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Original poster

Gingerbear and other FISHy sorts...

23 replies

LoucheWoman · 29/11/2006 16:31

i have never had a fish tank and know didly squat about them.
my kids are fascinated by them and now im wondering if they are have-able or not...

is there such a thin g as a v v low maintenence, self cleaning, good looking tank? which can feed trhem if i forget? and what kind of fish etc can i have? i would like an interesting mixture of colours, types, maybe some little froggie things ... shrimps? i dunno.

ANY advice /tips/knowledge/pointers/wisdom is greatly appreciated

TIA

OP posts:
Gingerbear · 29/11/2006 19:06

goldfish are not the cleanest fish in the world. I wouldn't recommend them as 'low maintenance'.

Best first fish in a little tank would be something like male platies, or mollies which are tolerant of hard water and hardy little fish (don't get females - you will be overrun with fry)

Do a fishless cycle first to get the friendly bacteria in the tank ready - I will link to a guide in a a moment. Then put in the fish all together. A couple of apple snails add interest and keep down the algae. Shrimp are easy to keep too.
You will need to clean them out weekly and feed them regularly. There is no 'self cleaning' tank unfortunately!

The bigger the tank the more 'stable' the conditions will be.

30 - 50 litres is a good size - you will be able to put in about 6 fish, a couple of snails and a couple of shrimps.

Off to do bedtime now, but will post again later with useful links.

Gingerbear · 29/11/2006 20:33

fishless cycling
good site for working out how many fish you can have in a tank
this is a nice sized, all in (all equipment included) tank - and it comes in pink, blue, purple, orange, silver or black

Gingerbear · 29/11/2006 20:46

another useful link

Original poster
LoucheWoman · 29/11/2006 20:47

thank you! (just back from bedtime too)

you have to clean the tank weekly?? where do you put the fish when thats happening? what about that gadget the dentist got in finding nemo???

sorry. sensibly now: will read the links...

OP posts:
Original poster
LoucheWoman · 29/11/2006 20:55

okaaaaay. im gonna need to print that all off and read a few times, because the first link read like total gobbledigook to me...

im sure ill get the hang of it tho

thanks so much for taking the time to do that for me, its very good of you

OP posts:
Gingerbear · 29/11/2006 20:58

You get a syphon tube and take out the fish poo and some of the water - the fish stay put.
Don't worry, if you want to take the plunge, I will hold your hand.

Gingerbear · 29/11/2006 21:00

I really want one of the gadgets from Nemo, but unfortunately they haven't been invented yet.
I saw a 'Making of' programme about finding nemo, and the director said the all singing all dancing gadget was included to poke fun at the geekiness of some folk that keep fish (if you keep Marine fish it can cost ££££)

Original poster
LoucheWoman · 29/11/2006 23:31

arf at joke

ok, so what kind of fish are we talking about if not 'marine'? are they pretty? if they need a certain temperature, theres a gadget that does that for me, right?

now, cleaning - so you dont take out the fish...how long does the whole cleaning process take and what happens if i get lax about it?

OP posts:
Gingerbear · 30/11/2006 17:01

tropical freshwater fish - they need a heater/thermostat - controls the temp in the tank. Should come with the tank as a set.
I think tropicals are pretty. Platys come in many different colours, and the snails do too. Shrimps tend to be grey/translucent but are fascinating to watch.

WonderCod · 30/11/2006 17:02
Gingerbear · 30/11/2006 17:07

With a small tank - say 30 litres, you would need to change say 10 litres each week. With a syphon tube, you take the muck off the gravel (it is also called a gravel-cleaner surprisingly enough) into a bucket. A B&Q orange bucket holds 10 litres of water. It would take 15 minutes tops to clean a little tank. Then you add dechlorinator to tap water (hot + cold mxed to get to same temp as the tank) and top up the part-filled tank.
You will also need to clean out the filter - remove the sponge and squeeze gently in the bucket of water you took out of the tank. Never under the tap as chlorine will kill the bacteria on the sponge.
Other than a quick wipe of the inner glass with an algae cleaner, that is all there is to it.

Gingerbear · 30/11/2006 17:08

arf - you are not the right type of fish Cod, being coldwater marine, and a bit too big for a tank.
please leave we anoraks to get on with the serious business in hand.

CantWaitForTheSnow · 01/12/2006 00:23

GB Any idea what the little white things are on the sides of my tank? About 1mm big, white, rice shaped, 100's on them ... snail eggs? leechy things? Can't tell if they move or not yet.

Gingerbear · 01/12/2006 14:50

I think they might bee harmless little worms - the fish will eat them if you scrape them off with an algae magnet.
Or get a nerite snail to gobble them all up.
They are caused by overfeeding - reduce feeds to one per day and miss one day in 7.

CantWaitForTheSnow · 01/12/2006 23:52

That sounds about right then, I was trying to decide if they were overfed so I think you've given me the answer. Thanks.

NappiesGaloriaInExcelsis · 05/12/2006 14:27

gingerbear - would i be a total lazy arse copout if i just got a biOglobe thingmiwhatsit with 3 goldfish in it?? theres one in a shop i know and the lady there says theyre a total piece of piss to look after...

then when i can handle those, i could graduate up to the tank of which you speak...

NappiesGaloriaInExcelsis · 05/12/2006 17:32

just been into world of water and they have those biOsphere things and also the ones you linked to as small 'starter' tank options...

heres a question: if i have it in the kids' bedroom, will they hear the motor running, or just bubbles at night? bearing in mind we live in the middle of nowhere and there is NO outside noise but the weather...and an owl or two ?

Gingerbear · 08/12/2006 12:34

I have heard good and bad things about biorbs. Good things - they have everything included, except a heater for tropical fish, they are easy to maintain.
Bad things - they are acrylic, so you have to be careful when cleaning as they scratch easily.
The smaller surface area at the top of the tank compared to a standard rectangular one, means that there is less area for oxygen to get into the water, so the stocking ratio is less than a standard tank.
What size tank (in litres) for 3 goldfish? They would need at least 60l, any smaller and it would become very messy quickly, and be too small for the poor things. Goldfish are big poopers remember.
My nephew has a tank in his bedroom. The Fluval filter is very quiet, and he has an air bubbler thing too, but switches that off at night.

Don't know how quiet the biorb filtration system is.

Iklboobetterwatchout · 08/12/2006 12:37

If you want a cheap, easy not-too-expensive tank, Asda do them for £20 including filter, gravel etc - everything but the fish really. We've got one in DS's room with some (I think) cloud minnows in. Quite pretty to look at, pretty hardy, nice & small so you can get a few in the tank.

RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 08/12/2006 12:57

Biorbs are good - I have one. But they do have several drawbacks you should be aware of.

Although the pictures show three goldfish in them, they are not suitable for that many. The 30L will only hold one comfortably (a goldfish should have 10 gallons (about 38L) each) - the 60L about 2... at a push 3. And they should be fancy goldfish not common goldfish (which grow much quicker and need more space).

The filter is at the bottom of the biorb. Which can be a pig to change. The filter cartridges are also expensive (which I avoid by making my own - I keep the old cartridges and add my own carbon/sponges).

They say you only need to clean them once a month. Frankly, that's bollocks. You still need to do your partial water changes every week and give a good clean out/filter change monthly.

Having said all that, they're really snazzy tanks, look wonderful and are particularly good for tropical fish. (Oh, and if you buy a different pump, not especially noisy either). Reef One, the manufacturers, also have EXCELLENT customer service and are really knowledgeable and helpful on the phone. Everyone I know who have had dealings with them have said how great they've been. And I adore the iLight which gives you "moonlight" and "daylight" all automatically - slowly fading between the two states.

The Aqua One that Gingerbear linked to earlier is a really well respected tank and is very popular (and I'd guess a lot easier to reach the filter).

Gingerbear · 08/12/2006 16:17

hello rubberduck, my fellow fishyfriend.
Have you found TFC yet?
here
full of friendly fish folk.

RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 08/12/2006 17:41

Ooo no I hadn't - ta. Have bookmarked and will browse later... once I've torn myself away from Mumsnet

IWhoooooshYouamerryXmas · 11/12/2006 18:21

Friends of mine (more money than sense) rent their tank and fish and have someone to come and do the maintenance.It is a marine tank so high maintenance and the fish are gorgeous-however,I reckon I could do a lot with the £120 per month they pay

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