# Beginner needing help!



## sw368407 (Aug 6, 2013)

Hi all!

I have always loved fish and have always wanted an aquarium. I just bought a 30 gallon aquarium. I am looking to build a freshwater aquarium as I've heard they are easier to keep. Not sure if that is true or not. I am looking to have live plants as well as colorful fish. However, I have no idea where to start. I have looked on various sites and found a bunch of information but I am very overwhelmed. Who knew aquariums were this complicated? I am willing to put in the work it takes to maintain and build the aquarium, I just need some advice on where to start. I do not know much about aquarium lingo so if you could put it in lay man's terms that would be great. I need advice on water, water temp, filters, pH level?, types of fish that work well with each other but are also colorful, plants, gravel, lighting etc. Fire Away! Thanks!

-Greg


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

*WATER:*
You can either use water from the tap, or purified water from stores, keep in mind that purified water lacks many important things that tap water has that fish need. 

You will need a water dechlorinater product, many hobbyists suggest Prime, but it seems it has to be ordered rather than bought at a pet store (though local fish stores may have it) the only difference between just the run of the mill dechlorinater and Prime is that Prime also neutralizes harmful levels of ammonia and such for... I believe it's a 24 hour period? When doing a fishless cycle and afterwards keeping up on your water changes, you shouldn't be having ammonia problems.

*WATER TEMPERATURE:*
Water temperature depends on what fish you want, so that will have to be researched. This means you'll need a heater, especially if your fish require higher temperatures that what your home is kept at (though tank water is usually... eeeh, 2 degrees lower than your house temp)

*FILTER:*
It's always better to over filter rather than under filter. Kits come with filters that are JUST enough to deal with the load of your tank, so it's recommended if keeping more than a small group of fish, to get a larger filter designed for double, or even triple your tank gallons (careful though, too much filter and you'll have problems controlling flow). Personally I wouldn't go higher than double your tank gallons. So for example since you have a 30g, I'd recommend getting a filter that can go double those gallons. HOB (hang on back) filters I personally think are find for smaller tanks like yours, there is no need to invest in an expensive external filter for a tank that small unless you want to.

Also, for HOB filters, don't follow the instructions for changing filter media. After your cycling is done and your media starts looking a bit dirty, just gently swish it around in some dirty tank water during water changes, NEVER UNDER THE FAUCET, and put it back in the filter. Don't 'replace' your media until it's... kind of falling apart. When it's starting to look like it's on it's edge, stick in a new pad by it to allow the bacteria to spread before removing the old one. If you just remove the old and put in a new, your tank will enter a new cycling process.

*FISH:*
Ah the most fun part of it all, decided on your fish. Also the most pain in the butt. This really depends on your preference. You said you want colorful fish, so this can include many. 

Livebearers are an option but these can often be a pain in the butt if you don't want to deal with fry.

Tetras are nice

Rainbowfish are another option

Gourami's are as well, but you have to bear in mind for these many aren't the best community fish and you should NEVER keep more than 1 male in a single tank. Usually the do best on a 1 to 2 ratio of male and 2 females.

Many people seem to like corie catfish, they require a group though. They aren't super colorful, but they are active and fun to watch.

Really it just depends on what you want. You can list out some fish you like and we'll let you know what works  also it's nice to know your tap water chemistry too before deciding on fish, so I'd reccomend going out and getting an API freshwater liquid test kit from petsmart, petco, or another store that has fish, since it's the most accurate, and test your tap water, specifically it's hardness (KH, aka dGH) and it's acidity (pH) as these are the two most important things to know.

*PLANTS:*
Again, depends on what you like. Do you want high or low maintenance plants? Or somewhere in between? Low light? High light? Plants often should reflect the fish because if your fish don't prefer bright light, you should probably stick with medium to low light plants. Some require fertilizer as well, so think about it and let us know what you're willing to do for plants. 

*GRAVEL:*
Don't do it. Get sand. lol Play sand sold at pet stores come in many colors, and it's cheap. Another alternative is pool filter sand. It generally requires less pre washing than play sand and it's a nice light cream color. Play sand requires a LOT of washing before you put it in your tank. Gravel is a pain in the butt, especially if you go with lighter colored gravel because over time it becomes stained. Many members who start with gravel, often switch to sand. And switching substrate is NOT fun.

*LIGHTS:*
Depends on your fish and plants  when you have those two figured out, lighting becomes a lot easier.





p.s. it's not that saltwater is 'harder' per say, it's just its more expensive and requires more hands on work than freshwater, which is, in my opinion, a lot cheaper. Saltwater fish are certainly a lot more colorful though and tons more veriety


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

The first thing you need to know is the nitrogen cycle. you need to understand the basics, and then know it inside and out. You can start with this thread here: http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fish-poop-you-primer-8310.html
You should probably do a fishless cycle. and while waiting for your aquarium to cycle, you can research the type of fish that you want and exactly what you want to do. It is a steep learning curve, but once you get the basics down, it gets easier. I promise! Let us know if you have any more questions.


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## sw368407 (Aug 6, 2013)

Thanks guys! When you say fishless cycle would that be a cycle that includes the plants? just no fish?


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## sw368407 (Aug 6, 2013)

@m8d How many inches of sand will I want to in the bottom of the aquarium?


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

yup. Plants actually benefit during a cycling and they can help out too.


For sand... I've heard 2 inches to be the maximum of deepness, any deeper and you could start having toxic gases form in it. Snails that burrow into the sand really help with this cus they keep it stirred up


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## sw368407 (Aug 6, 2013)

Also, any particular plants that I should go with and any I should definitely stay away from would help a ton as well! Theres so much information out there its so much better to ask from people who have personal experience! I really appreciate all the help.


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## m8d (Jan 9, 2013)

because this is your first aquarium, I'd personally recommend staying away from the demanding plants. I'd stay to the low/medium light range.

edit:
nvm.. apparently fish forum sites are anal with linking to other places. LOL

Well, I don't have a lot of time to sit and look for appropriate plants, so hopefully someone else will come along with more plants to name off. I can name off fish... but ask me to name off plants and I usually have to go and look em up.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

Yes a fishless cycle is when you have your tank go through the Nitrogen cycle without fish. But you can put in plants and everything just fine. Look up fishless cycling and read up on how to do it. There might be a sticky somewhere on the forum already.

I advise going out and buying an API Freshwater Master Test Kit as soon as you can. It will be an invaluable tool for your aquarium keeping. Along with a bottle of prime(it's amazing stuff!) for your dechlorinator.

With sand I wouldn't go with more than 2 inches. However, if you are going to do plants, the plants will benefit a whole lot more if you put a layer of plant substrate under the sand(if you are dedicated to sand). I use floramax and my plants seem to love it. Sand(because it is silica) does not hold nutrients well compared to the plant substrates.

As far as types of plants go, it depends on what kind of lighting you have, and what kind of fish you want to have. a lot of fish will eat plants, so you have to pick what fish you want and what light fixture you will have before you can decide on plants


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fishless-cycle-15036.html


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

Plants according to...whatever requirements you think you want. It does fish the same. Look on right of page.
Tropical freshwater aquarium fish: Homepage
Tropical freshwater aquarium fish: Find plants

After you enter your tank/filter...when you add each fish it gives info about that fis relative to the other fish you already added plus the water
change recommendation for all entered so far.
AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor


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## snowghost45 (May 13, 2013)

m8d said:


> *WATER:*
> 
> *GRAVEL:*
> Don't do it. Get sand. lol Play sand sold at pet stores come in many colors, and it's cheap. Another alternative is pool filter sand. It generally requires less pre washing than play sand and it's a nice light cream color. Play sand requires a LOT of washing before you put it in your tank. Gravel is a pain in the butt, especially if you go with lighter colored gravel because over time it becomes stained. Many members who start with gravel, often switch to sand. And switching substrate is NOT fun.
> ...


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## yekoms (Jul 7, 2013)

Welcome sw368407,
I am new to aquarium stuff also and the folks on this site have been a huge help for me. 
The best advice that I could give a new person to aquariums is "Be patient this is a long term hobby don't rush things" 
A few weeks ago I started a 45 gal planted tank that will be a community tank. I'm nearing the end of a fishless cycle. I know a couple types of fish that we want and I'm researching for others. 
Go to the Search feature - click on advanced search - member name and search yekoms (that's me) because I got a lot of great info about the stuff that we are both wanting to know.
I also have a list of 10 easiest plants from a magazine that I'll list in the next couple days. we have a couple of them and they are doing fine with low/medium light.
Where are you from?
Smokey


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## SueD (Aug 4, 2012)

I personally prefer Eco Complete as a substrate over sand, although it is more expensive. I like a darker substrate. I used Tahitian Moon Sand in a small tank and while I like the look of it, I found it difficult to plant in. Eco complete needs no rinsing either. But there are lots of people who love the pool filter sand and have great planted tanks.

For plants, if you add some driftwood you can try java fern and anubias (several varieties) which can be tied to the wood. Their rhizome needs to stay above the substrate. Crypts are usually easy and maybe some of the sword plants, like melon sword, even Amazon sword. Water wisteria (Hygrophila difformis) is a fast growing stem plant to look at.

While you cycle your tank you should also visit whatever fish stores you have in your area to see what is available to you. You can research on line but if they are not available to you, you'll have to start all over again. So visit first, write down the names of what interests you, then research here and other sites with fish profiles to determine what your tank will look like in the end. If you're fortunate you'll have an independent LFS in addition to the bigger box stores. Take what the employees say with a grain of salt and check back here with those who have successfully raised the kinds of fish that interest you.


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## silvergourami1 (Jun 20, 2013)

First ask yourself if you don't mind changing water every week(not strenuous-just repetitive)15-30% @ a time. Sometimes more until your cycling is done. Have the room for the tank and possibly larger sizes. Usually we outgrow just one or our current size and upgrade to a larger one/s. Having the possibility of water damage to residence is sometimes inevitable so insurance might be a concern to some. Basements are more ideally suited to tanks due to possible leaks and floor support is NOT an issue. They also stay cooler-so all you need is a decent heater and do not genuinely have to worry about higher temps. Another factor I try to tell people is concerns about power-outages. If you have an aquarium with filtration you need backup power so you won't fry you filter motor when the power comes back on and there is no water supply primed in the filter, and also HAVE a check valve for any tubing that might suck water out of the tank and flow over. 

M8D was right on track and mastering the nitro cycle is very important and running the fishless cycle is the best method to effectively maintain freshwater aquariums. 

As suggested I would opt for a planted fishless cycle, if you want you could put a few cheap minnows in their after a couple days. This will help provide produce more bacteria from the waste which will feed the plants and create a lil faster bacteria bloom for the nitro to kick in. This is optional though, but worth looking into.

Filtration should be a min. rate of 1 1//2 - 2 times the rate of your tank size. Aquaclear and marineland are my preferences for HOB(hang on back)filters. This is the type I would opt for with a 30 gal., but if you are handy you could opt to make a DIY canister filter-plenty of youtube videos to show you the ropes. 

Filter media is important and certain people use certain types. Personally I use fiber floss, activated carbon and ceramic rings. Sponges work well too as an option and last longer than floss. 

For substrate of a planted aquarium you will need fertilizer for the bottom-this is soil for the plants and your best opt is petstore brands like eco-complete, etc. I also advise aquarist to use Iron/magnesium rich redclay for additional plant supplements in small layers or mixed in with the main fert. I suggest sand as well like others for the top substrate; as gravel for some bottom feeders is to course on their mouths. As a reminder if you have a shallow tank and a lot of flow this will gradually disturb the sand lift/moving it overtime. IF you can I would go with pool filter sand or carribsea moonlight; although the carribsea can be spendy it looks awesome-like beachfront white sand or they have a black sand if that is what you prefer.

I would suggest driftwood/bogwood accent pieces to your tank as well and LFS(local fish stores)or online store usually have a selection to fill your needs. FYI driftwood and especially bogwood have tannins and take awhile to fully leech out of the wood. This is a harmless and usually beneficial natural ingredient in wood that will stain the tank water. Some people like this natural tea-look, others don't. It will clear, but takes time. Sometimes driftwood bought from stores won't do this, other times they will leech. 

Bottom feeders like pleco's luv the wood as it will have fibers on it that are nutritious to the cats, etc. 

Fish selection varies, and depending on your preferences there are species that can really liven a tank; however some are not compatible with others. you have to research and discover what's right for you and what fish are right for each other. Tank size is also an issue; even though a 30g. is pretty fair size it isn't appropriate for all species. Like goldfish or angels; they require a min. and I say MINIMUM of 40g to provide adequate appropriations. Using the AGADVISOR tool will help to determined appropriate accommodations.

If you have a planted tank and you want to use a bubble wand/stone then only use it at night, as the bubble wand/stone will increase the CO2 depletion from the tank; which aquatics plants use. You will need a CO2 system(DIY is fine)if you have a mediocre/heavily planted tank. Use it sparingly as too much CO2 saturation could harm the fish; which also produce CO2.

Light is essential for a planted aquarium, and using 2 watts per gallon with t5 lighting is mandatory. I would just opt for the zoo med aguasun hood because it's decently priced and looks attractive. IF money isn't an issue you can go with LED lights, but from what I hear they don't produce the most beneficial spectrum to plants; however I could be wrong for I have never used LED's.

Heating is obvious and all fish require certain temp perimeters give or take a few degrees. Heaters are affordable and every aquarist should have one. 

IF you do take the plunge seriously; then have fun, be creative(remember aquascaping)and enjoy your new hobby with aquatic flora and fauna fanaticism.


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