like to start a small freshwater aquarium

T

tetrasrock

AC Members
Aug 30, 2007
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im not the kind of person who really rushes into things and spends lots of money on them and then later realises that he doesnt even like them. so i want to spend as little money as possible but still provide a good in enviroment for my fishes.

i was thinking of using tetras in my aquarium, (i chose them because they are peaceful, have nice colors and are aparantly good beginner fishes)

first question:are these actually good beginner fishes?
second question: is liveaqaria a good place to buy these tetras?


im considering these two options as far as the actual tank goes..

i can splurge on this, http://www.aquariumguys.com/12-gallon-aquapod-compact.html

or i can use this 20-24 gallon tank (im not sure how many gallons..) that has been sitting in my yard for a while. it definetely needs some cleaning though.

which is better for them? its says the minimum tanks size is 10 gal.

but if i use the 20-24 gallon aquarium, im not sure what kind of filter or heater or all the other things i need that im not really familiar with...

im sorry guys, but i basically need to know everything else to because i havent had a fish for five years.

thanks guys!
 
:welcome: to AC!

A lot of tetras are sensitive to water conditions. As long as you acclimate them, make sure the tank is cycled and doing everything without rushing, the tetras will be fine. You can pick lemon tetras, beacon tetras and glowlight tetras to start with. Glass bloodfins, hatchetfish or danios for the surface and be sure to have glass cover as a lot of surface dwellers do jump. Cories, otos or a lone ancistrus plec for bottom.

The bigger the tank you provide them, the better.
 
:) WELCOME :)

Like Lupin said always go for the largest tank you can afford (or will fit), so I'd go for your 20-24g tank over a 12g. A 55w to 100w heater would be fine for around a 20g and you want a filter with a flowrate around 150gph to 200gph. With the brands of heaters and filters everyone has there own favourite (I favour the hang-on aquaclear filters) but they all pretty much do the same thing in the end.

On the most part tetras are hardy but make sure the tank is well and truly cycled before adding them. I've found that Neon Tetras can be a bit more sensitive than other tetras but there are heaps of different species of tetras and they vary in hardiness. The most important thing is to cylce the tank, let it mature and they will do great.

NB: If you don't know what cycling is just search the forum and you'll get plenty of info.
 
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lets see you can do a fw tank cheap. what you will need is:
Substrate
tank
heater
filter
decorations
test kit
water conditioner
those are the main things in setting up a tank and if the tank you have has no leaks i would use that. i would go with a aquaclear filter and get one larger than the tank is. i would go with 100w heater or two 50 watt heaters for your tank. also if you want to go cheap then i would price match items at petsmart if you have one or buy online. if you have a local fish store i would buy fish from there instead of online it saves on shipping and for tetras it would save you lots of money. keep asking questions and remember to cycle your tank
 
soccerkidbs said:
lets see you can do a fw tank cheap. what you will need is:
Substrate
tank
heater
filter
decorations
test kit
water conditioner
those are the main things in setting up a tank and if the tank you have has no leaks i would use that. i would go with a aquaclear filter and get one larger than the tank is. i would go with 100w heater or two 50 watt heaters for your tank. also if you want to go cheap then i would price match items at petsmart if you have one or buy online. if you have a local fish store i would buy fish from there instead of online it saves on shipping and for tetras it would save you lots of money. keep asking questions and remember to cycle your tank
Click to expand...
i agree, but i think the most effective filter for the lowest cost is the undergravel filter...its an excellent maintenance free filter for a filter....can possibly be upgrded to rugf at a later date
 
apart from that, always get the biggest tank you can afford...i think every one of us has bought a smaller tank to start out and at some later date wish we held out for a bigger one...go for the 24once you have filled your tank with water (using water conditioner) then this is the single most important article you need or success:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84598
 
thanks soo much for the info guys!

i just have a couple more questions....

here is my list of fish for the tank based on lupins recommendation's

lemon tetra
glowlight tetra
silver tip tetra

for the top part of the tank:

marble hatchet

for the bottom

ancistrus pleco.

how does this look?
will they all fit comfortably?
will the pleco eat any live plants i put in?
approximately what temperature should i heat the the tank at?


sorry for all the questions, im just really brand new with this.
 
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congrats on looking before you leap! make sure you read the stickys on cycling at the top of this forum. the best advice i can give you is use prime (its a water dechlorinater/conditioner) you can get it at just about any pet store with fish stuff. i would just buy your fish at one of the large pet stores or a small local fish store (lfs). shipping can and would cost more than the fish that you are buying! plus at the store you get to pick the exact fish you want not just the type.
 
i would go for hte smaller tetras , perhaps only 1 or 2 school of tetras would fit better in that space, and if you keep hatchets, makesure there are no holes or gaps in your hood or theyll be carpet surfing..
 
i also have one more question, how often do i change the water?
do i empty out the fish and put them, in bags?
or do i change half the water and leave the fish in the tank?

and, um, i looked around a bit and i think this filters nice (and somebody recommended it.)

http://elmersaquarium.com/h112aquaclears.htm

will this be sufficient? (its the aquaclear 50, scroll a bit.)
 
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