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Help setting up a 60 gal tank

Lo_

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Hi guys!

I plan on setting up a tank in my room soon. I need all advice and tips please! What is the best filter, heater, etc to get for a 60 gal?

Thanks :D I’ll keep you all updated on the progress. Im picking it up tomorrow!
 

taxidermynerd

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I'm gonna tag @finchly for you because she has a lot of experience with fish, way more than I do lol.

Generally, you'll want to make sure that the heater is powerful enough to heat the entire tank.

As for filters, get ready for a lot of trial and error lol. Honestly out of all the stuff I've bought for the fish I've spent the most money on filters. I use Tetra Whisper HOB filters on my 40, I have 2, at one point I had an internal canister which was nice but kept breaking down.

What you'll need will depend on your bioload. Meaning, what fish will be in it? If you have a fish that produces little waste, you won't need an extremely powerful filter like you would with lots of fish that produce lots of waste.

For substrate, you have lots of options. You can do gravel, sand, or nothing. I prefer to go bare-bottom, I find it makes it easier for the filter to suck up junk, and I've had too many issues with sand and gravel.

And don't forget the air pumps, I just have 1 on my 40, with one of those big disc air stones. On the box it will usually say what tank size it's rated for. Same goes for the heater, actually.

Don't forget to cycle it, as well. Get a liquid test kit, I like the API Master Kit. Once you fill the tank with dechlorinated water, test it every day until the water is steady at 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrites, and under 20pmm nitrates (but the lower the better). That's when the tank is ready for fish. Only add 6 or so at a time, once a week until you have however many fish you want in there.

I don't know if any of that was actually helpful lol, hopefully some of it was.

Congrats on your new tank!
 

hrafn

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External canister filters are my lifeblood, lol. I've gone through SO many internal canisters and HOB/power filters with my 75 gal, but my Fluval 406 is holding strong!

I always get a filter with a higher gph capacity than necessary, because my tank houses two goldfish and they produce truly astounding levels of ammonia. My tank turns over completely a good four times per hour, which keeps it sparkling clean and safe for my fishies.

The heater you need depends on the species you keep. My fish are coldwater, but I use a heater to keep the temperature as a constant 20°C to avoid extreme temperature fluctuations.

As @taxidermynerd mentioned, cycling is crucial. Classic cycling requires the introduction of hardy fish to kickstart the ammonia-nitrite-nitrate cycle, but that's generally seen as cruel nowadays as it causes the fish stress, and fishless cycling is possible by simply adding ammonia straight into the tank. The addition of ammonia will allow for the growth of a bacteria colony within your filter media, and begin the cycle so that your fish will be introduced into a fully functioning ecosystem that can dispose of their waste.

A super simple way to add ammonia to the tank is to drop in some fish food, and let it simply rot. Even easier is household ammonia. 2-3 ppm of ammonia is the standard amount, and you'll know your levels as you use your water testing kit. Test every day, and adjust ammonia levels as necessary. Within 2-3 weeks, ammonia levels will begin to decline rapidly, and you should start testing for nitrates. In 4-6 weeks, nitrates will be higher, and ammonia and nitrite levels should be at zero. You'll know your tank is properly functioning when you add 2 ppm of ammonia and it's back down to zero within 24 hours.

Do two 50% water changes back to back to lower the nitrate levels that you've produced, check PH, KH, and GH, allow the heater to bring the water to the correct temperature, and you can finally add your fish! Woohoo!!!

It's a long process for sure, but an important one.

Good luck with your new aquarium! Be sure to post a million pictures!
 

EkkieLu

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I have a 150 gal tank. I use glass pebbles on the bottom. It's very easy to vacuum clean and the fish love foraging it in. There's no rough edges to scratch them either.

I have 2 whisper top filters and 2 canister filters, 2 air pumps running with bubble wall stones. I use the API master test kit, test strips do NOT work! I also use the API Quick Start liquid for new setups, and the API Stress Coat liquid when I do any water changes.

Buy a glass tube heater made for your size tank, go larger if you have to don't buy a heater for a smaller than 60 gal tank as you'll burn it out quick!

I use Repashy Soilent Green gel fish food. Flakes have little to no nutrition. Pellets are better but if the fish swallow it before it's totally absorbed all the water it possibly can before falling apart it could swell in the fishes tummy (like birds eating uncooked rice).

Do not over feed! Fish don't have stomachs. If you over feed they can and generally will get swim bladder disease and end up either sitting on the bottom of stuck at the surface. Feeding small amounts twice a day is the best!

Don't buy fish that are in tanks with sickly or iffy looking fish, or in a tank with live plants or live snails. I don't know what kind of fish you are getting, but do your homework before adding an algae eater (pleco) as they attach to certain species of fish and literally suck the protective slime coat off the fish and the poor fish will die!

Snails are notorious for harboring diseases. They also multiply like rabbits. You may have gotten just one snail, but one morning you'll notice hundreds of little guys (hopefully before your filters clog and burn out)

If one fish looks sick, put it immediately onto a separate "hospital" tank. Do not treat or medicate your entire tank!

When setting up your tank, if you know someone with a healthy well established tank, get some of their used filter material and take it home in a container of their tank water. Add it immediately to your filter once you have water flowing through it. This will enable good bacteria to colonize much quicker. This bacteria will basically eat all the harmful chemicals your fish out out just by swimming and eating. Without a stable bacteria colony the fish will not thrive!

Do not over stock your tank with fish! If you do the bacteria colony will not be able to control the ammonia from excrement, rotting food, or what comes from the fish "breathing" process. Check how much water each fish needs to thrive and calculate how many can live safely in your tank.

Some species of fish cannot live together. Check before mixing species. Even certain types of goldfish don't thrive together!

Make sure you have safe places for the fish to hide. Everyone likes a little area to relax!
Don't put any decorations in there that a fish could get stuck in.

Never do a water change more than 50% of the tanks capacity. An established tank should only need a 20% water change weekly. Keep an eye on your ammonia levels. If they never seem to drop down to nearly zero, you've either overstocked your tank (too many fish) or are feeding them too much and rotting food is causing ammonia levels to rise.

Its always better to have more filter power than the box recommends. Get at least a filter recommended for a 75 gal tank!

Never leave the tank lights on all the time. Fish need darkness to sleep too!

If you must put your hand in the tank thoroughly wash them first and rinse them very well!

Get a thermometer for your tank. When adding or changing water, put the hose nozzle up against the thermometer and adjust the water using your taps til the temp matches what the current temp is in the tank. If you are using a bucket put the thermometer in the water in the bucket to make sure it matches tank water temp. Even throwing the tank water temp off a few degrees will shock the fish and possibly cause death.

Never use any type of soap or cleaning spats on anything associated with your tank. Even if you think you rinsed it pretty well residue could still harm your fish. The only exception to this hard and fast rule is your hands!

Get a net if you must take a fish out of the tank. Never touch your fish as this messes up their protective slime coat.

Whenever you add a fish sit the bag in the tank for at least 20 minutes before using the net to add him to your tank. This allows the fish to become gently acclimated to the new water temperature. Do not ever add the fish store water to your tank!!!

Do not set up your tank by a window. Direct sunlight will cause green algae to bloom super fast. Algae is alive and will use all the oxygen in the tank and leave your fish gasping at the surface.

If you need more questions answered, I will be more than happy to help!

I just bought a new house and had to move the tank the day before the movers came so I could focus on getting the fishies safely moved. It's not fully set up yet, but you get the idea!
 
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taxidermynerd

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I'd also get something like a 5 or 10 gallon, a sponge filter and a small heater, to have a sick/quarantine tank. I have a 5 gallon, because I have livebearers in my 40 and I try to save the fry if I can. Many of the platies in my 40 I've raised since they were the size of a grain of rice. The parents will eat them so if you want them to survive you either need a really densely decorated or planted tank, or a separate tank.

Also keep an eye out for those dollar per gallon sales, sometimes you can snag a great deal. I got my 40 during one a few summers ago.

When setting up your tank, if you know someone with a healthy well established tank, get some of their used filter material and take it home in a container of their tank water. Add it immediately to your filter once you have water flowing through it. This will enable good bacteria to colonize much quicker. This bacteria will basically eat all the harmful chemicals your fish out out just by swimming and eating. Without a stable bacteria colony the fish will not thrive.
On this topic, there's also a product called Tetra Safe Start Plus, which is basically good bacteria in a bottle. I know some folks have had mixed experiences with it, but I swear by the stuff. Dump the whole bottle in, and it'll kickstart your bacteria. I got my 40 to cycle in 24 days with the TSS+.

I don't know what kind of fish you are getting, but do your homework before adding an pages water (pleco) as they attach to certain species of fish and literally suck the protective slime coat off the fish and the poor fish will die!
Also something to keep in mind is the pleco/algae eater you see in most pet stores, those guys are common plecos, they get over 2 feet long and need at least 100 gallons. I was told I needed one by the big chain pet store when I first got my original school of guppies, and I ended up having to give him up at my local fish store (a store I trust very much) because I knew I couldn't provide what he needed. It broke my heart. If you would like a pleco, a more suitable species is the bristlenose (also called bushynose) pleco. They only get to 6 inches, the albinos get to 4 or so.
 

finchly

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So we want to see the tank! What kind of fish? What sort of filter did you end up getting?

I see a lot of good advice above. The Fluval canister filters are my favoriate and they last forever. As far as cycling, they sell products that supposedly cycle but what I always did was give people a bucket of fish tank water when they came to my house to buy fish.... instant cycling. Just make sure you get it from a reputable seller, not from a big box store that has all tanks on one system (lots of illness there).

Also when someone said "feed very little" my dad always told me to feed what they'd eat in 5 minutes. (I was 10 when he got my first tank) That's still a rule I follow.

@EkkieLu beautiful tank! Hubby bought me one in 2008....unfortunately we sold it when we moved to FL.
 
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EkkieLu

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So we want to see the tank! What kind of fish? What sort of filter did you end up getting?

I see a lot of good advice above. The Fluval canister filters are my favoriate and they last forever. As far as cycling, they sell products that supposedly cycle but what I always did was give people a bucket of fish tank water when they came to my house to buy fish.... instant cycling. Just make sure you get it from a reputable seller, not from a big box store that has all tanks on one system (lots of illness there).

Also when someone said "feed very little" my dad always told me to feed what they'd eat in 5 minutes. (I was 10 when he got my first tank) That's still a rule I follow.

@EkkieLu beautiful tank! Hubby bought me one in 2008....unfortunately we sold it when we moved to FL.
Thanks! I love my tank buddies. I lost half my fishes when I moved. The tank is very thick glass and took 4 Big guys to lift it empty. Driving an hour to my new house, plus breakdown and set up time was just too much for some of my fancies. I had several 5 gallon fish transfer buckets with air pumps attached. I really tried my best but still felt horrible some didn't make it. The tank is all settled down again with great test readings, so I'll be looking for some new crew members!
 
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Lo_

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I'm gonna tag @finchly for you because she has a lot of experience with fish, way more than I do lol.

Generally, you'll want to make sure that the heater is powerful enough to heat the entire tank.

As for filters, get ready for a lot of trial and error lol. Honestly out of all the stuff I've bought for the fish I've spent the most money on filters. I use Tetra Whisper HOB filters on my 40, I have 2, at one point I had an internal canister which was nice but kept breaking down.

What you'll need will depend on your bioload. Meaning, what fish will be in it? If you have a fish that produces little waste, you won't need an extremely powerful filter like you would with lots of fish that produce lots of waste.

For substrate, you have lots of options. You can do gravel, sand, or nothing. I prefer to go bare-bottom, I find it makes it easier for the filter to suck up junk, and I've had too many issues with sand and gravel.

And don't forget the air pumps, I just have 1 on my 40, with one of those big disc air stones. On the box it will usually say what tank size it's rated for. Same goes for the heater, actually.

Don't forget to cycle it, as well. Get a liquid test kit, I like the API Master Kit. Once you fill the tank with dechlorinated water, test it every day until the water is steady at 0ppm ammonia, 0ppm nitrites, and under 20pmm nitrates (but the lower the better). That's when the tank is ready for fish. Only add 6 or so at a time, once a week until you have however many fish you want in there.

I don't know if any of that was actually helpful lol, hopefully some of it was.

Congrats on your new tank!

Thank you! It was very helpful. I need to figure out what fishies I'm gonna get, so I can get the tank going :)
 

Lo_

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External canister filters are my lifeblood, lol. I've gone through SO many internal canisters and HOB/power filters with my 75 gal, but my Fluval 406 is holding strong!

I always get a filter with a higher gph capacity than necessary, because my tank houses two goldfish and they produce truly astounding levels of ammonia. My tank turns over completely a good four times per hour, which keeps it sparkling clean and safe for my fishies.

The heater you need depends on the species you keep. My fish are coldwater, but I use a heater to keep the temperature as a constant 20°C to avoid extreme temperature fluctuations.

As @taxidermynerd mentioned, cycling is crucial. Classic cycling requires the introduction of hardy fish to kickstart the ammonia-nitrite-nitrate cycle, but that's generally seen as cruel nowadays as it causes the fish stress, and fishless cycling is possible by simply adding ammonia straight into the tank. The addition of ammonia will allow for the growth of a bacteria colony within your filter media, and begin the cycle so that your fish will be introduced into a fully functioning ecosystem that can dispose of their waste.

A super simple way to add ammonia to the tank is to drop in some fish food, and let it simply rot. Even easier is household ammonia. 2-3 ppm of ammonia is the standard amount, and you'll know your levels as you use your water testing kit. Test every day, and adjust ammonia levels as necessary. Within 2-3 weeks, ammonia levels will begin to decline rapidly, and you should start testing for nitrates. In 4-6 weeks, nitrates will be higher, and ammonia and nitrite levels should be at zero. You'll know your tank is properly functioning when you add 2 ppm of ammonia and it's back down to zero within 24 hours.

Do two 50% water changes back to back to lower the nitrate levels that you've produced, check PH, KH, and GH, allow the heater to bring the water to the correct temperature, and you can finally add your fish! Woohoo!!!

It's a long process for sure, but an important one.

Good luck with your new aquarium! Be sure to post a million pictures!

Thank you so much! I plan on documenting the whole process :D
 

taxidermynerd

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I'm glad my post could be of some use :)

Just make sure you get it from a reputable seller, not from a big box store that has all tanks on one system (lots of illness there).
This part is particularly important. At one point I had a gorgeous shoal of 6 cories in my 40. I decided I wanted more, so I went to my local fish store, they didn't have any. So I went to Petsmart and got 6 more cories... And within 24 hours all 12 were dead, plus some guppies. Everything was fine until I introduced the Petsmart cories. I haven't bought fish from them since.

A good local fish store should have individually run tanks, no master system. If there is a master system all of the fish are contaminated. So let's say there's a store with all of its tanks on one system. And maybe one of those tanks has a fish with Ich. Now all of the tanks have ich and all of the fish have been exposed.

A good local fish store will have clean tanks, each tank run individually, no dead fish (one or two maybe, it happens sometimes.). The staff should be able to answer any questions, even if you don't buy anything. Start with asking a question you know the answer to and go from there. They should never treat you as an inconvenience. A good fish store is an amazing resource.

I'm lucky in that my local one is great, it's where my Dad got his first fish around 1980, and it's where I get all my fish from now. Plus they always accept fry as long as they have the tank space, which was useful when my guppies decided to have 40 babies overnight. Lol

ETA: I just realized you're in Indianapolis, it'd be a bit of a drive for you but my preferred store is Terry's Aquarium, it's in Hammond.

There's also a place in Indianapolis I've bought from before called Aquatic Arts, you can order online but I believe you can also contact them and pick up your fish/plants in person to cut out the 27$ overnight shipping.

I've gotten lots of snails from there (mystery snails are fun to watch), a boatload of plants and my pygmy cories. Never had an issue with them and the fish/snails have always arrived healthy. Since you're right there it might be a good option.
 
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Lo_

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I have a 150 gal tank. I use glass pebbles on the bottom. It's very easy to vacuum clean and the fish love foraging it in. There's no rough edges to scratch them either.

I have 2 whisper top filters and 2 canister filters, 2 air pumps running with bubble wall stones. I use the API master test kit, test strips do NOT work! I also use the API Quick Start liquid for new setups, and the API Stress Coat liquid when I do any water changes.

Buy a glass tube heater made for your size tank, go larger if you have to don't buy a heater for a smaller than 60 gal tank as you'll burn it out quick!

I use Repashy Soilent Green gel fish food. Flakes have little to no nutrition. Pellets are better but if the fish swallow it before it's totally absorbed all the water it possibly can before falling apart it could swell in the fishes tummy (like birds eating uncooked rice).

Do not over feed! Fish don't have stomachs. If you over feed they can and generally will get swim bladder disease and end up either sitting on the bottom of stuck at the surface. Feeding small amounts twice a day is the best!

Don't buy fish that are in tanks with sickly or iffy looking fish, or in a tank with live plants or live snails. I don't know what kind of fish you are getting, but do your homework before adding an algae eater (pleco) as they attach to certain species of fish and literally suck the protective slime coat off the fish and the poor fish will die!

Snails are notorious for harboring diseases. They also multiply like rabbits. You may have gotten just one snail, but one morning you'll notice hundreds of little guys (hopefully before your filters clog and burn out)

If one fish looks sick, put it immediately onto a separate "hospital" tank. Do not treat or medicate your entire tank!

When setting up your tank, if you know someone with a healthy well established tank, get some of their used filter material and take it home in a container of their tank water. Add it immediately to your filter once you have water flowing through it. This will enable good bacteria to colonize much quicker. This bacteria will basically eat all the harmful chemicals your fish out out just by swimming and eating. Without a stable bacteria colony the fish will not thrive!

Do not over stock your tank with fish! If you do the bacteria colony will not be able to control the ammonia from excrement, rotting food, or what comes from the fish "breathing" process. Check how much water each fish needs to thrive and calculate how many can live safely in your tank.

Some species of fish cannot live together. Check before mixing species. Even certain types of goldfish don't thrive together!

Make sure you have safe places for the fish to hide. Everyone likes a little area to relax!
Don't put any decorations in there that a fish could get stuck in.

Never do a water change more than 50% of the tanks capacity. An established tank should only need a 20% water change weekly. Keep an eye on your ammonia levels. If they never seem to drop down to nearly zero, you've either overstocked your tank (too many fish) or are feeding them too much and rotting food is causing ammonia levels to rise.

Its always better to have more filter power than the box recommends. Get at least a filter recommended for a 75 gal tank!

Never leave the tank lights on all the time. Fish need darkness to sleep too!

If you must put your hand in the tank thoroughly wash them first and rinse them very well!

Get a thermometer for your tank. When adding or changing water, put the hose nozzle up against the thermometer and adjust the water using your taps til the temp matches what the current temp is in the tank. If you are using a bucket put the thermometer in the water in the bucket to make sure it matches tank water temp. Even throwing the tank water temp off a few degrees will shock the fish and possibly cause death.

Never use any type of soap or cleaning spats on anything associated with your tank. Even if you think you rinsed it pretty well residue could still harm your fish. The only exception to this hard and fast rule is your hands!

Get a net if you must take a fish out of the tank. Never touch your fish as this messes up their protective slime coat.

Whenever you add a fish sit the bag in the tank for at least 20 minutes before using the net to add him to your tank. This allows the fish to become gently acclimated to the new water temperature. Do not ever add the fish store water to your tank!!!

Do not set up your tank by a window. Direct sunlight will cause green algae to bloom super fast. Algae is alive and will use all the oxygen in the tank and leave your fish gasping at the surface.

If you need more questions answered, I will be more than happy to help!

I just bought a new house and had to move the tank the day before the movers came so I could focus on getting the fishies safely moved. It's not fully set up yet, but you get the idea!

Thanks for the tip about the snails! I love them and had them in my old tanks but didn't realize that they were so harmful.
Your tank is beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to get mine going :)
 

Lo_

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I'd also get something like a 5 or 10 gallon, a sponge filter and a small heater, to have a sick/quarantine tank. I have a 5 gallon, because I have livebearers in my 40 and I try to save the fry if I can. Many of the platies in my 40 I've raised since they were the size of a grain of rice. The parents will eat them so if you want them to survive you either need a really densely decorated or planted tank, or a separate tank.

Also keep an eye out for those dollar per gallon sales, sometimes you can snag a great deal. I got my 40 during one a few summers ago.


On this topic, there's also a product called Tetra Safe Start Plus, which is basically good bacteria in a bottle. I know some folks have had mixed experiences with it, but I swear by the stuff. Dump the whole bottle in, and it'll kickstart your bacteria. I got my 40 to cycle in 24 days with the TSS+.


Also something to keep in mind is the pleco/algae eater you see in most pet stores, those guys are common plecos, they get over 2 feet long and need at least 100 gallons. I was told I needed one by the big chain pet store when I first got my original school of guppies, and I ended up having to give him up at my local fish store (a store I trust very much) because I knew I couldn't provide what he needed. It broke my heart. If you would like a pleco, a more suitable species is the bristlenose (also called bushynose) pleco. They only get to 6 inches, the albinos get to 4 or so.

Good thinking on the quarantine tank! I didn't even consider that :o:
I'm pretty sure that tetra safe start plus is what I used to start up my old tanks and it worked for me.
Thanks for the other tips too :)
 

Lo_

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So we want to see the tank! What kind of fish? What sort of filter did you end up getting?

I see a lot of good advice above. The Fluval canister filters are my favoriate and they last forever. As far as cycling, they sell products that supposedly cycle but what I always did was give people a bucket of fish tank water when they came to my house to buy fish.... instant cycling. Just make sure you get it from a reputable seller, not from a big box store that has all tanks on one system (lots of illness there).

Also when someone said "feed very little" my dad always told me to feed what they'd eat in 5 minutes. (I was 10 when he got my first tank) That's still a rule I follow.

@EkkieLu beautiful tank! Hubby bought me one in 2008....unfortunately we sold it when we moved to FL.

I ended up waiting a couple more days but I picked up the tank yesterday! It's tall :D I am still deciding on filters and such because I'm not sure when I'll be able to set it up. Might be getting new flooring in my room so waiting until I know to set it up.
 

Lo_

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I'm glad my post could be of some use :)


This part is particularly important. At one point I had a gorgeous shoal of 6 cories in my 40. I decided I wanted more, so I went to my local fish store, they didn't have any. So I went to Petsmart and got 6 more cories... And within 24 hours all 12 were dead, plus some guppies. Everything was fine until I introduced the Petsmart cories. I haven't bought fish from them since.

A good local fish store should have individually run tanks, no master system. If there is a master system all of the fish are contaminated. So let's say there's a store with all of its tanks on one system. And maybe one of those tanks has a fish with Ich. Now all of the tanks have ich and all of the fish have been exposed.

A good local fish store will have clean tanks, each tank run individually, no dead fish (one or two maybe, it happens sometimes.). The staff should be able to answer any questions, even if you don't buy anything. Start with asking a question you know the answer to and go from there. They should never treat you as an inconvenience. A good fish store is an amazing resource.

I'm lucky in that my local one is great, it's where my Dad got his first fish around 1980, and it's where I get all my fish from now. Plus they always accept fry as long as they have the tank space, which was useful when my guppies decided to have 40 babies overnight. Lol

ETA: I just realized you're in Indianapolis, it'd be a bit of a drive for you but my preferred store is Terry's Aquarium, it's in Hammond.

There's also a place in Indianapolis I've bought from before called Aquatic Arts, you can order online but I believe you can also contact them and pick up your fish/plants in person to cut out the 27$ overnight shipping.

I've gotten lots of snails from there (mystery snails are fun to watch), a boatload of plants and my pygmy cories. Never had an issue with them and the fish/snails have always arrived healthy. Since you're right there it might be a good option.

Thank you so much!!! I was about to google fish stores near me but now I can look into those two :)
 

taxidermynerd

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Thanks for the tip about the snails! I love them and had them in my old tanks but didn't realize that they were so harmful.
Your tank is beautiful! Thanks for sharing. I can't wait to get mine going :)
With the snails, the main 2 you need to watch for are pond snails and ramshorn snails. Both can produce asexually, I believe. You see one today and tomorrow there are hundreds. They like to hitch a ride on plants. I have 1 tank with ramshorns and I think the only way to get them out would be to put the fish in a bucket and dump the tank and fill it with baking soda to dry out all the eggs. THose little snots suck big time.

You might like Malaysian trumpet snails, a couple hitched a ride in a bag with my pygmy cories from Aquatic Arts, I was really excited cause I wanted some but no-one really sells them. They need a mate to produce, and they only give birth to 1 baby at a time. There are tons in my betta tank and they seem to help keep the gravel clean. They don't get anywhere near as annoying as the others I mentioned. There's a big ol world of aquatic gastropods, lots of interesting guys. Snails are much fun when you get the right kind!

There's this stuff I made when I had a big herd (22) of Mystery snails, It's snail jello. They went crazy for the stuff. It was pretty easy to make. This is the recipe I used when I still had a bunch. You have to put it on a plate or something because otherwise it's a pain to clean up. Snail Jello For Noobs Without Great Kitchens | My Aquarium Club

Thank you so much!!! I was about to google fish stores near me but now I can look into those two :)
No problem! Glad I could help! :)
 

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If you want to get really into it, then make sure that you have, at minimum, an API Freshwater Master Test Kit (liquid!!!) and the GH/KH test kit. (strips can be rather inaccurate!) If you plan on using tap water, then figure out what your parameters are out of tap (be sure to test ammonia, nitrites and nitrates straight out of tap! And then test again after letting it sit/aerate for 8-24 hours!) and get fish that would be most suitable to the water you are using.

If you plan on using tap, do not get soil that lowers the pH of the water! This can cause unstable water parameters.

Since Aquatic Arts was mentioned and we don't know what you are planning on putting in the tank... don't buy shrimp from them! Or perhaps, more specifically, do not buy Neocaridina from them!
 

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Since Aquatic Arts was mentioned and we don't know what you are planning on putting in the tank... don't buy shrimp from them! Or perhaps, more specifically, do not buy Neocaridina from them!
Can I ask why?

I had shrimp once upon a time, I don't remember what kind. They were clear-ish white I think. I got them online, although not from AquaticArts. Then suddenly, they started disappearing. I started with 15. Ended up with 0. Don't know why. They were in a separate tank, with a sponge filter and good parameter and everything they needed. I just gave up on shrimp after that.

I did get a hitchhiker ghost shrimp from my local fish store once, he was cool. Neat little guy.
 

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Without knowing species of shrimp, if they were imports or home bred, what your water parameters were (including GH, KH and TDS), tank size, substrate, etc, it's kind of hard to even begin to guess why they've died.

AA and a few other stores sell imports. Neocaridina (red cherry shrimp, blue dreams, chocolate, black rose, golden back yellow, etc) all have the chance to come with a parasite ("green fungus", "ellobiopsidae" and what it actually is, some sort of algae) that is difficult to get rid of and can take months, if not years, to show up in a colony. It's difficult to treat the shrimp without also killing them.... imports also have a failure to thrive within USA tanks.... kind of hit or miss on how well they'll do. They seem to do a bit better when put into Caridina parameters.

I've honestly had bad luck trying to keep Neos but the Caridina I've kept have been hardier... as long as someone else doesn't kill them off. Neos are supposed to be the hardiest beginner shrimp, too!
 

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That's part of why I gave up, they're so fragile and also very expensive to replace, and I just figured it's more worth my while to sink money into something I can keep alive.
 

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If you ever want to get into it, it just requires some more test kits, knowing what species you want to keep, and who to buy from! ;) (I know several people who can give good prices on shrimp!) Although I might recommend starting out with a Caridina species (Red/Black Crystal, Tiger shrimp, etc) over Neocaridina, if you were willing to get the required setup for them. (special soil, special water, special minerals, etc)

There's an Aquashella thing coming up... first one is in Texas this coming weekend, but another is in Chicago in August. Or there's the Aquatic Experience in Chicago in October. Some of the people I know (shrimp keepers) will be at these shows.


YKK (Yellow King Kong) from my first batch... now gone. (roommate and neighbor killed them off...) I think that if you treat them kind of like birds and you are careful of the items in your home, it shouldn't be too difficult to keep most alive as long as you have desired water parameters for species/type you are keeping.

 
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