# Very little freshwater experience, looking for advice.



## jaredkent (Dec 18, 2010)

So here's my experience with Freshwater tanks and what type of advice I'm looking for. 
I currently have a betta :betta: in a 2.5G tank with a snail, not sure what kind. I have gravel as my substrate, with two silk plants in the tank. I'm thinking about removing the snail as it's start to reproduce. I found one offspring a month or two ago and just last night I saw 3 new offspring that haven't quite started moving yet. I don't think the betta is too fond of this anymore. When I first put the snail in, it had no problems with it, but lately I've noticed it doesn't swim around as much, no more bubble nests. I'm not sure if it's because of the offspring or not but I plan on taking them all out.

Now thats the little experience I have with fish. I'm thinking about setting up another fish tank, anywhere from 5g to 10g. I'd definitely like to have more fish in this one. I'm looking at tropical fish with a small school of maybe neon or cardinal tetras. I'm not sure what other types of fish I want to put in there yet. I will probably be putting the snail in this tank as well. I guess what advice I'm looking for is on live plants and substrate. What types do you guys recommend? Also, what other fish do you guys recommend putting in the tank. Definitely a beginner so any and all advice, in any area, is appreciated.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Welcome to the site.

I would try to go a little larger on tank size if you're able. A 5 or 10 may keep you to one type of fish if you get the normal 6-7 neon/cardinal tetras that you should get. Better to get 6-7 since they are a schooling fish.

As far as the substrate goes there are a number of methods currently being discussed in the planted forum, primarily natural planted tank style with peat and sand. Or, if you did go with a smaller tank as you mention a few bags of eco-complete should be enough and it is designed for plants. Goes for about $20 a bag usually, but Petco has it marked 20% off and if you spend $30 you get free shipping.

Sort of up to you on the direction and how much you want to spend. Also, if you just plan to keep real easy plants you may need nothing more than small standard gravel. A number of plants will grow in normal gravel without anything special.


----------



## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Welcome to the highly addicting world of fish husbandry and aquarium keeping! Here are my suggestions:

A 10 gallon tank, with a standard hood light and standard aquarium gravel, will support basic hardy plants like marimo moss balls and some other fun greenery. Best bang for your buck, in my opinion. For a filter, I would recommend a Tetra Whisper or an Aqua Clear. The Whispers are much quieter but take up more tank space and are less reliable than the Aqua Clears. Try and aim for a filter that is rated at twice the capacity as the tank you go with.

Think 1" of fully grown fish per gallon of water. So if you have 7 cardinal tetras that can get up to 1.5" long at full size, you've already maxed out your tank. If you'd like more critters, consider going up to a 20 gallon.

If you'd like to have a bit more greenery in your tank than staying strictly low-tech, look at Eco-Complete plant substrate or some peat moss, play sand, and standard aquarium gravel, layered 1" thick in that order. The peat-sand-gravel mix is commonly referred to on these threads as the beaslbob build. It's cheaper than Eco-Complete, but might be a bit of a hassle to arrange because it gets dirty, and you're not making a one-stop-shop at the pet store. Also, look at a better light bulb for your hood light, or even a better light fixture. My personal favorite is a T5HO fixture, but that would set you back $60 at least.

The sky is the limit price-wise in the aquarium world. I know people that dump thousands into their tanks, and I know people (like myself) that shopped around on Craigslist for used tank setups and got my 30 gallon and heater for free. Check Craigslist for some good used aquarium setups, and some might even be cycled and even have fish in them!

Hit us up if you have any more questions. And don't forget to research!


----------



## gbose (Dec 19, 2010)

gtm,

I echo jrman's suggestion that you go for a larger tank. If you have the space for a 20G, you'll find it's not much more expensive that a 10G, and it's easier to keep up and will give you more flexibility in the types of fish you can keep. With a 10G, you'll be very limited and will want to upgrade soon.

*w2

GB


----------



## gbose (Dec 19, 2010)

.. oh, and make sure you understand the nitrogen cycle for your new tank or you -- like me -- will ahve a lot of dead fish...

GB:fish5:


----------

