tropical fish- help!?

Question

Have just bought some tropical fish...have a small glass tank and they gave me 4 small fish to start. A few questions:
1. I have seen things that say need a pump as well as a filter but the women didnt mention it when i bought them.
2. The filter is only a small one for beginners but it does send a jet of water out and takes the fish on a little ride when they swim into it....is that ok for the fish?
3. How hot should my tank be....many sites say different things.
Hope you can help. xxxx

Answer 1

As long as your filter is moving the water on the surface of your tank around a bit, you really don't need an air pump as well. You can use one for decoration, but it's not needed for the fish.

It sounds like you have a fairly strong filter, but to be honest, there is really no such thing as too much filtration on a tank. It's probably just fine.

Most fish do best in a range of temperature around 74-80F. Some fall outside this range, but that covered the majority of fish you find in pet stores. If your tank is cooler than that you will want to add a heater.

MM

Answer 2

actually what gallon size is the tank, what kind of fish are they? if its a new tank or all new water your probably gonna cycle for the next 3 weeks. the kind of fish they are will help you figure out your temp. if they are tropical usually 74-80 is good, although the more fish you have 76 is the temp you want (it holds the most oxygen at that temp). when you go to a store to buy fish, you do have to realize the best thing to do is give the sales person ALL info about your tank. a good sales person will ask you these question, but its also good to give this info on your own, since it can be quite busy in a pet shop, and they arent mind readers (i dont mean that to be a snotty comment). sometimes it can get quite hectic working in aquatics. with the pump you have i dont see a problem with the fish, unless they start showing signs of stress, but i doubt that will happen. other then that asking as many questions about your fish is the best thing you can ever do! keep it up!

Answer 3

An air pump will increase surface agitation which will then increase oxygen into your water which fish need to live. W/O O2 they will die. However, sometimes the filter will produce enough surface agitation to allow enough O2 in the water. But I would err on the side of caution and get an air pump. For a small tank they are inexpensive and you can even incorporate them into your decor. I have bubble walls and they look really nice in my tank.

As for the fish taking a ride in the filter I assume it won't hurt them. My fish like to take rides in my bubble wall all of the time.

I like to keep my tanks around 75-77 degrees F. But it has been so hot this summer that maintaining that temp has been hard. I would recommend getting an appropriate sized heater for your tank that has a thermostat that is set for the correct temperature range and will turn on and off accordingly.

Good luck with your tank!!

Answer 4

ok, buy a heater, your tank should be warm. A small tubular heater would be nice
and yes you do have to pump air into your tank.
Your filter should be fine, but remember you have to clean your tank every once in a while.
When you clean your tank, keep some of the original water with your fish in it while you clean the tank.
Make sure your tank is back up to the same temp. when you put your fish back in. five degree difference may send them into shock.
Good luck with your fish

Answer 5

For a small tank, you could use your filter, the ride won't hurt them. If you're afraid of that you could go to an undergravel filter. In most cases, if you have normal room temperature, like 72 or in that area (or higher), you're probably better off not risking a heater.

Answer 6

Hi, u didn't say what the names of ur fish are I have a community tank with several different fish in it and i don't use a heater in it , no the water flow want hurt your fish.