# new 16 gallon tank



## brightobjects (Jan 12, 2011)

Hello,

Well I did it. I got a 16 gallon tank. I had everything setup:

water, gravel, heat, right balance of chemicals (ph level etc) some decor (everything washed and purified)

yet sadly the two fantails I got died. I have no idea why. So I did what I always do and got on the internet and looked high and low as to what might have happened. Well in the research I came across a few things. 

A) I didn't realize gold fish could get so big and needed so much room
2) I don't want fish that get that big and fish that are so "hardy yet need a lot of care" 2 inch fish are perfect for the tank.
III) I would like to have a colorful fish... as in a couple types (maybe a snail even). I guess my idea was a 2 or more top swimmer, 2 or more mid swimmers, and a bottom swimmer. 
lastly) I am a little upset at my pet shop for not explaining a few things to me. Sorry this is a little bit of a rant but I ask someone at the pet store for advice on what to get they told me two fan tails would be fine in a 16 gallon tank however it seems like everyone says the minimum for 1 fan tail is 20+ with no other fish.

all in all I am new to owning fish and would like some advice.

I have two other questions... sorry for packing this so full.
Do I need an airstone for aeration or will the filter provide enough O2
also, this is just for my edification, how long to fish stay in pet stores... i mean those are small tanks are full of fish, how can so many survive together (15-20 fish in what looks like a 20 gallon tank). 

Thanks so much for any feed back. sorry this was a long post I just want to do the right thing and have the right stuff for it.

Mark


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Mark,

Welcome to the hobby!

First off, if you haven't done so already, read up on what's called the nitrogen cycle. That explains in a nutshell why your fantails died.

The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

For a good 1"-2" fish I would suggest platies or mollies, however make sure that if you get multiples of the same species they are only male or only female, and non-pregnant females at that, unless you want a LOT of babies. They are pretty, hardy, and require little care and love to thrive.

DO NOT GET A PLECO! If you think fantails get big, wait till you see these guys! For bottom feeders cories, loaches or otos would be best. Snails are fun too, but as with mollies and platies, watch out for babies! (Especially as some snails can reproduce on their own).

We go by the addage 1" of fish per gallon of tank water, excluding gallons occupied by structures and substrate.

Also, I'm not sure the turn-around at most LFS's, but at the PetsMart down the street the fish are either sold or die within a week. Watch out for disease! (I'm currently dealing with an outbreak of ich).


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## Mark13 (Oct 21, 2010)

Halequin Rasbora, and Espii Rasbora. Cherry Barbs, Neon Tetras, German Blue Rams.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Sorry you had to learn the hard way that MOST people at your lfs really don't know what to do, but sell. I believe they have some training in things like the nitrogen cycle and general fish care, but they aren't taught practical things like how much space a gold fish may need (or any other fish) and the practicality of things like two of them in a smaller tank.

Sort of step back a little and think about what may have caused their death. Aside from the normal things fish go through before and after they get in your tank (stressers), your tank may have become an environment that may have been unhealthy for them in a short of amount of time. One way to confirm this would have been a liquid test kit to check for ammonia. As you read about the nitrogen cycle, you'll see that ammonia builds in a tank until beneficial bacteria forms. When everything in the cycle has been properly formed, only then could your tank be considered somewhat stable and safe for fish.

Before you go out and buy more fish you may want to search for "fishless cycle" and read the articles on how to do this. Will save yourself the heartache of losing fish to cycle events, and will give you time to better prepare and read up on general care and maintenance of fish.

Water changes - needs to occur on a regular basis and one of the first things to do if your fish show any signs of distress. Some people have had success with heavily planted tanks and only doing weekly topoffs from evaporation, but this takes some strict stocking control. Personally, I feel the no water change route is not for the beginner. As beginners we just want to stock up the tank and not always think about the implications. I do that even now. For the most part, you should do anywhere from 25-50% water changing weekly. Treated water, with a de-chlorinator of your choice.

As for fish, if you get livebearers (Guppies, Platies, Mollies, Swordtails, etc) get all males. Females, although they may not look pregnant when you get them, can hold sperm for 6 months and give birth at a later time. A small tank full of fry is not what you want.

So get a test kit and decide on whether to continue with fish or not to complete the cycle.


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## brightobjects (Jan 12, 2011)

Well after reading the nitrogen cycle I believe that to be the cause based on time... really it's too bad.
I'll see about getting the water checked today to see where I stand and start adjusting what i need to. 

Again thank you all for your help. I think I have a much better idea on how to start. 

Mark


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## J-Pond (Jun 8, 2009)

As stated above, sorry you had to learn the hard way, but do not feel alone in this. You have gotten alot of great advice from the two previous post.
Regarding the fish, I would spend alot of time just looking around at different fish. You have some time, while doing fishless cycle. Go into different pet shops and just take a look. You will find that one type or another just kind of jumps out at you. Then head home and do some research as to what that breed needs. I have found this method to be very effective in helping to make that tough choice, which fish do I want!


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Don't get us ranting about pet shop advice, we'll never stop!! 

With most fish you don't have to worry about ph. Choosing the right fish for the size of tank is much more important. I'd advise starting with a really low stocking level and you can always add more, it's much harder when you start with too many fish.


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