only males.
Betta, or Siamese Fighting fish... One to a tank please.
Glass shrimp. These little guys go with most fish, are very cheap to stock, and don't add much bioload. Good clean up team.
There's nothing wrong with small tanks if you choose your fish well, and set up your cycle properly. A well done 7gal hex can be a pretty cool fish habitat that you can aquascape to perfection. Just be patient with your cycle, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
On the NO list..
NO goldfish. they get huge
NO plecos. They get huge and poop like crazy unless you get a special breed.
NO chinese algae eaters. Huge again, and they will kill tankmates when they grow
Once your tank is completly cycled you can add fish. Untill then, you have a few weeks to look over the web at fish, and try out stocking lists. Post em in here and you'll get some excellent feedback about size, compatability, potential, and number of fish you can keep.
Welecome to the world of fishkeeping! May I suggest as an initial stocking item you consider
Endler's livebearers. You could keep a school of 7 or so in that tank, but only males.
Betta, or Siamese Fighting fish... One to a tank please.
Glass shrimp. These little guys go with most fish, are very cheap to stock, and don't add much bioload. Good clean up team.
There's nothing wrong with small tanks if you choose your fish well, and set up your cycle properly. A well done 7gal hex can be a pretty cool fish habitat that you can aquascape to perfection. Just be patient with your cycle, and don't be afraid to ask questions.
On the NO list..
NO goldfish. they get huge
NO plecos. They get huge and poop like crazy unless you get a special breed.
NO chinese algae eaters. Huge again, and they will kill tankmates when they grow
First of all you need to set the tank up to your liking. Use gravel that you like, put a heater in it and the water and run the filter and the heater for the next two days to stabilize the temperature in the tank. After that you will have to cycle the tank which can take four to six weeks if done properly. After two days of the temp being steady and consistent, then you can add your first fish to start the cycle. With that size of tank I would start with a couple of starter fish such as two small danios. They are very hardy fish and can withstand the rigors of cycling a tank. In fact they are practically indestructable as far as fish go. They are also very active fish so they will always be out and about for you to watch. Thier waste that they produce will start your cycle. You will see two to three weeks of ammonia and then will drop to 0 at which time the nitrites will start to climb for two or three weeks and finally it will also drop to 0. Then you will see the nitrates start to rise. This is fine because that means that you are cycled. The nitrates need to stay between 5-20 for the tank to remain healthy. If they go higher than that you will have to do a water change of at least 25% using a gravel vac to vaccuum up all the waste and rotting food that is sitting on the bottom of the tank creating problems for the tank and the fish in it. During the cycle you will want to test your water for ammonia and nitrite. It is best to keep these levels at no more than .25. If it does go higher and it probably will then you will need to do a water change to keep the enviroment safe for the fish to live in. After the cycle is complete then you can add a few more fish but do so slowly since every time you add a new fish it will probably kick in a mini cycle that will last a few days. It will be short lived and not so dangerous for the fish as the original cycle but you will still want to keep an eye on your water conditions to make sure that the levels are safe for your fish.
Good luck and happy fishkeeping.
Marinemom
Good luck and happy fishkeeping.
Marinemom
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I know about the cycling (which i have no patience but i really want a beautiful tank and happy fish so i will resist)... More questions
What are otos?
If I add a danios what fish and how many others can I add? (like can i add the tetras too later?)
I can add the plants right away right?
Does it matter as to what kind of gravel? And i was looking at how much gravel is needed per pound and because my tank is tall and not long do i really need to buy 2 and a half lbs per gallon?
Thanks for the ideas because i felt like i was getting no where..
What are otos?
If I add a danios what fish and how many others can I add? (like can i add the tetras too later?)
I can add the plants right away right?
Does it matter as to what kind of gravel? And i was looking at how much gravel is needed per pound and because my tank is tall and not long do i really need to buy 2 and a half lbs per gallon?
Thanks for the ideas because i felt like i was getting no where..
The guy at the pet store was telling me i could add like 30 of these little fish (which i dont remember the name) and now im glad i didnt do it and am not going to do it. Why would he say that? flipping jerk
you can put in as little or as much gravel as you like. some people use just enough to cover the bottom, others like to have 2 inches in there. up to you. deeper gravel will trap more waste, though. probably one 5lb bag will be enough for whatever you choose.
use the danios for cycling if you want, but i wouldn't keep them. they like to have space to swim and a hex tank doesn't provide enough length for their habits long-term. otos are a very small type of catfish that eats algae. don't add any at first, you need to have a good amount of green so that there is enough for them to eat. once your tank is cycled you can add more fish/switch fish.
next time you go to the fish store, take note of the fish you like, and we'll let you know if they will work. those employees either don't know anything, or will do anything to make a sale, or both.
use the danios for cycling if you want, but i wouldn't keep them. they like to have space to swim and a hex tank doesn't provide enough length for their habits long-term. otos are a very small type of catfish that eats algae. don't add any at first, you need to have a good amount of green so that there is enough for them to eat. once your tank is cycled you can add more fish/switch fish.
next time you go to the fish store, take note of the fish you like, and we'll let you know if they will work. those employees either don't know anything, or will do anything to make a sale, or both.