Tropical Fish Fun – the new tank …

My wife and I had kept tropical fish, but we wanted to do something different. So we decided to reconstruct the fireplace – a typical modern case no real quality or style – in a 7 foot long 4 foot deep paradise for fish … and, finally, in a sanctuary of African cichlids …

Having has some real clever mathematician to know that the weight of water and the tank was made bearable in our house (- you never believe how many people do not check that out, especially those in apartments), we started planning the aquarium too …

The tank stood in the ornamental stone blocks to a local builder fixed in place. We had to talk to a specialist provider in the tank than the tank they were building was only slightly unusual – and, finally, several weeks later came the tank.

The first trip to the store

My excitement was extreme as we head to the local store to get the bits and pieces needed to get started:

• gravel
• the filter and aerator
• lighting
• heater
• the filter (vacuum gravel).

When I got home, I have deleted the tank and checked to ensure that there was no leakage, and then began to put the gravel (which is first washed through the gravel to ensure that the powder was removed.) At this time there was no need for particular, as water disrupts the gravel when first added. Then add about a third of a tank of water and began to shape the taxes the way they wanted. At this point I added some water purifiers and chlorine to the tank.

Ok so then I put in the filter and aerator, and also added the heater. All this was kept off until it was over in the tank. The remaining water was then added – and I used a plastic tray floating in the surface to ensure it was not much water movement which meant my sculpted gravel is still the way I wanted it.

Then the whole team was on and went to two days.

Which was back to the store for two things:
• Many plants and:
• CO2 Diffuser help with plant growth

The next day, the plants were now well organized and growing in my tank hot, so it was in the shop again to get my first fish.

The first fish.

I love platies, variety of colors is fantastic – but any live carriers are a good place to start. Mollies, xifos, platies or guppies are great for achieving the deep water. This is usually called cycling and is really the growth of good bacteria in the tank – which in turn broken by debris. So just add a few fish in the first or the waste will kill the fish before the bacteria gets to work.

Five platis later and are floating in their plastic bags on the surface of the tank. This was just to get the water temperature equalized and then for a period of a couple of minutes left me a little tank water in the bag a few times. Finally, the five appeared and made their way into the new tank.

Technically fish waste is ammonia and should be broken down by bacteria into nitrite, and then to nitrate which is what helps plants grow. This cycle has to be set in the tank if it is to keep the fish healthy and happy and in general it takes about 8 weeks to settle. Even then my advice would be to add the fish until little by little the are established.

With time and patience.

My wife and I finally decided that cichlids Tanganyika and Malawi cichlids were our real hobby (with some dwarf Kribs shot) and we managed to raise a few different types, including Labidochromis caeruleus or more commonly cichlids Canary and Tanganyika Neolamprologus leleupi or yellow. At one time our tank was a great feeling of pleasure yellow.

At night now we just turn the television, cuddle and watch the fish tank – and ease our worries away ….

About the Author

Pete owns Tropical Fish Advice which is a resource dedicated to helping individuals interested in all types of Tropical Fish

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