# Starting an aquarium



## Lakiticni (Mar 5, 2011)

I'm interested in starting an aquarium with trichogaster trichopterus and/or trichogaster leeri and need some info how to feed them, are they good for start, what conditions they need etc...

Thanks in advance.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Lakiticni said:


> trichogaster trichopterus and/or trichogaster leeri


Trichogaster trichopterus

Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leeri) - A Profile of the Pearl Gourami (Trichogaster leeri)

Says they are both omnivores, so standard flake food with some occasional frozen bloodworms and blanched veggies should suffice. Only feed 1-2 times per day and only enough that nothing falls to the bottom. Try and keep feeding times consistent so the fish know when/what to expect, and remember fish can go up to a week without food, so skipping a day here and there or going on a weekend vacation is no reason to buy feeder pellets or have someone stop by and feed them.

Those are my thoughts.


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## Lakiticni (Mar 5, 2011)

Thanks for the links and info. Very useful sites, I'm reading their articles now. Also Information on Setting Up Your New Aquarium - The First Tank Guide - Fish Tanks, Fish Bowls, Aquariums, Aquarium Filters, Aquarium Heaters, Choosing Fish, Aquarium Information . I'm only a bit confused with cycling thing, didn't understand it whole, talking about some bacteria and chemicals, really confusing. Will keep trying to understand it.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Lakiticni said:


> I'm only a bit confused with cycling thing, didn't understand it whole, talking about some bacteria and chemicals, really confusing. Will keep trying to understand it.


An aquarium is a closed system. It only generates what you put into it, and it only loses what you take out of it. Everything inside the tank exists as a cycle.

Food in, nitrate out. That's the general idea. Food goes into fish, who digest it and poop it out. The poop rots and generates ammonia (NH4). Nitrifying bacteria consume the ammonia and generate nitrite (NO2). Other nitrifying bacteria consume the nitrite and generate nitrate (NO3). Plants consume nitrate, amongst other things, and generate O2 (however, at night they generate CO2 as they metabolize sugars they generate during the day in photosynthesis).

Bacteria concentrations and plants help keep ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate under control, but nitrate is the end of the line and will slowly build up in your tank. Changing water is the only way to remove the excess nitrate.

"Cycling" your tank refers to developing nitrifying bacteria colonies, so that the ammonia is turned into nitrite, then into nitrate. Otherwise, the ammonia and nitrite will kill your fish. There are many ways to "cycle" a tank, my favorite of which is to set the tank up, drop a piece of raw seafood and a bottle of Tetra SafeStart in, and let it run for a month before adding fish.


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## Lakiticni (Mar 5, 2011)

Thanks once again for the information.


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