New Tank - Help Please ?

[Cermet]

Spring water has no chlorates so the water does not need to be treated.

Stay away from neons and cardinals until the tank is mature (cycled and other fish are established and doing well.) These type of tetra's tend to need very clean water to do well. That said, change at least 1/3 of your tank's water at least once a week. Get a water parameter measuring kit - this should have a nitrate, ammonia, nitrite, and pH capability. Get a liquid test kit(s), never strips.

The key to healthy fish are large/freq. water changes and never over feeding. Don't change out the critical bio-media in the filter once it is cycled. That holds all the bacteria that purifies/converts deadly fish waste into safer nitrates. The weekly water changes keeps the nitrates low (no common filter removes nitrates.)

Best of luck but fish keeping does not need luck - just water changes.

[Honey Badger 1]

Before making fish suggestions we need to know the dimensions of that tank. Some fish suggested already would appreciate length, which a hex tank doesn't usually have. Unless the HOB you find has longer extensions, I would also suggest a canister filter so you can get the intake lower into the water column so there are no circulation dead spots at the bottom of the tank.

[gronlaura]

Oh, and a little side note. We have spring water here, we don't have "city water". Does that mean I won't have to use solutions to get chlorines and other chemicals out ?

How do you get your water? Natural spring or bottled? If it's bottled there is an ingredient list (on the bottle or from the supplier) - check it for chlorine/chloramine. If present, you need to dose with Seachem Prime. I would think there wouldn't be any chlorine or chloramine in natural spring water. Get the API master test kit and also an API GH/KH test kit to test general and carbonate hardness - very important. Spring water can vary - might have the necessary minerals, etc, might not. Well worth the expense to be sure of your water parameters.