5-10 tips: What ideas do you have!

[nabokovfan87]

I wanted to post a list and get some opinions, but after mulling the list over for a few days I wanted to attempt to create a place where people can just create and post a list!  Here's mine, but please feel free to hop on and post a "5 things" or "10 things" list related to fish stuff!

10 beginner tips I understand a lot better now (...and wish someone explained to me before starting out)

1.  If you're interested in setting up a tank, know that you should always take the time to enjoy it!
-Essentially, you want to avoid things becoming a chore and mentally find ways to associate the tank with enjoyment, not work!

2. You're going to struggle and eventually fail. This is part of the hobby and life. To quote Coach McDaniel, "Adversity is opportunity."

3. Have a place to get advice.
-Whether it's the forums, a book, a research paper, a youtube channel (or a few), or some random discord, email, social groups, or a friend next door.  Heck, for me it was the guy at the pet shop who clearly knew his stuff and cared at times.  All I mean to say is that you're going to have questions and part of the hobby is enjoying those conversations, connecting with other hobbyists.... and learning.

4. Get a decent light.
-When I first started out, I had a strip of 4 LEDs under a plastic cover on a 38G tank.  Sometimes you just don't know and the light on that "tank kit" might not actually be designed for something like plants.  Find a light that makes the tank look the way you light and get it. It'll last you for a very long time and it's one of the most important things you buy besides the tank itself!  I do not mean go and buy an expensive light, but just make sure you have a light that you're happy with. An actual light so you can see things.  This really helps.  I think I ended up with 3-4 "sale" lights and carried them from one tank to the next until I realized I just wanted a decent one that works and fit the tank.

5. Learn the one secret to being successful with this hobby! (One of my favorite videos by Cory)

 6.  Take more time than you think you need, often, when making critical choices.
-Don't rush to fill a tank just because you can! Let is cycle, fill it slowly.  When you're struggling with algae, have patience and adjust slowly.  When your filter isn't quite modded right, take your time to figure out exactly what might be going on.  Ask questions. focus on analysis and learning, not just reacting!

7.  Know the value of a 5G bucket and always have one extra around.
-Needless to say they stack, they hold things, they are an extra tank, a table, they keep wet things wet when you need them to, and you always will find a way to use it, even if you're literally just moving water around.

8.  Admire other hobbyists efforts
-You're going to see other hobbyists with breathtaking tanks and you're going to literally not have the words come to mind about how that makes you feel.  Just be happy for them, ask them questions, and explain how you admire the efforts.  You'll never know who is looking at your tank and in awe, but you can always make someone's day by simply being happy for them and appreciating their hard work. Don't get envious, just take a breath and literally enjoy moments like that.

9.  Find your "one thing" and focus on that.
-I think everyone can relate to having one plant, fish, or piece of their tank that they genuinely cherish.  Finding what that one thing is can be a great experience, but I also think that discovering what you enjoy and learning as much as possible about that aspect of your tank is extremely powerful.  For me, it's corydoras. I never knew how much I would enjoy them.  To the extent that I cannot imagine a tank without them inside of it. I have watched talks on their anatomy, looked into books, read articles, and there's so much enjoyment because I am inspired to learn more about them.  All I mean, is take that time to dive a bit deeper when you find what you really enjoy.

10.  If something works and you're happy with it, don't change it.
-I mentioned it above with regards to chasing a better light or "enough light" and at one point in time I had a 20L tank with 2-3 different kinds of lights on it.  The tank was next to a window and probably didn't need any of them.  I've replaced a few too many filters and I've purchased things I didn't need to because I thought it was something I needed.  Honestly, if you're doing well focus on learning, enjoyment, and maintaining that success.  There are many, many different ways to be successful and define success.  Find what yours is, and then move on to the next task.

Hopefully this was a beneficial read for someone!  I'm excited to see what others have in store.

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/8/2022 at 7:48 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I wanted to post a list and get some opinions, but after mulling the list over for a few days I wanted to attempt to create a place where people can just create and post a list!  Here's mine, but please feel free to hop on and post a "5 things" or "10 things" list related to fish stuff!

10 beginner tips I understand a lot better now (...and wish someone explained to me before starting out)

1.  If you're interested in setting up a tank, know that you should always take the time to enjoy it!
-Essentially, you want to avoid things becoming a chore and mentally find ways to associate the tank with enjoyment, not work!

2. You're going to struggle and eventually fail. This is part of the hobby and life. To quote Coach McDaniel, "Adversity is opportunity."

3. Have a place to get advice.
-Whether it's the forums, a book, a research paper, a youtube channel (or a few), or some random discord, email, social groups, or a friend next door.  Heck, for me it was the guy at the pet shop who clearly knew his stuff and cared at times.  All I mean to say is that you're going to have questions and part of the hobby is enjoying those conversations, connecting with other hobbyists.... and learning.

4. Get a decent light.
-When I first started out, I had a strip of 4 LEDs under a plastic cover on a 38G tank.  Sometimes you just don't know and the light on that "tank kit" might not actually be designed for something like plants.  Find a light that makes the tank look the way you light and get it. It'll last you for a very long time and it's one of the most important things you buy besides the tank itself!  I do not mean go and buy an expensive light, but just make sure you have a light that you're happy with. An actual light so you can see things.  This really helps.  I think I ended up with 3-4 "sale" lights and carried them from one tank to the next until I realized I just wanted a decent one that works and fit the tank.

5. Learn the one secret to being successful with this hobby! (One of my favorite videos by Cory)

 6.  Take more time than you think you need, often, when making critical choices.
-Don't rush to fill a tank just because you can! Let is cycle, fill it slowly.  When you're struggling with algae, have patience and adjust slowly.  When your filter isn't quite modded right, take your time to figure out exactly what might be going on.  Ask questions. focus on analysis and learning, not just reacting!

7.  Know the value of a 5G bucket and always have one extra around.
-Needless to say they stack, they hold things, they are an extra tank, a table, they keep wet things wet when you need them to, and you always will find a way to use it, even if you're literally just moving water around.

8.  Admire other hobbyists efforts
-You're going to see other hobbyists with breathtaking tanks and you're going to literally not have the words come to mind about how that makes you feel.  Just be happy for them, ask them questions, and explain how you admire the efforts.  You'll never know who is looking at your tank and in awe, but you can always make someone's day by simply being happy for them and appreciating their hard work. Don't get envious, just take a breath and literally enjoy moments like that.

9.  Find your "one thing" and focus on that.
-I think everyone can relate to having one plant, fish, or piece of their tank that they genuinely cherish.  Finding what that one thing is can be a great experience, but I also think that discovering what you enjoy and learning as much as possible about that aspect of your tank is extremely powerful.  For me, it's corydoras. I never knew how much I would enjoy them.  To the extent that I cannot imagine a tank without them inside of it. I have watched talks on their anatomy, looked into books, read articles, and there's so much enjoyment because I am inspired to learn more about them.  All I mean, is take that time to dive a bit deeper when you find what you really enjoy.

10.  If something works and you're happy with it, don't change it.
-I mentioned it above with regards to chasing a better light or "enough light" and at one point in time I had a 20L tank with 2-3 different kinds of lights on it.  The tank was next to a window and probably didn't need any of them.  I've replaced a few too many filters and I've purchased things I didn't need to because I thought it was something I needed.  Honestly, if you're doing well focus on learning, enjoyment, and maintaining that success.  There are many, many different ways to be successful and define success.  Find what yours is, and then move on to the next task.

Hopefully this was a beneficial read for someone!  I'm excited to see what others have in store.

I'm certain this will be very useful to some of the newbies out there!

[mynameisnobody]

1-View everything as an experiment.

2-Only keep what you love or can sell (if your intentions are breeding for profit).

3-Keep tons of plants.

4-Any fish that are suggested to be kept in schools of 6 or more, should be taken very literally. Have a number and always stick to it to get the best behaviors out of your fish. For example, I always buy  an even dozen, unless the fish has to be kept individually. 

5-Personally, I always stay away from trends in all aspects of my life and same is for the hobby. New filters that don’t improve on previous models, new color morphs, and/or fly by night companies that don’t truly embody the advancement of the hobby. 
 

6-If you’re reading this and you’re new or fairly new to the hobby, then you are miles ahead of where I started years ago. You are 1000% in the right place. 
 

7-Have fun. If it ever stops being fun, stop doing it. 
 

Hope this helps in some way. Manny 😎

[Guppysnail]

1-if it’s not broken don’t fix it. If the fish are happy and healthy don’t tamper with things because you think it might be better because the internet said so.

 

2- keep it stable. Instability harms fish much more than parameters that are not within internet guidelines. Fish are more adaptable than humans but need slower and fewer changes. 
 

3-stop dumping chemicals in tanks to kill algae, detritus worms, pest snails, hydra etc. ALL those critters play a vital role in nature to keep environments healthy and stable. Chemicals do not. Fish breathe in the water. Just because it says it won’t kill fish outright does NOT mean it will not harm them. 
EXAMPLE. Standing in an enclosed room with a bunch of cigarette smokers for a week or month won’t immediately kill but it will harm you. Fish live in an enclosed room. 
 

4-add air stones. Studies have been done that high dissolved oxygen improves fish immunity also. The benefits of to much oxygen are many, the negatives to lack of are weak immune systems, stress, lethargy and well the worst case scenario. 
 

5- have plants and over filter. Unless your tank is HEAVILY planted and long running seasoned even then it does not hurt. It gives stability. If you wear a belt and suspenders chances are your pants will never fall down. If you have veggie murdering fish overfilter and do regular water changes and add emergent plants. Way to many benefits not to. 
 

6-just because a fish fits in a tiny tank does not mean it is suitable. Look at activity levels.  Space reduces aggression, and gives fish exercise room. You can survive in small bedroom, but will you be happy and live a full life?

7-if you see something off do not assume a fish needs medication. Medication stresses fish and is consider safe if the mortality from using it is less than a certain percent not because it won’t kill them  

MOST issues I have seen look like they came from a disease list. Most are environmental stressor issues and not actual issues that need meds  watch your fish.  If they are active and eating and have no overt unmistakable symptoms such as ich, fungus etc give them time and a few water changes.

 

8- ALGAE IS HEALTHY FOR ECOSYSTEMS 😁

Tanks go through growth phases  if algae gets out of control adjust lights, nutrients and feeding.  Most algae issues resolve themselves over time just like brown diatom does  The more you mess with it and disrupt the natural evolution of an ecosystem the harder and worse it gets. Embrace some algae 🤗

Most importantly HAVE FUN.  When you are at a point you are always doing maintenance and don’t have time to relax, watch and enjoy 🛑 stop, scale back  

 

[Theplatymaster]

im gonna add 1 tip:

Embrace pest snails. Who doesn't want to have a bunch of little algae eaters. And if they reproduce out of control, feed less. Its not worth it to kill plants trying to remove snails. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

1 - carbon comes with filters but it's bad for plants and removes medication.  Ditch it and just use sponges and ceramics.

2 - have a quarantine tank or run an extra sponge filter in an established tank so you can quickly set one up if needed.  Have some meds on hand or, at minimum, aquarium salt. 

3 - research the needs of plants before purchase. Make sure the light you have is for plant growth and don't forget to fertilize.  Use Reverse Respiration on new plants to prevent contamination of your tank (disease, pests, etc).

4 - make sure your species are compatible.

5 - some creatures need reduced water flow and will not do well with a hang-on back filter (unmodified)

6 - have a plan for power outages.

7 - Snails!  ❤️  If something dies they will eat it, so no worries about an ammonia spike or the spread of disease.  They only eat dead or dying plants, not healthy ones (exception: rabbit snails eat java fern; banana plants are tasty to some snails).  They need to be fed regularly: calcium, protein, and vegetation.  And they will clean your algae (still feed them though because algae won't be enough food for them).  Also they are really cute, and if you pay attention, you will find that they do some silly stuff (like riding the bubbles like an elevator, or "parasnailing" from the top of the tank to the bottom)

8 - Research the needs of every creature in the tank (preferably before purchase).  Does one need a cave?  Does one need to be fed on the bottom?  Do they like similar temperatures and/or water parameters?  Do they need tannins?  Etc.  Try to avoid buying a fish just because it looks cool.  It may not do well if the habitat is not right for it.

9 - Test your water.  If there is a problem, it's probably water parameters.  If there is not a problem, prevent one by testing regularly.

10 - Take the time to sit and enjoy your tank(s).  Don't look for a task every time you approach the tank.  If it's just a chore, what's the point?  Watch the mannerisms and interactions from creature-to-creature, and from creature-to-you (you may even find that some are social with humans and love the attention).  As well as how your underwater garden is doing!   It is so rewarding.

Edited November 8, 2022 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[nabokovfan87]

Very good stuff!  I'm excited to see more from the hivemind we have here.  There is a plethora of excellent hobbyists here and we can all benefit from your experiences! 🙂

Here's another short one from me:

5 little tricks to help your filter maintenance:

1.  More often, check your pump and impeller.  It is always worth the extra 3-5 minutes to check it.  If you run air only, check your airstones and clean them more.

2.  When you're cleaning sponges, it's slightly easier to clean them submerged and let them fill with water and squeeze that water (and muck) out. You can also have success under very high pressure, like a hose.
-There might be a need here to clarify that you shouldn't clean sponges that are used for specifically biological media on tap water due to risk of the loss of bacteria. I have, some do, but the best practice is to only clean sponges in tank water during a WC (water change).

3. Use a fish only toothbrush on your plastics, baskets, and grates to help get mulm off when you need to.
-Depending what your setup it, you might have some muck in places that aren't sponge and you want to remove that stuff when you're doing a deep clean. Especially if you're having issues with the pump being dirty!

4. Sponges (not the filtration ones) used for dishes work very well to clean algae off surfaces, especially equipment. The key being, sometimes this is the only way to stop algae issues!
-If you do run into a stubborn diatom, or a stubborn black algae, hair algae, sometimes the manual removal is a critical aspect to success long term and can help your plants bounce back.

5. If you're using a cartridge that you replace, you will have a more stable tank and biological filtration by adding sponge and/or ceramic filter media to your filtration.

[nabokovfan87]

I blame Zenzo and his video today for this idea!  I really enjoyed the video this morning and wanted to share some more along that line.

5 fish that might be exactly what you were looking for
1.  Clown Pleco
-They graze on wood in the tank and can be a very good mulm source for fry.  This is also a great choice to give a biotope or natural tank that little aesthetic look.  The mulm is easy to clean, so if you just like the way they look, that's fine too!  Beware, they don't like bright lights.  If you spend time at your tank during night hours (or with blue lights on) then this might be a very unique fish for you to enjoy.

2. Amano Shrimp / Otocinclus
-While both of these species are recommended, they have very different places of the tank they inhabitate.  Amanos will focus on surfaces of the hardscape and have a slightly easier time with certain pieces of the hardscape like fine grass leaves or plant roots.  Amanos also do well if you enjoy moss in your tank where the otocinclus' mouth doesn't quite fit that area.  Otocinclus however tend to prefer large flat leaves as well as the glass or large flat surfaces in the tank.  While both of these wonderful species are focused on slightly different spots in the tank, what is also nice is that they tend to go after different types of things in the tank.  Because of the difference in how they eat, they prefer different types of algae.  Either way, they are a fun item to add to the tank and might be that one creature that will grab the attention of someone looking at the tank!

3. White Cloud Mountain Minnow / Silvertip tetra
-Both of these fish are very fun to watch and enjoy visually.  Mountain minnows will enjoy a cooler tank while the silvertip tetra will enjoy a more common community tank temperature.  The behavior and interaction these fish can provide is unique and interesting.  For younger hobbyists these fish are interesting because of that interaction.  Silvertip tetras will school and follow your fingers on the glass and white clouds can be some of the most fun fish to feed!  My favorite aspect of these fish though is how unique their patterns are for the hobby and how they add those colors can pop against a black background or inside a planted tank.

4. Bolivian Ram / Apistogramma Species
-While a lot of hobbyists first fish might be something from a fair or sold to them in a cup, these two fish might be a great "first fish" for someone.  Bolivian rams can be kept alone and they won't get upset with all the attention being on them!  In fact, Bolivian rams really do learn to bond with their keepers and can be a very unique connection in the hobby.  Apistogramma species aren't ones that I have had the chance to enjoy, but they are absolutely some of the most beautiful species in the hobby.  As with rams, they can enjoy being by themselves in a tank and will do really well to charm their keepers.

5. Loaches
-Maybe it's because you want a fun species of fish that does some interesting things or has a unique visual look to the aquarium.  Maybe you heard the name because you have some pest snails and want some help with them.  However, loaches can be one of the most fun species of fish to keep!  They interact with your tank a little bit differently than most other fish. There are some loaches that look like little eels too!  The way the loaches mouths are often shaped means that they will enjoy eating foods that can be pretty fun to feed and give you some different interaction during feeding time, but it also means they can be very fun to watch when you do get time to sit at the tank.