starting a fresh water fish tank.

[jonathan_matos5]

i have a 6 gallon eclipse fish tank that has been sitting empty for about a year and have decided to start it up again.

i figured that fresh water fish are a pet that i can keep with little effort other than preparing the tank to be suitable for fish.

is 6 gallons too small for African Cichlids?

i am guessing that after all this time i should probably just replace the filter, bio-wheel, gravel and tank accessories and then add water to prep the tank, but what else do i need to test or add to the water so it can sustain life? how long does the tank need to sit empty before i put fish in it?

it has been a while since i had a fish tank running and i didn't really manage it the my brother did.

[hbarcat]

6 gallons is pretty small for a fish tank unless you are only going to have a few goldfish or something expendable like that. Tanks less than about 20 gallons don't have enough water volume to ensure stable temperature and chemistry levels and the inevitable fluctuations inherent in smaller tanks puts a strain on fish.

I currently have a 20 gallon and a 55 gallon tank and they aren't really much more work than a small tank -- just more expensive. Everytime I've used smaller tanks (especially less than 10 gallons) for good tropical fish the inevitable result is over-stressed fish and trips to the porcelin cemetary.


Anyhow, when setting up a tank, have it all ready to go with the water and filters and air going for about a week while checking temp and chemistry levels for stability before adding fish.

[Bett]

You shouldn't have to replace the filter or anything just because it's been sitting around for a while. Just rinse out the filter and bio wheel, and if you want to use the same gravel and decorations just rinse those off too.
Fill up the tank with water after you've washed everything off. You can start up the filter and let the tank be for a few weeks. There are some bacterial additives you can buy to get the filter bacteria going more quickly. I've never bothered with those. You can add some live plants and get some cheaper fish like zebra danios if you want to start up your tank sooner. The starter fish will help your filter get the good bacteria more quickly, though like the bacterial additives, they're not necessary. If you do get starter fish, some may die in the first few weeks. A new aquarium will go through a period of high ammonia and nitrates before the filter bacteria start to grow, so you may loose some fish to that.
If you have chlorinated water, you can treat it with a chlorine remover, though if you're going to let your tank run for a few weeks, you won't need this right away (the chlorine will evaporate out).
You'll want to have a pH test kit, as well as a ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite test kit. If you don't want to purchase these right away, you can bring a sample of water to most pet stores with fish, and they should test your water for you. The smaller the tank, the quicker things can change in it, so you'll want to have your own test kits at some point so you can monitor your tank's health.
I wouldn't keep cichlids in a 6 gallon tank. They can be aggressive and may fight with each other or kill any other fish you have.
Pm me if you have any questions. I've been keeping fish for some years now and currently have a 50 gallon tank at home and am taking care of 10 and 20 gallon freshwater tanks and a 40 gallon saltwater tank at school.

[jonathan_matos5]

perhaps i should look into investing in a larger tank.

but if i am spending money on more than fish and filter cartridges i might go for a salt water start up kit.

but with that it would be a tank of nothing but water for about a month before i can afford to put fish in it.

[santucci218]

just get a beta fish.

[Barkless Dog]

6 gallon would be OK for one small African Chiclid , You need to let the water sit one week. I always find if you add a touch of aquarium salt to the tank it keeps bacteria infection like ich from happening.


With any fish tank for success is to keep the temperature constant, use a touch of salt (some south american fish cant take salt), crucial is to change a third of the tanks water ever two months or so, by with tap water that has been standing a week or so (we filled empty water jugs).
To change the water we would stir up the bottom and use a siphon hose to vacuum the poop & toxic urine from the bottom of the tank where it collects.

It's a lot of work keeping aquariums. That is why I stopped- too much work to do it right.

African Chiclids need lots of hiding places and are very aggressive. We use to breed them.

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by santucci218

just get a beta fish.

That's what I would do with the 6 gallon. We've had a Beta for about 5 years!! My wife changes the water once a week in a 5 gallon.

Also consider salt water. It's never been easier to set up and run a "nano" marine aquarium. My tank pretty much runs iself other than water changes and feeding.


Check out the Nano area at www.reefcentral.com

[Johnny Mack]

1 inch of fish per gallon. i would get at least a 10 gallon for like 10 bucks at wally world. with ANY tank about to go online, i always clean thoroughly with bleach and water.

you need dechlor of some sort to remove chlorine from your tap water. make sure you have sufficient aeration. add just a little ammonia and a tetra or something to get started with, this will start your nitrifying cycle (extra points if he lives!). keep your temp in the mid 70s to 80 degrees. let this set up go about a week before adding fish.

change 10-20% water weekly by vaccuuming the gravel (or whatever you use), dont forget to dechlor with every addition of tap water.

sometimes i use nitraban to rid excess nitrates every few water changes, but i also have live plants so i try not to overdo that.

[santucci218]

when you go to buy your beta fish, dump them all in one container at the pet store, and buy the winner. you dont want a puss fish.

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by santucci218

you dont want a puss fish.

I'm afraid to comment on that one

[santucci218]

haha, oh geeze. i wasnt even thinking

[jonathan_matos5]

ill check out what tanks are at the local shops once i get paid.

[rhcp32291]

You can probably find an inexpensive 10 gallon, a small filter with a bio wheel and a simple heater would be nice. I suggest getting a guppy and let the tank sit and develop some bacteria for at least a week. You'll need the guppy to keep the bacteria alive because you don't want to risk expensive cichlids right away. When you're ready buy two small cichlids and see how they do. Give them places to hide or they'll become territorial and fight. I suggest you fill the tank with sand and some corals to raise the pH, crushed coral can be a nice gravel as well. If you get african cichlids it'll give you a salt water vibe in a easy to maintain fresh water tank.

Enjoy

[jonathan_matos5]

i might just put this little tank up on craigslist and see what is out there for starting a saltwater tank.

[santucci218]

Originally Posted by jonathan_matos5

i might just put this little tank up on craigslist and see what is out there for starting a saltwater tank.

...do it.

[NOLA Bass]

6 gallons is way too small for an african cichlids.

[santucci218]

am i the only one reading the word cichlids as child and imagining a kid smooshed in a tank?

[Chunk-O-Funk]

Originally Posted by santucci218

am i the only one reading the word cichlids as child and imagining a kid smooshed in a tank?

Not until now.

[santucci218]

ty

[MakiSupaStar]