Most tanks are made from very similar glass to the Clearseal ones. They all have a very slight greenish tint. The Optiwhite tanks do not, but the glass is noticeably softer (and therefore easier to scratch) and *very* much more expensive.

They expect you to be able to keep two or three full grown goldfish. What you can actually keep in there would be a small snail or two. I would keep shrimp in anything under 24L, and I wouldn't have any fish in anything smaller than 45L- and there aren't many fish suitable for a tank that size. (Certainly not golfish I'm afraid).

Quote:

While UK natives are a bad idea there are plenty of temperate fish that you can look at.

As you're interested in the lower levels of the tank, I'd go for a small group of Rhinogobius gobies as they like hard alkaline water. A good sized shoal of White Cloud Mountain Minnows or Zebra Danios would be ideal companions for them. Oddessa Barbs would also be an excellent choice for hard water tanks.

If you wanted a planted tank, then American Flag Fish would be a possibility- they're aggressive fish, and should be kept in pairs or small groups (2M:4F is often recommended). They don't like lots of current, which the WCMMs will appreciate- but as long as you have areas that are reasonably quiet they'd make good tankmates. Otherwise the Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) would be a suitable choice. I wouldn't keep Least Killifish (Heterandria formosa) with anything other than shrimp as even the adults are tiny (males get to 2/4 of an inch for a big one, females are just over an inch).

If you must add a heater ;) then there are lots of livebearers that would be ideal for your size of tank, but as noted, relatively few bottom dwellers. I would always recommend looking out for wild-type mollies, platies, swordtails, or guppies, as I think they're far prettier than the line-=bred variants, but the chances of finding them are, alas, pretty slim.

If you have an external filter I've heard good things about the Hydor Inline ones- its one less piece of equipment in the tank, which is often nice.

Quote:

That would work for things like carp, tench, or perch- if you have a big enough pond- and because fish generally do much of their growing in their first few years you'll be moving them on prety quickly. The native Loaches need specialist set-ups- you really will need a chiller- probably all year round, and a tank with lots of flow and high oxygen levels. A pond won't provide that if you want to move them on.

The only UK natives that are suitable for that tank (if you can't set up a chiller) will be Sticklebacks, which get pretty aggressive when the time comes to breed. Almost all others get far too large for that size of tank. You may be able to keep a small group of Gudgeon or Minnows, but minnows especially will need lots of flow, and high levels of oxygen, and even then the winter temperatures may be too high. Getting hold of them isn't easy either, and most shops won't have them.

Hardness can be either tested using kits similar to the pH one, or by looking at your water supplier's website. If your water is hard and alkaline you're not likely to need either a GH or a KH test unless you get involved in adjusting your water parameters (and if you're just starting out I'd not recommend going down this route, but to choose fish that already like your water conditions). If your water is soft then its worth having them as you may need to buffer your water to stop your pH crashing- at low pHs the ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria stop working, (and pH swings are bad for fish anyway). If you're adding anything to keep your pH stable (remineralising salts, stability compounds, crushed coral/oysters, etc) you'll need to know how much of an effect its having.

There are a wide range of subtropical fish (and one or two "tropicals" that won't need a heater despite often being sold as such). The main problem is that many of the common ones need specialist set-ups (not particularly difficult to achieve, but a little daunting for a beginner) or are just really hard to get hold of unless you are willing to buy mail order or make a special journey (most of the US natives).

Lots of people start with White Cloud Mountain Minnows, a small, undemanding shoaling fish, which is ideal for beginners. As long as you have a 60L tank you can keep a nice shoal of 8-10. If your tank is 3'+ then Zebra Danios would be a suitable alternative.

Sounds ideal for goldfish.

Personally I wouldn't bother with an air pump. If you have enoguh surface agitation from the filter that will give you enough gas exchange. I'd also second the eheims as excellent filters. You'll replace the sponges when they fall apart (which should take years) and the fine floss every couple of weeks (as noted buy it in bulk).

Amazon Swords like it a bit warmer than goldfish do, so it may not last that long for you. Java Ferns would be a better choice, and Elodea, Ceratophyllum, and Lagariosiphon as fast-growing sacrificial plants.

A 25kg bag of gravel should be fine. Just remember to wash it twice as much as you think it needs.

The size of the pellets shouldn't matter too much 3mm will be fine for the size of goldfish you're looking at.

I'd go with a 5ml syringe, rather than a 10ml. You won't need that much ammonia to cycle the tank.

Other than that you're good to go. Brushes for cleaning pipes, etc, can be picked up as and when you need them.

Vallis looks very nice when grown like that. I still think the gigantea will be too big, but see what happens. Even the ordinary vallis can give you leaves that sort of length, but they're only about a centimetre wide, rather than an inch or so.

Definitely agree with the "buy a lot of different species, plonk 'em in and see what grows" technique when you're just starting out. One you know what you can grow successfully then you can look at buying more of the same. While I like a good aquascape they're far too much effort for me, and I'd rather something that looked like a natural habitat, decaying leaves, algae, and all, than the immaculate lawns that don't look much like anything in nature.

Depends on the tank, you'll need to check the instructions. My Fluval Roma and Juwel Korall specifically say not to, as the base of the tank is supported by the plastic trim, and the glass doesn't touch the cabinet. The plain AquaOne cube I have does need it, as the glass rests directly on the surface. I had one that broke because the foam probably wasn't thick enough.