# Advice on getting Tropical fish setup



## JenJen22 (Sep 29, 2011)

heya 

I've been thinking for a while to get a Tropical Fish Tank setup. There is alot of information online but every web page says something different. 

I don't want a small tank i would like to get a reasonably sized tank, which size would you recommend for a beginner?

Also what fish are best to get that can live together in communities?

What equipment will i need to start with?

I know that you have to cycle the tank before adding fish and add a couple fish at a time, is there anything else i should be doing in order to best ensure the survival of the fish?

I havent bought anything yet just want to get all the information i need before even thinking about starting to buy equipment. 

thanks


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## FishlessCycle (Apr 18, 2012)

Fish keeping can be expensive on the initial investment.
You need,
a tank
a filter
a heater
thermometer 
water conditioner
Fish food
Fish net
aquarium vacuum
water bucket
substrate (optional)
decoration (optional)

It is known that the bigger the tank, the easier it is to maintenance a stable environment. In other words, the bigger the tank, the easier to keep the fish.
If you are on a big budget, I would suggest you to get the biggest aquarium you can afford. Although, you need to take the maintenance into the consideration. The bigger the tank, the more water you have to take out and put back in during partial water change. Typically I do 30~50% partial water change once a week to each of my aquariums.

Before adding the fish, you need to do a fishless cycle. It is recommended to use pure ammonia for the job. You will need a liquid test kit.
Fishless Cycle ( Nitrogen Cycle ) 

If you are on a small budget, I would recommend a tank of 40L. No less than 20L even for a single Siamese fighting fish.


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