New aquarists seek advice on tank setup
323 posts across 2 communities in the last 30 days; 99% from r/Aquariums.
“It's been 4 weeks with this setup and also my first planted aquarium there was plants at the sides but they melted .Looking for planting suggestions and woodscape advice P.S will change to lily pipes I can't get stock”
“Hello! I wanted to preface this with the fact that no fish or materials are purchased, and won’t be until about 6 months from now, so if anything seems ridiculous, don’t worry, no living organisms are involved right now. I’m starting my PhD this fall and will be moving into a…”
“Cant wait to finally add my fish. I have to wait for the roots to grow in cause im scared my catfish will jjst uproot everything.”
Multiple users are starting new tanks and requesting feedback or guidance. They're looking for plant suggestions, stocking ideas, and general tips to improve their aquarium setups.
SOURCES (60)
“Hi Everyone! My roommate and I just started setting up this new tank and wanted to get some feedback. How are we looking so far? As you can see from the picture, both back corners look a bit bare. We were thinking of adding some…”
“Something similar to the image above but bigger. I'm currently planning out a Malaysian peat swamp biotope and want some opinions on rasbora stocking. Currently, the confirmed to be residents are 8x chocolate gouramis, 4x parosphromenus, 1x betta imbellis, 10-15 kuhli loaches, and 3x forest halfbeaks. I'm picking between a few rasbora species, which are: • dwarf rasbora • harlequin rasbora • Trigonopoma pauciperforata • Trigonopoma gracile I was thinking maybe a large school (20-30) dwar”
“Hi all, I've attached a screenshot of my current tank set up and equipment, and hoping you guys would be able to suggest additions or upgrades that are going to help improve my chances of not having a crazy parameter spike soon. Flow is arguably too low, so an additional cannister filter is on my to do list next. submitted by /u/ApricotAppreciation [link] [comments]”
“Hello! I just bought my first tank it’s 55 gallons (big for a beginner I know but i figured too big is better than too small) and I want to do an all natural tank. So live plants, real rocks, driftwood, sand and aqua-soil along with a sponge filter. Now I’m wondering do I get two sponge filters for the size tank that I have? Also do I need an Air-stone or will plants be enough? Also if anyone has any advice I will take it not matter what it is! submitted by /u/JobTough6359 [link] ”
“This is my new 70L office tank. Stocking includes peppered corydoras, coral platties, black neon tetras, white cloud minnows, a mystery snail and a betta. HOB filter for convenience, Chihiros lighting, and a variety of plants including bucephalandra, which was difficult to find! submitted by /u/Several_Month_7864 [link] [comments]”
“Just set this up and it’s been going for about a month or two how does it look so far it’s my first ever fish tank👀 I got 6 ember tetras and a mystery snail and 1 bladder snail in there that caught a ride on my dwarf hairgrass or rotala oh also I plan to remove that cup once the driftwood fully settles in it’s been taking a while to fully submerge and I got good lights to grow the plants and a water heater at 77 so I think it’s all good so far but thoughts and opinions submitted by”
“and this is the first time I’ve put one in a proper tank. It’s a 5 gal with a filter pump and heater. Thoughts/opinions? I’m trying to do a Zen garden theme. Ziggy’s been with me since September 30th. submitted by /u/SEJNamaste [link] [comments]”
“20gal tall, heavily planted tank with fancy guppies, more species of snail than I can remember, neocardinia, and kuhlis. Plants are dwarf and tall hair grass, dwarf baby tears, Amazon sword, banana plant, some type of lily, duckweed, some sort of thing algae I picked up as a hitchhiker from lake Erie when I took some slate, and Java and flame moss, among others I've forgotten. Also just so many others I may have forgotten. I'm mostly looking for something to add that will control the alg”
“First week of this setup. Used Hakkai stones for hardscape. Plants: Utricularia Gramilifolia (I know I should have done a dry start but I’m too impatient), Eriocaulon (feather duster), Tiger Lotus, Trident Java fern and some Eleocharis Vivipara. Can’t wait until it becomes a flowing river-like landscape. I have Co2 injected, a Delta 90, and a Chihiros Vivid II Mate. Gonna let it establish itself for a couple of weeks and then looking to stock it with a school of either: Neon Green Tetras Rummyno”
“Idk I'm bored so thought I'd throw this pick out here. This 10gal is almost a year old. I knew almost nothing about aquascaping so it's kind of a mess. I've taken some plants out and split them up because I've got 2 20gal longs for an upgrade. Trying to breed snails in the 1 gallon cubes temporarily. I have specifically this big one that survived my pea puffer, I didn't know it was in there. It's got a large cone shaped shell so that's really cool. One of my fav s”
“I went for a 2 islands sort of scape with a flow towards the right. Ive recently added a Co2 system and it really brings out the plants, which I am very happy about. Overall the tank runs great and the fih are healthy. submitted by /u/PuzzleheadedLine2093 [link] [comments]”
“Are LEDs necessary for this soon to be planted tank? submitted by /u/Joskleklea [link] [comments]”
“This is my very first 30l aquarium currently hosting 1 betta, 3 amano shrimps and 3 small java ferns, will add 2 anubias and some water lettuce when I manage to find them (things for aquariums are extremely scarce in my country). Also plan to add 1 nerite snail when more algae form and cycle is established. The aquarium is currently only 10 days old, I am doing a fish in cycle. Changing 10-13l of water (35-40%) every 2-3 days. I treat the water with tetra aqua safe (purifies tap water), tetra NO”
“I recently got a 45g tank off of Facebook marketplace and was wanting to fill it with aquasoil. However, it already has sand in it, and idk how to get it out. Luckily theres no fish, as I need to cycle it first submitted by /u/Blahaj_Lover44 [link] [comments]”
“For my community, I want to do my betta, clown killifish, CPDs, khuli loaches, and more neocaridinia. Im picking up a 20 gallon long tomorrow to start cycling but any plant or care suggestions are highly appreciated. I will be cycling for at least 4 weeks before adding any fish or shrimp submitted by /u/Efficient-Trash-6441 [link] [comments]”
“A new tank 150cm! The plan is to have planting at the back. I have aquarium soil in bags building up the height at the back. Epiphytes on the wood. Stocking will be Red Line Torpedo Barbs, 2 bristlenoses, Orange Corydoras, Australian Rainbow fish. We got the tank from Fb marketplace and it included 2 FX6 filters and a Fluval Aquasky light. We are buying an extra light as the log blocks the light. Ignore the cloudiness - we have only just filled it… submitted by /u/Cat-mum1968 [link]”
“I will list what plants I have and livestock Plants : \-3 stem pothos (some grow leaf underwater) \-15-20 inch potho vine in the back \-15 inch monstera vine at front tie to the shelf \-Red root floater \- 1 monstera stem \- 2 heartfelt leaf underwater on the wood \-1 giant evergreen on top of the wood \- wall of Christmas moss \- 6 lucky bamboo \- Red temple plant on the left underwater \- Dwarf lobelia front and right Livestock : \- least killifish x4 (0.5 inch) smallest fish in northern ameri”
“So I just got a second tank that features a built in panel on the back with 4 chambers for filter and such. And I really can’t find a distinct answer on what goes in each chamber. This is for a freshwater set up, in a 24 gallon tank. submitted by /u/Inside-Cow-8663 [link] [comments]”
“Hey guys I have been in this hobby for about a year and was looking for some tips on my tank or what to do next to take it to the next level. Current stocking is 3 male guppies (with plans to add 2-3), 6 Pygmy Cory’s (I might also add a couple more, 4 Amani shrimp, an assassin snail, and quite a few baby snails that hopefully disappear. My tank is 10 gallons and I was mainly looking for advice toward the aquascapr but other general advice is also appreciated. I know my tank is getting to a decen”
“I upgraded to a 210 litre (55 gallon) about 6 weeks ago. It has been cycled for about 4 months now. I need some opinions on current stocking. •Location: Basement •Heater: 300W keeping a consistent 24°C (75°F) •Filter: AC70 with a sponge, a media bag of ceramic rings, and the previous filter media from my old tank. •I currently am dabbling in live plants; Java Fern, Anubias Petite, and some pothos on top. •Hard water- 7.8 to 8.0 pH with a gH of ~10dGH(as per city reports) Current stock: • 1 Brist”
“Hello, this is my first post on Reddit and to this community. Back in mid September, me and my wife decided to start taking care of fish, as we wanted to start simpler before moving to a mammal like a dog or cat. We have two male Mollys and 2 female Swordtails that we got from a local aquarium. Now, this morning we woke up to our male Dalmatian Molly upside down on the bottom of our aquarium, not responding. When we first set up our tank, the guy who owned the store mixed up a couple of things a”
“What schooling fish would you put in a planted 10 gallon tank with a honey gourami, a nerite, and neo shrimp? submitted by /u/Any_Sandwich_9224 [link] [comments]”
“I'm currently cycling my tank which is 60L / 15G tank (60x30x36cm). The tank is heavily planted & has wood & rocks. I'm using an Oase Biomaster 350, which are suitable for tanks up to 350L (92G), so there should be plenty of filtration. Is it possible for a tank of this size to house multiple species of fish while still maintaining optimal living conditions for them? Or am i better off choosing one species instead? I really like the idea of having multiple different types of fish”
“hello i recently just moved to a new place with my gf and our place looks really empty always loved fish and the vibes aquariums brings. i wanted to ask for help to start getting everything we need since we are both students and dont have allot of money i wanted to ask roughly the price to get started and everything i need to get started (thank you in advance and sorry for bad english) submitted by /u/Longjumping_Green_18 [link] [comments]”
“So currently I have 19 platinum medaka rice fish, 2 golden mystery snails, a few bladder snails, 6 otos, and 3 black kuhlis in there. For plants I got jungle val, dwarf chain swords, a amazon sword, moneywort, staurogyne repens, roseafolia cardinalis, scarlet temple, a windelov fern in java moss, frogbit, salvinia, and duckweed, with lucky bamboo, bamboo palms, and basil hydroponically in the 30 gal topfin filter. For future stocking I’m thinking of adding: - a single bamboo/vampire shrimp with”
“Hi everyone! 😊 I recently got a new 180L (47-gallon) aquarium and would love some advice on how to set it up. I already keep Platys and would like to include them in the new tank, but I’m still deciding on the substrate, plants and other fish. Substrate Would you recommend dark sand or dark gravel? I’m leaning towards dark sand because I love the natural look. Would I need nutrient-rich soil underneath, or would plain sand with root tabs and liquid fertilizer be sufficient for a low-maintenance”
“The current stocking is 5 galaxy rasboras, but I’m planning to up that number to like 10, and buy some cherry shrimp on my next lfs run. I also want to get another plant for the left corner, but otherwise, I think it’s good. Don’t mind the few little bits of blue gravel, it’s my curse, most people deal with duckweed, I deal with blue gravel flecks appearing everywhere😂 submitted by /u/Jaded_Alarm1908 [link] [comments]”
“I’m fairly newer to the hobby and have a 10 gallon tank with neocaridina shrimp that’s doing great. I also have a fairly good 35 gallon tank. Last year I made the happy mistake of letting my 6 year daughter pick the fish for the 35 gallon fresh water tank. She picked a Ghost knife fish with out me knowing much about the fish. I know, stupid mistake getting a fish I didn’t know about, but here I am. We love the fish, and it’s been doing great. Which means it’s out grown the tank, so it’s time to”
“It's been 4 weeks with this setup and also my first planted aquarium there was plants at the sides but they melted .Looking for planting suggestions and woodscape advice P.S will change to lily pipes I can't get stock submitted by /u/Dear_Interaction_242 [link] [comments]”
“I have made a few posts about my tank and finally bit the bullet on decorating it as I got live plants (hope they dont die) I put a bit of soil at the back and the rest is sand, I plan to use this tank for a beta and some others, just need the filter to do it's job as it's a little cloudy. What would you recommend or do differently? (Should I add a air stone?) submitted by /u/MrZetec [link] [comments]”
“Hi Reddit!!! 🦐 This is my first aquarium! I’d like to ask for some advice, please. I have one plant that I’m not sure is planted correctly, and another plant that is turning yellow at the bottom... Can I leave them like this? Or what do you recommend I do? Also, the water looks brownish/yellowish; do you know how I can get it clear again? It's also my first time posting, but I would like to thank all of you because your posts helped me in the process of starting this hobby! 💕 submi”
“I had a giant Betta in here but moved him and a lot of his plants to a long short tank. This tall tank has baffled me a bit. I would like some ideas on how to add to the aquascape and ideas on what I could put in it! I have a small 3g with many blue shrimps that I could move over eventually, but I don't know what would be okay in this type of tank. Thank you! submitted by /u/PoignantPlushGal [link] [comments]”
“Pretty much what the title says: I am thinking about trying a setup for multiple smaller / medium sized tanks while I shift some things around in my house. I wanted to get some inspiration so if you have one you built, or had installed please comment a picture and say a little about it! *pic of rhombo barbs for attentions - my favorite freshwater pets. submitted by /u/ConsistentExchange61 [link] [comments]”
“Never dome a water change before had this tank for over 6 months and its looking good. Anything i can do to make my tank look better? Was thinking of adding cherry shrimp but my tiger barbs would eat them. Have nerite snails, rabbit snails, tiger barbs, amani shrimp ect… submitted by /u/theUnkOwnSuSpeCt [link] [comments]”
“1ft Cube Hardscape only Betta Mahachaiensis Spotlight and HOB submitted by /u/Affectionate_Can3395 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all. I want to build my first fish tank I’m planning a 26 cm cube tank and have all my equipment/aquascaping gear ready, I just need to place the order with the glass cutters. Before I order, I want to double-check with experienced builders What glass thickness would you recommend for a 26 cm cube? (Is 4 mm optimal?) What are the exact cut dimensions for all 5 panes (bottom, front/back, sides) Any quick tips on silicone types or edge finishing before I head to the glass shop would also b”
“2 Angelfish, 8 otocinclus, 4 yoyo loaches, bladder snails. I’m going to add 12 rummynose tetras and 2 Bolivian rams. Tank is 78.5f submitted by /u/RunInternational4944 [link] [comments]”
“Any ideas on what to stock these tanks with? I’m so indecisive. I don’t want anything “basic.” Both tanks are currently stocked, but I’m looking for options for the future. I’m open to continuing to keep some of the current fish, but also open to completely switching it up eventually. Not open to fish that will only eat live food. First one is a 17g planted tank, currently has 3 cpds, 5-6 cpd/emerald dwarf hybrids, 8 least killifish, 2 left over female clown killifish, 2-3 kuhli loaches, 1 Otoci”
“Edit: okok I hear you all, I won’t get a pleco for this tank but any other ideas of what I can put in there? I need some help. So I recently went into my town to get a tank for a future pleco and the guy recommended a 40x20x40 tank and I got it. It’s not fully set up so suggestions are appreciated. But I’ve googled it and apparently it’s too small? I only wanted one clown and maybe a few snails but now I’m worried about the size. The tank also goes deeper back, i don’t know why it looks so tiny”
“I'm setting up my first aquarium! It's a 5 gallon. I was wondering what kind of plants would people reccomend me for this, and any opinions on how it's looking? I also want to add some rotalla around the filter (and add a sponge). Would that affect the plants? Does anyone knows if the orange rotalla can be grown without co2? submitted by /u/Anon_danna [link] [comments]”
“Hi, I've began setting my tank up, I'm playing around and unsure. I like the idea of what I'm doing but something is missing, I'll be using sand and substrate and a few live plants but something is missing. submitted by /u/MrZetec [link] [comments]”
“I will be getting a new tank soon. It's 105L (28ish gallons I think) W76 x D37 x H45cm. I'd like to have 2 centerpiece fish, preferably 2 blue dwarf gourami, a bottom feeder, a snail and a school of red fish. I was originally going to/still might go for some cherry barbs. How many would a good school size be in this size tank without over crowding? Was thinking maybe 8 or 9 but wouldn't mind more if the tank size allows it. Also, what are some other red schooling fish I could look in”
“Recently invested in this 4ft aqua one tank Stocking consisting of X6 black phantom tetra X1 rummynose X5 black neon X1 glow light X12 cardinal X12 silver tip tetra Kribensis pair plus additional femal The silver tips are the newest addition I had seen mixed opinions on mixing them with slower fish such as cardinals they have been in about a week they are obviously frantic swimmers and can be pretty pushy and starting to think maybe I have made a mistake the cardinals stay as a group most the ti”
“Decided to set up a 20 gallon long aquarium in my office. It’s been up and cycling for about 4 days now, and I’m planning to keep it fishless until it’s ready. I built a rock cave because I liked the idea of having a Bristlenose pleco living in it, but now I’m debating between that and a group of Kuhli loaches. I’d like something that uses the cave but also comes out and explores. I’m definitely planning to add more plants. As far as stocking goes, I’m thinking 8–10 galaxy rasboras, 2–3 sparklin”
“i’d like to ask for any suggestions or advices for the design and plants submitted by /u/Sencerderen [link] [comments]”
“So here’s the tank: Angelfish Pair of Apisto macmasteri 8 rummynose 9 phantom tetras 8 5banded barbs Flash pleco Bristlenose pleco 3 yoyo loaches In a 75 gallon with plants, caves, driftwood, and fluval 407. All of my fish get along fine. I know the research says I should have more yo-yos but I don’t want to? There is no aggression currently and I am a little concerned that if i get a few more the added action near the bottom might bother the apistos. I have considered rehoming them but they rea”
“Hello! I wanted to preface this with the fact that no fish or materials are purchased, and won’t be until about 6 months from now, so if anything seems ridiculous, don’t worry, no living organisms are involved right now. I’m starting my PhD this fall and will be moving into a new place. I’ll be there for at least 4-5 years and want the life spans of most if not all of the animals in it to not exceed this, because moving with a tank sounds like a nightmare (not to mention, stressful for every org”
“i have a 5.5 gal fully planted aquarium with a beta fish, five ghost shrimp, and two orange bee shrimp. i had an air stone in back when i only had shrimp, but shut it off when i added my beta to keep the flow low for him. the substrate is about an inch of organic potting soil and then an inch and a half of gravel, i would’ve just used fluval stratum but it was sold out everywhere near me for some reason lol. would love some feedback!!! submitted by /u/Beginning-Bath8315 [link]”