re : plant

[srangel]

Hello everybody! I already set up my 5 gallon mini bow and i am about to add 2 platys & 1 plant this evening. I set it up lastnight. It will be 24 hours then. Can i add a plant and the fish tonight. I have a silent filter. Will that work and give my fish the appropriate oxygen it needs. I have never had a small tank before. I used to have big tanks back in the Philippines and a small one is 1 that i have no expertise in. And i used to only have convict cichlids. A big tank is out of the question now. I know i wont have much time to do all the maintenance. Would someone pls guide me and educate me on small tank w/ tropical fish. What are tropical fishes exactly. Pls site some samples. What are cold water fishes?

Thanks!

 

[UP UP AND GUPPY]

Well first of wich are you planning on breeding your platies? If so you would need a large tank for the fry. If not get ONLY males. Well for a 5g I would get a couple of micro swords. I suggest adding the plants a day before you add your fish, to give some time to settle in. Oh, and the reason I say only males if your not breeding them is because platties are livebearers and most females are pregnant when you buy them so its safe to just get males.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

The tank set up seems fine. Is the silent filter a hang on back, like a whisper? That will do fine for oxygen since it moves the water around and mixes air into it. The plant also will help keep the water oxygenated.

Yes, you can add the fish and plant tonight. When you add the fish and plant, you will be starting a cycle, where the good bacteria will grow and take care of the ammonia that fish waste (and overfeeding) produces. During the cycle, you'll be getting higher levels of ammonia and nitrites, and you'll need to do frequent water changes to keep the levels down so they won't kill the fish. Do water changes at least 2 times a week, 25-50%, for the first month or so or until the ammonia and nitrite aren't rising anymore. Make sure to use dechlorinated water. If at all possible, you should get a test kit for ammonia at least, so you can keep track of the level... it'll help you know if you need to do a water change and when the cycle is over. Having the plant in there will also help keep the levels down.

The cycle will take less time if you can get your hands on something from an established tank, like decorations, gravel, or filter media, since these will have some bacteria on them and help jump start the cycle.

Tropical fishes are pretty much everything you see for sale, except goldfish. They like warm temperatures, about 76-80F. Goldfish are coldwater fishes. Some other fish can also be kept with goldies, like big plecos and some others.

 

[Methylx]

Java ferns might also be a wise choice for this tank - they require low light and can root almost anywhere and they're very resilient