Keeping tropical fish

Starting off with what should be a hassle-free hobby

by Walter Spanner

We assume that you have your tank in the right place - out of direct sun light and on a well supported floor and can now consider the set-up in detail.

 

Gravel, well what can I say about that, The gravel should not be the stuff you get down the beach, as it contains too much salt and other contaminates. Use the gravel that they sell at the pet shops, as this is the right gravel for aquariums. Try getting round stones as this will be safer, so fish that are bottom feeders do not cut them selves. Don't forget at least 2 inches deep for normal filtration, and 3 inches deep for under gravel filters.

When you get the gravel, wash it through under running water to get the dust and any other bits out of it. Take your time when doing this as it will pay off, because if you hurry it you will see the results when you fill the tank, as the water will be very cloudy, so make sure it is thoroughly rinsed through.
If you are using an under gravel filter you should lay this first then add the gravel after.

 

Heaters, these come in various sizes. They are normally come in sizes from 25 watts going then to 50, 75,100,125, 150, 200, and 300 watts.

These are the recommended wattage for the size of tank.

25 watts for a 20 litre tank
50 watts for a 35 litre tank
75 watts for a 50 litre tank
100 watts for a 65 litre tank

From here on you should start thinking of having 2 heaters so as to spread the heat evenly.

150 watts for a 100 litre tank - 200 watts for a 125 litre tank
250 watts for a 150 litre tank - 300 watts for a 200 litre tank

You should be running the water in the tank at about 24 C as this is about the middle of the range for tropical fish. Some types of tropical fish may need a lower or higher temperature but you can get that information either on the net or from your local pet shop or books. You should position your heater at an angle of about 45 degrees, as that will allow the thermostat to work properly. The heaters are fully submersible, and have a built in thermostat with an adjuster at the end, so you can turn it up or down to the required temperature. They are normally set at around 24-25 C at the factory. There are some heaters out there, that have no thermostat and rely on an external thermostat to control the temperature; the sensor goes inside the tank about half way down. This normally hangs on the side with a control knob on it. If you ever have to remove the heater when it has been on, leave it for 5 minutes or so to allow it to cool down. Doing this, will avoid the glass breaking. When wiring in your heater/heaters try and make sure that you have a drip loop in the wire going to the plug as this will stop any water running up and along the cable and into the plug, thus blowing the fuse, or making the area very dangerous

 

Filtration. This is the complicated piece of equipment and if you don't get this right then your fish will all most certainly die.
As I said in the last chapter, you have a wide choice of filters out there and some of them don't come cheap. Saying that, it is well worth the expense because the filtration for a tank is quite complex. The makers like Eheim, Fluval, Interpet, etc, are all good at their job. Internal or external both have there for's and againsts. The filter system can be of mechanical, biological or chemical or other materials that will work effectively. There is a wide choice that you can pick from. If you use the bacterial method, the water is drawn from the tank into the bottom of the filter then goes through a coarse sponge, then passes over some ceramic medium, then through another layer of small medium, (looks like white gravel), then through a very fine sponge, then back out to the tank. Drawing the water over sponges and other material to take out the debris uses the mechanical system. The chemical system use charcoal and other chemicals to take out the impurities. You can have a spray bar on the outlet so the water can pass over the surface and that way there will be a greater movement to allow the exchange of oxygen into the water. You could also have a pump lower down to move the water around at midway. That would stop any dead spots in the tank. Don't forget to make sure that the fish have some were to go, so they can get out of the fast flowing water and can rest.

 

Air Pumps. They are needed if you have any air driven filters or ornaments. You can have a air stone or block, you can even get a length of pipe with very small holes in and lay it along the back of the tank on or just under the gravel and form an air stream. Looks really nice as well.
The pumps also come in different sizes; small pumps have one outlet well some of the bigger ones have 2,3,4, or even 6 outlets. Your local pet shop or the Internet can inform you what size you need. I always think that it is better to have a bigger pump for what you need than a pump that is too small. Don't forget to place a one-way valve in the airline, to stop any possible siphoning, when or if the pump ever stops. If this one-way valve is not in place and the pump stops in the night, you could end up with an empty tank in the morning and a very wet floor.

 

Tank Covers. As I have said before, they are their for the safety of your fish and to keep the electrics on the hood dry, as the water will condensate in the hood and make any electrical components dangerous. Covers can be either a clear plastic corrugated sheet, or you can pay out a bit more and buy glass that slides along to make an opening.

 

Lighting. This is also a very complex subject, as real plants won't grow if the light is not either bright enough or of the wrong type. There are loads of different florescent tubes in the shops that are of the different spectrum. Also you can go for another type of lighting called Arcadia Metal Halides. These cost a lot more and are very expensive to run and get very hot. The good thing about them is that they give off the right type of light and at a very good strength. They normally have 2 Halogen tubes and 1 florescent tube. Don't go for ordinary light bulbs as these give off no good light at all and also get very hot. There is a minefield of information out there about lighting and is a too bigger subject to cover here.

 

Plants. Well providing that the light is good, the water quality is OK, and you have a good gravel base, then with some loving care and attention you should be able to grow them. Some of them are a bit tricky but if you stay with the hardy ones then as you get use to them go on to the more delicate plants. I will list some of the hardy plants that you can grow and stand a chance of succeeding with.

Water. If you look at water (chemically) there are a lot of chemicals in it. There is H2O of coarse, and then there are the trace elements, which get into the water from under ground. Also pollution is added to this, and this is the serious bit that we have to worry about, because it is harmful to the fish. When we start looking at our water the test kit should include these: Ammonia (NH3/NH4), Nitrite (NO2), Nitrate (NO3), Ph, Phosphate (PO4), GH, and KH. There are some more but that is all you really need. You should consider not using rainwater, as this is full of pollutants that could harm your fish. Some people do but it is not recommended. When using tap water you must add some dechlorinator as this will bond the chlorine together and make it harmless to the fish. Some people let their water stand for a week or so, others just put it straight in. As you get use to doing water changes, (this subject will be covered later) you will get to know what to do with your water.

Filling the tank. This is best tried before anything else happens. Fill the tank up to the top and leave it for a few hours to see if there are any leaks. Then put the under gravel filter plate in first, that is if you are using one, if not then put the gravel in and any rocks or decor that you have. Then half fill the tank up. Put in any plants that you are going to have, that way you don't have to get your elbow wet, and it also allows you to see how it is going to look. Place the heater/heaters and the filter in place and a thermometer on the glass. Now fill it up to just over the black tapeline if there is one, as this will cover up the water line. Don't forget to put the dechlorinator in the water first.

Run the tank with the heater and filtration and lights on for a week or so. If you have live plants add some fertilizer to the gravel, they come in a tablet form and you just push them into the gravel near the roots. The lights can either be on a timer or you can do it by hand. The lights should be on to start with for about 11 hours a day, but you can cut this back a little as and when the plants grow, or if the algae starts to get out of hand.

Walter will be pleased to answer readers fish keeping queries.

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