Need suggestions: Articles for aquarium beginners

[Blue Whale]

Where got luohan spit water at dragonfly for food? I know Archer fish does this.

Long Long time ago, on one particular day I visited Qianhu during the period where LuoHan fish was being applaud to be the lucky fish. Out in the blues, I saw one packet burst half filled up with water and a small female luohan was trying very hard to breathe.

So I decided to buy it home.

I put her in a 1 ft tank, with some color gravels for it to play with. The tank located beside my pc then, so each time she is hungry, she will spit at me. If there are flies going around, she will also spit at it, to eat of course. Upon reading up on the internet, I gathered that this luohan is from the wild somewhere in malaysia, instead of breeded in captivity environment. The habits exhibit that of a wild luohan than a self breeded one.

I feed her with live food at times, blood worms most of the time. It's a passing memory that will remain with me...I cherished the time I spend with her very much, and whilst she plays happily in the tank.

[Interestor]

1. how/method of ways to quarantine fish in planted and non-planted tank.

2. what medicine to treat fish diseases.



CHeers..

[johnny]

Thank you Blue Whale. i supposed you are right, its in their genes, they live freely in the wild environment once being in the tank they find ways to jump out. Just watch out these giant snake fish They eat anything ! I would like to start again rearing these young ones, once i can catch THEM again. Question is put all in same pond? If many ponds or tank is to expensive. Any suggestions? What i know if THEY are of the same size, they do not eat each other, unless ONE grew faster! Thank You.

[sifreaks]

question that i asked was how to succesfully set up a planted tank? eg. requirements that needed in order to have it going, amount of CO2 distribution, which soil to use, which cannister filter etc...

regrds,
sifreaks

[idiot]

My questions that I would still ask now:

1. What equipments do I need?
2. Where to get the equipment I need
3. How much do they cost?
4. What are the common/extreme types?
5. What goes well with the selected fauna/flora?

[vinz]

Long Long time ago, on one particular day I visited Qianhu during the period where LuoHan fish was being applaud to be the lucky fish. Out in the blues, I saw one packet burst half filled up with water and a small female luohan was trying very hard to breathe.

So I decided to buy it home.

I put her in a 1 ft tank, with some color gravels for it to play with. The tank located beside my pc then, so each time she is hungry, she will spit at me. If there are flies going around, she will also spit at it, to eat of course. Upon reading up on the internet, I gathered that this luohan is from the wild somewhere in malaysia, instead of breeded in captivity environment. The habits exhibit that of a wild luohan than a self breeded one.

I feed her with live food at times, blood worms most of the time. It's a passing memory that will remain with me...I cherished the time I spend with her very much, and whilst she plays happily in the tank.

There are no wild louhans. Louhans are captive bred hybrid cichlids.

I guess what you mean is that it was a wild cichlid that looked like a louhan. I'm guessing it's one of the species that contributed to the genes of the louhan.

Good thing she didn't try to spit at your PC. Fried PC cum fried fish.

[Blue Whale]

There are no wild louhans. Louhans are captive bred hybrid cichlids.

I guess what you mean is that it was a wild cichlid that looked like a louhan. I'm guessing it's one of the species that contributed to the genes of the louhan.

Good thing she didn't try to spit at your PC. Fried PC cum fried fish.

Then it would be very strange as she exhibit behavior like living in streams or rivers. You haven't see she bites. Imagine a clothes peg. Snap! and that is the bite strength. I usually use my hand go in to play with her.

-.- she did spit at the pc. Lucky I don't on the pc 24/7. Got a lot of fail safe there as usual. haz haz...

[David Moses Heng]

Then it would be very strange as she exhibit behavior like living in streams or rivers. You haven't see she bites. Imagine a clothes peg. Snap! and that is the bite strength. I usually use my hand go in to play with her.

-.- she did spit at the pc. Lucky I don't on the pc 24/7. Got a lot of fail safe there as usual. haz haz...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowerhorn_cichlid

[Blue Whale]

Both my Luohans male and female have passed away in their respective tanks. sad sad...miss them...

[StanChung]

There's enough topics to write a few books-

How to Keep Fish? [alive for more than 3 weeks!]
How to Keep Aquatic Plants? [Growing and maintenance]

What is Aquascaping, is it an art?

These are very general. For a beginner, IMO it's best to start with general topics or they'll be lost in the more specific discussions.

[Blue Whale]

Actually, if can compile into books lagi(most) best. Singapore itself doesn't have much on Fresh Aquatic or Marine related books. Copyright is an headache. Moreover Mr. Vinz here is really itchy for some programming.

I am still constructing a static site. Hopefully can come up with a directory of fishes, lights, etc. ^o^ might use some pict(s) from here, since I hope to document them down before they disappear from this world. Bobian (no choice), I am really bored.

[vinz]

What kind of site? Why are you programming a static site... I expect more from you.

Itchy to program does not equate got time to program.

[Blue Whale]

static lah. I dunno about php I only got asp and cold fusion skills nia. This is on the end of web programming. Rest of the programming languages are quite useless to me at the moment and I certainly don't wish to dive into the .net craze.

I will make a very very simple one. Just registered the site yesterday only on x10hosting.com

[dnsfpl]

some beginners are impatient plus lazy
i am a typical example, learned the hard way

remembered my first setup
2x1x1 feet tank
gex soil light green pack 4kg
some unknown plants
internal filter with zeolite & carbon
36w PL light
cycle for less than 1 week bought 50 neon tetras
everyday see dead fish

things i have learned
ANN cycle is really important
never use internal filter, difficult to maintain
hornwort is 1 of the best plant for beginners
and research first before doing/buying anything

cheers

[kailath]

I think something which details and gives a realistic amount of the exact costs of setting up and running a tank would be good. It would give some form of idea of the amount of time and commitment needed.

I learnt it a bit of the hard way with my first tank. I made a lot of impulse buys (plastic plants, gravel) and switched around a lot. At one time I decided I didn't like my black gravel so I went out and bought a brown bag and switched the tank substrate without thinking. Now that I have my second tank I have a clearer idea of what I want in mind and though I still get the urge to buy something on impulse, I can control it better. (still regret the money wasted on my first tank though)

Compared to my first tank, my second tank is money well-spent. Perhaps a tips section on how to avoid impulse buys? It seems to be a plausible scenario that most newbies would go through when getting their first fish tank.

[StanChung]

It's ok to impulse buy. Keeps the economy going.
I impulse buy all the time, especially fishes and rocks. Then again it's always already at the back of my mind. The seed was already planted from the forums like AQ.
When I see it 'live', resistance is futile! haha.

When you're a newbie it's nearly impossible to see clearly what you want to do because you have no idea what you want to do or how to do it. A practice run does make it clearer. Hindsight only brings regret!

[Wjustin]

1. what test kits to buy , Drip or paper.
2. What to look out when buying aquarium fishes/shrimps.
3. What water conditioners to use.
4. What tank size to start with. Shrimp/fish
5. Step by Step picture tutorial will be best. ( some may not understand what others is trying to teach).
6. What light to use ? T5, PL, FL which is for what kind of usage?


These are the question that came through my mind .

[topgan]

What I want to ask already posed by members here but what I think can help beginner are a MSN/Messenger/Skype live chat which begiiner can ask. It will make the community more active and alive.

[vinz]

The problem with chat is that it is temporary and not organised. The chats are difficult to archive and near impossible to organise.

[Blue Whale]

I agreed with Stan. =D I normally have list of what I want to buy and a budget for my impluse buying. So if I go down to a shop, I roughly know I will be taking a cab home... handful of stuffs....

E.g. Buy a small bottle of seachem Trace Elements, but when you see the big bottle is very cheaper, you go for the big one. Then you see this nice filter, so you decides to buy it, if only you know whether it fits the tank at home or not. Much like furniture, see already beautiful, but when you buy home, it does not suit the theme of your home.

Oh...the chat thingy. Isn't that the platform for people to scold each other?! lol...I constantly see many people debating in chats. Ha ha..joke aside, good to have but not necessary. Already not enough bandwidth.

I should think there is no one formula when it comes to setting up the tank. I believe in enjoying the process of setting up a tank, and enjoying the company of your fish. I do play with them sometimes.