New to Fish Tanks and Guppies, please help.

[IlikeGUPPIES]

Hello all,

My name is Thien and I live near Reliant area.
I'm new to the site and was referred to by CichlidFan.
I just want to say this site is such a blessing already, just by reading older posts and threads. Praise God!

Okay, so I just bought a 60gallon tank and would like to have it as a guppy/plant tank. I've seen many youtube videos of nice guppies and just recently found out about endlers on this site! I'm pretty excited but yet I know it's going to be a process to get started.

I've been reading some older posts about "cycling" "nitrate level" "ph level"
I'm a newbie at this hobby but am fascinated like many here about guppies, endlers, etc. Not too familiar with water conditions, chemicals, bacteria, etc.

I was wondering if you all can help me get started and perhaps throw me some neat ideas as how to set up the tank so it could be a great haven for these beautiful fish species. I really don't know what to buy in terms of plants, decorations, other accessories for guppies.

So far I have:
**(2) 25lb. bags of white gravel
**6 nice driftwoods
**aqua clear 70 filter
**2 generic light set-up that came with the tank
**aquarium salt
**tap water conditioner

I added water in the tank and added the gravel but the water seem cloudy.
I rinsed the gravel like 4-5 times but I guess still not good enough. I also have 4 pieces of diftwood in the tank as well. I figure I need to change water in the tank since it's so cloudy. I'm not thinking about adding any type of fish yet. I really want to get the water right and the conditions right for fishes to live in first.

What should I buy next and what kind?
heater?
more gravel?
live plants?
another filter system?
nitrate tester?
ph tester?
circulation pump?
co2?
plant fertilizer?


I'm a student so any bargains out there are welcome!
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance and God bless you all.
It is better to give than receive!!!

[IlikeGUPPIES]

fish tank.jpg
here's how the tank looks so far

[Camarowithbass]

Hi I am new here as well and still learning, however I would like to make the suggestion.
If I were in your situation I would add a Canister filter. I run an Eheim 2215 in my 55 gallon and i love it.

[tbui1178]

Agree, might be better off with a bigger filter. Also, seeding your tank with bacteria will help speed up your cycling. You can do this by grabbing some media from someone on the box or buying a bottle of bacteria.

[CichlidFan]

Welcome ten.....you have a very good memory.....it was a pleasure meeting you and I hope to see you again soon. I see some familar looking pieces of driftwood there....smiles.

You're going to find this site has some very sharp people that visit and they are eager to help anyone who asks for information and or suggestions.

After settting up your first tank....it is a good idea to let it sit for what is called the cycle period....that's where friendly bacteria establishes a foot hold in the water table, including your filtration system and other devices and or objects...like the driftwood....go ahead and buy about a dozen or more guppies for now....and introduce them into the tank....since I see you have it up and running already....but don't add anything expensive yet.....let that "cycle" take place for about 2 to 3 weeks.....feeding the guppies sparringly each time you feed them, (most new fish keepers' tend to overfeed their fish)...

Others will come along and share their suggestions and experience.....again....welcome and have fun....

God Bless you my friend...nice to see you on the box...

Steve...aka..CF

[CichlidFan]

oh....ps....get a decent air pump and sponge filter .....they are great for adding lots of oxygen to the water...and for growing that bacteria I mentioned.

CF

[IlikeGUPPIES]

Thanks so far everyone!
Hello there Steve!

I really need to get with the fish hobby lingo. This is all French to me =D
Alright so my mission for the next week or so is to find air pump and sponge filter. ----a bigger better filter system.
Also, need to look into buying some bacteria from a fish store. And research what media is. (I'll ask Petco lady )
I will make a post on the buy, sell, trade forum and see if anyone has anything that might help.

Thanks so far Camarowithbass, Tbui, and of course CichlidFan =D

[Camarowithbass]

I found a local source that has the Eheim 2215 for $99 new in the box,And for your tank size I think would work rather well.
Send me a message if you want to know the name of the place, as its the best price ive found even places online cant beat that.

[Mzungu]

"Media" is just the generic word for the stuff you put inside your filter. :)

If you're just planning on keeping guppies, I think your AquaClear 70 will be just fine. Of course, an Eheim 2215 would be perfectly all right, but if you've already got a filter, and are on a budget, I'd just stick with what you've got.

What kind of plants are you thinking of using? If you plan to use rooted plants, you may want to get a bit more gravel. I'm not sure how many inches deep 50lbs of gravel is in your tank, but rooted plants will appreciate 2 inches or so of gravel so they can put down roots. :)

[Ca Nguyen]

yo! welcome thien!

i'm a guppies and endler keeper myself. first, you might want to consider using marine salt instead of aquarium salt. if you decide to stick to aquarium salt, more than likely you're using API right? go ahead and ignore the direction on the box. 1 leveled teaspoon per gallon is best. if you use marine salt, my choice is instant ocean, you can do 1 leveled table spoon of salt per 5 gallons. note that your 60 gallons tank will not hold 60 gallons of water, so be careful with the salt. guppies thrive in brackish water, and the salt will prevent most illness and fungus.

when you bring your guppies and endlers home, don't forget to create a drip loop to acclimate your fish into brackish water, don't just drop them in. you should start with 1 male and 3 female. after your tank have completely cycled, you may add another 2 or 3 every week.

i would buy 2 or 3 of those carpet plants to provide hiding spot for the fries. i don't like to save my fries because i believe in natural selection. beside if you save them, you'll end up with a population explosion. there are lots of live bearer keepers on this forum, feel free to ask for help.

currently i have 1 male endlers and maybe 2 female endlers, i can't tell them from the female guppies. but once the fries grown, i'll be glad to trade some with you to prevent inbreeding

[IlikeGUPPIES]

Mzungu,

Thank you so much!!!
After reading your response, I'm at peace with getting started again. Thanks.

I do plan on using this AquaClear 70 until it's time for a new one and I'm sure the next filter system I'll touch is one of the Eheim models =D
Thanks for helping me with the plants. I did not know about the 2in. need of plants.
I plan on buying some more gravel. Looking into the small pebbles that are tanish color.

I'm pretty new to live plants. I'll do some more searching and researching on plants that work well with guppies/endlers.
I did plan on going to different fish stores and window shopping for awhile before purchasing any plants though.

I know plants require some special attention as well so do you know anything I might need to maintain healthy plants?
Co2?
Air Pump?
Special nutrients for them?
Special light bulbs?

As or right now I just want to get the tank up and running with plants for awhile before adding any fish.

[IvanSanchez]

Welcome to the box!

I suggest you buy a small bottle of stresszyme. It'll help speed up the cycling process. That and weekly water changes.
As Mzungo said the aquaclear is just fine. I don't think you should buy another one. IMO with plants and that filter + WC's you should be perfectly fine.
Some plants you can start off with could be guppy grass(najas grass i believe) just floating around, Anacharis, hornwort. Simple low tech plants until you get the hang of keeping plants. Plus these plants should be just fine with low wattage light.
Just my 2cents

[IlikeGUPPIES]

Hey Ca!!

I believe you're Vietnamese? =D
I'm thankful for your help and excitement for guppies and endlers!!!!
YAY!!!!!
Thanks for helping me!!!

I'm going to get on that marine salt INSTANT OCEAN and you were right about me having API aquarium salt.

I so did not know about that drip loop to acclimate the fishes in! THANKS!! Question is how would you make one? =D
Also, what do carpet plants look like so I can go ahead and buy some.

Your knowledge to care for these species of fish humbles me =D
How did you get endlers if you don't mind me asking? I read other posts about aquabid.com?
You know any places locally? I know petco has lyre tail guppies.

And for sure once I get rolling we can definitely trade and what not! =D
Thanks again!

[IlikeGUPPIES]

Welcome to the box!

I suggest you buy a small bottle of stresszyme. It'll help speed up the cycling process. That and weekly water changes.
As Mzungo said the aquaclear is just fine. I don't think you should buy another one. IMO with plants and that filter + WC's you should be perfectly fine.
Some plants you can start off with could be guppy grass(najas grass i believe) just floating around, Anacharis, hornwort. Simple low tech plants until you get the hang of keeping plants. Plus these plants should be just fine with low wattage light.
Just my 2cents

Hello there Ivan!

Man, I am so blessed! Meeting so many new, friendly people who are willing to help a newbie! Praise GOD!

Ivan I'd take your 1cent, 2cents anyday!
Thanks for more specific help on plants. I'll go to the fish stores and look for bargains =D

Okay, so my to buy list looks like this:

• Marine Salt (Instant Ocean)
• more Gravel for plants
• Stresszyme
• Light bulbs (I'll ask to see which works great with plants)
• Live plants: Najas Grass, Anacharis, Hornwort. (I'll window shop these till I get a good idea of deals and prices)

All in all, I thank you all so much thus far!!!
Off to the store now! Please continue to send your 1cent, 2cents, or however many cents you have!!! =D
I'm learning so much and really enjoying this. =D Thanks again all!

[Mzungu]

Mzungu,

Thank you so much!!!
After reading your response, I'm at peace with getting started again. Thanks.

I do plan on using this AquaClear 70 until it's time for a new one and I'm sure the next filter system I'll touch is one of the Eheim models =D
Thanks for helping me with the plants. I did not know about the 2in. need of plants.
I plan on buying some more gravel. Looking into the small pebbles that are tanish color.

I'm pretty new to live plants. I'll do some more searching and researching on plants that work well with guppies/endlers.
I did plan on going to different fish stores and window shopping for awhile before purchasing any plants though.

I know plants require some special attention as well so do you know anything I might need to maintain healthy plants?
Co2?
Air Pump?
Special nutrients for them?
Special light bulbs?

As or right now I just want to get the tank up and running with plants for awhile before adding any fish.

Great! Always glad if I can help.

Honestly, any plant that you like will do well with guppies and/or endlers. They're definitely towards the top of the list of fish that won't disturb plants at all. The only problem may be the salt you're planning to add. But just small doses, as Ca suggested, shouldn't affect them much. That also goes hand-in-hand with the regular stock lights you have over the tank - as long as you don't choose plants that are really picky, you'll be fine. Ivan's suggestions are great. Low-light plants, like Cryptocoryne species, and those he mentioned, as well as anubias and mosses and java ferns, would do very well in your setup.

The plant species mentioned also can do pretty well without any special high-tech additions, like CO2, ferts, etc. Of course, if you want to add CO2 to your tank, your plants will love you for it, but with low-tech plants (and a budget - man, do I know how that goes!!), it's not totally necessary.