Fauna Gardens Private Collection

@Javan Rhino: Here is the recommended fish species for your tank. This is a Southeast Asian Backwater Biotype Aquarium. Basically, any size tank will do, just anything smaller than 30 gallons (I don’t know the metric system) might not be enough space. With that said, I don’t know your kind of budget, but I’ll just work out an aquarium of around 30 gallons. You can add stuff or delete stuff at your leisure. I doubt that since you’re a beginner aquarists that you will want to tackle live plants, so I won’t include them.
Tank Setup and Layout
So for your tank, the substrate can/ should be sand with a little gravel mixed in. It represents the streams of Asia, plus gives your fish some comfort. Add some pebbles and rocks here and there and especially pile them up in a corner along with a piece of bogwood/driftwood. This will give some hiding areas for the fish. The species I am recommending are timid and need some security to feel comfortable. Since you are not using live plants (for now just stick will fake plants. It’s so much easier when dealing with your first aquarium setup) Depending on the number, position them in the back and in corners. This too gives a sense of security for your fish.
Fish Species and Quantity
As a general rule of thumb, one inch of fish for every one gallon of water (you’ll have to convert somehow, sorry =( ) Generally the smaller species, like tetras can be the exception for the rule, however you don’t want to overdue the bio load.
Siamese Fighting Fish – 1
Scissortail (Rasbora trilineata) – 9-10
Zebra Fish – 7-8 These guys may be a little nippy, but once they figure out their hierarchy, they should be fine
Harlequin Ransbora – 9-10
Coolie Loach (Acanthophthalmus kuhli) – 4-5
This should do it.
Just some tips when purchasing and bringing home your fish.
• When you go to purchase your fish, look for the conditions in the tank. If it’s dirty and has dead fish in it, this is a good sign not to buy them.
• Don’t buy all your fish at the same time. This will stress not only the fish, but yourself. It also damages the bio load if too many fish are added at the same time.
• When you bring them home, acclimate them by first droping the bag in the aquarium water. After 15 minutes, open the bag and add a little of the aquarium water. Shut the bag and let them sit for 5 minutes. Repeat again for another 15 minutes. When you release them into the tank, don’t pour the water from the bag into the aquarium. This can introduce unwanted parasites.
One more tidbit. When you have finished decorating your tank, let it cycle through with the filtration, lighting, heating, and the whole system for about a week. Then purchase “Stability” from Seachem. This helps begin the process. I know you will be very anxious to add fish, but the slower you do the process, the more rewarding and less troublesome it will be. Just thank the Lord you didn’t want a saltwater tank, that can take months to years to fully set up =)
Any more questions just ask.

 

Cool . Most things will probably come into play when I start work, so I can afford everything necessary.
New species will have to go on hold for a small while anyway, since I have to buy a new hutch for my rabbit. (He has chewed a gaping hole that is now only covered by a temporary fix).

So I can avoid this in the next hutch (which will set me back £170 approx.), does anybody have any suggestions to stop him chewing? We have always provided him with chew toys and chew sticks, but he shows far less interest in these (though he has started chewing the toy some more). Below is the hutch that I'm looking at (this is for 1.0 Otter Rex Rabbit if it makes a difference).

Rose Cottage Hutch for Rabbits and Guinea Pigs by Pets at Home | Pets at Home

I am also looking at aquiring some Guinea Pigs in the [near?] future, does anybody have any advice for these?

 

One word of advice bout G Pigs... dont go to Pets @Home. Also, do not try and mix them with your rabbits. Girl Guinea Pigs can be added too (Eg you have 2 then one dies, you can get another girl and mix them real easy) but males can't. If they've grown up together that's fine, but they can fight and any new males brough in could be injured.

RE Rabbit chewing, you can get a bitter apple spray off the internet and some pet stores. Spray that on the places he's chewing and he will stop. The taste is revolting.

 

Ahh thanks for the advice (do P@H have a bad reputation for livestock?). They are common enough in other pet shops so should be easy enough to get them from elsewhere.

Also, great advice with the rabbit chewing. I will certainly try this as soon as I can get some .

 

If you decide to go for sugargliders, do realise that they smell and fellow house mates may not like this at all.

 

I shall keep this in mind .

Just a quick question for whoever has an answer: We had a powercut [only briefly] today, and I wondered what to do if this happens when I have reptiles. It is a rare occurance that there is a powercut, however they are known around my area and [only once] it has been off for over a week. I know that this is exremely rare, but nonetheless it is possible. So, what could I do if there is no electric to power heat/UV lamps?

 

If there is no heat your best bet is to get the heat pack things and put them with them.The power goes off here often but not for that long.I have friends that loose entire collections due to power outages

 

Good idea, fingers crossed that this doesn't happen at any point, but best to have some ideas aside incase the worst does happen.

 

I have a pair of Male Guinea Pigs from Pets at Home and they are fine. Stockley Farm in Northwich is also a good place to purchase them.

I have two surplus Neon Tetra (sex unknown), don't know if you'd be interested or how you'd get them.

 

I shall have to have a look around at G. Pigs, but it will be some time yet. Due to my mischievous rabbit mentioned above all of my plans will have to go on hold whilst I fork out for a new hutch.
As for the neons, I don't have all of the equipment yet and may not do until later on in the year/next year.

 

Like most animals they will bond to a person if they are a social species and kept alone this is because you are the only one they see regularly, feeding them and interacting with them.
However as with every social animal, there are thing humans alone simply cannot provide such as auditory and olfactory communications, where as another of its species can provide everything they need socialy.
Ive kept suggies before and they are very specialist so make sure you do your research especialy into diet as this is the main cause of problems in captivity.
Stu

 

I certainly shall. My girlfriend is highly interested in suggies and has done loads of research, but she has never had the necessary time/money to set it up, and her mum isn't too keen on having animals in their house (noise/smell etc). I have read quite a bit as well and listened to her loads, but I shall certainly spend a few weeks/couple of months trawling every site I can find and looking through the suggie-care book she has

 

Some drama yesterday, my rabbit managed to escape! Luckily he was found by a neighbour underneath one of the cars and he is back now and he is still well after his little adventure. New [bigger and more secure] hutch tomorrow fingers crossed, just hope he doesn't do a repeat performance tonight.

 

Haha thats kind of funny,because the other day my hermit crab that I keep in my reptile house got out somehow and my neighbor who is atleast 100 yards away found him 3 days later I had to move him into a new cage

 

Hehe, escapees are a pain. I live in a very rural area with a large field behind the back garden and a large amount of woodland surrounding the area, so I didn't expect to see him again. I am so happy that he is back and well now.

 

Yeah,I live in the same kind of enviroment

 

My two fish were both found dead on Saturday night, you can't 'ave 'em

 

I love corn snakes but they can get very large so if you buy a little baby make sure to hold them every day because when they get big they can be a little aggressive like all animals. They also loose there color or get darker as they get older but they are awesome snake.

 

I have a corn, but we have to let him come out of the tank himself, then he will let you pick him up, because if you put your hand in the tank to pick him up... well... BANG! He is still young though.

 

O yah, my Red Albino baby would just use the restroom on me almost every time I picked him up.