Need a foolproof guide to tropical fish!

[lucy5]

Dh has bought me a tank and I need a bit of help. How do I set it up, how many fish do you put in and are there certain fish that shouldn't go in together? Thanks

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ThinkFish is an awesome resource - especially the community creator as it tells you how many fish you can have in your tank and if there's likely to be any personality conflicts in your community!

It's also got a good set of articles. The first thing you should read up on is the nitrogen cycle which will help you set the tank up safely (will see if I can find you a good article on that).

(argh have to pick up ds2 from nursery - will try and look one out for you later)

Thanks , will have a good look at that if ds ever goes to sleep!

Practical Fishkeeping articles also good.

The Nitrogen Cycle

Thanks, i have finally go the time to sit and read .

Basic essential rules are:
Let the tank water mature before adding any fish.
Add fish gradually to allow the filter to acclimatise.
Don't over feed. It is very easy to overestimate how much they need and will give you water quality problems.
Regular partial water changes, with treated tap water.
Buy fish from a reputable store which has healthy fish in its tanks.

Oh and unless you want to be overrun with babies steer clear of livebearers (guppies, platies etc) and Kribensis (Kribs).

Tetras come in a huge variety and are pretty good to start with. Neons tetras are pretty and very popular but personally I'd go for Cardinals which are more hardy and just as pretty.

So much more to say but Practical Fishkeeping is a good place to start.