Howdy! General newbie questions...

[Miss_Miau]

Hi! I just discovered this website and have been reading through the forums yesterday and today. Although some of the things you guys talk about are WAY above my head, I have learned a couple of interesting things--- let me say thanks for answering the "stupid" questions too! It always helps out more than just the person who asked.

So here are quite a few questions I have regarding (my) freshwater tank and set up...

I've had the tank running for about three years. Its a 29G (tall) freshwater tank with 1 adult marbled angelfish and 2 adult pictus catfish. The angelfish is 3 years old and the catfish are 1.5 years old. After looking at other angelfish, I'm a bit worried about mine because it isn't as big as the other adult ones I saw. --Any ideas why its growth might have been stunted? I guess theres no chance of him growing any more since he's already an adult? He's about the size of a half dollar coin.

Also I have algae thats growing all over. Some of it is easy to wipe off but most of it is the kind that clings onto the glass and rocks. How do I safely get it off and make it not come back?? I've torn the tank down three times to scrub it away and it came back within a few months. I don't really leave the light on much except for at feeding time and its not near a window but does receive indirect sunlight. I don't want to get an algae eater (they are kind of big and ugly) but there are lots of litte snails in there but they don't make a dent. My last attempt included growing live plants to drown out the algae but wow that was a big mess LOL

What is a good inexpensive heater to get? I don't currently have one and I think the water is too cold for the angelfish. The last heater went crazy and started turning itself on and heating up the water when I didn't want it to!

What is a good (inexpensive also applies here) filter set-up to get? I would like something simple to use that doesn't require me to buy new cartridges for it every month or two. I'm using an aqua-tech filter that hangs on the back, rated for 30-50 gallon tanks and does a wonderful job of keeping the water clean and sparkley--but its noisy, old, obtrusive, and starting to fall apart. Plus I have to buy cartridges for it every few months. So what do you all recommend thats good for my situation?

Once I get some new good equipment what type of fish should I consider adding? Im considering parting ways with the pictus catfish because they act too crazy sometimes and just flip out and dart around like maniacs. I dont want them to hurt my angel. (So if anyone wants them you can come get them-- please!) I just want nice looking medium sized fish that are neat to watch and co-exist well.

Thanks so much for reading my post! I've been looking at other people's tanks and it amazes me how cool some of them look. I just want to have a few happy, healthy, long-living fish to enjoy, nothing crazy

 

[Copper]

Wow that's a long post.

Here's my opinion on some of this.

We would really need more information on your cleaning habits to really know what may be keeping your fish that small. Is it only a a few inches from the tips of the fins, or just to the circular main body part? Clean fresh water is pretty important in any tank, and if you go long periods without partial water changes, the toxins that build up may have something to do with the size, but really we would need to know more.

The algae may also be a result of cleaning habits. Of course it could just as well be caused by excessive light, overfeeding, water conditions, ect. Again, more info please.

Heaters: Heaters are designed to turn themselves on and off to maintain water temp. There are lots of them on the market and most are preset to an ideal temperature for tropical fish. Of course some require warmer or cooler conditions, but that depends on the species. Still, an inexpensive heater should serve as well as a pricy one, but may be subject to failures. Do a product search for aquarium heaters on google or another search engine and do a bit of research.

Filters: Again, there are many types of filters for different budgets. One of my tanks has a Emperor dual biowheel HOB filter, and another a cheap whisper HOB, and they both do their job wonderfully. Normally I don't worry about buying cartridges of any type on a regular basis as I don't use carbon filtration in my filters. Just filter floss that gets rinsed out in dechlorinated water once in a while, and replaced when it's worn out, but that can be maybe only 2-3 times per year. If you are going to use carbon or other materials in your filter, you're going to have to get used to buying replacement components. The ideal setup would be to have an ecosystem established that requires little interference from you or your chemicals. So do a search for those products too and research. Hang On Back filters can be noisy and obtrusive, but they are also pretty inexpensive and reliable. Canister filters will be out of sight if you place it right, but can be costly. Undergravel filters, sponge filters, ect may be other options. Just do your research and find what works best for your situation.

As for fish, well that's a personal choice. With an angel in the tank, mind your tankmates if you add more, but honestly I don't know that you have a whole lot of room. The angel would probably prefer tankmates that are pretty calm. Nothing nippy, so barbs are out. Rasboras would make a nice addition. They are attractive (in my opinon) they are pretty laid back and easy maintenance. They are also fairly resilient. The only larger fish you might add is another angel to provide some company, but don't push the limits of your tank.

Hope this helps, but please don't take it for gospel. Do your research and get info from different sources.

 

[Gambusia]

Remove the pictus cats if you want.

Add another angel to company the one you have.

And add a pleco for algae control.

That should be good.

 

[TKOS]

For a filter I like Aqua Clear filters. They are generally inexpensive and provide a nice large compartment for media. I then buy an extra aqua clear sponge and add it instead of the carbon bag (2 sponges). From that point on I only rinse the sponges in the old tank water that I remove during water changes. I have been using the same sponges for over 2 years now. I will replace them when they fall apart. As this is where most of the good bacteria lives it is never a good idea to change them out altogether. Save the carbon bag for when you need to remove medications or water discolorations.

Since it is a smaller 29 gallon tank I would be careful about adding another angel. They get big and if they are not compatible might start to fight very easily. And if they form a breeding pair could terrorize the tank.

An algae eater is fine to get (not a common pleco though as they get far too large) but getting to the route of the problem with algae is best. First don't tear down the tank and clean it if possible as it sets your cycle back to zero. Get a magnetic algae scraper that will clean the glass and use it every week with your weekly water change. And if you haven't been doing them change 20-30% of your tank water each week. That will keep tank nutrients low and slow down algae growth. And when doing your water changes use a gravel vacuum. They are cheap and work by siphoning the water out of the tank into a bucket and can suck dirt etc.. right out of the gravel bed. I also like to stir the top layer of my gravel as this flips it over and reduces the algae I get on the top layer of gravel.

Buy a heater, your fish need the stability. Tronic heaters are well thought of, but cost a bit more. Tehy are worth the cost though as you found out from a cheaper heater.

As for the angel fish. Well it does sound like it is stunted. That is probably (just guessing) due to poor water quality (heat, nitrates etc...) rather than a lack of food. That is another reason I wouldn't add another angel as this one would probably get picked on.

If you like catfish then try trading your pictus in for some cory catfish, they stay very small and you could have a nice school of 5 or so. Then look into rosey barbs. They get a few inches long and the males a a nice pink colour and they school. So get 5-6 of them. And possibly look into adding some plants and leaving that light on for 10 hours a day. Fish need a true light cycle just like people do.

 

[waterdawg]

Algae eaters may be ugly...but too much algae can be uglier. I use one large mystery snail (Gary) in my 20L and he seems to keep things pretty clean. If my algae became a problem I'd get an Algae eater in a heartbeat. Good luck.