[amit_2025]

Originally Posted by ptaneja

Anyone aware of good/cheap place to buy decorations for aqua online/Delhi NCR ?

Originally Posted by amit_arya

not being superstitious, but seeing over 50 deaths and unable to find what i was doing wrong, i just gave up.

i doubt the person you are referring too provides home service. i think i have delt with him before. others that i have delt with are
unfortunately none of them were able to give me any insight and none of them do any kind of home service (atleast they did not showed interest when i talked to them).

I recently went to this store in Shivalik called Aqaur'den. They have some of the most elegantly done aquariums of different sizes that I have seen in a long time

Easily one of the most knowledgeable guys I have come across when it comes to fish keeping. The shop is exclusively for fishes and aquariums and is not a complete pet shop, thus the increased focus

Basis my discussion with the owner (Rohit), they build customized aquariums and also provide Monthly/Annual maintenance around south Delhi

Address : +(91)-11-33430265 Shop no.15, MMTC/STC Market, DDA Commercial Complex, Geetanjali Malviya Nagar Road, Malviya Nagar, Delhi - 110017, Opposite Aurobindo College

P.S - I am not related to this business entity by any means :-)

[shyamhegde]

Originally Posted by toiingg

That was a beautiful planted tank. Can you please give some more details.

Did u use CO2? Also, did u use any additional fert dozing (macro/micro), or was that just the result of Amazonia soil and effective lighting.

Thanks buddy. Yes, I had pressurized CO2 and also dosed DIY ferts (lab grade chemicals dissolved in RO water) a friend made. As branded ferts were working out expensive. Started dosing after almost 6 months , once plants looked settled.
Had a couple of Algae outbreaks but managed to control and get the tank going.

I got a lot of support from members from an online forum called iah.in during my initial days when learning curve had been steep.

[petrol_power]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

@Petrol power: nice tank. decent size. good enough for most african cichlids.

Just a few tips:

Lose the flowerhorn from that group. Does not belong there. They are best left alone.
Frontosa's can grow very big and will need a bigger tank.
African cichlids like sandy substrates and you could also set up a few caves and crevices. Google search for african cichlid tanks for reference.

Maintenance of sandy substrate/fine gravel is not an issue. You can use a gravel siphon to dredge out sludge if any from the bottom. If going for sand, use a fork to ensure it does not become anaerobic. Go for a thin layer if you are really concerned.

Properly set up, an african cichlid tank can rival even marine tanks for colour and splendour. Good luck

Thanks for the advice. I will get some substrate and caves soon. Flowerhorn is like my most favourite fish. I dont want to lose it. Once the frontossas grow, may be I will give back my other fish back to seller to give room for frontossa and flowerhorn.

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Nice thread.

I've been an aquarist since the year 1993 and have kept nearly every kind of fish.

I had a huge tank at home which i finally gave up in the year 2008 because every time there was painting at my house it ended to be dismantled and shifted plus cleaning took nearly two hours every other week and was getting difficult due to time issues.

In my clinic we have a huge marine tank setup and it's maintained professionally and we've got really exotic fishes like lion fist to sea anemone.

At home i've now maintained a small aesthetic bowl with tetras. I love a planted tank rather than an empty one. Plants in my opinion bring out colours in fish.

I'm learned a lot by trial and error and i'm open to helping the new hobbyist.

Some pics of my current home setup up. My marine tank pics later.

Please provide the pics of your marine tank and for setting up a marine tank is it like we can make salty water by adding salt to normal water or some other minerals are to be added? I have no idea how a marine tank is maintained. Please throw some light on it.

Originally Posted by adu

I have been into fish keeping for about 6 years now and gradually moved from a mini tank to a 2ft tank currently. Aiming for a 3 or 4 feet tank in the next 6 months. Took me time to get a hang of things with fish dying very frequently earlier and experimenting with different types of fish.

My current tank has 4 sharks, 2 cichlids, 1 angel fish and 1 sucker. replace 20% water every 10 days or so and do a complete tank clean up once in 3-4 months.

Attaching some pictures, apologies for the reflections that appear on the tank.

That sucker fish looks huge, the tank looks really nice.

Originally Posted by shyamhegde

This was my tank at approximately 18 month's maintenance.
Tetras, guppies and platies enjoyed in the tank along with red cherry shrimps.

Used the water from mineral water supply guys in 20 litres for changes and top-ups to keep water soft. 36Watts X 2 PLL inside the cieling fixture modified to fit on the tank.

I stripped this and currently working on a marine set-up.

Thanks!

Please let us know the requirements and preparations required for a marine tank.

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Bala Sharks are beautiful fishes best in groups Such an active fish. Too bad they are endangered in the wild.

It's a pleasant enough hobby to have but once you get caught into it and want the best for your exotic fishes then its a fast money drainer :P

The list was:
6x2x2: banjar red arowana tank with bichirs and clown loaches [still have this with only the arowana in it]
6x2x1.5: african cichlid setup
4x2x2: red texas and plecos
3x1.5x3.15: planted community tank
3x1.5x1.5: oscar tank
5x2x1.5: florida gar, rope fishes and others

opening the door to my terrace was just amazing every single time

OMG, I cant even visualize how it would have looked like with so much tanks. Do you have any pics of the same?

Originally Posted by Wanderers

Hi petrol_power,

Thanks in bringing alive my old hobby, which died a natural death when I shifted my city, from sweet home to a rented flat coupled with frequent travels abroad.
I did not see any sharks, which are also easier to maintain like Goldfish or was it a compatibility issue as sharks do not co-exist with many varieties. Also I believe there is scope for increasing the fish count in the same tank.

I totally forgot about sharks as my seller doesn't keep sharks. Let me try to get a couple of sharks if I am able to give back a few fish back to the seller.

[Jaguar]

Can someone please suggest me some plants that are easy to setup in a bowl?

To give a bit of background, I used to have lots of fish in a large cement tank. Added a couple of small Oscars; one died while the other ate every other fish in the tank. That was over 10 years ago and I gave that Oscar to a friend when I moved to Bangalore. Last year I picked up a robotic fish from an aquarium abroad and put it in a Bowl. Unfortunately it stopped working in a couple of days . So I am left with an empty Bowl. Definitely want to upgrade to a proper tank but first I want to first experiment with plants and see how to maintain the water quality and stuff before I introduce any fish.

[shyamhegde]

Jaguar, I would suggest an anubias plant in size, that is decent for the bowl, allowing decent real estate for fish to swim around. It's a hardy plant and can survive indirect natural light. Just tie it to a stone and drop it.
A betta fish would be better than robotic one. Feed couple of pellets of food from good brand and no battery replacements needed lol.

Petrol power, I started with argonite as substrate, rocks, marine salt miced in RO water to salinity needed (1.24 in mine) . Also got a hang on back skimmer, a wave maker, and used a Ehiem HOB from my planted times. Use a needle type hydrometer to check salinity once a while. I read a lot on many marine tank forums and videos.. Many months I did this before really venturing in to it. Where I am now, I realise, it's at least three times expensive to a high tech planted tank affair.

[v_2rahjo]

I am looking for a few things for my 5ft tank. Currently it has around 15 African and America cichlids. I have had this tank since 6 years and these fishes since 2 years.

1) With winters approaching, need a good 300w heater. My experience with glass heaters has been really bad so looking for the stainless steel ones. Anyone found these online at a reasonable price ? Mine stopped working after 4 years and I bought it for Rs. 700 I think.
2) Looking for LEDs to function as the primary lights for the aquarium. Any pointers? I found a few at aliexpress for around Rs 900 are they worth it?
3)I need more water agitation to increase oxygen transfer. Are wave makers the right choice? I am looking for something super silent.
4) I want to get rid of the plastic top to ensure there is more contact with air. This enables me to keep the tank water cool in summers anything that you all can suggest? Currently I open the door of the hood but one of my fish jumped out so kinda scared to do it again. Actually this is the only way I can keep the temp controlled for the oscars. Otherwise I loose them every summers.

Here is a shot of my tank:

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by amit_arya

I want to keep goldfish ( 1- 1.5inch) + glass eater. what would be the optimal number of fishes i should keep knowing the task size is 1.5 X 1 X 1 feet ?

@Amit: Fishes need a lot of factors to survive and to thrive in a home aquaria. Correct water conditions, ideal tank size for the type of fish you keep, fish compatibility with tank mates, type of filtration [mechanical and biological] and care and time as well.

I am no expert on goldfishes but this link should help you out:

http://thegoldfishtank.com/how-to-ta...e-of-goldfish/

Unlike what is commonly assumed, gold fishes are not throw in water container and expect to live fishes. With proper setup they can live long and grow to be beautiful specimens.

Regarding glass cleaner, i assume you mean the common pleco or sucker as they are usually called. Without proper filtration they can cause more damage than good. Only juveniles of the common plecos usually eat up algae and as they grow up they prefer normal fish food and they crap like mad! and they grow very big as well.

For your 1.5ft tank i would recommend you against gold fishes. Look for small fishes like tetras, zebra danios, corys etc. Googling up fishes for small tanks would help you out.

Read up more on basic fish keeping and why filtration is very important. Not just an internal filter which will only filter out the debris but you would need bio filters as well.

Remember that most local fish keepers will say anything because its just business for them. Only very few ones will give you proper advice.

The aquatic forums are your best friends

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by petrol_power

Thanks for the advice. I will get some substrate and caves soon. Flowerhorn is like my most favourite fish. I dont want to lose it. Once the frontossas grow, may be I will give back my other fish back to seller to give room for frontossa and flowerhorn.

OMG, I cant even visualize how it would have looked like with so much tanks. Do you have any pics of the same?

I totally forgot about sharks as my seller doesn't keep sharks. Let me try to get a couple of sharks if I am able to give back a few fish back to the seller.

Flowerhorns are wonderful fishes. But are best kept in solitary [Mine was in a 4x2x2] tank for a long time before i sold him off. It was so active and responsive that my room came to be called as bill's room [the name of the fish named after kill bill]

Please don't wait. At least get a 3x2x1.5ft tank to house him and watch him grow in splendor. And get a proper one instead of the short body.

I think i do have pics and a few vids but need to figure out where i have them backed up. If i do find them, i shall put them up.

And please don't get sharks. An aquarium is not a cesspool where you can just keep adding fishes of different size, temperament, habitat and expect them to co-exist.

Plan for the biggest tank you can keep at your place and the filtration required for it. Then once you have that finalized, list out the fishes recommended for that setup. Then shortlist the ones you like. See if said list is available. If yes, set up tank accordingly for them. Then buy them after the tank settles.

Enjoy the looong affair with your happy fishes

[petrol_power]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

Please don't wait. At least get a 3x2x1.5ft tank to house him and watch him grow in splendor. And get a proper one instead of the short body.

And please don't get sharks. An aquarium is not a cesspool where you can just keep adding fishes of different size, temperament, habitat and expect them to co-exist.

Ok, points taken and thank you for the same.
I started my hobby hardly 4 - 5 months before with a 2 feet tank and 2 Oscars. The Oscar broke my tank with a pebble by smashing it with its tail. And I immediately upsized to a 3 feet tank as there is space limitation in my house to go for a 4 feet tank. But it seems I should have somehow bought a 4 feet aquarium.

And for anyone who needs a genuine seller from HSR layout, there is this person from whom I get my fish. His shop is called as "Heavy petting" in HSR layout, may be 1 km from BDA complex. A very passionate youngster. So if you want a transparent person who quotes the right rates and the right advice, he will be of great help. His name is Sanoop - 8105300330.

[hangover]

Hi all,

I'm a bit new to this. I've started with a few tetras. This is to get some experience and see if I have the dedication for this hobby.

The supplier said tetras were easy to maintain.

It's going well. None have died in 2 months.

One question-do you all use:

filtered mineral water (bisleri like)
or ordinary tap water
or Reverse Osmosis filter output?

My supplier suggested I use bore well water which I do use now. Apparently the municipality water is full of chlorine. And therefore the RO water would also have some chemicals left over. I thought it made sense.

Just wondering if I should continue with bore well water or change to RO water. Any suggestions will be helpful.

2nd query is: will they survive if I place the tank in my balcony? There won't be direct sunlight as I have a bamboo charpoi. But it will be very bright all day and quite a bit of traffic noise.

Thanks.

[deathwalkr]

@Hangover: would be much obliged if you could put up a pic of your tank so that we know more about it

Direct tap water is a no no because of the chlorine. Well water is best option if you are sure of water quality.

Traffic noise is not an issue but brightness will lead to algae in your tank. But you say direct sunlight is not a worry, then i think you should be fine.

[shyamhegde]

Hangover, u may have algae issue due to long light hours and too much bright. Also variation in temperature on balcony will affect the fishes.

[hangover]

Originally Posted by deathwalkr

@Hangover: would be much obliged if you could put up a pic of your tank so that we know more about it .

A picture would be embarrassing after all the NASA level tanks you guys have. It's just a big globe shaped bowl about 1.5 feet in diameter at the widest part. I have some 20 fish running around. I physically clean it once a week and change the water. Its a simple set up.

So yes. Thanks for the note on well water. I'll just continue the well water source. WRT it's quality..well I have not had it tested. But my supplier guy is 2 roads away and he too uses bore well water. And his fish are thriving well.

I might actually get it tested. I called Bangalore test house in Rajajinagar Industrial estate and they said I have to give them 2 Five liters cans of water and they can do all sorts of tests. Cost is 5 k per can.

I didn't know about this algae problem. So I won't take the risk until I get some more experience.

Thanks for your help.

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by hangover

It's just a big globe shaped bowl about 1.5 feet in diameter at the widest part. I have some 20 fish running around. I physically clean it once a week and change the water. Its a simple set up.

My dear friend, 20 fishes in a 1.5 feet bowl is a disaster waiting to happen. The fact that the fish have survived for 2 months is a miracle, but an immediate up size is recommended. If not interested in a bigger tank at this moment, reduce the number for fishes to not more than 5 tetras. Your supplier might take back the fishes.

[deathwalkr]

@hangover: we all started small sometimes i wish i had stayed at that level when i look at my monthly expenses for fishes :P but then getting back home and watching them swim in their glorious splendor is just calming.

Bowls are seldom recommended by purists because of a few reasons like its hard to set up filtration for them, it sort of creates a distorted view of fishes both from inside for them and outside for us.

A standard rectangular tank is any day better than bowls. Reason why i asked for a photo was because i wanted to know what tetras you had