Re: 5gal Hex-bio wheel-Betta & Cat or 2 small fish & Cat?
- From: "Tynk" <TYNK7@xxxxxxx>
- Date: 29 Nov 2005 14:53:07 -0800
ko57 wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I've been reading through some of the postings at this group and at
> afew aquarium sites and just joined, any advice even though my new tank
> is small would be appreciated. Perhaps later on I'll get a larger
> tank...
>
> After having had an aquarium many years ago when we were kids, I bought
> a small 5 gallon Aquatech Hex with the bio wheel and the blue/white
> carbon filter. I also got the 5-15gal heater since it is adjustable
> and since we don't have central air/heating, it can get pretty cool in
> our house during winter. I also have a small thermometer attached
> inside and will get the small strip thermometer for the outside.
> I set up the tank Sunday evening, with a little less than the 5# bag of
> gravel, a few smooth stones, a plaster driftwood ornament (where fish
> can hide or swim through underneath), 1 small round coral
> ornament-about 2 3/4" in diameter, and bought two lilly bulbs in a
> pack, will see how these grow, supposedly in about 20 days. I did
> initially put 2 5# bags of gravel but read about how much harder it
> will be to maintain and clean too much gravel-so took out a little more
> than half, the bottom is covered well.
> After reading on the web in this group and at other sites about the 1"
> (full grown)/ gallon rule, I see how limited my options are. I didn't
> want to start out with a large tank but perhaps I should have bit the
> bullet and at least got a 20 or 29 gallon tank.
> I'm leaning toward a male betta and maybe one of the small albino
> catfish later on to help keep the tank kind of clean. I'll get the
> vacuum gravel cleaner, will get the test strips that also check for
> ammonia before I put any fish in. I've had a couple of male bettas
> before, they are sweet-had them in bowls (medium sized, about half a
> gallon), realize they do need better living conditions-I know the cool
> house in the winter did them in, and they need more than betta flake
> food-brine shrimp, blood worms for their diet.
> If I get the small catfish, did I read right in that they eat algae
> tablets and brine shrimp for their diet? Do they have to have the
> algae tabs every day since don't they eat the stuff at the bottom of
> the tank?
> One more question-when I removed the excess gravel from the tank, I
> noticed a small amount of fine dust from the gravel on some of the
> larger stones, the driftwood ornament and coral, and a little on the
> outer lower tube of the pumps intake, Would the gravel vacuum remove
> this or will I have to take everything out again and re-rinse
> everything?
> I realize this is a small tank, not the larger tanks that most people
> have but any advice would be appreciated, small tank owners chime in
> also, please- thanks and
> regards,
>
> ko57
Ko57...
Welcome back to the hobby. = )
You wrote:
<<> After reading on the web in this group and at other sites about the
1"
> (full grown)/ gallon rule, I see how limited my options are.>>.
This isn't really valid in the hobby anymore. Hasn't been for many,
many years.
The length of a fish is not the only thing that needs to be considered
when choosing or housing fish.
If that rule were correct, you could keep a 10" Oscar in a 10g tank.
You couldn't keep a 10" Oscar in a 20g tank.
Things like territorial issues, body mass, waste production (some fish
put out tons more than others...ei Goldfish, African Dwarf Frogs, etc),
etc all need to be considered.
So forget that old myth. It's pretty useless.
.
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