Hey!

[Qwoz]

hey guys, I just bought my first fish tank today and I have it warming up up right now. I was just wondering if you guys have any tips or suggestions for freshwater fish I should get.
I play on adding the tap water conditioner tonight and then the first dose of bacteria tomorrow night after I have figured out the water heater.
Also, my dad is concerned that the water heater might be fire hazard, is this anything we should be worried about?
Its a 10 gallon tank with a 50 watt heater.

 

[Qwoz]

oh, and are bubbles on the walls and surface of the tank and filter tube normal when you first set up a tank?

 

[brian1973]

Well to answer your questions
Any electrical component can be a fire hazard but I havent heard of many houses burning down from an aquarium heater The only thing that I have heard or had happen is heater breaks and cooks the fish but it is not common, hopefully you bought a adjustable heater.

Yes the bubbles are normal.

Welcome to the tank..look in the beginner stickies and read up on CYCLING it is very important.

 

[Michaelh218]

I'd say that as long as you allow the cord to go below the power outlet then back up to it where you plug it in, it would be next to impossible for an aquarium heater to start a house fire as setting it up like I mentioned (and the manufacturers usually put that info in the instructions) would cause any water to drip off the cord before reaching the outlet.

Definately read the stickies as the previous poster mentioned, involving cycling your tank as that is probably the most important thing you could do to prolong the life of your fish, as apposed to just throwing money down the toilet.

One more thing, patience, patience patience, and when that wears thin, more patience

 

[Qwoz]

thanks for the information guys. I'm also wondering if I am supposed to keep my tank light on all the time? do i turn it off at night?

 

[Michaelh218]

I'd say turn it off after 8-10 hours.....that is unless you LIKE algea blooms

 

[Joeyb1731]

I would try to do a fishless cycle if you can resist having fish in your tank for a while, its much less stressful then cycling with fish and worrying everyday if they are going to make it. It may be hard cuz you want to put fish in, but in the end you will be happier, as will the fish you put in. If you do want to cycle with fish please read ALL that you can, Do not overstock right away, and take your time with everything

Good Luck and welcome

 

[Qwoz]

Well when i was at petco they said i could put fish in the tank tomorrow. Its true or do they just want me to buy fish?
And by waiting for the cycle do you mean wait for the bacteria to take all the ammonia out?

 

[brian1973]

yes to both..petco just wants you to buy fish and you are on the right track for cycling but read the stickies.

 

[homebunnyj]

And by waiting for the cycle do you mean wait for the bacteria to take all the ammonia out?

Yeah, but you have to be adding ammonia to the water for the bacteria to have a food source. Do you know about that?

If not, please be sure to read up on fishless cycling (stickies at top of beginner forum) *before* you add bacteria to your tank. I don't want you to waste your time and money. Knowledge is key.

 

[jo3olous]

it's gonna be a good week or 2 till you can tell if your tank is fully cycled. Of course you will need a water testing kit to know (make sure you get the drop test kit). Once you get your hands on one of those you can pretty much learn the water parameter numbers in your tank, nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, ph, etc. When you get consistent readings that are healthy for fish, you can then slowly start adding fish.

About the store saying you can add a fish to your tank as soon as tomorrow, definitely a 'no'. adding fish now will only delay your cycle and the fish has low chances of surviving it anyway. I'll make an example of myself, I started out with 5 tiger barbs before I found this forum last summer, and obviously had to do the fish-in cycle. Low and behold 3 died in the first week, probably from ammonia poisoning, and eventually the other 2 kicked the bucket. -5 fish for me, and -15.00 >:[

So take your time, cycle your tank! while youre waiting, you can start browsing for fish, check out what you might be interested in, and we can all help you put together a nice tank setup. Only downside to a 10G tank is that you have limited options, but it can still be a fun tank

GL

 

[Ich_liebe_fish]

Yes, are there any particular types of fish you are interested in (i.e. barbs, tetras etc.)? Also some inverts would do well.

Here are a couple of sites I recommend:
Wetwebmedia, Aquarium, Pond, Marine and Freshwater Fish, reef tanks, and Aquatics Information -- Browse through the FAQ's on some of the fish you are interested in. It is VERY helpful, and has proved to be an invaluable resource to myself and many other fish enthusiasts.

http://www.myfishtank.net -- Of course! Reading through the old threads can be very helpful.

AC Tropical Fish & Aquarium -- A more advanced look into some of the less common fish available, as well as the more common ones.

Good Luck, welcome to MFT, and enjoy your new tank!
BTW, there is a sickness that many of us called, MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome). The first symptoms include, spending hours online and at your LFS. Finding ways to come up with enough money to buy you next tank. If these or other related symptoms occur, do not worry -- There are no available medications/cures. You'll be sucked in, in no time.

You'll always want more. =)

 

[s_anthony]

In regards to the water heater - make sure you have a drip loop on any electrical cords coming off your tanks... that's one safety tip I can provide.

For safety I also usualy don't submerge my heater entirely. I always make sure the adjustable part at the top stays above the surface of the water. Although they are capable of being submersed in water, I think leaving the portion that is solid plastic in teh water is a better idea than submersing the portions that are not solid...

I also replace my heaters every 3-5 years and toss the old ones out. I prefer the Stealth's over any other brand (I think they are made by visitherm?) and they have been very reliable.

I'd be more concerned about shocking myself digging around in my tank than an actual fire. I have 2 surge strips, both equipped with GFCI protection. One runs the items that are submerged into the tank - the decorative lights, the heaters, etc. The other runs the external objects. When I clean my tank I ALWAYS shut off the one that has the submersed items. Although my fish aren't getting fried at the time my hands hit the water, I prefer to not introduce myself into a situation where there is electricit + water and an issue with the two

Yeah... call me paranoid - but it is a valid safety concern.

 

[Greendragon1128]

Yes, are there any particular types of fish you are interested in (i.e. barbs, tetras etc.)? Also some inverts would do well.

Here are a couple of sites I recommend:
Wetwebmedia, Aquarium, Pond, Marine and Freshwater Fish, reef tanks, and Aquatics Information -- Browse through the FAQ's on some of the fish you are interested in. It is VERY helpful, and has proved to be an invaluable resource to myself and many other fish enthusiasts.

http://www.myfishtank.net -- Of course! Reading through the old threads can be very helpful.

AC Tropical Fish & Aquarium -- A more advanced look into some of the less common fish available, as well as the more common ones.

Good Luck, welcome to MFT, and enjoy your new tank!
BTW, there is a sickness that many of us called, MTS (Multiple Tank Syndrome). The first symptoms include, spending hours online and at your LFS. Finding ways to come up with enough money to buy you next tank. If these or other related symptoms occur, do not worry -- There are no available medications/cures. You'll be sucked in, in no time.

You'll always want more. =)

I know what you're talking about! I started with a 10g, and now I have a 47 and want a 90 (not that that's going to happen... my parents think fish are a waste of time/space/money)

As for fish, I've only had experience with platies, but they seem to do well in a 10g. Just make sure you get all males or all females, or you will have thousands of fry. I've also heard good things about tetras, angels, bala sharks, and catfish, but most will probably be too big for your tank. Maybe two platies and a school of neon tetras?