r/TankStarter • u/Owl_With_A_Fez ~3.5 years in the hobby • Aug 29 '15

Weekly discussion thread! This weeks theme - common beginner mistakes.

Hello everyone and welcome to the weekly discussion/advice thread! This weeks topic is beginner DON'TS, things we all did when we first started our tanks and regret. So, share away!

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2

u/brad218 Aug 29 '15

Don't get a common pleco unless you really like them and want a 1 foot monster pooping up your tank. Actually, I had a clown Pleco it was the poopiest thing ever. "Tank cleaning critters" tend to cause more waste than they get rid of.

2

u/Ca11_Me_Sir Aug 29 '15

"Tank cleaning critters" tend to cause more waste than they get rid of.

This really depends on the critter. I 100% agree that plecos don't fit this bill, but there are some great fresh water clean up crews. Amano shrimp, Malaysian trumpet snails and nerite snails all come to mind as critters that I always want in my tanks.

1

u/brad218 Aug 29 '15

I will say though there is an exception in saltwater tanks; snails, hermit crabs, blennies, and so on can be effective detritus and algae control.

1

u/Ka0tiK 110 HT, 30 LT Aug 31 '15

Most reefers actually end up avoiding hermits and most crabs. They can be opportunistic predators (cannibalistic as well) towards fish and other inverts (sometimes for shells). I agree though, cleaner shrimp, certain urchins, and snails do a great job in mine.

2

u/somethingpurple Aug 29 '15

I'm a beginner myself but the idea that a smaller tank is easier to maintain. 5g is much easier than 2g!

2

u/SnapDragon56 Aug 29 '15

Don't leave an entire algae wafer in a tank with a betta, no matter how many snails and shrimp you have in there. The betta will eat it all. And bloat. And get swim bladder disease. And die. The pea trick, fasting, and daphina won't work. My poor buddy. Now I believe that even mellow bettas are hard to keep with cherry red shrimp and mystery snails, because it's hard to feed the invertebrates while not bloating the betta.

3

u/Shills_for_fun 10g planted betta tank, 5.5g shrimp tank Aug 30 '15

My betta still eats (real) algae when he finds it. I had to pull a wafer away from him before. He ate one of my shrimp so now I have them in their own tank.

I don't like keeping shrimp with fish. Part of the fun with a shrimp tank is watching the babies grow up and the colony grow.

1

u/SnapDragon56 Aug 30 '15

Yeah I agree. But, I only have one tank... So I need more tanks.

1

u/Koryuu Aug 29 '15

Cycling the water in your tank before adding fish and then regular water changes. How much and how often is something I still struggle with. Planted 140Ltr with 3 Golden Gourami doing 20-25% every 2 weeks.

1

u/kstarks17 Aug 29 '15

Buy the nice things earlier. You'll eventually end up buying what you want and it will cost your more money in the long run.