Anyone here got a freshwater aquarium? Options

[Akimbo]

I just picked up a 10 gal starter kit. I wanted to know if it's safe to add my tap water, add the fish, and with the fish add the conditioner? Or if there's anything else I should do beforehand.

What are some good beginner fish that ARENT boring goldfish?

[yarik83]

I am the most fishtank crazed guy around here.

Can you put fish in tap water -no ph is too basic

what you do is buy aqua clear brand yellow bottle that has angelfish on it... you add that (says on bottle that it makes water safe for fish).

run it for a couple of hours and put crappy cheap fish there like feeder fish they are like 1 dollar per so many.

next day add fish that you like.

That is not the best way though

If you are shooting for beautiful tropical fish then you have to add all required chemicals, filters etc etc etc run it for at least a week and then introduce them.

just a few numbers..

fish like 78-82 degrees water
fish do not like air bubble things that look cool in store (ie a diver) they get spooked
fish like ph of 6.5 (safe if you mix fish that want it more basic and others more acidic) 6.5 is the best thing. 7 at most(extreme)
fish do not like sharp objects in water for obvious reasons

feed once a day with a pinch of flakes (take a pinch of food grind it in your fingers and release in water. if you overfeed (like they tell you in stores to feed them 3 times per day) they will grow like crazy, your ph will drop like hell etc etc then fish die

keep light on for 8hrs. i keep it on at night then turn it off in the morning

DO NOT place a fishtank near loud things like tv, speakers etc

good luck

beginner fish would be guppies, neons, tetras

fish are discriminative. if you get 2 white and 1 red fish, red fish will be under attack. some also pray on each other (ie like angel fish loves neons) and tiger barbs like harrasing angelfish



This post has been edited by yarik83: Nov 17, 2005 - 5:35 PM