# General Site Information > The Welcome Room >  Hey Guys....

## Ian

Just saw a link for this site over on VXON and seeing as i have a freshwater tank set up though i would pop over  :Smile: 

My tank is 3ft x 1ft x1ft, i have :

1 plec
8 pentazona (sp?) barbs
6 glowlight tetras
6 neon tetras
1 fully gown male plattie
1 half gown female plattie
3 baby platties
1 fully grown molly
2 baby mollies
3 clown loaches
1 male guppy
2 cory's

also got some plants growing on bog wood 

Erm not alot to say really, had the tank set up for a couple of months now, not major gone wrong with it, was a bit eager at first and killed a few fish because i was putting to many in too soon :/ and lost a few too white spot but that was within the first few weeks had no problems since  :Big Grin: 

Well had one and im not sure what happened? Done a water change (approx 20%) all was fine, came home from work the next day to find the water was REALLY cloudy and one of my platties was dead? so had to do another water change (approx 50% i know its bad but was trying to get some clean/clear water in there!) changed one of the filter pads and gave the filter a quick clean. Then put a feeding block in there (why do they always make the water crystal clear? lmao) and all was well. The water on top was really oily too? everything is fine now, just lost a molly and plattie  :Frown: 

Bloody hell i think thats the longest first post i've ever done!

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## Nemo

Hi, and welcome to Fish-keeping.com  :Smile: 

little tip  :lol:  - feeding blocks are not always good for water. they slowly dissolve food into water that fishes cannot eat beacuse its well dissolved in water  :lol: 

this in return means higher ammonia if filter cannot cope with it, the fishes wont be able to cope either..

we can discuss futher if you kindly start a thread in the freshwater help section  :Wink: 

Enjoy Fish-Keeping  :Smile:

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## Ian

yeah i know feeding blocks are not good for the tank as a whole, but they always seem to clear the water? only ever used them a few times though

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## Timo

Hello Ian welcome to here.  :fishy:

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## Gary R

Hi Ian and welcome to Fish-Keeping.com hope you find everythink you need on here 
speak soon

Regards Gary

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## Ian

hey guys back again, I've learnt ALOT since i was here last 

found out it was a bacterial bloom was the reason for my murky water. got rid of a few fish and got some others 

my tank is 36" long, 18" high (not 12") and 12" deep

i have:

1 bristle nose plec
1 common plec
1 bolivian ram (think its a bolivian, can never remember)
1 dwarf something cichlid (again can;t remember name)
6 shrimp
10 neon tetras
4 glowlight tetras
3 black tetras
2 bronze corys
2 unkown corys

think thats it, also have a couple of plants in there now, java fern growing on various bits of bogwood and some others im not sure of. Also got some riccia for a nice pearling carpet (got a nutrafin co2 set up too)

some pics:

whole tank:



unkown cory:







oh and also have another 5 gallon tank set up finished its cycle for a dwarf puffer

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## Timo

Great pictures Ian they have come out really good. Good to see other members tanks too. Nice set up you have there i like the mix of plants at the back the green balances it all off well.

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## Ian

Thanks, in the next couple of months im going to be getting another 2 tanks, one for a reef tank (will be my first  :Smile: ) and a bigger one for these guys. Probs going to be 48" x 24" x 24" for each - Can't wait  :Big Grin:

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## Timo

> Thanks, in the next couple of months im going to be getting another 2 tanks, one for a reef tank (will be my first ) and a bigger one for these guys. Probs going to be 48" x 24" x 24" for each - Can't wait


When you say reef do you mean marine fish?

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## Ian

yeah i mean marine. Gonna start gathering all the bits i need soon and start building the stand  :Big Grin: 

not sure on what fish i want, obviously some clown fish (you have to have some, it would be like having a F.W set up without tetras!) a good amount of live rock and some soft corals

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## Timo

I dont have any clowns in my tank  :lol:  but i know what you mean they are great because their very reef safe and inexpensive. I am going to start a reef tank myself soon but i dont think i will have any fish in it.

Remember to fill your reef tank with R.O. water when you get it. If you dont have a R.O. unit then you can get your water in drums from most aquatics shops if you need a lot you might need to pre book it with them, i did that when i filled my main tank.

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## kevy21

can i ask what is so special about R.O water and is it expensive

i mean im not stupid it must be like chemical free compared to tap water but  though most tanks can use tap water then use additives like tap safe?

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## Timo

Ask away m8 i dont mind.

R.O. water has been filtered so its pure and safe for your fish to live in.

Tap water has a bleach added to it so it doesnt smell and taste bad when it reaches your house. This is bad for your fish and you can buy things that eliminate it. Tab water also contains many metals and feralizers which are very bad for your tank and will kill most inverts, some hardy fish will survive ok in tap water but inverts will mostly not tollirate it and die off.

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## kevy21

so R.O water is not just for marine, can it be us in tropical tanks too?

i'd rather buy good water for the tan rather than using chemical (such as tape safe) to remove chemicals and metals

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## Timo

I am not an expert on tropicals, i know a lot of people use tap water with them and get on fine, they are alot more tolerant to metals than marines.

I would allways recommend R.O. only for marines (which is what i keep) but at the end of the day the better your water the better your fish will so yes if you can afford it get R.O. water.

Its only Â£2.50 for 25 ltr drum in most shops.

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## kevy21

thanks for that info i will lok into it i might just use R.O water everytime i do my 25% water change then i dont have to treat all water going in  :Smile: 

hopefully will be healther for the fish

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## Timo

Thats a good plan and it what i do. 

Before you add R.O. water to your tank you do have to airate it, this is easy to do, drop an air stone running off a pump or place a power head in it and leave it for an hour or more then its ok to use.

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## kevy21

thanks for that i have an airpump to airrate the R.O but it not werking great hmm ill post in the wanted section

.......hmm of i swim

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## Kirsty

> so R.O water is not just for marine, can it be us in tropical tanks too?
> 
> i'd rather buy good water for the tan rather than using chemical (such as tape safe) to remove chemicals and metals



Hey,

I dont know if you are interested or not, but when i got my tank out of pets at home, i was told if using tap water make sure you use the stress zyme and coat and water conditioner (I think thts wot they are called) and was told to leave it for a few weeks.  I was also told it also helps to put the water threw a water filter as that helps to take all the rubbish out of the water.  When i do my water i fill up some bottles and add the stuff into it and leave it for a week so its been conditions and the stress stuff is in it, also it will be at room temp for when i goto put it in the tank rather than cold water.

I dont know if you wanted to know that, but just thought i would share with you anyways. 

 :Smile:   :fishy:

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## Ian

Decided on some fish now  :Big Grin: 

deffo want a regal/blue tang although found out they can grow pretty big so unsure of that, may mean i have to get a bigger tank!

a group of chromis, hopfully a mating pair of clowns, some fire shrimp (or at least one!) and a starfish of some sort

gonna start collecting some bits for it at the end of the month, will most probs get the power heads sorted and maybe the sump.

decided on making a tank for my F.W set up first to see how it goes! if all goes well then i will build the tank stand for the reef tank too! if it turns out i want a bigger tank then i'll just sell it/ buy a tank thats fits for some more fish lmao

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## Timo

I had 3 regal tangs that where about as big as your thumbnail when i bourght them. Took them back to Woodthorpe after about 2 years they was getting massive one was 15cm!

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## Ian

yeah heard they can get to 30cm!!

I'm thinking of getting a 5 or 6ft instead of the 4ft seeing as the price difference between the tanks is not too bad, but the amount extra i would have to pay for LR alone would mean i couldnt do it i think  :Frown:

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## Timo

In a tank they dont normally grow as large as in the wild. They can get very large and swim in packs over 1000s in the sea.

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## Ian

now THAT would be a beautiful sight to see!!

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