# What is the hardiest freshwater fish?



## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Hello!

Just getting started with a 6-gallon tank, and looking for some suggestions as to what to put in. I want to keep it small (and given the size of the tank, I understand that I have to!). I would be happy with 2-3 fish and a sucker of some sort.

Any suggestions on what to put in? I need fish that are super, super hardy as my place is full of challenges - the aquarium is by a window (though north-facing, and covered by a white curtain at all times), and not far from a fireplace that turns on and off, so the fish need to be able to withstand some temperature variations. I also go away on occasion.

My online research suggests platties or swordtails.
Would love any suggestions!

Thanks!
[Edited - I initially thought I had a 12 gallon tank, but in the end it's only a 6-gallon tank, booo]


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

I like Bristle Nose Plecos (BNP) of cleaning in my small tanks.

I have at least 2 pair breeding regularly in my 3/4 filled 15 gallon tanks along with cories and guppies


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

It is important to get your fish from a healthy source. If they are sick then they probably will give you lots of headaches. 
For a 12 gallons, I would perhaps get a school of galaxy rasbora. They are very cute and colorful, and you can keep a pretty nice school in your 12 gallon tank.
For bottom feeder I would try pygmy cories as they are small and would look quite well with the smaller schooling fish. These guys hardly make any waste so they are quite easy to keep. Should be easy to manage when you are away on vacation.
I would use a white sand bottom with some driftwood. If you are away on vacation a lot planted is probably not such a good idea. With gravel you need to vacuum more often while with sand you can just suck up whatever is sitting on top. Your cories will take care of the food, but you need to suck the poo out.
For algae I would get a few ottos. They pretty much do the same job as pleco but do not produce as much waste and also stay small and are very peaceful. If your tank is close to the window you may have some algae problem so a crew of algae eater will definitely be useful.
With good water quality these fish are easy to keep. I don't think temperature variation is a big problem, water quality is more important. Just make sure your tank is cycled, do not overfeed and change your water weekly may be 25%-50%, keep your pH and hardness consistent and you should be fine.
What kind of filter do you have?


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## lonewulff (Feb 5, 2014)

In my community 10 gal, I chhose fish for top, middle, and bottom viewing pleasure. I have 3 Silver Hatchet fish. They tend swim to the top of the tank, so there is always movement there. In the middle I currently have some neons and a Baloon Belly Molly. the bottom feeders incude a plecostomus, which I rarely see, and a Panda Corydoras. The Panda sometimes goes on a fish-tear, full speed, up the glass and down, and around the tank.

In the 5 gal, I have a school of White Cloud Tetras, that are pretty busy, but can spend a lot of time in behind and at the bottom of plants. I have another busy Panda and rarely seen Plecy.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for the suggestions, MikeBike, Fish rookie and lonewulff!

I love the look of the BNP and the galaxy rasboras. How many do you think would be happy in 12-gal?
And lonewulff - I like your idea of top/middle/bottom. I didn't realize you could fit so many fish in a small aquarium! I'll give that some thought.

Fish rookie, I think the type of filer I have is a bio-wheel? There's also a carbon filter. The aquarium I have is this one:
Aquariums West aquariums for sale .com

I like your suggestion about sand. Right now I have some river rocks to put in the bottom. They look great but it's hard to vacuum properly - and it makes a racket that no doubt stresses the fish (though there are no fish in there yet, but that's what I had last time). Is sand beginner-friendly?


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## AdobeOtoCat (Dec 10, 2011)

Has to be guppies. Theyre fun. Can totally get into inbreeding them for showcase quality.


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

Most "suckers" will get too big for a 12 gallon tank in my opinion. A bristlenose pleco would get to about 5" which is doable in a 12 gallon tank but would be producing a fair amount of waste which would likely require more water changes. As for hardiness, there are a ton of "hardy fish". Danios are probably the most well known hardy fish but I don't think they're super cool looking personally. Guppies and Endlers are really popular fish because of their colourful tails and ease of breeding. I think the most important thing though is that you buy healthy stock from a good store. There are many fish that can deal with some temperature swings as long as they are healthy. You could consider making a trip to fantasy aquatics which is in Vancouver or messaging Charles or MyKiss who own Canadian Aquatics and reside in Vancouver/Richmond. They all have really healthy stock and great prices in my opinion.


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## kim86 (Sep 5, 2012)

Zebra danios are hardy and stay small, and are suuuuper active top/middle swimmers.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Strange how the link came up - it's still sending to the right page, but it's written funny. 

In any case - AdobeOtoCat - I've had guppies before and in my hands didn't find them to be hardy at all. They are absolutely gorgeous, though - maybe once I'm a little more experienced I'll give them another try. I guess as many point out the source of the fish is important, too - Thanks Steve for the suggestions, I'll contact both stores.

Thanks for the suggestion, Kim! Would love to have some swimmy guys in there.


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## kim86 (Sep 5, 2012)

I find guppies need more time to acclimate to new water parameters. They're hardy once they're established, but if your water is much different from the store/other tank they were in then they may not do too well. I think drip acclimation is beneficial for them instead of just the bag floating method. Good luck with whichever fish you get


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## Rockman (May 19, 2013)

A 12 gallon isn't one of the standard tank sizes I'm familiar with. Do you know the dimensions?

The first thing to consider with stocking is your tap water chemistry. Different species will prefer different water conditions; it's usually easiest to match the fish to the tap water. Most tap water on the coast falls under the category of 'very soft'; which would rule out guppies, platies and mollies (unless you are willing to use mineral additives).


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

danio will be hardy. Galaxy rasbora is not for a newly started tank. Bristlenose will be too big. Try getting some otocinclus for algae control.

Guppy will require a bit more salt and hard water. Our water in Vancouver is too soft for keeping them.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

I would say that once you dial in on the right water parameters and conditions, most fish are quite hardy to keep. For a 12g tank, i would just right to either of: breeding bnp plecos, colony of guppies/swordtails/platies, small school of corydoras, colony of red cherry shrimps.......


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

I have never had any problem with most of the fish mentioned, but I kept guppies at harder water with a high pH. I kept galaxy rasbora in a little tank before and all I did was dechlorited tap water with no buffer and just keep up with some water changes, and they were pretty much trouble-free. Buy healthy stock is very important.
You tank looks nice, it is a bit taller than a 10 gallon isn't it? I think your filter should be fine as long as you don't overfeed.
If it was me I would put about 12 galaxy rasbora with 4-6 oto inside, may be some little shrimps, sand with driftwood tied with anubias nana and some jave moss.
Sand is easy to keep, just keep it thin.
Make sure your tank is cycled no matter what you choose to put in.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks everyone for your input! Unfortunately I made a big mistake - my aquarium is a 6g, not a 12g. Thanks to Rockman for asking me the dimensions and making me actually check (it's 20cm x 30cm x 40cm).

I hope some of the suggestions still apply, though I'm guessing in reduced numbers?

Well, that's disappointing. So sorry about that.

On the plus side, it's now filled with water. Time to test my patience...


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## Rockman (May 19, 2013)

Is it a Fluval Edge, by chance?

Anyway, in a tank with that kind of footprint you have to think about swimming space. A lot of the bread and butter species (tetras, guppies, etc) start feeling a bit cramped in there. Fortunately there are lots of good microfish options these days. CPD's aren't out of the question. Exclamation mark rasboras would be another option (although they might not fit the definition of 'hardy'). Sparkling gouramis could work too. Dwarf puffers are always amusing; but are slightly specialist in terms of diet and compatibility (and also might like somwhat harder water... adding a small amount of limestone to the filter might not be a bad idea). Shrimp are another good option for smaller tanks. Cherry shrimp are colourful and easy.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

UnderseaGal said:


> Thanks everyone for your input! Unfortunately I made a big mistake - my aquarium is a 6g, not a 12g. Thanks to Rockman for asking me the dimensions and making me actually check (it's 20cm x 30cm x 40cm).
> 
> I hope some of the suggestions still apply, though I'm guessing in reduced numbers?
> 
> ...


Well, no matter what size I would suggest you to cycle the tank first.
There are some small fish that you can still have in the tank, or may be make it a shrimp tank? They may even breed like crazy in your tank. LOL 
A very nice betta would look good in a 6 gallon I think.


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## CeeZer (Jan 24, 2014)

I dunno how local Guppies are but they were my first when I was in grade 4 (I think, or could have been 2 thou) and my Aunt gave me just the fish while renovating her place. She didn't want them back 'at any cost'.
Her Guppies lived in a pickle glass jar first, then in an old cooking pot, then in a large medical jar...
They had to eat bread crumbs for weeks till I found out there was actually some sort of fish food for aquarium fish.
They lived, made babies and got me into fish keeping  Later I learned Scientific Latin name for them, first from many others later...

There may be hardier fish but this is my story.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

CeeZer, that's a great story! You must have the aquarium equivalent of a green thumb".  

Rockman - nope, not a Fluval Edge (those look super cool, though). It's a Marineland Eclipse 6. 
Thanks for the follow-up, and happy to hear CPD's are not entirely out of the question, I quite like the look of them. And cherry shrimp look cool, though at this point I'm not sure I'd be entirely satisfied with an aquarium with only shrimp in it. Maybe at a later date, when I catch MTS... haha

Fish rookie - will *definitely* cycle first. 

A question about bettas - I hear they are feisty little buggers. Will they share with anyone at all? Like a bottom feeder (Cory? Otto?)? What about with shrimp?

Many questions, and many thanks again to all of you for your invaluable advice. Much appreciated!


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## CeeZer (Jan 24, 2014)

Bettas should not pick on any fish but their own, male Bettas do fight other male Bettas and to death in a small tank. They can kill female too in small tank.


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## mikebike (Sep 8, 2010)

I have mixed guppy fri you can have for free in S Surrey to get you started.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for the info, Ceezer!
Ok, after reading all your comments and info I found online, I'm thinking either:
1) Betta + some kind of small cleaning fish (oto or cory?) + a couple of shrimp, OR
2) 3-4 CPD + some kind of small cleaning fish (oto or cory?) + maybe one shrimp just for kicks.

Something like that?

But first, cycling, without any fish. Planning on trying Bio-Spira or the like. Anyone else tried this?

Thanks again!


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for the offer, mikebike! Sadly I've never had any luck with guppies and I think I need to become a bit more experienced before I give them another try.

Saw your CBC video - wow, those are some amazing looking tanks!


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Have you thought about one species tank?? If that's the case, pea puffer can be good option..


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Oh! Those are sooo cute! Is a pea puffer and a dwarf puffer the same thing? Could I have more than 1 in a 6g?

I'm totally ok with only one species. I just figured as a beginner I would welcome the help of a cleaning fish, but I'm not married to that idea.
Thanks for the suggestion!


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

it is the same puffer. you can get them from aquarium west. I have 4 pea puffers in my 12G tank. they are doing very well with minimum maintenance. I feed them with frozen bloodworm every 2-3 days. no heater, just water change every 2 weeks( more of top off). I could not feed them for 6 days( vacation) and they are still doing great. they are very entertaining. they know who the owners are. very cute. my 5 years old daughter almost cried when I considered selling them for apistos.. lol main reason I decided to keep them. lol


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## Rockman (May 19, 2013)

UnderseaGal said:


> Rockman - nope, not a Fluval Edge (those look super cool, though). It's a Marineland Eclipse 6.


So much for my career as a psychic  Just as well... Edges are amazingly awkward.



UnderseaGal said:


> A question about bettas - I hear they are feisty little buggers. Will they share with anyone at all? Like a bottom feeder (Cory? Otto?)? What about with shrimp?


Depends on the betta, from what I hear. Some are pretty relaxed; others less so. You could also go for a female; they're usually a pretty safe bet (although somewhat harder to find). Bottom feeders should usually ok. Dunno about shrimp though (I have seen them in shop tanks with shrimp); shrimplets would definitely be lunch.



UnderseaGal said:


> Oh! Those are sooo cute! Is a pea puffer and a dwarf puffer the same thing? Could I have more than 1 in a 6g?


Yes, they're the same. I've never kept them personally (so someone correct me if I'm wrong); but apparently they're usually kept 2-3 gallons per fish. So technically you could have up to three.



UnderseaGal said:


> I'm totally ok with only one species. I just figured as a beginner I would welcome the help of a cleaning fish, but I'm not married to that idea.
> Thanks for the suggestion!


Cleaning fish are somewhat of a myth. You can get scavengers and algae eaters; but their cleaning functions are pretty limited. Scavengers just end up creating more waste and algae eaters will usually only eat certain kinds of algae (leaving the field wide open for the kinds they don't like). Tank cleaning is best done by the fishkeeper in most cases.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Wow, lots of great suggestions here for you. This forum is such a nice community.
With betta if you keep a male then you should not try to keep other male or pea puffer or things with long fancy fins. But bottom dwellers like oto, cories should be fine. Some people like to keep an apple snail or something like that as a clean up crew. 
I would suggest if you go for betta just choose a very nice colorful male and do not get any other fish to keep things simpler for you in the beginning. But if you want to have a clean up crew, snail, oto, cories...should all be fine.
Good luck.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

jhj0112 - thanks for the additional info. Those little puffer fish look like they are right out of a cartoon movie - I can see how your daughter likes them. 
Rockman - yes, I also read that baby shrimp end up as betta food. But I found some info online that says if the shrimp is big enough and the betta is well fed there aren't usually any problems. And thanks for clearing that up about cleaning fish - I think I had this idea that a single algae eater would keep my tank sparkling clean, but rationally that doesn't make sense.
Fish rookie - this is an amazing community indeed! Keeping things simple is a good idea. I think I'm cutting out the "cleaning fish" in any case, at least for now. So my options are now - 1) a betta, 2) a couple of pea puffer, or 3) a couple of CPDs.

As cute as they are, I'm reading that the pea puffers are probably the least hardy of the three, though.
-J


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Yes, I think so, too. If your tank is new and not cycled, betta is probably your best option. But you still need to watch out for high nitrite and ammonia.
If the betta is healthy you should be okay. If it was me, I will just do a 25-40% water change daily until my tank is cycled. Once it is, you should be good unless you all the sudden add tones of things inside or over feed like crazy, which does not sound like you will do. But I am always a bit overboard with the water change. You can just monitor the ammonia and nitriate level and change your water whenever you notice a spike with the above 2. 
Soon, you should see zero readings on both then you can just do small water changes when nitrate is high. 
It depends on your feeding amount and schedule how much and how often you should change your water. You can just monitor your nitrate level to see when it reaches say 15ppm (or whatever reading you deem unacceptable, some people may change water at 10ppm, some may wait till 20ppm). If it takes 7 days to reach 15ppm, then you can do a water change every 7 days. How much water to change depends on how low you want to bring your nitrate down to--if you do 50% your nitrate should become 7ppm or so, which is fine for most fish. But if you like you can change more water.
Your pH may crush if your water is too dirty because the nitrification process will lower pH. Also, if you have no buffer it will get lower as time goes by. Watch your fish sometimes they don't mind a small drop but they may, especially if the drop is big.
After a while you will notice a trend and figure out how much water you need to change and how often you should and whether you should add buffer and so on...then you will get into a routine and it will become much easier and less work.
I assume you have a heater, right? You need that for betta, as they are tropical.
About algae cleaner I agree with rockman that regular clean up of your tank is the best way. But if your tank is close to a window and you will be away on vacation often, you may want to add a few oto after your tank is established. The ironic part about algae cleaner such as pleco is that sometimes they produce more waste in your tank than the "cleaning" that they are suppose to do. Having some algae is not going to harm your fish but having lots of poo from them will.
For this reason I like oto since they suck algae but they do not produce too much waste.
The book says they like to be in a big groups but they are pretty easy going so even 2-3 is okay. If you do want them, I would recommend to wait a bit first until the tank is established.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Fish rookie - thank you so much for all that info, super helpful.

I do have a heater, so if I go the betta route, he'll be nice and comfy.

The only thing that's holding me back with the betta is that should I find that I'm getting the hang of it, it'll be challenging to add anything else to the aquarium.
Whereas if I put in a few galaxy rasboras, I have more options down the road.

Trust me, I've already considered the "leave the betta in the 6g and get another, bigger tank" option.  But I live in a small place and I need to be realistic, too... 
So I'm still undecided!


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

UnderseaGal said:


> Fish rookie - thank you so much for all that info, super helpful.
> 
> I do have a heater, so if I go the betta route, he'll be nice and comfy.
> 
> ...


Yes, betta is troublesome that way, because they cannot get along with some other fish. 
With galaxy rasbora you may want to wait till the tank is cycled first. Why don't you PM Pat (mykiss) of Canadian Aquatic? He has the galaxy in stock and he is super knowledgeable and helpful. You can also buy wood, plants, substrates and so on from him.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

I'll get my substrate and decos from the LFS because I really want to do this tonight.  
But if I decide on the rasboras, I'll be in touch with Charles or Pat for the fish for sure.
Thanks!


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

you can find some good deal here in classfied section...


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

So, an update... 
In the end I got some advice at the fish store as well and grabbed some Stability along with a few tiny (pale!) ember tetras and a small amano shrimp. Apparently they should be fine during cycling, and on the plus side, I may be able to add a betta to the tank once it's cycled. I've done some research and it seems the ember tetra/betta combo is controversial, but in any case, I have time to think about it (and about a potential alternative). I was super worried that the bioload would be too much for my 6g but I was told to relax and keep an eye on things.
And... much to my surprise, I came home with plants - two small java ferns and one I can't remember the name of but it's quite pretty.

I also have a piece of driftwood and I have some black gravel, the fancy kind with bacteria in it and all the good stuff for the plants.

So... For now, thrilled but cautious. A bit worried it's all too much and everyone will be dead in the morning, but right now everything is looking ok.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

That is nice, congrats.
You will have a great time taking care of this fish tank I am sure.
Java fern is super easy to grow, just tie it to your driftwood with some fish line and you are done.
With a black substrate may be you can consider putting a black background on the tank as well? I think your ember tetra should look very nice with a darker setting. 
A background can also helps to block some sun light to reduce algae since your tank is by the window.
Have fun and enjoy your new fish tank.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Fish rookie, thanks for all the suggestions and the support!
This morning the whole gang is alive and well. Relief... for now! haha

Your idea about a black background is fantastic! Is there a special kind of material for that? 

Thank you thank you!


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

--You can paint it black with some latex paint (they can be removed later with a blade if you want to).
--If no one can see the back of your tank, just a piece of black paper(cardboard that you can buy from dollar store then cut to size) with double sided tape will work. If it gets wet you can just replace it. For your tank, one cardboard can probably serve you 2-3 background at least. It is very easy and simple to do, and is the cheapest.
--they sell special background in the fish store which come in all sorts of colors and pictures. You can get one that is all black, the back of that is usually blue. This option is more expensive and you need to watch for water bubble marks that may show if water gets in between the background and the tank.

Glad to hear your fish are doing okay. Don't feed them too much, and test your parameters. Don't add any more fish until the tank is cycled. I am not sure how big your tetras are but if you add some other bigger fish I am just not sure if it may be too crowded.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks Fish rookie! Will definitely give the dollar store cardboard a try.

I won't add more fish until the tank is done cycling for sure. 
My tetras are tiny at the moment (they are still quite pale), but I know they'll grow a little bit, so I do have to be careful. I used the filter capacity calculator and it would be fine for that and a betta but it might still be too much just in terms of space/bioload.

I want to wait before I add anything anyway so I have time to think about it and research alternatives.

I'll be testing my water for sure.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

It is nice to see someone trying to do lots of research to provide a good environment for the fish before starting the tank.
The calculator is just a guideline so you can get more than recommended if you keep your water quality up; but because 6 gallon is not really a lot of footprint so waste do not have much chance to get diluted before they may harm your fish, plus a big fish may not have much room to swim inside which could lead to many problems (aggression, stun...etc), so it is usually recommended that you start slow.
Keep an eye on the behavior of the fish to see if they are happy or not is important.
Most importantly, don't stress out. 
You are doing great, so...just enjoy your new tank.
Please post a picture of your tank when you have a minute. Thank you.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Here it is!









Feels like it's missing something, maybe?

Just fed everyone for the first time - 1 big flake, broken up. They were hungry buggers! But lots of swallowing and spitting it back out. I think I need to break up the flake into smaller pieces.

Sir Shrimpsalot is a glutton, though - he methodically went over the bottom of the whole aquarium to pick up the leftover bits. My guess is he won't stay small very long.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Nicely done. I sense an upgrade to a bigger tank in the future once the addictive takes hold.


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## Rockman (May 19, 2013)

Looks nice so far. A background is probably a good idea. If it were me I'd maybe add some more plants as well. It's a good start though.

Just remember to check your ammonia/nitrite daily for the next week or so.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for the nice comments, jobber & Rockman.
jobber - I fear that you are correct. I'm a big, big, big fan of discus. That said, I live in a tiny, tiny, tiny apartment. So for now there isn't much room for the addiction to take hold.  One day, though, when I'm more experienced...

Rockman - yes, thinking about adding a dark background. And will check my water for sure.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

First water test done.
Ammonia was between 0 and 0.5 mg/l (not quite yellow but not quite green either).
Nitrites were at 0.
pH is 6. 

Sir Shrimpsalot is awesome to watch and the embers are hanging out together nicely.
On the downside, I'm not getting *any* real work done. 

Thanks again everyone for your advice and encouragements! It's fantastic to be able to bounce things off in such a knowledgeable and friendly community.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

Your tank looks very good. It looks much better than my first tank that is for sure.  Great job!
What is your pH off the tap? pH of 6 is a bit low so I am a bit worried may be if your pH is crushing. If your pH keeps going down your fish will feel very uncomfortable and even die. You can either buy some seachem alkaline buffer or good old baking soda to add some bi-carbonate ion to your water to counter the drop of pH. A bit of seachem equilibrium is also good. It increases the mineral content in your water, which helps osmoregulation of your fish. You can think of it like helping your fish to breath better. Equilibrium is also a fertiliser which is good for your plants. 
Do you have a nitrate kit as well? I am asking because I do not see a nitrate reading. If you have a nitrate reading and no nitrite reading you are good to go.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks Fish rookie! Fingers crossed it continues to go well.
pH of my tap water is 5.5-6, that of my tank is about 6-6.5. But I'm using those strips, they aren't the best. I'll get a proper pH kit tomorrow.
I do have a nitrates kit but it was my understanding that those could wait?

Only problem so far is that my water remains a bit cloudy. It was very cloudy initially after putting the gravel in. It's much better now but still not crystal clear. I'll wait it out a bit more. All the fish seem to be doing fine.

Thanks again for all the feedback! This is so very exciting.


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

UnderseaGal said:


> Thanks Fish rookie! Fingers crossed it continues to go well.
> pH of my tap water is 5.5-6, that of my tank is about 6-6.5. But I'm using those strips, they aren't the best. I'll get a proper pH kit tomorrow.
> I do have a nitrates kit but it was my understanding that those could wait?
> 
> ...


The cloudy water is probably normal. When you fill your water next time you can put a bucket or just your hand inside so the water will not directly splash on your substrate.
If your pH is about the same as your tap then it is fine. I was just worried if your PH is 7 off the tap but in less than 1 day it dropped to 6 your fish may not take it all that well.
You can check for nitrate to see if your cycle is complete--if your cycle is complete you will have zero ammonia and nitrite and some nitrate. Stability will speed up the cycle process for you.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

I think the pH from my tap and that of the aquarium are fairly close. I have a pH buffer on hand if need be, but I think it's fine for now.
Just tested for nitrates - none.
I guess the cycle is not over! I do have Stability in there, but it's only been 24 h...
I'll test again tomorrow evening.
I'm such a nerd - logging everything into an excel spreadsheet... haha


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

jhj0112 is there a picture of your pea puffer tank somewhere?

Would love to see it!


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Here is the picture that I just took 









Nothing fancy.. no dosing, no heater, just regular weekly water change( sometime bi-weekly lol).

you can see how we started in

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/tank-journals-16/alicias-pea-puffer-tank-project-fluval-edge-12g-58370/


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

Aqauascaping could be better but oh well I'm happy as long as pea puffers and Alicia( my youngest daughter) are happy lol


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

The tank looks great! Wow, what a gorgeous piece to have in a kitchen! 
I'm totally sold on having a pea puffer tank now... It'll be my next project for sure.  48h into my first real aquarium project and I'm already planning the next. Oh jeez.

Thanks for the inspiration! I think your aquascaping is beautiful. 
I need to learn how to do that...


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## jhj0112 (Jul 30, 2013)

thank you but I consider mine one of the worst aquascape in BCA lol

you should check Reckon( i have seen his tank in person awesome aquascape), shift ( all of his tanks are my dream tanks!), rwong2k10( beautiful aquascape with lovely apistos), jbyoung0008( very unique african planted tank)... greenfin( i think her id is greenfin  )'s tank also is an awesome tank. There are so many members here who have awesome aquariums  

check out their journals in tank journal section. I learned a lot from it


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Don't sell your tank short! It looks great. 
Thanks for pointing me in those directions.
I've been perusing the journal and the show and tell threads and there is lots of inspiration for sure...
But much of it relies on plants, and since I'm new to plants altogether, I figure best to stick to what I've got for now.
Thinking of adding wood, though. Or maybe rocks. I have no idea. lol


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