Daft question (new to fish)

[FernieB]

My DD has been wanting fish for a while and has done lots of research. Yesterday we bought and set up a tank and started a fish less cycle. All is going well except that I cannot stand the hum from the filter. It's not hugely noisy just a constant low hum. Is this normal and is it possible to get used to it? After a few hours yesterday I was ready to throw the whole thing out. I can hear it wherever I am in the house as it just seems to echo round - house is quite open plan so I can't shut a door on it.

Does this mean I'm better not having fish? I thought they were quiet pets.

Well, the fish don't make much noise But some filters are noisier than others and they all make a noise, despite some being sold as 'silent'. It shouldn't be that intrusive though- it could be that you've got a bubble stuck in the impeller (this can happen with new tanks). Take the filter out and give it a shake, that might help. What make and model is it? Is the tank on polystyrene or a fish mat?

Don't make the rookie mistake of turning it off at night or when you're watching TV (DH got in trouble for this once); it's really important to leave it on all the time unless you're cleaning.

Nosy questions not related to filter- how big is the tank and what are you thinking of getting? I've just got a new 65 litre tank for the DDs' bedroom that I'm setting up today. I just love setting up new tanks.

Thanks Eau. I think I am getting used to it now. We did spend 6 years living near a tramline and after 3 weeks I could no longer hear them . Hopefully I will tune it out (I do have exceptionally good hearing which does annoy the DDs as I hear everything going on ).

It's an Aquaone filter. The tank is just on the sideboard - if I put something underneath will that help?

My DD is the one investigating fish. She's 14 and is very keen - she's loving testing the water (i am hoping for great results in chemistry now). I think it's 60l - it's larger than I imagined but I want the best for the fish. We will be having cold water fish. Any suggestions are welcome.

Yes, I would put something underneath- this will also help protect the tank from any shocks, for example if you accidentally hit the sideboard. Just plain polystyrene sheeting is fine, it doesn't matter if it's not all one piece as long as the whole of the bottom of the tank is on there. If you haven't got any polystyrene then you can buy mats from aquatic stores for tanks to sit on.

60 litres is a fab size, not too big that it'll take hours to clean but big enough for fish to stay healthy. If you're going coldwater then white cloud mountain minnows are probably your best bet. They're small, pretty and easy to look after and you'll more than likely get some babies too. Sounds like your DD has it all under control :)