Aquarium / fish questions.

[sheepsheeplamb]

Hey,
I picked up an aquarium that I haven't used in a few years a few days ago. It's an Eclipse tank, I'm not sure how many gallons it is but i'd guess that it's around 10-15 gallons.
Is the filter of the tank up to date?

When i went a couple fish stores i noticed that every tank had a tube connected to a ball inside it that constantly had bubbles coming out of it.
Why do they use these over the filters?

One of the stores i went to had "Feeder" Shrimps and Guppies. The guppies were colorless.
What's a "Feeder" fish?
Why were the guppies colorless?

What are the pros and cons of having live plants in the tank? If i have my tank in an area that doesn't get sunlight will the plants still survive?

What do ghost shrimps need to survive in a tank? I saw a tank of them for 8 for a $1 and they looked pretty interesting.

Is there a list of which fish are aggressive and which aren't? I'm sure that I want to get some tetra's and guppies but don't want to end up finding them all missing the next day because i bought an aggressive fish.

What kinds of fish "clean" tanks?

How long should I wait before putting fish into the tank? I set the tank up on Monday.

Should i be doing water changes during this time? How often and how much water should i change?

How much should I feed the fish? I'm using flakes.

Do i have to put in any chemicals into the tank? I saw a lot of bottles at the stores that I didn't understand.

What's the bio sphere/ball/etc thing i keep hearing about?

How much do test kits cost? I don't think i've seen any at the stores but one of them does water tests for $2.

What kind of cycle should I be using?

Sorry for all the questions. Thanks a bunch

 

[MissFishy]

GREAT questions! You're on the right track! There is lots of information available here and you'll find some great advice. A good place to start would be the link in my signature below, it has lots of set up information for beginner fish keepers! Read through that and come back with what questions you don't have answered!

 

[TheFighterFish]

Also,

if you go to your library and pick up a few beginner aquarium books, you should have all the answers to your questions in no time. If not, you can just ask us and try reading the stickies.

Welcome to the tank.

 

[Biotope Dude]

Is the filter of the tank up to date?
The filter never out dates its the media that does.

Why do they use these over the filters?
Unsure why.

What's a "Feeder" fish?
A feeder fish can be either one or two things-Female Endlers or Mosquitofish. They are used as food for other fish such as Oscars.

Why were the guppies colorless?
They were either Mosquitofish or Female Endlers. Also they may have been just very young.

What are the pros and cons of having live plants in the tank?
Well besides beauty they add extra hiding places, removes ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. All those can be very deadly to fish.

If i have my tank in an area that doesn't get sunlight will the plants still survive?
If you give the tank enough lighting using a light fixture made for aquariums. Usually the ones from Petsmart gives you really low light. CF(Compact flourescents) are preferred in the 6700K rating for Planted Tanks.

What do ghost shrimps need to survive in a tank?
Nothing, just food and water. But they dont live very long.

Is there a list of which fish are aggressive and which aren't?
Avoid large South American Cichlids, African Cichlids, Larger Gourami's, Barbs. Do research on all fish before buying to check for compatibility.

What kinds of fish "clean" tanks?
Im guessing as far as algae. Amano Shrimp take care of Hair Algae, Otto's prefer Diatoms. Once again do research before buying fish.

How long should I wait before putting fish into the tank?
Cycle the tank. Read the stickies in the begginers section. If you stock heavily on plants like Hygro, Anacharis, Bacopa, or Pennywort you can stock with a few fish at the beginning. I suggest checking on your water quality and doing abut 40% water changes a week.

Should i be doing water changes during this time? How often and how much water should i change?
About 30-40% weekly if with fish and plants. About 10% if you dont do fishless cycle.

How much should I feed the fish?
As much as they can eat in 1 minute.

Do i have to put in any chemicals into the tank?
No, unless adding fertilizers to the tank but I would suggest adding these after the cycle is over.

What's the bio sphere/ball/etc thing i keep hearing about?
Just another filter media that stores benficial bacteria for your tank.

How much do test kits cost?
Go on Petsmart.com and print out their API Master Test Kit. Go to petsmart and they will match the price. $15 is the most you'll spend.

What kind of cycle should I be using?
I dont suggest fish in cycle. Read the sticy in the begginers section on fishless cycle.

 

[TheFighterFish]

Actually, the filter can be out of date. Old, crustly, and useless.

Feeder fish can be more than just female endlers and mosquitofish, they can be practically anything. Some people on this forum breed convict cichlid fry and use them as feeders. Don't forget the goldlfish.

The guppies are colorless because they are not bred for color but rather to be eaten by other fish. Could be mutts or poor genetics.

Plants do not remove nitrates, nitrites, or ammonia. They lower these elements. A cycled tank should read 0 nitrites and 0 ammonia. Cons? Well, there's the maintenance. Plus, the research to make sure you end up with a non-aquatic plant.

 

[Biotope Dude]

Actually, the filter can be out of date. Old, crustly, and useless.

The only way it would be out of date, like you said, is if it doesnt work or you can use it at all. But they usually dont go out of date, just out of style IMO.

Feeder fish can be more than just female endlers and mosquitofish, they can be practically anything. Some people on this forum breed convict cichlid fry and use them as feeders. Don't forget the goldlfish.

As for what he is talking about, the Feeder Guppy's. They are usually female endlers(sometimes you will find poorly colored males) and Mosquitofish. There are many different types of feeders but I was just clearing up what he had asked abut the Feeder Guppies.

Plants do not remove nitrates, nitrites, or ammonia. They lower these elements. A cycled tank should read 0 nitrites and 0 ammonia. Cons? Well, there's the maintenance. Plus, the research to make sure you end up with a non-aquatic plant.

On the contrary, they do remove the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. As they take up the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates they eventually remove them. The bacterial colony is still alive but there are no harmful traces. So lets say tey remove the harmful traces of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

 

[sheepsheeplamb]

Thanks for the replies

 

[Cichlid-Man]

On the contrary, they do remove the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. As they take up the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates they eventually remove them. The bacterial colony is still alive but there are no harmful traces. So lets say tey remove the harmful traces of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.

Should never be used in this manner and for that sole purpose though. Don't think putting plants in the tank is a quick fix to a happy healthy tank.

 

[sheepsheeplamb]

Is there a table for how many watts per gallon i would need for low/med/high plants in a 6/7gallon Eclipse Tank?

I saw Lighting Level for Aquatic Plants, does the table at the bottom mean 15Watts for low, 30Watts for medium, 60Watts for high?

How much do lights like this go for?

I added water into my tank straight from the sink(no dechlorinator), do i add dechlorinator into the tank or do I have to empty it start over?

Sorry for the questions, didn't want to end up buying a light too strong or weak.

 

[Biotope Dude]

Should never be used in this manner and for that sole purpose though. Don't think putting plants in the tank is a quick fix to a happy healthy tank.

True. The best way to remove anything that is toxic is water changes.