40 gallon[uk]tank...how many fish...

[cybersymes]

high there...my 180 liter [40gallon uk] tank will be installed on thursday...
i'm inserting a plate under the worktop it's going to be on to prevent any hassles...
[it's a heavy beast...1/4 inch steel...better safe than sorri ... ]

i'm going to do a fishless cycle...
[taking me time and getting nasty levels down] ...
and then get some chums...
i'll introduce them slowly...checking levels as i go...

the community i'm after is as follows...

6 red wag platties...nice
9 cardinal tetras...nice nice...
6 marble hatchet fish...nice nice nice ...
6 leopard corys [corydoras trilineatus]...nice x 4 ...

and the 3 fish i have already in a 5 gallon[imp] tank...
2 zebra loaches...2 inches at the moment...[bert and ernie]
oscar the pleco...3.5 inches at the moment...

what do you think...sounds ok...
i know that oscar will have to move on some day...
when he gets too big...

the guy at the lfs thinks this is ok...he seems to be cool...
so...let me know if you think it'll be overstocked...

i intend to do weekly 25% water changes...
and keep a real close eye on levels various...

oh yes...plants are plastic at the moment...
someday i may have a go at the real things...
but as i'm just starting...i'm going one step at a time...

the surface of the water in the tank is 40 inches x 15 inches ...

chears...simon...

 

[cybersymes]

please read my mail guys...and give me some advice if you have a moment...
thanks very much in advance... ...

edit ... gotta say thanks here to froggyfox...
she sent me a p.m. with all i need to know...fantastic...
looks like i'm on the right track...
tank starts to cycle at the weekend...
fish should be sorted by christmas...cool yule ...

 

[prettypleco]

Sounds like a nice set-up. Bert, Ernie and Oscar will love their spacious new home!! Good luck to you.

 

[cybersymes]

Sounds like a nice set-up. Bert, Ernie and Oscar will love their spacious new home!! Good luck to you.

chears dude...they are the reason for the whole adventure...i inherited them...and now i've gone mad and am getting really into it...
funn funn funn...

 

[CAPSLOCK]

MTS (multiple tank syndrome) claims another victim. Your selection looks fine to me too. Make sure the tank is covered, because hatchets like to jump. I notice how the cories get the most Nice's. I tend to agree .

 

[cybersymes]

MTS (multiple tank syndrome) claims another victim. Your selection looks fine to me too. Make sure the tank is covered, because hatchets like to jump. I notice how the cories get the most Nice's. I tend to agree .

hehehe...mts indeed...
the tank is covered...
i read on the 'net that hatchets are the only true flying fish...
going to be difficult at feed time i guess...

the cories do get the most nicies...
all my choices are cool [imho]...i'm really amazed by the hatchets...
the way they dangle from the surface...wild...
the red/black platies look just amazin'...real splashes of color...
and those cardinal tetras are fantastico...vivid red flash dudes...
but the corries are [again imho] really fine looking fish...
i'd call them pretty...even beautiful...
i love the way they swish around in a shoal...
and the leopard markings are superb...

me tank is cycling at the moment...'sans poissons'...
so in a while the adventure truly begins...
yehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ...

 

[Seleya]

Sounds awesome, cyber! Nice choices of fish, color and activity. That should be a pretty tank.

If you can find them, you might want to look at Corydoras sterbai -- they look like juliis with orange/yellow fins. I love marble hatchets! You have gotta see a crew of them at feeding time, zipping everywhere at once like upsidedown skaters. They love powdered daphnia (the real thing if you can get it) Try a live plant or two, maybe something low light for the time being. You don't have to get fancy with special substrates, lighting, CO2, etc if you don't want to -- plenty of plants do fine in average aquarium conditions.

Take your time, like you plan, and have fun with it!

 

[cybersymes]

Sounds awesome, cyber! Nice choices of fish, color and activity. That should be a pretty tank.

If you can find them, you might want to look at Corydoras sterbai -- they look like juliis with orange/yellow fins. I love marble hatchets! You have gotta see a crew of them at feeding time, zipping everywhere at once like upsidedown skaters. They love powdered daphnia (the real thing if you can get it) Try a live plant or two, maybe something low light for the time being. You don't have to get fancy with special substrates, lighting, CO2, etc if you don't want to -- plenty of plants do fine in average aquarium conditions.

Take your time, like you plan, and have fun with it!

chears for the reply seleya...i'll check out those corys...
hatchetts are totally wild...i was after 6...
but i read a section on them in a book which recommended 10...
innertesting... ... what do you think...

thanks for the advice on the foodstuff...
i actually saw it in another fish shop today...
[not as good as my lfs...but worth a look]...

might try a real plant sometime too...good idea...
i didn't know you could get low-maintenance plants...cool...

i nearly commented on your sig. the other day...
how are your dogs doing...arf...arf...
we have two soft-coated irish wheaten terriers...
crazy-mental-nutti-magical hounds...

thanks again for the info...mucho appreciato...

 

[Seleya]

chears for the reply seleya...i'll check out those corys...
hatchetts are totally wild...i was after 6...
but i read a section on them in a book which recommended 10...
innertesting... ... what do you think...

I'd go for it. They're small enough that you should be able to get away with a few extras without impacting your bioload.

might try a real plant sometime too...good idea...
i didn't know you could get low-maintenance plants...cool...

Java fern and java moss are pretty low maintenance and they will attach to driftwood and rocks to make amazing aquascapes very simply, water sprite (don't plant this, let it float or anchor it so it's just above the substrate), I've had good luck with Amazon swords in regular lighting, anacharis -- your local water conditions will affect which plants you are more successful with. If you have an aquarium society near you, you may be able to get clippings for free or cheap. The plant gurus here could help you better -- when I started out, I just popped plants in and saw how they did; if they didn't do well, they were cheap enough and I took them out, if they did well, bonus! Sometimes, plants just do ~better~ with the proper substrate, lighting, CO2, etc -- i.e., glosso will stay low and more 'carpet-y' with correct conditions, it gets 'leggy', somewhat spindly without. If you don't want to get complicated with the plants, don't, you simply limit your options but try throwing one live plant in -- they're great for the fish and, if they do well, will help with water conditions.

i nearly commented on your sig. the other day...
how are your dogs doing...arf...arf...
we have two soft-coated irish wheaten terriers...
crazy-mental-nutti-magical hounds...

Wheatens are very cool! I just groomed one the other day. My dogs are as crazy as ever -- right now they're in the wading pool (it's 43 degrees out) which is way better than when they're in the garden pond! *crazysmil

 

[cybersymes]

hey hey seleya...thanks again for another informative reply...

i'll go for a bigger 'team' of hatchetts...they're wild...
the way they 'dangle' from the surface...nuts...

great info on the plants...
i actually scooted round the 'net earlier and came up with... ...
you guessed it...java ferns...sounds like a totally perfect plant...
i'll try and get a snippet somewhere...
i'll ask the lfs dude...and try local societies...[great idea that]...

chears chumm...seula and lucy [our wheatens] say high ...

 

[MOsborne05]

I think you've picked a nice community of fish. I was thinking of getting cardinals before but couldn't seem to find any other than online. Where did you find them? Also, try and add them last if you can as they are sensitive to water conditions and take a while to adjust. Once they are settled they become pretty hardy and are definitely gorgeous fish.

I just got some low-light plants from www.aquariumplant.com and they are really nice. I got dwarf sag, anubias nana and anacharis. The anacharis looks really nice as a background plant and they seem to be doing well with only 1.15wpg at the moment. I'm still trying to figure out a way to upgrade. It also helps produce oxygen for the fish and absorb their waste, and they look much nicer than plastic IMO. Good luck with your tank.

Edited to add: MTS has gotten me too, I just ordered an Eclipse 5 gallon hex to upgrade my 2.5 gallon betta/snail tank. I didn't like the ugf because the gravel has to be so thick to keep live plants.

 

[cybersymes]

I think you've picked a nice community of fish. I was thinking of getting cardinals before but couldn't seem to find any other than online. Where did you find them? Also, try and add them last if you can as they are sensitive to water conditions and take a while to adjust. Once they are settled they become pretty hardy and are definitely gorgeous fish.

I just got some low-light plants from www.aquariumplant.com and they are really nice. I got dwarf sag, anubias nana and anacharis. The anacharis looks really nice as a background plant and they seem to be doing well with only 1.15wpg at the moment. I'm still trying to figure out a way to upgrade. It also helps produce oxygen for the fish and absorb their waste, and they look much nicer than plastic IMO. Good luck with your tank.

Edited to add: MTS has gotten me too, I just ordered an Eclipse 5 gallon hex to upgrade my 2.5 gallon betta/snail tank. I didn't like the ugf because the gravel has to be so thick to keep live plants.

hey there...thanks for the good vibes...cheers...
cardinals are coming from my lfs...belfast...ireland...

good advice on getting them last...news to me...
i'll keep them until the end...i want them to be totally happi...

i'll chek that plant-site...i like the look of java ferns...
they sound really cool...like a 'waterworld' hemp...

my tank has 1.5 wpg...so i think the ferns will be fine...
as for upgrade...bigger wattage bulbs...
what about reflectors...they increase lumens into the tank...

mts is deadly ... it's a killer ... for your wallet...

good luck with your 5gall hex...sounds groovy...