Tropical fish tank help!

i just got a small tropical fish tank with the accesories!

but what do i need for tropical fish to live in their? pumps filters n heaters etc and air flow.

i have them i think but i dunno what they look like or how to set them up properly.

no instructions with it so i set it all up how i think it goes.

and what is the temperature ideally for tropical fish

re;

well, if you do not know how to do it then go ot a local petstore or even the store that you got this from.

i got it off a car boot for pennys lol,

well, what kind of fish are you getting? I have some kind of fish like that. Talk to Maxy24. She has some.

i dunno what fish i want yet, what ever catches my eye when i go to pet shops, as long as they get along and dont eat each other lol

When you go to get them talk to the shop person and ask what temp and ALL the questions you have s/he will know. As for the tank, my fish lives in a fish bowl. i dont realy know if they need a filter.

DON'T TRUST WHAT PET STORE EMPLOYEE's TELL YOU.

Okay, now that we are done with that... LOL

The first thing you'll have to do is cycle your tank. Here are two excellent articles that describe exactly what you should do :

http://www.fishtanksandponds.info/articles/cycling-explained.htm

http://www.fishtanksandponds.info/articles/fishless-cycling.htm

Next step will be to decide on the type of fish you will be keeping. The temperature, water conditions (ex. pH) will depend upon what species you decide to keep. Remember to do your research BEFORE you make a trip to the petstore so you KNOW what you will be getting. Too often I see people go in and pick a fish while browsing. They often ask a couple questions and set off with their little fishy, completely unaware. These same people come back a month later with a fish that:

a. Is in the process of devouring all other tank mates
b. Is so big that they can barely haul it back into the store

So PLEASE, know what you will buy before you set foot in the store. DO YOUR RESEARCH.

The biggest mistake people make in this hobby is not doing their research. To begin with, I suggest you check out this site:

http://www.fishtanksandponds.info/index.htm

Happy fishkeeping .

~Tucker

don't get an angelfish if your having a peaceful community tank! I have a 29 gallon with an angel and I had neons and danios in there and he ate all but 1 danio. I have 4 melini cory cats (two died and I think the angelfish had something to do with it) and he just ate my snail the other night, i think he managed to pull him right out of his shell!

You think pet stores and bybs are bad with dogs? Welcome to the fish world.

Some of the fish they sell in pet stores:
Cute, right?

Not so cute at 4 feet long

www.deathbydying.org Look at those neat, doomed to death fish. (if it opens, I've been having trouble there)

Whoaaaa peoples... Simmer down now.

Hedwig, take Tucker's advice. She is right on point about the cycling and doing your research. Store employees, like people from Wal-Mart and Petsmart know nothing when it comes to fish. Remember all they want to do is SELL, SELL, SELL. They aren't very worried if your fish live or not.

However, we need to know what sort of layout the tank is, how many gallons it is and such. If you cal tell me the width and height, I can figure out the gallons with a tank calc.

Anywho, after we figure out what size tank it is, we can figure up what to keep in there. Then we will talk about proper filtration and flow, decor, and all that.

Agree with AC. Need gallons then we can go from there. Also I suggest that before you go spending a ton of money you get a book on aquariums , illnesses etc. As for Angels I have bred them as well as the neon tetras in the same tank. Again tank size is very important as to type and size fish you have. The best rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon of water.
Good luck because I am getting rid of all of my tanks but one. Anyone buying mine will get a killer deal. fish gravel plants stands lighting and filters along with a ton of stuff. I have more then had enough.

I think that the inch per gallon rule is a myth that needs to die. Its tenuous at best, and often gets taken so far out of context that it creates far more problems than it solves. Its usually better to carefully plan the aquarium and consider the individual needs of each species when concidering what can be kept.

It works ok, generally with small tetras and barbs, but when using it, one must remember that it does not apply to all fish.

On the fish boards we see a lot of bad cases due to it. People generally post that they are concerned their fish are dying, despite following the rule. First, always consider the adult size of the fish. I posted that catfish to illustrate how much research is needed in fishkeeping, I can go and buy a 2 inch catfish that will outweigh a GSD within several years.

That leads to the second point, not all fish of the same length tax the aquarium at the same level. Livebearers tend to be much messier than a tetra of the same length, because they are thicker bodied. Taken to an extreme, one can keep 10, maybe even 20 inches of Neons in a 10gal tank, but a 10 inch cichlid or catfish (all easily available) would not be able to turn around.

Yes, the inch per gallon rule is bull anymore... I have lost too many of my prized cichlids over that rule, and I quit telling it to people when I lost my male Eureka that I paid over 150 for him at 4 inches (about breeding size). I was PI$$ED, if you can't tell. The nitrates went too high, and no matter what I could do, even removing and selling alot of my stock, and daily 30% water changes. It was screwed and I had to start over from scratch.

i bought two water snails yesterday and will get some fish next week.

i am getting fresh water tropical fish.

dunno what type yet.

"Freshwater tropical fish" encompasses at least several thousand species that are available commonly or through special order. Make sure you REALLY do your research about both setting up the tank and stocking it.