Sounds like he wants you to use fish to cycle the tank as opposed to fishless cycling. I found that Zebra Danios can take it and never stop moving, fun little fish! Don't get platys or other livebearers unless you want a million of them, they can pop out babies like crazy. Cory cats are great fish for the bottom of the tank. Forget a betta if you go with other types of fish. I found bettas to be a bit hard to keep personally.

Tom

I just converted our 100 gallon from a goldfish tank to tropicals, so have limited experience with the different varieties of fish. I can tell you tho that adding a betta will limit you somewhat, they don't seem to like other long finned fish, they nip at them....at least mine did. I also avoid live breeders because they can over populate fairly quickly. Right now I have tiger barbs, headlight tetras, cories and white clouds. Only have 14 fish in the tank, but will add to as we go.

I have found that bigger is better when it comes to fish and tanks. We have a 25, 55 and the 100 tanks in the house and 1800 and 5,000 gallon ponds. The most stable are the larger, but I keep them all understocked. Even the 5000 pond has only 10 fish in it, tho they are large (20-28") koi. Things can go wrong very quickly in smaller tanks, the larger amounts of water give you a bit of leeway as long as you keep up with basic maintenance. I don't know of any fishkeeper that has ever uttered "I wish I had a smaller tank." ;)

In the others list you have clown loaches. These guys are neat and they do grow slow but eventually end up at 12" and prefer a couple of buddies. I wouldn't do it in a 60 and a first tank. Clowns can be finicky.

Even though not on your list I see algae eaters mentioned. Caution as these get pretty big too.

Adrea

Thanks for the advice!

I had several bettas when I was a kid, even had a female and fry once. I just like them. I guess if I really want one, I would need to think about a small separate tank. OH GEEZ, now I am considering TWO tanks! Maybe I could start with a small one with a betta - would a cory go with him ok? And then by the time I get the $$ together for a big one, I would have some experience. Am hoping to be able to get the bigger tank with in a few months.

Would the 65 be healthy with just cory's??? I mean as the only cleaner fish? I am hoping I will be one of the good tank owners that takes proper care of the environment.... and don't rely on the fish to clean the tank. I just like the looks of the corys the best of the bottom dwellers I have seen so far.

I'm not a big fish expert so I will only comment on what I have personal experience with here. Corys are good at cleaning through the gravel for dropped food, but will do nothing about algae on the surfaces. You will need to have some kind of "suction cup" type fish if you don't want to wipe algae off everything routinely. Common plecostimus (plecos) get really big - like up to 2'. I just got a bushy-nosed pleco which I thought were kind of unappealing at first but they stay small and it's growing on me already :) There are also chinese algae eaters and otos, but I don't know much about them so I won't comment.

I have had bettas (male and females) in with my other fish and it's possible but not the best arrangement. The female I still have is peaceful but the male fought like crazy with dwarf gourmais and somewhat with gold gourmais. They are closely related and didn't like each other. The male betta died recently, I think it was stressed. I don't plan to replace it although my DH really likes them.

Hope everything goes well for you. BTW just thought I would mention I recently saw a clown loach for sale that was nearly a foot long! And thick bodied too... It was huge!

lol! i was going to write that just wait, you will want another tank, and another, and another...but you already do!

first ********** (level of importance) the rainbow threadfin is a sensitive fish and should not be for a beginning hobbyist. personally, imo, they should be in a species tank with other minute rainbows or with "blue eyes" (a similar species)

i would also, imo, deter you from chinese algae eaters and my preference being otocinclus. siamese algae eaters and "flying fox" (false siamese i think) are good. there are some plecos that stay small, so i hear. i think the gold nugget plecos are just beautiful but i have never had one. ottos will range throughout the tank.

just an interesting note on algae eaters and not being an algae eater. i had a "red tailed black shark." supposedly these are aggressive. mine was not, to which i credit his/her "personality" for this. it was quite agreeable and grazed algae off my plants. very odd in my experience b/c no authorities said this. i did have a small one that lived up to the "aggressive" rep.

with corys you could go with some of the smaller varieties. the albinos can become "large" for a corydoras. my personal favorite is a pygmaeus or pygmy, though i am not sure on their preferred depth.

Bigger ain't easier. Bigger is more water to change more filter to upkeep and so on. But hey, your getting in to the hobby, right. Nothing more fascinating than a giant body of water waiting for a fish to slip into it. If I could, I'd get a tank I could SWIM in!

Keeping your fish population low in relation to your tank resources is what makes fish keeping easier. Fish stress, disease and tank maintenence all go up with an increase in fish population. Fish store guys are great for tank set-ups, but just because you can cram enough oxygen in a tank to maintain 30+ fish doesn't mean they'll like it in there, or that you'll enjoy your tank. Consider tank dynamics rather than just the numbers.

Try selecting only one or two pairs of larger fish (2"+), and if you do get more than a couple, choose species that have different habits and territory preferences. Since you like bettas, you may consider paradise fish instead. They are slightly more suited to a community tank. After you have a few "primary inhabitants" selected, you could throw in a dozen or more neons, white clouds (most beautiful fish ever)or small danios. These fish aren't going to be fighting over areas of the tank like the larger ones. Ground feeders can get territorial also, If you add more than one variety, keep an eye out for the bully. I think just corys sounds great. They seem to get along in groups.

Also, No fish you put in your tank will "clean" it. But keeping a tank clean is no big deal. Get a magnetic scrubby thing for the glass. Its fun to scrub while looking at your fish. And the super secret technique for cleaning rocks with algae on them: When they get green just flip 'em over!

OK last thing...If you get plants to survive in you tank for a mere $400.00 bucks let me know. I've pretty much resigned myself to buying loose bunches of hornwort or anachris every few months because the fish like to eat them. Happy fish make happy tank owners.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

Thanks for all the advice!!!

Sorry to hear about the threadfin Rainbowfish being difficult - and the fish store guy said they would be easy fish. My notes from what he said were "perfect fish for after your tank is established. Easy. OK to have several males togther with fewer females. He also mentioned a fish called a Boeseman's Rainbow that they did not have any of. He said it was "very easy" and very colorful. Suggested it instead of a betta.

I know that the cory's are not for keeping the tank clean... I am hoping I will be a responsible owner and keep the tank right - make sure I keep the water changes, the filter upkeep, glass clean etc. BUT - the corys are cute, and I keep hearing about how they are easy to have and very active with good personalities. Since my name is Juli - or, as my family calls me, Jules... it's a funny coincidence that I liked the Julii ones best!

Another fish I liked there at the store that was pretty pricey (more than $25 a piece) were apistogramma cacatuoides- cockatoo dwarf cichlid - the guy told me they were the only cichlid he would recommend for a community tank as they are very peaceful..... Anyone have experience with these?

I still find myself liking the dwarf gourami... powder blues, regular dwarf, red fire...... but from what I have been reading, if I get these, I may not be able to get the other cool fish like the cockatoo chichlid, the rainbowfish, the paradise fish???? That they are aggressive to anything colorful like the bettas? If so perhaps I am better off giving up my idea of having the gouramis and go for some of these other colorful fish instead.

Hi,

I'll start at the bottom of this thread and work up. LOL!

First off, apistogramma sp. are not easy to keep. They are for more advanced aquarist. Yes I have kept them and I had a friend that specialized in them. They are pretty and interesting fish....but really should be kept in a species tank.

It may be best to choose just one pair of fish first....then build your tank around them. As you are finding out, not all fish are compatible.....and if you accidently add fish that are not compatible...chances are they will meet their demise fairly quickly....and you will find this to be a very expensive hobby having to replace fish all the time. From reading your posts I can see that you want to do this right....but now you will have to sort through the info you are collecting to try to find out the facts. If you like loaches....check out the other botia species.

I did specialize in cory's for a few years.....cory's can have some problems especially if the tank bottom is not kept clean......they will lose their barbels. Cory's must be fed....don't expect them to clean up the bottom of your tank....I found that they did exceptionly well with Hikari sinking wafers....suplimented with flakes and live foods. Julii cory's are one of the hardier types...so they are a realy good choice for you to start with.

Dwarf gouramis and paradise fish....will probably not be compatible....the paradise fish are quite aggressive. Since you are a beginning aquarist...I also don't recomment rainbows. Peckoltia and ancisturus (busy nose) sp are plecos that will stay small.

Remember when stocking your aquarium that you have to know the full adult size of your fish and stock accordingly. A fish that grows to 4 inches may only be 1/2 an inch when you buy it.....but you have to count it as 4 inches. As mentioned above.....stock your tank with less than what you should. This will make for easier maintenance and you will enjoy your hobby more. Yes larger tanks are easier to maintain because when mistakes happen....and they will! The larger body of water is more forgiving.....in other words if a heater quits...it will take longer for the larger tank to cool down. Also the water perameters are slower to change....making it easier to maintain. As for water changes and cleaning......that is still the same and should be done on a regular basis.

If you want live plants...when you start the tank up add 4 to 6 inches of gravel to the bottom of the tank.....do not add dirt....the plants will grow and root in the gravel....but before you purchase any live plants set the tank up and add your fish......have the tank set up for a year or more before starting with live plants. Then start with fast growing plants like cabomba and hornwort...and fill the tank bottom with them. Once they start growing....you can add the slower growing plants one or two at a time......and slowly remove some of the faster growing plants. Being careful to add only aquatic plants...the pet stores do sell some that are not true aquatics.

Yes a school of 6 cory's and 1 betta will go into a 12 gallon tank.

Its important to have a quarantine tank. If you get the larger tank....cycle it for a month or two first. Then add one pair of fish....when adding new fish.....like a school of white clouds.....put them in the 12 gallon for a month to 6 weeks....if they look healthy after this time...then add them to your large tank. This will prevent adding disease to your already existing healthy tank.

These fish would make a lovely community tank.
gold white cloud mt. minnows, longfin leopard danio. Then odessa barb...(although they get big). Corys......You could also add a school or two of tetras...in a 60+ gallon tank.

I had a community tank with gold barbs, cherry barbs, rosey barbs, flying fox, checker barbs and harlequin rasboras. Everyone that saw this tank asked if it was a saltwater tank....Its not but still very colorful.

Hope this helps

Sierra

Well it sounds like I am doing a few things right.

I am trying to decide on a "main" fish for a larger tank. Then, pick a tank size and shape they will need, and build tankmates etc. from there. This is where I am currently stuck.

And, I am trying to think ahead to the size the fish will get at maturity. I want to be "kind" to them, and not over crowd, and give them the room they need - like not put fish that like to swim a lot in a 5 gallon size even if they are only 1" long.

But, it seems the more I learn, the more it seems I get bogged down (no pun intended) Right now, I am not trying to learn about cycling and feeding etc - just about the fish and tank compatability... there is just to much to learn this fast.

And, everyone has such a wide range of opinions! YES the best way is to have plants.... NO the best way is no plants... Cycle with fish... .Cycle without fish....etc. So confusing!

I am the type of person who would rather think things through and do them right to start with - even if it means waiting a year to afford the correct items to do it with, or rethinking the whole thing from having one 10 gallon Eclipse tank (my thinking last month) to having a 65 or 75 gallon tank, a hospital tank, and another tank for a betta. --- see, since yesterday I have gone from one tank to two -- and now added this "hospital tank" idea.... Before long I will have one in every room -- LOL!

I know I am a "newbie" but I am also the type person who learns things quickly. I've always been able to learn what ever interested me - so I can see myself getting pretty interested in this hobby..... the thoughts of water testing, learning about how the fish...ah... excriments get broken down, stuff like that - I don't think I will have a problem with learning the "nuts and bolts" of having aquariums. And, I take good care of my animals, and have the time - so I think I will be an attentive person who does the water changes, tank cleaning, filter care etc. The challenges of "things going wrong" sound kind of fun to me.

It does scare me that I live out in the country, and sometimes our electric is off for a day or two at a time. This was the main reason I decided to go for a larger tank - when it was pointed out that it will keep it's temperature better than a smaller one.

I guess at some point I will just have to get something and "jump in" Perhaps starting with a smaller one, perhaps 10-12 would work after all, as it could be the hospital tank in the future, and could be a temporary home for some white clouds and corys till a big tank could be set up?????

I'm taking my water in to the lady at work today to be tested - the water that has not been through the softener. Am anxious to see what the hardness will be.

I don't know. Perhaps I need to find some good books (recommendations??) and just think about it all over winter. Keep going to fish stores. Not jump in right away.

ARGH!

WTG Daylily, welcome to the addiction. Glad to see you chose a larger aquarium. One thing to consider is a fishless cycle. You mentioned your freind has an established aquarium. You could buy your filter first and ask her if you can run it in her aquarium along with hers (of course as long as your freind has no problems or disease in her set up). Also when she changes out her filter media/cartridges have her let you it. This is seed material for the fishless cycle. If interested I could give you a link down the road. One other consideration is going with a 55G or 75G. Reasoning is you could actually save a little on the lighting for the plants. The 55 & 75 are both 48" (a foot longer than the 65) the 75 is deeper and is great for depth perception because it allows alot of rocks and decor. 48" bulbs are less expensive to replace because they are a standard size for shop lights and other house hold fixtures ( unless you are getting the compact fluorescents). Either way you need a little more intensity to get the light to the bottom of such a high tank. A python or lee gravel vacuum (pump style)is also a good investment for a first gravel vac. experience. It will save your back and possible puddles on the floor. A complete reagent type test kit (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph). Also check the KH (carbonate hardness) as well as the GH (general hardness) from the unsoftened water. To add to that let the test water sit out 3 days to "gas out", or about 2 hours with an aerator. This will give you true pH readings. Good Luck. Just some considerations to think of, not gospel.

Daylily fan, you said you'd be willing to wait to do things right. Patience is probably the most important factor in having a sucessful tank. Most people burn out after a few fish kills. For freshwater a quarrentine tank is good but necessary. Buying fish carefully will usually avoid problems. Buy from a reputable dealer. Condition of fish and tanks should tell you something. Wait a week or two after fish are in the store before you buy. Most desease problems will show up by then. Look at fish carefully before buying, any white spots, scratching against rocks, shaking, fast breathing are warning signs. Ask a salesperson if fish is eating and healthy. Word of mouth recommendation or local aquarium club is a good source of info on good shops. One thing I would recommend is two filters. When one dies your fish won't. Both fish in or fishless cycles work fine. Just remember after cycling add fish slowely to let the bacteria adjust to the bioload. In my tanks the bettas are OK with most tropicals. Stay away from fin nippers [most barbs] with longfin bettas though. Good luck.

*Handbook of Tropical Aquarium Fishes* by Dr. Herbert R Axelrod and Dr. Leonard P, Schultz is a solid book to start with. You may be hesitant to shell out your cash for what looks like a textbook, but it'll cover everything and has a large catalog of fish that covers most of what you'll see in stores. Great reading for someone with an aquarium affliction. *The Innes Book* is a similar type of book, though I don't know how recent the current edition is.

My co-worker today tells me to forget the 65 or 75 and stick with a 20 to start. Now that I saw the bigger one - not sure I really want to do this... I like Woeisme's idea of the 75 because it is more standard for lights.... but I am not sure I have 48 inches wide. Will need to re-think room arrangement. I wanted to use a particular corner because it's right over a large cement pillar in the basement, and I know the support is great there under the floor. My home is only 18 years old, so I really don't think I would have a problem as long as I keep what ever tank next to a wall.

She really discouraged anything less than a 20.

She didn't feel a hospital tank is needed if I get my fish from the store I went to the other day. She said she has never had sick fish from them.

She said she will be doing her tank cleaning this weekend, and I invited myself to come and watch, to get an idea what is really involved.

I could go to the other large aquarium only store in the city that day too.

Another co-worker told me about an ad for a 92 gal. bowed corner tank with an oak finish stand with 2 filters, glass top, hood light "no leaks or cracks" for $200. I emailed about it but I think it would be to large to fit in my car. I'd have to round up someone to take me there, and it's about a hundred miles away. Being a newbie, I don't think I know enough to go buying from ads... but this seems like a deal! The guy says he doesn't want fish anymore and has been trying to sell it and been reducing the price because he needs the money and the wife wants it gone. I really liked the corner tanks when I was at the store, and they would be ideal for my space, but the price was out of sight.

Thanks for the book suggestions.... I'll scoot over to amazon and see what I can find on them. The one my co-worker lent me was an Aquarium Atlas, but it was 25 years old.

I agree a smaller starter tank may be a good idea. IMO a 20G long or a 29G is perfect ( the 29G is 30" long as is the 20G long but is higher, it allows for higher plant growth and has the extra 9 gallons of water). Corner tanks are nice, and the price for the one you mentioned is worth the trip, even if you rented a van to move it. One consideration is, "usually" the lighting is inadequate for the live plants unless its been modified. The lighting is various sized tubes or bulbs because of the shape of the tank. Either way if you don't use this corner tank right away and want to "graduate" to it later, or deside that fishkeeping isn't for you , you can easily get your money back with a resale. As far as no Q.T. tank, sorry but bad advise. The fish may come from the same "store", and vendor, but probably not the same "fish farms" or breeders. Disease/parasites can take as much as 2 months to show. Even aquatic plants should be QT'ed for a month before adding to the aquarium. Nothing worse than having one bad purchase ruin a tank full of fish. If you go with live plants set them up first until they start to thrive. After a month slowly stock fish and watch ammonia and nitrite levels. This is an alternative to the fishless cycle in a non-live planted aquarium. Good Luck.

Daylilyfan-
Looks like everyone has some advice (some good,some bad), so I'll throw in mine too. I ran an aquarium store in Pittsburgh years ago...
1. 20 gal tank- good starter, I'd avoid the extra-high model though. A horizontal rectangle is easier to aquascape and displays most fish better.
2. Be careful where you buy fish, avoid the "big-box" stores.
3. Establish the tanks's nitrogen cycle by starting with just a few fish. Add more after 3-4 weeks, but as was mentioned, keep your fish population on the sparse side or maintenance will become a headache.
4. Don't be afraid of live plants, this is a gardening website after all. Most die from lack of light- a twin bulb reflector (40watts) over a 20 high tank will keep Amazon swords, Anubias, Java Fern and Crypts (beautiful plants)alive and well. The jump to true planted tanks (see aquatic-garderners.org) is a big one that requires $$ and a fair amt of expertise.
5. READ-READ-READ and ask questions.

Here are some pics of my planted tanks....some have been posted on here before.

{{gwi:379150}}

{{gwi:379151}}

{{gwi:379152}}

{{gwi:379153}}

This bottom pic is plastic plants and just one of those plastic picture backs taped to the back of the aquarium.

I know you are sorting out the good info from the bad...but I really can't express enough that a quarantine tank is VERY IMPORTANT......it regardless of where you purchase your fish.....some fish diseases don't show up for a long time......such as 4 to 6 weeks.....Even if all the fish in the store look healthy....you don't know what they were exposed to before they were put into the store tanks. Sometimes just the stress of shipping causes illnesses to show up. Having managed fishrooms for two pet stores and having my own fishroom.....I have seen this.

One time I purchased some huge georgeous swordtails....put them into a quarantine tank for less than a month...all looked healthy......so I didn't wait the 6 weeks or two months.....I added them........I lost the whole tank of fish. The store where I purchased them...was a very reliable fish store that always had healthy looking fish...they were not a pet store! He lost them all too. There was no guarantees in this store...so I had to take the loss........won't mention how many $$ I lost with this mistake.....and I did know better too. The tank had to be taken all apart and disinfected and recycled before new fish could be added....

I would never go without quarantining any fish before adding to a community now......and I quarantine for 6 weeks or more......its a safety precausion...that works. Again, its one of those decisions that you have to make for yourself.

The size of the tank....is really up to you....what you want to maintain and the size of space you have.

Any of the Innes books, or Axelrod books are good to read. You mentioned an Atlas.....is it the Axelrod atlas? There is also the Baensch Aquarium Atlas.....there are soooo many books out there.....again its difficult to just name one or two that might help. Are you anywhere near an aquarium club? Some clubs also offer long distance membership and usually there is a bi-monthly newsletter where members write about there experiences with plants and fish. Also there are mags such as Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Aquarium Fish Magazine and Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine...there are probably others as well.

Hope this helps and doesn't add to the confusion!
Sierra

Oh boy youre in trubble. Be careful you might end up with more than you can handle, that´s how I started when I was 5 years old and ended up with a fish room and later an aquarium store.

Good for you for not jumping head first into this hobby and doing all this research. You're already ahead of the game. I did not have the luxury of doing much research before I got my tank. I rescued a bunch of fish from where I used to work, it was either take them home or leave them there to die, I chose to take them home. I went out and purchased a 29 gallon tank with only 2 days notice, took the fish home and added them to the tanks, SO WRONG... What I put my poor fish through. Thought I was helping them, which I was, they were all in a 10 gallon tank and there was 12 of them, 2 of them being Bala Sharks...who were thankfully, small at the time. Anyway, long story short, tank cycled, nitrites went off the charts, my water was toxic and some fish died. The 2 sharks came down with Ick from the stress and died; I was heartbroken.

I started doing all kinds of research like your doing now, but just a little too late. I had to do 50% water changes every day in order to bring the nitrite level down. It was horrible but I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of cycling your tank before adding fish and I cannot stress this enough to people who are just getting into the hobby. Both my husband and my dad kept telling me that they never had to cycle their tanks and their fish were fine. Well maybe they were just lucky!

As far as purchasing a 65 gallon tank, well it is a large tank but once you get this tank established, you shouldn't have to do many water changes at all, especially if you use real plants, which gives your fish a nice healthy environment to live in and looks so much better than plastic.

I have attached a link about the low tech tanks that I think you may find interesting, check it out. It's only one way to go, there are so many.

Also, try not to purchase any Cichlids right off the bat, they require a lot of care, aren't good in planted tanks and can be aggresive in a community tank.

On one other note regarding a clean up crew; Otos, Midget Suckermouth Catfish, are a great little fish to consider, they're small and do a very good job at cleaning up the algae. You'll need to get a few of them because they are small, depending on what size tank you get.

Good luck with your new adventure, I love this hobby and it can be so rewarding. Keep up the research and come back and let us know what size tank you decided on.

Linda

Daylily,

I'm prejudiced, but in your place I would go ahead with the apistogrammas (apistos for short), as cacatuoides is one the easiest of all apistos to keep, being able to handle both hard and alkaline water - to a reasonable degree, of course.

Apistos are great with plants and great with smaller community fish, but they are small enough to make a tasty treat for larger fish, and this is especially true of the much smaller females. The only time they try to consistently bully other fish is after they spawn, which is a whole great adventure in itself. Even then, they seldom actually hurt a tankmate, being content to just chase other fish away from their babies.

There's a lot of information on apistos and other similarly peaceful "dwarf cichlids" at www.thekrib.com. Also a ton of information there about aquatic plants and many links to other sites with useful information.

I can't believe all the things I must have done wrong many years ago considering how well my tanks did as a rule , though by today's standards I broke lots or rules. I used to love my planted aquariums and the fish liked them and seemed healthy as well as the plants, except for those fish , who liked the plants too much, and ate most of them up. Anyway, years ago the most common thought was that real live plants add much to the general health of an aquarium , since they use some of the wastes and "tie" them up, and also return oxygen to the tanks, but today mentioning my preference for plants to someone I didn't know at all til today, she said that plants and fish don't mix since pH requirements and other things in a tank won't necessarily be good for both fish and plants. That surprises me considering my past experience with live plants and fish living well together (or at least as far as I could tell), but how do the rest of ya'll feel about it or what do the experts say? Seems strange to me that fish and plants wouldn't be a good mix, except where the fish are omnivores or primarily herbivores!! Plants obviously need nutrients, and the fish provide those, so where's the problem with that? I certainly wouldn't put fertilizers spikes such as those used in potted water lilies in my tanks however, since that would be lots of extra nitrates most likely and that I'd avoid.

plants are also adaptive to a point. i disagree with her. no, not to make the fish and plants adapt to your own needs, but there is a median, right? choose what best go together in your water parameters. maybe the thinking is the high light that pure planted tanks and some co2 tanks with fish require? and the fish might not like the intense light? i don't know. but it doesn't sound right without all her reasons fro saying so.

Bird,

Your friend is both right and wrong (but mostly wrong).

Actually, there are species of fish that prefer acidic water, and others that definitely prefer alkalinity. Plants are the same way, some like the pH high, others like it low.

Usually, if your water isn't extremely alkaline or acid (pH around 7.0) most fish and plants will do well.

But even if you want to go with fish that enjoy extremes (apistogramma Nijsenni likes a pH of around 5.0) you can still find a few species of plants that will prosper.

Believe your experience before you take anyone's word for it!

Most plants do well in acidic water. The only one off the top of my head that wont do well in acidic water is vallisinera. If you have 7.0 pH or lower tap water that doesn't climb to a high pH after being "gased out", consider yourself blessed. Raising pH and hardness is easy. Lowering pH and KH without fluctuating much is a challange or very expensive.

This thread is way too long, so I read most of it and going ahead to just post my message to you. I highly suggest you to buy the biggest tank possible for your house. I have room for a 55 gallons (maybe), but I wanted fishes again so badly, so I settled for the 29 gallons. It doesnt matter what the size of the tank is, but it all comes down to how much you can afford. Just because you are new to this, you do not have to have a smaller tank. You can get a larger tank! Remember, the larger the tank, the easier to care for. Do not believe the "cycle" when setting up the new tank. It doesnt matter what the size of the tank, all it takes is just a few days for the water to clear up with proper treatment and you are ready to purchase fishes. I have years and years of experience and I enjoy educating people on fish care and you will not believe how I was thanked by some people for having a success. You said that you likes the Cory catfish, well I highly recommend the Striped Raphael catfish, because they look so much better and cuter.

Thunderxrage
Boy you have dug up some old threads!

There were many other threads where people helped me in my research.

I did decide that when I do get a tank it will be at least a 55, probably more like a 75 or even larger. Then, perhaps a 10 for a hospital tank. I am still undecided if it will be a planted tank or not, and what shape - which will be determined when I decide if it will be planted or not.

Woeisme has been helping me quite a bit, and I have been following along on another forum and learning quite a bit even though I am probably 2-3 years from getting a tank, due to financial and health issues at the moment. Woeisme's planted tanks are quite impressive, and with my knack for gardening, it gives me a lot to think about making this a planted tank.

Strange though, that you say not to be concerned about cycling, when nearly EVERYTHING I have read says to be concerned about it, and I have read over and over about people losing fish to not cycling properly.

Jules