starting a 19L fish tank

londonTiger

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

Why not just get an appropriate sized tank to start with? Siamese Fighters can happily live with non-aggressive fish. They're not keen on guppies and platys as these will nip at fins and tails but tetras and bottom feeders such as corydoras should be ok. You just need plenty of hiding places and cover to reduce stress levels.

To be honets, I purchased this tank already, I'll use it for some time and expand the fish "swarm" as I get more experience with it. I don't want to resell it straight away - I'll have to sell it for half price I bought it and it would be money down the drain. I can take the cost later on.

~Chameleon~

londonTiger wrote: »

To be honets, I purchased this tank already, I'll use it for some time and expand the fish "swarm" as I get more experience with it. I don't want to resell it straight away - I'll have to sell it for half price I bought it and it would be money down the drain. I can take the cost later on.

Why not just take it back for a refund as you've been mis-sold an item which isn't fit for purpose.

Fosterdog

It would be worth keeping this tank when you upgrade, that way you will have a spare as a temporary hospital tank if a fish gets ill or as a quarantine tank for new additions.

I keep a ten gallon as a spare for this reason.

londonTiger

I went to a proper fish shop. https://plus.google.com/106695604134479292043/about?gl=uk&hl=en

rows and rows of fishes and everyone was knowledgable. They had a small 20L tank on display as well, with tiny tropical fish about 1.5cm long. They have about 10 in there and told me the tank will house them perfectly well.

They're priced wholesale. everything was really cheap. I'm going to go tropical as the coldwater fish are just massive and need huge tanks/

Fosterdog

Why do I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall?

Your 19l tank is not big enough for anything except a single siamese fighter or as a shrimp tank.

The shop wants you to spend money so will tell you whatever they can to get you to buy. A shop local to me has a similar setup to what you are describing and the fish they have in there are very small juveniles, they overdose the water with certain chemicals to keep them a bit longer and just swap them with new fish as they die or move them to one of the sale tanks if they grow bigger.

Froglet

Fosterdog wrote: »

Why do I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall?

Your 19l tank is not big enough for anything except a single siamese fighter or as a shrimp tank.

The shop wants you to spend money so will tell you whatever they can to get you to buy. A shop local to me has a similar setup to what you are describing and the fish they have in there are very small juveniles, they overdose the water with certain chemicals to keep them a bit longer and just swap them with new fish as they die or move them to one of the sale tanks if they grow bigger.

Obviously not bothered reading up on the wonderful practical fishkeeping site yet.Or perhaps wants to become one of those we encounter sadly too often,who get fish first,believing the shop's stupid advice, then sign up and shouts for help when their fish start dying.

Believe me,OP we DO know what we are talking about.I do not need to add to what Fosterdog has been saying.I have kept fish for 27 years ,i would bet that most of the staff who "advise " on fish keeping have not been dealing with fish for a fraction of that time.

teddysmum

Many fish bought from pet shops are youngsters so are very likely to grow and so need even more space.


Platies are live bearers and quite prolific breeders. If you had just one female, she could produce a number of babies, within a few days, thus overcrowding a small tank.

teddysmum

How about one of the fun robot fish , which are popular with children at the moment ? They won't mind being in a small tank, as they are not alive.

londonTiger

Ok. Looks like I'm going to be very limited in choice with the 19L tank. I am going to get a longer tank. Current tank is 34cm long. I guess fish will need lengths to swim. I am thinking something like 70cm long and at least 40L capacity.

Froglet

Honestly,the biggest tank you can afford and fit in your house will give you so much more.The larger volume of water will make all the fish waste that is so poisonous to them,and can only be controlled by a mature filter, be diluted better.So it is not just more space for the fish,which allows shoals of small tropicals to feel more secure and therefore less stressed,but means the whole process of keeping the water right is made easier.95% of fish problems stems from poor water quality.So it stands to reason that the more water,the better.

40 litres is still not a lot really.The minumum you should consider is double that,and then you can really have a nice looking tanks,with caves,real plants etc.No point in buying small then in 6 months having to pay again plus stress the fish out by moving them.A stressed fish equals a sick fish.