Freshwater aquarium beginner needing advice?

Question

I have just aquired a 4ft x1.5ft x1.5ft aquarium and have not got the first clue about keeping fish. Can anyone give me an idea of what equippment I will need and any suggestions for easy care fish.

Answer 1

is your tank second hand or new? either way it will need a good clean before you add any creatures to it, if it's second hand, the seams will need to be checked to make sure they're still water-tight as well. never ever put any kind of bleach or detergents near your fish tank, to clean it, there are various methods. i use salt and warm water. others use vinegar, or very very watered down bleach, either way it needs to be rinsed and rinsed and left to dry afterwards.

next step is work out what you want from your tank, do you want a colourful community of small fish? or something a bit different? it would be best for you to go with a tropical (heated) tank, this makes for more of a selection of fish you can choose from.

nip down to your local fish store, have a look around the tanks, note down any fish that takes your fancy, and buy yourself one or two tropical fishkeeping books! the link below is a useful guide to fishless cycling, your tank and filter needs to go through this cycle before it's safe to add fish.

you tank is around 60 US gallons, which is a good size to start with, lots of flexibility! your cycle can take anything from 2-4 weeks to complete, this will give you lots of time to look through books and on the internet and research the fish you want. If your tank hasn't come with a filter or heater, go to your local fish store and see what they have on offer and can recommend, if your tank has a name or make with it, note that down and take it with you. Remember your tank should be sited within reach of at least 3 plug sockets!

common beginner fish include:
Guppies - colourful males, if you don't want to get inundated with thousands of babies, get males only!
Platys - also colourful, but be aware this fish will also give you babies, many babies.
Mollies - as above, also a livebearer (no eggs, gives birth to live babies). Contrary to popular belief, this fish really does better in a slightly salty freshwater or brackish water, and can get sick if kept in freshwater only.

But most importantly, these are fish you should AVOID!! they are common in fish stores and may get marketed at you, please note you don't NEED an algae eater, especially on a new tank.
Chinese Algae Eater/Golden Algae Eater - grows large, stops eating algae, eats your fish instead!
Common Plec or Sailfin Plec - grows VERY large, 1ft and 2ft for the two species, they need about 100-150 gallons per fish.

Answer 2

The first item you require is a good book on beginning fish keeping. There are so many things that you need to know that this forum couldn't cover them all. The equipment alone will require some decisions that depend on what kind of fish you wish to keep.
A word of advice: The people at the big pet stores are selling experts,not fish experts. As a matter of fact, anything that someone who has something to sell tells you should be double checked before you spend your money.
I calculate that you aquarium is a 70 gallon. The equipment for a tank this size will not be cheap. However, when it's all set up and running it will be easy to care for.
The most important thing that you can learn after the tank is equipped will be "the nitrogen cycle",this is about a bacteria colony that will keep the waste products created in your aquarium from becoming toxic and keep your water clear and your fish healthy.
First get a book,it's important.
Good luck.
P.S.--- One more thing,a 70 gallon tank full of water will weigh well over 600 pounds,a good aquarium stand is important.

Answer 3

Sounds like to me that you have possible a 55 gallon fish tank. And since that you are a beginner, it may be more difficult for your to learn with. I perfer smaller tanks for the beginner.

But, if you are determined, then I can help.

To begin with, I would start with making sure that if the tank was used by someone else, you find out what was kept in it. If it was a rodent or reptile or something like that, the tank may not be the best idea to use as a fish tank anymore. Their urine can stain and soak into the seals of the tank. Which can be hazordous for any fish.

If you find that nothing of that sort ever happened, then I would suggest that you get ready to start buying some of your equipment. You will need a filter, a heater, a thermometer, a hood with lights so you can see in the evenings and at night and you will need a hose vac which is sold at a fish store-this will allow you to suck out debri and dirty water more easily and a wand which is a stick with a sponge on the end so that you can wipe the glass of the tank when cleaning and between cleanings. These are the basics to helping maintain your environment.

Then I would suggest you decide on what kind decor that you want. Since you are just starting out, I would suggest just getting some nice rocks to put in there for the time being. This will make it a little easier to maintain while you get the feel of it. Later add more decor.

Now for one of the most important things, you will need to condition your water before any fish are added. I am a big fan of a product called "Start Right". This product will elimate chlorine, chlormine, and other metals and will add or start up the beneficial bacteria that you will need to help maintain the fish tank. So don't think that all treatments are as good as others, I do know this, since I have been using this product I have maintained a better tanks.

Make sure that you rinse your tank well with tap water. Also anything else that you happen to be putting into your tank such as the rocks, decor, heater and so on. Fill your tank up with water after adding this things to it and add your conditioner. Allow the tank to sit for a min a week or two-longer is better. Make sure not to place the fish tank near a door or window since this will promote rapid tempture changes and alge growth. By allowing the tank to "Cycle", this will help provide a good environment for your fish.

Next while you are waiting for your tank to cycle I would suggest you start deciding on what kind of fish you are thinking about keeping. Since you are a beginner I would suggest that you go with community fish. Read up on them and ask questions about the fish so that you become more familiar with them. Community fish are pretty easy to take care of. One of the biggest problems with these fish is that most people do not make sure that their water tempt is correct. Different fish need different tempt as well as diffirent water conditions such high or low levels of Ph.

After the tank has cycled I would add a few fish at a time because you don't want to stress out your environment. Adding too many fish at a time can stress out Ph, nitrates and so on.

I would not add no more than 10 community fish at a time if you truely have a 55 gallon tank. Then wait a week or two and add more.

There is so much more to learn about having a fish tank, but I hope that this information will give you a good start. Welcome to the world of fish.

Answer 4

i'll make this short for you. You need a filter, a heater, gravel. Go to your pet store and the guy or lady will tell you exactlly which ones they sell or that you should get