# New to Fish tanks



## Gamerxx13 (Oct 9, 2011)

Hello. I am going to get a 30 gallon tank, and start building my aquarium. I want it to look really nice. Here is what I was thinking of buying?
SeaClear Rectangular 29 Gallon Show Junior Executive Kits at PETCO

Anyone have suggestions on fish to start off with? Also what time of rocks are good. I am planning to go with live plants all around. Is that a wise decision or should I go with a mix of fake and live plants? Thanks guys and happy holidays!


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## celticsfan13 (Nov 7, 2010)

hey glad to hear about more ppl joinjing the amazing hobby yea a 29 is fine but even a 20 will do what kinda fish are u looking at? some nice options that are nice are community live bearers like guppies and swordtails very nice and no agression. Angelfish are beautifull 2 but u might have 2 get a larger tank eventually with them . anothert amazing option is cichlids they are agressive so u can only do cichlids with other cichlids but there are sooo mayn cichlids that it wont be hard 2 get anice variety of them plus they are energetic and beuatiful fish!!! wat u thinking? and are u getting fish simply 2 have or to start breeding?


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

Before you worry about what fish to put in it, please be sure you have read up and understand teh nitrogen cycle. You will save yourself a lot of time and money and heatbreak that way.


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## Gamerxx13 (Oct 9, 2011)

Thanks celticsfan13 for your help. I am getting fish to have just for fish. Do gouramis go well with cichlids . I would like to have cichlids if possible, but also would like maybe a small school of fish as well. You were saying that cichlids are not good with any other fish, is that just a statement of fact or is there some flexibility with that.


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## Gamerxx13 (Oct 9, 2011)

Summer said:


> Before you worry about what fish to put in it, please be sure you have read up and understand teh nitrogen cycle. You will save yourself a lot of time and money and heatbreak that way.


I will read about the nitrogen cycle. Will that be a problem for my plants? How should I do this, buy the tank, add some plants, and then cycle it out and then put some fish in it? Thanks.


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## RonB (Nov 7, 2011)

I just bought some Bolivian Rams and really like them. They are a dwarf cichlid. They are in a 29 gal also with a school of Harlequin Rasbora and some cory's. They all get alond fine.
Bolivian Ram - Mikrogeophagus altispinosus


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## Gamerxx13 (Oct 9, 2011)

Would the be okay with a gouramis ?


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## congar15 (Dec 6, 2011)

*w2
Gouramis only get aggressive with each other really. I'd get one turqoise gourami, and a bolivian ram to start. Bolivian rams are dwarf cichlids, and I have one currently. They are pretty peaceful and have a great personality. I'd also consider zebra danios if I were you. They're small, school if theres enough of them, and look pretty nice too. If you want they sell genetically altered glowing versions of them called glofish, which come in neon colors. Some people are against them for moral reasons, but whatever floats your boat. Good luck, and private message me with any questions. :fish10::fish10:


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## celticsfan13 (Nov 7, 2010)

hey yea u can put them with other fish that are as agressive but some cichlids the ones i mentioned are a close nit species community that all back each other up sorta speak so any smaller weaker fish would gett picked on and prob killed but gouramis would be great becuz they are both in the same category of fish quite close related just make sure the cichlids arent much bigger than gourami or it may get bad and yea if u are just doing it to do then ciclds are gr8 although u might get interested with breeding eventually im 16 and i had a 5 ended breeding guppies then i moved to Brichardis and Bettas now which is sooo fun and diffulct wihht cichlids but yea a gourami(larger) and a grouping school of some smaller cichlids, if u arent lookuign for too cheap at petsmart i saw these new cool cochlids that school that were like 1inch long at sell and where black with birght white spots and changed color as they growed but were 10 each just read up on the kinda cichlids ur getting cuz usually its smartest to put cichlids that originate from the same length together


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Check your classifieds instead of buying a new setup. You can have a 29 or 40 gallon setup with all the hardware and even some setups that come with fish for $60 or so.

Plants help everything! They love ammonia and nitrite, which normally kill fish, and they also supplement the filter by leeching particulates out of the water through their leaves, improving the water quality. They also lower stress on your fish by providing a more natural environment, and their root systems require dirty substrate so they make it so you don't need to vacuum the gravel.

I would do some Eco-Complete, Floramax, or Fluorite substrate if you're going to go the pet store route. Many of us do what's called Do It Yourself (DIY) substrate using things like Safe-T-Sorb (a clay compound used to clean up oil spills in auto shops), PC select (again, a clay compound but used as the dirt for baseball diamonds), sphagnum peat moss (helps buffer the pH and provide lower pH levels), play sand or pool filter sand, etc. If you're serious about going the planted root, looking into such DIY setups is worth it on a cost/effectiveness level.

Welcome to the hobby!


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## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

go with live plants right from the start.

and while you're at it look up here beaslbob builds.


my .02


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