Just starting 2

Question
QUESTION: I'm just starting my first real aquarium and i wanted to get True Rummynose Tetras (5 of them) and 1 African dwarf frog but I don't know much about them. I am getting a 12 gallon tank (to be specific the Marineland eclipse system 12 aquarium). i wanted to ask if they would be compatible and if they have any special needs. I have only had Bettas and those goldfish that die really fast(the ones you get from a carnival). So, my experience is limited and i don't wont them to die right off the bat. i have been reading some stuff and theres not much written about African dwarf frogs so i wanted to know if you knew anything that could help me. along with a list of stuff i should buy if its not to ask.


ANSWER: Hi Amanda,
Red-nose tetras are beautiful fish and they'd make a very nice choice for your 12 gallon. The only thing is Red-nose tetras tend to be a little sensitive. They really prefer acidic (low pH) water but they can be adapted to harder (higher pH) water, although this is difficult. If you already have acidic water from your tap (you can easily test your water with a pH test kit from your petstore) then that's wonderful. But most people (including me) don't have tap water with a low pH. There are two options here. Either try to adapt/acclimate your fish to your water or alter the water itself. Don't use chemicals, these don't work longterm and they can stress fish. The easiest way to lower your pH and keep it stable is by mixing some plain tap water with R/O (reverse osmosis) which can be bought by the gallon at some petstores or you can buy your own unit to have at home. However, this can be very expensive. But it's something you could attempt since your tank is small and wouldn't require too many gallons of R/O water. And with this you'd have very nice water for your Tetras and they'd probably positively glow with color.

Or you can attempt to acclimate the Tetras to your water by a slow-drip process. What you do is when you bring the fish home, put them into a fish-safe bucket of 2 gallons or a 1gal pitcher. Then start a siphon with a long piece of airline tubing. Have the siphon draining from your tank into the new fishes water. But quickly tie knots in the tubing several times to reduce the flow to just about 1-2 drips per second or so. This will probably take a good hour or more to acclimate them. Once the container has doubled in its volume, take out about half, this frees up more room so it can continue to drip into the container. Once you'd pretty much changed out all the old water in exchange for the tank water, your fish are considered acclimated. You can gently net them out into your aquarium and hope for the best!

These tetras' rednose indicates if they are happy or content with their environment. A faded pink nose of course indicates that they are not happy at all with their home. A bright red glowing nose of course means that they are content and healthy.

Rednose tetras are lovely fish. But they may not be the best choice since your experience is limited. You might want to go for some other similar little schooling fish. Neons might be a better choice for example. Neons are considered a little hardier now since they are farmed so extensively and not always wild-caught like their cousins. There are lots of little fish you can consider such as: Lemon Tetras, Glowlight Tetras, Black neon tetras, Pristella tetras, Serpae Tetras, Bloodfin tetras, Silvertips, Black phantoms. Or Harlequin Rasboras or smaller barbs like Cherry barbs which are all very nice fish. Corydoras catfish would also be suitable. As would Otocinclus catfish.
Platies or guppies would also be very colorful and bring lots of activity to your tank!

An added plus to all the fish I've just mentioned is they are reasonably hardy and not as delicate at the red-nose tetra.

The important thing you have to be sure to do is cycle your tank before adding a lot of fish into it. If you need more info on that let me know. Or you can read these simple articles that explain what cycling is and how to accomplish it in your aquarium-

http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

African dwarf frogs are great little critters. They are quite hardy. Just make sure to have some frozen foods for them (just get the ones made for fish at your petstore) and it also helps to have a brand new eyedropper set aside just for feeding the frogs since they often have to be literally handfed because otherwise fish can take all their food.

Just do lots of research, ask lots of questions to reliable and experienced people (such as me :p ) and make sure to setup your tank properly from the start to avoid the many common mistakes unexperienced fishkeepers make.

I really hope this helps!
Best of luck with your new aquarium!
Karen~
(The best place to ask questions also is at: Tropicalresources.net nowhere else will you get such experienced and helpful nice people who are happy to answer your questions and take the time to help)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hey karen it me again. i just wanted to ask a couple more questions. one is my tap ph is generally around 7.0, is that good for most fish, including the frog? also, does the filtration system have to be on all the time? my dad kept unplugging my one gallon tank that had my betta in it and i wanted to know if thats what killed him? Oh, one more, does the eclipse system 12 already have an air pump? all the descriptions ive read aren't very clear. so if you know can you tell me?

Answer
Hi Amanda,
Your tap water's current pH is just fine for almost all fish. And you may actually have good luck with keeping the Red-nose tetras. One good thing to do is ask your local petstore what pH they have their aquariums at. It may be just the same as yours. If you get lucky, (if the petstore's pH is same as your tank's) then most likely their tetras will already be acclimated to that pH and do just fine in your tank.

Just be sure to cycle your tank first. Red-nose tetras cannot survive cycling. You can also cycle your tank by adding a pinch of flake food everyday or so which provides the ammonia source to get the bacteria started. "Fishless" cycling is actually a bit faster and a little easier than cycling your tank with fish.
Your filter system should be on all the time. It's much healthier for the fish to have constantly filtered and aerated water.

The eclipse 12 aquarium has an excellent filtration system known as a "Biowheel" which is a special place that is designed to encourage bacterial growth. You should not need any airpumps or extra aeration with using the filter than comes built into the hood with this tank. You can read quite a good description of this tank right here-
{Highlight the entire link, then right click, copy, and then paste the link into your search box to make it easier}

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3865&N=2004+113138

http://www.petco.com/product/13810/Marineland-Eclipse-System-12-Aquarium-Kit.asp

About your poor betta that you lost (sorry)... He could have passed away from anything, whether it be water quality, temperature, illness, or old age. We can't really know...

I really hope this helps!
Best wishes,
Karen~