| Also see Fish Tank Maintenance and the Fish Tank Glossary | Aquarium Fish | Turtles |
| Welcome, fish keeper. Today is 05/13/08. Welcome to the fish tank website where you can learn all about fish tanks and aquariums! The fish tank is of course a vital component to any fish keeping aquarium setup. Fish tanks are where the fish live. There are many different kinds. Some prefer to keep their fish in bowls. Others prefer a huge, extravegant fish tank. The setup you choose will depend on what you are looking for and how much you are able or willing to spend. It is important to know from the beginning how much money you can afford and are willing to spend on your fish tanks. In fact, not only is it important to consider your current budget, but you must also think about any potential future changes that may impact your ability to maintain your aquarium, as larger, more expensive aquariums will typically require more money to mainain and feed livestock. While many hobbyists advocate that people get as large a fish tank as they can afford, many smaller tanks are equally or even more beautiful and fulfilling as their larger counterparts. It all depends on what you, the fish tanks owner, decides to do with the aquarium. |
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The aim of this article is to give some basic information you will need when starting up a fish tank for the first time. It has been written with tropical freshwater fish tanks in mind, but most of the principles apply to saltwater and other types of fish tanks as well. Much of it is based upon my own experiences when I first ventured into this amazing hobby.
When starting out, you will be faced with a great many choices, the most fundamental of these being which type of fish you will want to keep.
Different species of fish have different levels of care and require different conditions – this should always be taken into consideration especially when stocking a community fish tank (a tank containing a variety of different species).
At first when you start to research everything it can all seem a little overwhelming. The main thing is to read as much material as you can, and don’t be put off by terms such as cycling etc, it will all become clear in time.
Fishkeeping is an interesting and rewarding hobby, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.
2. Basic Start-up Equipment Required
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A standard fish tank is a rectangular shaped glass or acrylic box with an open top. When choosing fish tanks, it is important to consider whether you have room for it, whether the floor can support its weight, and whether you can afford to keep an aquarium of that size going. The larger the fish tank, the more expensive the filtration and other equipment, and the more electricity they will consume each month. As an example, a 55 gallon fish tank and basic metallic stand cost $89.00. However, by the time the entire saltwater setup was purchased, it came to over $1,000 including the filter, heater, substrate, test kit, and ornaments. Of course, you can get a much smaller fish tank with a much less elaborate setup. For example, a complete kit for a 10 gallon freshwater fish tank may cost less than $30.00. |
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When it comes to choosing your first aquarium, although smaller fish tanks may be less expensive, if you opt for one you will be more limited in the size and number of fish you can keep.
There are now a wide range of fish tanks for sale, and some of these include all the equipment you will need – heaters, filters, lighting etc.
Fish tanks can be either glass or acrylic. If choosing an acrylic fish tank, please bear in mind that this can be scratched much more easily than glass.
Once you have selected your fish tank and equipment, it is not simply a matter of adding water and then fish, as the fish tanks will need to be cycled first. (See Cycling Your New Tank)
3. Checking and Positioning Your New Fish Tank
Once you have acquired all the relevant equipment, you will no doubt be anxious to get started. Firstly, decide where you would like to position the fish tank, as once it had all be set up it cannot be easily moved. This should be on a flat, even surface and must be within easy reach of a power outlet. Make sure that all plugs will be easily accessible.
Check that the fish tank is level when positioned on top of the stand – this can be done using a spirit level. Uneven fish tanks will put unnecessary strain on the glass and could eventually lead to a leak. Avoid positioning the fish tank close to a heater or a draughty door and avoid direct sunlight exposure.
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4. Filling the Fish Tank with Water
Firstly, make sure you have a towel to dry your hands near to the fish tank, and that all accessories such as heater, filter etc have been situated in the relevant place. If you have chosen a background for the fish tank, it is a good idea to add this now, before filling fish tanks with water. One method is simply sticking it to the back using sticky tape. I have found that a much more effective method is to smear some cooking oil over the outside back glass of the fish tank, and smooth the background on using a credit card, making sure that all bubbles are smoothed out. This gives a much clearer and brighter effect. Now add the substrate to the bottom of the fish tank ensuring that you have washed it thoroughly. This can be done by placing it in a bucket, and running water through it until the water runs clear. Please note: failure to rinse the chosen substrate thoroughly may result in cloudy water which can take weeks to clear. Now, slowly fill the fish tank to the halfway mark. You may find it useful to place an upside-down plate on the bottom of the fish tank and pour the water in over this, as it will cause less disturbance to the substrate as you add the water. As you fill fish tanks, check carefully around the seals to ensure that there are no leaks. If you are planning on adding plants initially, it is a good idea to bring the water to the correct temperature and dechlorinate before planting, as raw tapwater can shock plants as well as fish. |
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There are a couple of reasons for adding decorations to your fish tank.
Firstly, the fish tank will look better if it is nicely decorated. A mixture of natural looking substrate, plants, rocks or wood can make a fish tank look very natural and is very soothing to look at.
Secondly and more importantly, decorating your fish tanks will make the fish feel more comfortable and give them places to hide. A suitably decorated fish tank will encourage fish to show their natural behaviour, and your fish will actually spend less time hiding.
Once you have added your decorations, try moving things around until you have the desired effect you are looking for.
Now is the time to check all electrical equipment is working. Add a thermometer to the fish tank and plug in the filter, lights and heater. Most fish tank heaters have a dial at the top to adjust the temperature, and a built in thermostat. If you are using an external filter, it is recommended that you let this run for several hours to ensure there are no leaks.
My advice would be that you leave everything running for a couple of day before adding any fish, to ensure that all equipment is fully functional.
No matter what sort of filter you have chosen for your fish tank, it will be free of beneficial bacteria when you first add it. In order for the filter to operate effectively to break down fish waste the fish tanks will have to be cycled. This is a process whereby beneficial bacteria are built-up inside the filter.
There are two main types of filter; internal and external.
Internal Filters
An internal filter is the simplest and least costly method of filtration. Because an internal filter is housed within the fish tank, there is no risk of leaking.
External Filters
External filters are the best means of filtration available in the shops, and have a couple of benefits over internal filters although they are more costly. External filters have a large media capacity, and can also be hidden in cabinets in the fish tank stand.
Note: it is very important to provide fish tanks with adequate filtration, and a powerful filter does not mean that you can skip water changes and general tank maintenance.
Before I explain cycling you new fish tank, firstly I will give a brief explanation of the Nitrogen Cycle.
Ammonia (first stage of cycling)
Firstly, ammonia is produced in the fish tanks water through fish respiration, waste and uneaten food. Ammonia is highly toxic to fish, and if not removed will eventually cause death.
Nitrite (second stage of cycling)
During the time when you are cycling your fish tank, nitrite readings will appear in your test readings. Nitrite consumes ammonia, but is the next most toxic pollutant after ammonia. High nitrite readings will eventually cause death in most species of fish.
Nitrate (third stage of cycling)
Finally, nitrate is produced in the filter. Nitrate consumes harmful nitrite which in turn has consumed the harmful ammonia. Nitrate at levels of 40 parts per million or below will not be harmful to fish.
Firstly, you will need a freshwater test kit, which includes tests for Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH. I have used a couple and would highly recommend the Master Freshwater Test Kit from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals (API). This is a liquid test kit (more accurate than test strips) and is readily available from most local fish stores.
Cycling With Fish
The time has now come to start cycling your fish tank. This can be done by using some hardy fish, such as zebra danios. When cycling the fish tank, the general rule of thumb is approximately one inch of fish for every 3 or 4 gallons of water. For example, 16 gallon fish tanks would require around 5 fish for cycling.
When adding fish to your fish tank, ensure that the fish tank water is dechlorinated and at the correct temperature. Do not add the fish immediately to the tank water when you bring them home. It is necessary to float the fish inside the bag in the fish tank for around 20 minutes to help acclimatise them. This will bring the water in the bag to around the same temperature as that in the fish tanks, and will prevent shocking the fish.
Now, time to add the fish! Gently untie or cut the bag and let the fish swim free.
For the next 6 - 8 weeks, you will have to be very patient, and be prepared to spend a lot of time performing fish tank maintenance. Watch the behaviour of the fish closely, and do not overfeed.
During the first week of having the fish in the fish tank, perform water changes of around 10 - 15 percent every couple of days. After the first week, it is time to start testing your water, and this should be done at approximately the same time each day. At this point, you will be monitoring for ammonia and nitrite readings (although nitrite may not yet be present).
After the first week, when ammonia levels start to increase (anything above 1ppm), perform a 10 – 15 percent water change. This will dilute the ammonia in the fish tank. Ammonia readings will be present throughout the initial stage of the cycle (water changes help keep these from becoming too high). Anywhere from 1 week onwards, you will notice a presence of nitrite in your test reading. This is the second stage of the cycle.
After a number of weeks (but remember this varies in each case) you will notice the nitrite reading peak and then start to fall again, and the presence of nitrate in the fish tank.
Once you have a steady reading of ammonia 0, nitrite 0, and a presence of nitrates, you will know that your fish tanks have finished cycling.
Please note that when adding new fish after the cycle is complete, this should be done very gradually over a period of weeks or you may experience another ‘mini’ cycle in the fish tank.
Now the fun part, choosing your fish. There are many ways to acquire fish for your fish tank. You may have an LFS or local fish store near you. You should check out a number of local fish stores before making your purchase so that you can compare prices, cleanliness, and overall quality. If you see fish half dead or rotting in more than one fish tank at the same fish store, you probably want to buy from somewhere else! If you don't have a local fish store or you cannot find the type of fish you want (for instance, not every fish store sells saltwater fish because they are expensive and those that do may have a limited selection), you can order live fish online. There are many websites setup where you can choose a fish by species and even size. They will ship the fish to your door and most guarantee that the fish will live at least a specified period of time so that you can be sure you are not throwing away money. Of course, if you have friends who keep fish and they want to give away their fish or their fish have babies (fry), you can add these to your tank.
11. General Fish Tanks Maintenance
Once your fish tank is setup you can relax and enjoy watching its inhabitants. Unfortunately, though, your work isn't finished. The fish tank must be maintained. A number of factors will affect how frequently aquarium maintenance must be performed and what needs to be done.
Fish tank maintenance is an essential part of your new hobby, and neglecting this will lead to problems with both the fish tank and the long-term health of the fish. The most effective way of keeping fish tanks clean is to combine both water changes, gravel vacuuming, algae removal and filter maintenance.
As you continue the day-to-day running of your fish tank, you will find that you rapidly build up new knowledge, skills and interest.
I have found fishkeeping to be a very enjoyable and rewarding hobby, and hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.
| Attack of the green (top) | |
| I went on vacation for 14 days and put my dad in charge of all the critters running about my apartment. He did a great job (nothing died), but when I came back my 10 gallon was green. And I don't mean just a little algae here and there, this was a greenish of epic proportions. Algae covered every inch of every thing in the tank. I dunno how the fish didn't die because it had grown all over the uptake tube of my filter and it had stopped working.
I took everything out of the tank and scrubbed and cleaned all the plants and the gravel/sand as best I could. It was beyond gross. What my question is though is what caused this and how to I keep it from happening again? I know that they didn't get a water change for the 14 days, but I did do a water change and put a new filter cartage in before I left. And there was no hint of greenage. The tanks i away from windows so it doesnt get any sunlight and the light gets turned off every night and on every morning. | |
| Three things come to mind lack of water changes, too much light, and over feeding. | |
| Just a note, with such in depth cleaning of the gravel and such, you're probably going to want to watch out for a mini-cycle in the tank. It's possible it will be just fine, but you should test the water frequently just to be safe.
With some water changes, I bet you'll bring down the nutrient levels in your water and the algae problem will be solved. | |
| Helping a Beginner... (top) | |
| So I have read around the forums, and I NEED some help. I will list everything I have done so far and what I plan on doing soon. Please tell me if I am doing this right, or just harming my aquarium.
Saturday, May 10th - I bought a 20 g aquarium kit from Petco. It came with a 20 g aquarium, 15 watt bulb, Whisper 20 Filter, 100 watt heater, fish net, starter size water conditioner, and starter size fish flakes. I added 20 lbs. of white gravel, then tap water. I added the water conditioner, and left it on. 
Monday, May 12th - I returned to Petco and bought a gravel vacuum, master ALI liquid water tester, thermometer, extra water conditioner. My tap water from the faucet read 7.4 pH and my tank read 7.2 pH. The tank is 81 degrees F, so I added 2 bamboo plants and a mystery plant.(What is the plant on the left?) My water seems a bit cloudy. What I plan to do: Tomorrow - I am going to test the tank for pH, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. Wednesday - I am going to my LFS or Petco to buy 3 danios (Zebra Danios if possible). I will buy some rock/driftwood/live plants for the fish. 
So, what am I doing wrong? When should I add fish? What are the best fish to go with danios? What are some tall and some carpet like/short plants? What bottom/algae eaters should I get? | |
| Almost regardless as to what sort of fish you put in there, you're going to want some sort of structures present in the tank. They can provide useful ways to break up lines of sight to help fish establish territores, they can provide caves and whatnot for your fish to hide in or dart through, and they simply look good. There are lots of resin and ceramic decorations available, but I prefer the natural look of driftwood and local rocks. The rocks can sometimes be a pain in the butt because there are certain types of rocks that are harmful to your fish, but any type of rock at least needs to be washed thoroughly (without soap!) and given a bath in very hot water (don't boil your rocks, though!) You can buy some aquarium sealant and glue rocks together to make DIY caves and other structures.
Some people have problems with using bamboo in aquaria, but I've never even tried it myself so I can't comment on it. I wouldn't recommend adding any algae eaters until you have algae for them to eat. Sure, you could add one without any algae growth, but it's likely it'd get so used to eating the food you'd have to give it that it might not prove so useful at actually eating algae once it does start growing. Good algae eaters for a 20g include Otos, many shrimp species, and snails. There are some smaller species of pleco such as clowns and bristlenose plecos that could be squeezed into a 20g. The danios are a good choice for cycling your tank if you plan on cycling with fish. Three is a good number to cycle with, but if you plan on keeping them, I would also plan on adding at least two more as they're a schooling fish. Also, zebras will school with similar danios such as leopards and blue danios, as well as the long-finned varieties of all three variants. Danios are generally great community fish so there are tons of options for fish that would go well with them. The only fish that don't really go well with danios are fish large enough to eat them and slower fish that might be annoyed by the danios. Some people say danios can be nippy towards fish with longer flowing fins, but I've never seen this myself. One of the better bottom-dwelling species to add to your cleanup crew would be any of the cories. In a 20g you could fit a sufficient herd of just about any cory species and a larger herd of some of the pygmy species. I don't really see any glaring problems with your setup so far; just make sure you stay on top of water changes and testing until the aquarium is completely cycled. The only small problem you might have is that your plants will be nitrate sinks in a cycling tank, meaning you won't get the nitrate readings toward the end of your cycle showing that the cycle is complete if you've got the plants there. | |
| Thank you for the sppedy response batman.
How often should I do my water changes during and after my cycle? How much percent and how often? | |
| Different sources vary on this subject. A sticky on this forum suggests doing a 50% water change during the cycle any time the ammonia rises above 0.5 ppm, the nitrites rise above 1 ppm, or the nitrates rise above 15 ppm. You can do this, or you can just do a 20% water change every couple of days. Zebra danios are hardy enough to survive both slightly escalated ammonia/nitrite levels and frequent water changes, and making a routine of the water changes is an easier way to stay on top of it. However, during the cycle you should do routine testing of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates to monitor their levels. Emergency water changes can be done if any of the levels spike dangerously high.
The amount of water changing to do after the tank is cycled really depends on the stock. For most community setups, as long as you're not way overstocked, a 20-25% change every week is usually best. Messier fish and carnivores often demand more water changed out per week. Small tanks (below ten gallons) require very frequent water changes. | |
| Is the gravel Petco brand gravel? If so, I highly recommend taking it out and changing it with a different brand. I used black Petco gravel in my 20 gallon, and the paint started coming off and it slowly killed all of my fish. Otherwise it looks like you are doing good in my opinion. Watch the water levels closely when you add the fish and keep a record of them. You don't want to have any fatal ammonia or nitrite spikes if you can help it. | |
| Jasey, I am using Petco brand gravel. Although, my friend has had a 30 g for about 6 months now, and he uses the same gravel I have now, but he hasn't had any problems. How long did it take for the paint to wear off?
I just did a nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia test. Nitrite and nitrate were 0 ppm and ammonia was .25 ppm. What do these readings mean and when should I expect my cycle to start? | |
| Cycling starts soon after adding an ammonia source (fish, or pure ammonia). It usually takes 4-6 weeks to finish. Have you already added your danios?
The bamboo may rott in your tank. I haven't kept it, because I've been told that it often does. I think the leaves are supposed to be kept out of the water - so it needs a shallow tank. Just keep an eye on it, in case it goes bad in your tank. Sounds like you're doing good so far! What kind of fish do you plan to keep? | |
| One other thing you're going to want to do before adding fish is to read up on how to buy a healthy fish, and find a good fish store in your area. Every Petco I've ever been to has had many sick fish, and will ignorantly sell these fish to people. While it is possible to buy fish from a place like Petco, you're going to want to feel very comfortable in inspecting fish in every aspect to confirm their health. Not that another fish store doesn't have sick fish as well, but a reputable fish store with knowledgeable employees will not sell you any fish from an infected tank.
A great way to find a good fish store is to look up the forums for a local aquarium society. That's how I found the LFS that I frequent, and I absolutely love it. They've also never sold me a sick fish. | |
| I will keep an eye on the bamboo, James. Thank You :D
I plan on keeping Zebra Danios, Neon Tetras(or other types of tetras), some kind of platies, and a algae eating shrimp or snail later on. I also want some anacharis and a tall plant, as well. I will only add the 3 danios at first, then add some more fish each week. There is a great LFS that seems very professional. I went there to get a tank, but they had no full kits. I plan on buying the fish there because the fish at Petco and PetSmart seemed lethargic. The LFS employess sounded like they knew what they were talking about, and had a large variety of things. | |
| Ooh, I just noticed you're in MA, as am I. What was the name of the store? I always go to Skipton's in Boston. | |
| Okie, it is Lovely Pets in Quincy, MA. Here is the website:
http://www.lovelypets.com/ Update - Today, the water still seems a little milky/cloudy. Getting the danios tomorrow! | |
| nitrogin cycle? (top) | |
| i have high nitrate and nitrite i change the water 1/3 water once or twice a week and also vaccume the gravel in a 10 gal tank have 3 pictus and 2 upside down catfish and 1 upside down looks like the color is gettin faded y is this and how do i know when the nitrogen cycle has started and is complete | |
| Link | |
| What to do? (top) | |
| I am new here :D Have not had a tank for 20 years, kid is moving out now I have room again for a tank. I got a used tank and I cleaned it real good, what do I need to do before I put any fish into the tank. I am wanting to put angel fish and other small fish plus live plants in there.
The tank is a 85 gallon tank. | |
| Well, the first thing you want to do is read up on the nitrogen cycle of a fish tank. Your tank will need to be cycled before you add more than a few fish.
Also, you should pick a substrate. If you want to do a planted tank, you'll want something fertilized. Eco-complete is very good. I've also heard very good things about AquariumPlants.com own fertilizer. It's a cheaper alternative to Eco-Complete. Also, angelfish tend to eat plants, so they aren't known to be very good inhabitants for a planted tank. Perhaps some hardy ones will survive, but you may have to decide between one or the other. What sort of lighting do you have on this tank? Most standard aquarium hoods do not have enough light for plants to do very well.[/list] | |
| Does this make sense to anyone with a Eheim canister filter? (top) | |
| My Eheim Classic 2213 is about 14 months old. It ran great for the first 6 months with minimal maintenance. Now, every few WEEKS, the return pressure has become but a dribble of water. So now every few WEEKS, I take apart the whole thing, clean everything inside the canister, and clean all the tubing with long brushes during which globs of greenish black gunk plops out into my sink from every hose. It takes me a good couple of hours. When I return the filter and turn it on, it is like brand new, with water aggressively shooting out of the return and rippling the entire surface of my 55G. Then, within WEEKS, it's back to just a dribble, and I repeat the process, with all of the greenish black gunk plopping out into my sink from the canister and from all the hoses, then runs like new.
This sucks! I thought I was saving myself from all this by buying an Eheim. :evil: ADVICE? Click on TANK BLURB for tank info. THANK YOU. | |
| my brother got the same filter with a 55 he bought what a piece of crap. i so would go with a rena xp3. i have two one on a 55, one on a 120 with a penguin 350. since then my bro also got one to help the ehiem. | |
| I'm a Magnum guy. Been running those canisters for well over 20 years and never had a problem other than just plain wearing out parts. Which, by the way, are inexpensive and easy to find. I still use four of them that are at least 24 years old. Motors are still strong. | |
| I'm not sure that switching to another type of canister is the solution.
I would be more interested in figuring out what the gunk is. A certain amount of mulm is normal but having so much collect in a few weeks is a lot. Even with my Aqua Clear HOB filters I have never seen enough gunk to restrict flow and they have algae growing inside of the tubes. Even when I used the cheaper Aqua View it never restricted flow when it got some gunk in the main tube. Could be a couple things: The flow is too slow for some reason and gunk builds up on the tube walls. Could be an issue of not enough filtration for the amount of waste produced. It could also be some type of bacteria/slime that is growing in the tubes. This actually makes more sense because it is both in the intake and outlet hoses, correct? Unfortunately, if it is something growing in the tubes, I don't have a clue how to get rid of it short of improving overall water quality. I am guessing it could be an issue of filter media placement, location and or amount that cold restrict the flow and cause the buildup. If oyu owuld tell us what types of media are you using, where is it in the filter and how much might give some of the more experienced canister users here a better chance of getting to the bottom if this. | |
| Green cloudy water (top) | |
| I've been fighting a green cloudy aquarium for almost two weeks, it doesn't seem to want to clear. I am assuming it's algae bloom. Don't see a whole lot on the walls or ornaments, but I have a good pleco, so I may not see it. I have several varieties of live plants, not sure of species. 28 Gal, 0 ammonia, o nitrites, nitrates kept at 15 or less. 78 degrees, T5 lighting with 1 24W 10000K and 1 24W freshwater pink now running about 5 hrs/day, had been closer to 12. I have also recently added CO2 injection (DIY) to try to encourage plant growth. Any ideas??? | |
| Is your tank in direct sunlight? If so moving the tank or placing some kind of barriar would help. If not the Co2 may be the cause of your problems.. You could try decreasing the amount of yeast you put in the bottle to decrease the Co2 output.
Green water is a mysterious thing, I had it bad for almost a month and a half, then one day it was just gone... well mostly, the day after it was all gone lol | |
| Are you buying water from fish_4_all?
You might try getting a bulb in the 6700K range. 10,000K is a ton of energy. | |
| Haha herefishy :P
I have fought green water in one tank for 6 months now. Simply won't go away and stay away. The funny thing is there is a tank right beside it under the same light that is crystal clear. Best advice is to try and make sure your plants have enough nutrients. If they grow fast enough with the right balance then they should outcompete the algae for food. Direct sunlight is a killer but, with the days being longer, even ambient sunlight could be an issue. More ambient light can feed the algae combined with the current light. 8 hours is fine for your lighting but I would also have to second herefishy that youmight want one closer to 6500K. As for CO2, give it time and it just may do the trick. Something else you could try is Flourish Excel. It is a very good carbon source for plants and, although they will never claim it, it is a very effective algaecide. Just don't overdose it or you may have nothing but plants in your tank. And very important, Valisnaria, Hornwort and Elodea do not like it! They may die off completely if you use it but will sometimes come back in time. | |
| CO2 is great for preventing algae, but you also need to provide the plants with plenty of nutrients, or the co2 won't help much. Are you adding ferts right now? I also use flourish and like it the most of all the ones I've tried. You'll also want to add root tabs to any rooted plants you have, as they draw most of their nutrients from the substrate, not the water.
It's also possible if you're currently using fertilizer that it has phosphates and other things in it that are encouraging the algae problem. I had a huge green water problem when I was using the API liquid fertilizer, and since I've switched it hasn't been a problem. | |
| Thanks for the great advice all! I'm not currently using any ferts, does fish poo count? I have about 15 fish: 3 angels, a pleco, 2 boliv. rams and the rest minnow/tetra like stuff....don't really want to add chemicals if I don't have to, just don't know if plants can utilize fish poo like land plants can.... | |
| Fish poo does provide a lot of it but it lacks micro nutrients. Iron, magnesium, potassium and such. All needed for optimul plant growth. | |
| I was reading another post and got to thinking, what about introducing daphnia? Green water is what they eat right? then they become a snack for the fish. If sustainable, that would add to the symbiosis and thats part of the goal for keeping aquarium IMO. | |
| You could certainly give that a shot, but I wouldn't really count on your daphnia living long enough to make a big difference. I definitely wouldn't count on them living long enough to reproduce. Those little suckers are just way too tasty for your fish to pass up. | |
| I tried the daphnia.... didn't work to well. I put about 100-200 in my 10G and the fish had them gone before the water gave at all. | |
| With a lot of work culturing the little buggers it could work by adding them as often as you can keep viable cultures. Just a lot of work to grow that many. | |
| I have reduced the time light is on to pretty much when I'm home, and let the natural light do the work for now. After several water changes it seems to be getting better, time will tell.....thanks all! | |
| 120g to be freshwater? (top) | |
| I wanted to change one of my marine tanks into a freshwater tank. It is a 120. The only thing is that it is at my business. I put it in their basically for the kids (because there are hundreds in there a week, and they love it.) Thing is, I wanted to keep the fish hardy and make sure it still looks fun and colorful.
I'm also relatively new to fresh, i've really only kept saltwater and small freshwater tanks. (No larger than a 20) I need advice! I don't know what I want in there. | |
| You make it sound as though you are overwhelmed by the size of the 120g tank. Needn't be. A word of advice, think of the 120g as (3)20g tanks side by side just a little deeper and taller. To lend a hand on what to do, imagine (1)20g in the middle, that will be your center(what else would it be, Duh? lol) and continue your aquascape to the left and to the right. How many times have you wished you had more room in one of your tanks when you set it up? Well, now you have it.
As far as suggestions, I'd have to know your budget. You can be as stingy or as generous as you want when stocking your tank. But, being generous is gonna hurt, especially in a tank that size. I am going to suggest a planted tank with active, shoaling fish like tetras, rasboras or danios as the focal point. I think that by using wood and plants, you could be able to not only make the tank active and colorful for the children, you would be able to add a beauty only a well planted tank can bring for the adults to enjoy too. | |
| Ah, I loved your response!
I just don't want to make any painful mistakes when switching over! I know that everyone says that freshwater is easier than saltwater... but I don't like believing everything I hear =) So, I really want to use power filters because with the saltwater tank I have had problems with the over flow, etc. with children around. Power filters are just safer. (You'd be surprised how many parents do NOT pay attention to their children, no matter how hard our staff tries...) Is there any way that this can work with a planted tank? Also, right now I only have normal fluorescents on the tank- what will the plants need? I really only want low maintenance plants/fish. (I know that sounds awful to say, but I do have 4 tanks at home that require lots of love!) I only say this because it is awful when a fish dies... and the kids find it. So hardy fish are better. Also, the tank has like 150 pounds of live rock and 100 pounds of sand I am going to try and sell, so hopefully I can buy the freshwater babies with the money I make off of that. Tell me if I'm totally off beat! | |
| I wouldn't say freshwater is easier, it just seems as though the rigors of keeping a SW tank are more labor intensive, for the most part, and SW seems to be a more precise undertaking. Probably why I have a reef tank as my only SW tank.
As far as filtration of the 120g, power filters will work, BUT.....I am anal about filtration. In larger tanks, especially since you wish to be low maintenance, I would suggest a "layered" filtration system. (I really need to write an article on this for the forum, someday) Layered can be best described as the use of multiple types of filtration. By using an undergravel filter plate(gonna stir some poo up here!! lol) with reverse flow power heads, power filters, both internal(ex. Fluval + Series) and external(ex. Emperor 400's), and canisters(ex. Magnum 350's), each type being considered as a layer, it is my opinion that such a system is absolutely the best system one can get. Not cheap, but not as expensive as one might imagine either. The use of ugf's is controversial. I need to explain a bit here. The use of ugf's, especially with reverse flow power heads(ex. Marineland 660r's which come with all of the pieces you need to run a reverse flow system) not only will add more biological and mechanical filtration it helps to keep the substrate cleaner and healthier.By reversing the flow of water up through the substrate, you will force mulm and particulates up into the water column to be filtered by the other "layers" of filtration. This reduces, substantially the need for gravel sweeps and stirs. Thus reducing labor during maintenance, the compaction of substrate and the disturbing of the bio-bed. Not only does this sound good, it works. I have this system on many of my tanks, from 29g tanks to the new 720g tank that is being set up as we speak. I even have 10g tanks running multiple types of filtration, although the scale is much smaller. Another advantage of running "layered filtration" is that it allows you to maintain each element of the system on a scheduled routine without compromising the biological scheme as much as with a single type of filter system. In essence, it keeps your tank healthier. Lighting is another beast in itself. We, here on the forum, are trying to be somewhat progressive. The old Watts per Gallon" (wpg) rule is archaic and misleading. A better and, honestly, more precise way of determining how much light you will need is the use of footcandles, lumens, spectrum and Kelvins. Footcandles can best be describe as the amount of usable light(lumens) at a specific distance away from the light source. Lumens is light intensity or brightness. Kelvins is a thermo dynamic measure of the amount of energy produce by the light. Spectrum is the color bandwidth of the light. Now that you are thoroughly confused, let it be said, that plants grow best in certain colors of light(spectrum) that has intensity(lumens) at the given distance of the light source(footcandles) within a certain color bandwidth(spectrum). So, that being explained(and your brain spinning around madly), the "ideal" bulb(s) will be somewhere in the 6700K-10,000K range. Plants require light to as a source of energy for growth, requiring light in the warm white to yellow end of the spectrum. Any light sources that contain too much blue light are undesirable as they will promote algae growth. Suitable lighting can be provided using a combination of tubes such as Sun-glo, Flora-glo and Freshwater bulbs. Also the number of hours the bulbs are on is important. Most agree on the amount of time as being from 10-14 hours a day. Fish for stocking, I will leave alone for now. There are many low maintenance fish, relatively speaking. Some examples were given in the previous post. Your decision on the set up you like will determine the fish you will be able to keep. As for selling you live rock and sand, I would suggest selling it in outr classified section. Or you could sell it at a greatly reduced price back to your local fish store(lfs). Although, you would have to learn how to ship, you could make someone's day selling your goods on this site. You wouldn't get full retail, but I'm sure you would get more money tan selling back to the store. Shipping cost would be paid by the buyer. Now that you are completely confused and my hands are cramping from this long post, allow me to say, good luck. Post any other questions you may have and our members are more than willing to help. | |
| I have to say that was a really great post!
And, to my (and yours) surprise, I totally understand the lighting. =) Good news, I already have a canister filter that came with my tank when I bought it... and I have 2 power filters that are 5x the gph of the gallons of the tank. (600 gallons per hour) ....so now I need an undergravel filter. (I am so glad I never sold the canister) What kind of substrate would be best for plants? Can goldfish thrive in a slightly heavily planted tank with that type of substrate? | |
| Hi. I just read your post and the responses so far. I have kept goldfish before and they can be a nuisance to a planted tank. They like to nibble and uproot things, so you may find yourself replanting a lot. I'm not saying don't get them. Just a word of warning about how they act. They can be quite pretty, though, so you'll have to decide.
As for a relatively hardy fish....I really like guppies myself. I have tons of them (too many really). If you get males and females, be prepared for lots and lots of babies. They breed like crazy, but have very pretty color combinations and are pretty hardy. I have Mollies, glowlight Tetras and Platies in my community tank, as well. You may also want to consider some type of algae eater after a while. They'll help keep the algae off the glass and decorations and there are many interesting ones available. Some grow quite large, but in a 120 gallon you don't have to worry about that! My first algae eater was a large Pleco and he actually did tricks when he couldn't see you looking at him. I saw him do swimming loops (like the airplane stunts) several different times and caught him bouncing on his airstone more than once. It was quite amusing. As soon as he saw me, however, he'd stop and sit completely still. I could see his eyes following me and imagined him saying..."I wasn't doing anything. Nope, not me. You're mistaken." Good luck....and post pictures when you get things set up! :) | |
| Oh, don't worry- I will! I already have someone interested in my live rock, so the process may start sooner rather than later. I thought it would take awhile to get rid of it.
What do you think about the cycle? Anything to speed it up? I don't want an empty tank for too long =( I know all about the cycling for a saltwater... freshwater any different? | |
| There a couple of schools of thought on cycling a tank. Using fish to provide the food(fishy waste, poo and pee) to feed the bacteria bed growth and help accelerate the cycle and fishless. In a fishless cycle there are basically two techniques. One is straight forward, you use fish food and "feed" the tank, even though there are no fish. The uneaten food breaks down and forms ammonia, the food for the bacteria. The other is a little more complicated. You actually use ammonia to feed the bacterial culture. I have a chart somewhere that I would be glad to post(I may be able to find it in this mess). The chart gives you a ready made tutorial and complete directions on how to use ammonia as your catalyst. Using ammonia is probably the fastest method. But, look for the tank cycle to take anywhere from 2-6 weeks, maybe longer. But, if you use fish to cycle your tank, danios are a common choice, your tank would not be empty, but the cycle would be a tad longer. This method is also somewhat stressful on these fish, but they are pretty hardy.
If you are going to lean toward a planted tank, I have a favorite substrate. I feel that EcoComplete for Planted Tanks is one of the best on the market. But, this is my opinion and some have other favorites. I like it because of a couple of reasons. One is it works. The other reasons include its dark color, it is not as "dusty" as some others, it contains some of the micro nutrients, and it helps to buffer the water to support good plant growth. Now, one drawback is that it is not real cheap. It is more expensive than some, but cheaper than others. I am using it in most of my planted tanks and it is the substrate of choice for my 720g project. I believe it runs about $23 for a 20# bag. I would think that you would need about 150# or (8)bags. Here is a link to show you the product. http://www.petsolutions.com/Eco-Complete-Planted-Aquarium-Substrate+I18400770+C41.aspx It will also help to speed up your cycle. And an added note, I am rinsing mine before adding it to the tank. But, it is much easier and cleaner than using Fluorite. I am sure we will talk about plants later. But the plants you will be able to use will be determined by your lighting. Or you could reverse this process by selecting plants and choosing lights to fit their needs. I would suggest using compact fluorescents or T5 fluorescent bulbs. T12 bulbs will soon be obsolete and T8's are sure to follow. They are just not efficient enough. You do not get sufficient light for the power consumed. I would also suggest a second canister filter( remember, I'm anal about filtration). Use a minimum of (4)powerheads. My suggestion here would be the Marineland 660r's or the Marineland 1140's with the reverse flow adaptor. Your power filters seem very adequate. I strive for a filtration flow as high as I can reasonably achieve. I have a tank being filtered over 25x an hour. That may be a little extreme, I admit. A couple of things I would like to throw out for thought. It seems that we are heading for a low maintenance tank. A couple of suggestions. One would be the use of an inline UV filter placed inline on the output side of the canister filter. This device can be a real value when it comes to preventing disease and parasitic maladies in the tank. Also the use of inline heaters would greatly help the asthetics of the tank. There would be no bulky, clumsy heater exposed in the tank. I use multiple heaters in tanks larger than 100g, also. I believe that by using multiple heaters in larger tanks that the heat is more even throughout. So far, what we have discussed is a fairly high tech tank. But, if you are looking for low maintenance, technology must replace labor. Do not feel obligated to follow my suggestions. I am trying to meet your criteria. But, in doing so, I have also increase the cost of setting up your tank. We could go low tech, but in doing so, we would also increase the amount of time and labor of maintenance. I wanted to say that so that when you started the project you wouldn't faint or get a voodoo doll with my name on it and start sticking pins in it. | |
| You're funny. No voodoo doll here. Believe me, I know what hard work takes with fish tanks. The 120g right now has had more issues being a SW tank than ANY of my other 4 tanks combined. I feel like there is always a problem child...
I do not mind having to clean the tank and do water changes, I just want to make sure that nothing could go terribly wrong if I left for a week or a weekend. You know? Like with it right now, with an overflow and sump... there will be something wrong with the pump and it only goes wrong when i am out of town. Thankfully, there is a drain in the floor under the tank. | |
| How soon after cycling/putting water in the tank can you add plants?
I am guessing you can not use sand from saltwater for freshwater, right? Just the vice versa. | |
| Some start immediately or at least quickly. They feel that getting some nitrate hogs into the tank early on will help with the cycling process, at least keep them down and keeping the fish less stressed if using a "live" cycle with fish. I am one of those that feels that waiting a bit is better. By adding plants early, I feel that having plants, which use nitrates as a food source, diminish the development of the bio-bed. Just my $.02.
And no you cannot, or should not, use the sand from the saltwater tank in the freshwater tank. The residual salt would, or could, be fatal to most freshwater fish. The filtering system I suggested is a redundant system. Those redundancies allow for some neglect and failure of individual components. Leaving the tank alone for the weekend would not hurt. Feeding could be scheduled to compensate to your absence. Lights could be placed on timers so that the lighting schedule would be controlled automatically. I must say, that if you set this system up as we have discussed, many here will be in total envy. Including me. I have most of my tanks set up this way. It allows me to enjoy them and not be working on them all of the time. The only problem I would see, is leaving it for an extended time. Feeding could be done with timed auto feeders, should this become a necessity. Water changes will still have to be done. Filters still need to be maintained. Plants will need fertilized. And fish will have to be fed. But, this has the potential of being one awesome tank. Planted tanks with driftwood always makes a nice presentation. And if you really decide to go "full goose gonzo" you can add CO2 for the plants. Nice touch, some swear by it. It is effective. But, is not cheap, and it is not real necessary unless you intend to propagate some of the plants or have some kinds of plants. | |
| This is a great thread! Just thought I'd chime in.
The other benefit of a co2 system is that it inhibits algae growth. If you're looking for a low maintenance tank, that's certainly a great thing. Plus, it will make your plants flourish. I wanted to recommend a particular fish for your tank. I think a shoal of Boesmani rainbows would look really incredible in the tank. They're happiest in groups, but they're on the biggish side for a shoaling species (4-6"), so you need a large tank to keep them at their best. They're plant friendly, and will readily eat flake food. Also, I'd recommend putting some cherry shrimp in there as well. They will eat algae and are great little cleaners. Plus, they're a shocking bright red, so kids will look at it and go "cool! a shrimp!". I always like to put critters in other than fish because people don't really expect to see them. One tip I've picked up that I thought I'd share with you. I assume if you went out of town for a week that someone else in the office could feed them? If so, I always measure out the food in a days of the week pill box. That way there won't be any overfeeding disasters, which is the #1 killer of fish when people are on vacation I'd say. | |
| Allow me to add to okiemavis' post. If you add shrimp, you will want some algae growth. Many are great little janitors and are algae eating monsters. All of this needs to be considered BEFORE committing to the setup. If you have shrimp, CO2 may not be an option that you will be able to have. But, then again...
The red cherry shrimp are really neat. But other choices are out there too. There is a wide price disparage between some of the species. Also, some cannot be stocked in the same tank as they will cross breed and you will end up with some mighty ugly offspring. Here is a link for you to look at a few species. http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/index.shtml . | |
| Well, I certainly want some Cherry Shrimp, driftwood, and plants.
That is all the further I have gotten. I need to go purchase some sand and an undergravel filter so as soon as this guy picks up the live rock I can get a move on with this cycle! | |
| Whoa!!!! Halt!! Don't go!!
I don't like sand, especially in planted tanks with undergravel filters. the two don't mix. Sand is too fine and will plug the filter plate. If EcoComplete is too expensive for the budget, use fluorite/gravel blend. Get a finer gravel, but make sure tht it is large enough not to pass through the slots of the filter plate. The flourite comes in a red/black blend and you should be able to find gravel to match. Remember, darker gravel will keep the fish more at ease. Which is one of the reasons I use EcoComplete. Black or charcoal gray seem to do best. If you must use sand, nix the underground filter. We will discuss a different strategy for the substrate. I would also recommend the Perfecto filter plate. It is convoluted and looks like ^^^^^^^ when viewed from the end. It allows better flow and a better base area for the bio-bed. | |
| Another option is go with Laterite mixed with regular river run LFS aquarium gravel. Provides a lot of nutrients. It is also the same stuff that is in fert tabs, root tabs and spikes that provides a lot of good stuff for your plants.
Filtering options, I see HF has already given his thoughts. 8) Lot of filtering options. If it was me, I would have 1-2 canister filters and 1-2 HOB filters. The canisters would be at the ends with the HOB's in the middle with all of the flow coming out in the middle as much as possible, or visa versa, canisters intake in the middle with the HOB's intake at the ends and outflows at both ends. This creates a very well circulated tank that also provides so slower flow areas for both fish and inverts to rest in. If money was not an issue, I would use 2 canisters rated for 100 gallons and 2 Aqua clear HOB rated for 80+ gallons. The AC would have sponges and some sort of biomedia in them like Biochem stars and the canisters would be stuffed with mechanical media. Might even pre screen the AC with a sponge filter so they work primarily as biological filters and use nothing but Biochem stars, ceramic rings and other biomedia in them. Sand, IMHO, more hastle than it is worth. Compacts terribly, can have dead spots in it and just can be a pain. I don't know that I would recommend it for any FW tank. River run gravel will serve you better in the long run with Eco Complete being the best plant substrate choice. | |
| Don't worry, I only said sand out of habit because of all the sw tanks =) I was never actually planning on sand! | |
| Eco-complete is awesome! I'd really recommend going with that. On the other hand, laterite can make a messy, muddy sludge out of your substrate. Be forewarned that it can be a big pain.
I spend so much time defending sand on this site! I've got play sand in my 6ft planted tank and I love it. However, it is slightly more work, and it's definitely not a good idea with an UGF. Mostly you just need to make sure the sand doesn't compact, which means not skipping vacs. Other than that, I have no problem with it clogging my filter or anything. | |
| I just have to say that everyone on this site is wonderful (so far!) I normally post on another site... and they are always out to slap people on the wrist instead of give them a helping hand. Not to sound like a baby or anything =) | |
| First Fish for a Child (top) | |
| Hi! My nephew is fascinated by fish. When we visit zoos or aquariums he just stands and stares at the different fish tanks. So for his birthday, I thought I'd get him his first fish and tank. I need help, though, as I'm not a fish expert.
What size tank is appropriate for a little guy? (He's eight.) What fish is suitable for a younger pet lover? Thanks for your help! Anne [url=http://www.checks-for-less.com/Designer_Checks.html]Designer Checks Inc">Link | |
| Anne,
Welcome to FF! You have a lot of options here. You could do something simple like a betta fish, or you could go with a full blown aquarium. A few things to consider when thinking about size... first, get a feel for the fish he likes. Take him "window shopping" at a pet store, see what he seems most interested in. Spend some time browsing, ask him what he likes and why he likes it. This is how I get the kids started when they come to me. Tank size will determine the animals you can keep, and the bigger the tank, the more options you have for population. Next take into consideration who is going to be caring for this tank? What are the limitations and abilities of that person? Will that person have help? Willing help? What kind of life schedule does he have for caring for a tank? Different animals have different care needs, and this includes fish! The next step is to figure out where there is room for a tank. Space can limit your options by a lot. Take a tape measure and write down measurements of possible locations for the tank. If you post some measurements, (length, width, and height) we can then help you to pick a tank that will fit where you want it/need it! A betta fish can make for a great beginner fish for any child. They are easy to care for and very pretty, plus they're very social and you can "play" with them. They also don't require a large aquarium. 2 - 5 gallons is a good size. The drawbacks is that a healthy and well cared for betta fish only has a 3 - 5 yr life span, and they are prone to fungal and bacterial infections, so keeping certain meds on hand is important. The other drawback is that betta fishs are not good community fish, and mixing 2 or more betta fishs is not an option, even if male/female combinations. They are extremely aggressive towards their own kind and most other fish, and the ones they don't bother will usually chew them to shreds quickly. Now, if you wish to go larger with tank size, there are tetras, barbs, even cichlids that can make wonderful pets! Livebearers can be challenging unless you keep all males, so I won't suggest them for a child. They are prone to illness due to the amount of inbreeding that goes on, and this can be a lot for an 8 yr old. Another one to stay away from is goldfish. They are a lot of work and require at least 90 gallons for 2 of them, as they grow extremely large. Goldfish are about the dirtiest fish out there, so need a lot of water changes and cool temps. You also have rainbow fishes, killie fish, gouramis... the list of possibilities is endless. I hope this helps, and as you bring back information we can then help you to better select what is needed, and get things set up and running safely. | |
| Wonderful that your nephew is so intrigued!! I am going through the same process with my 7-year old granddaughter. You are in for an interesting experience. I hope you are ready for it.
The first thing I must make clear here, I hope that you are going to be able to mentor the young fella in his trek into the hobby. Teach him to be a keeper and not a haver. He is at the age where he will be very receptive to learning the proper care of any fish. But make sure to let him know during the process as to why certain things should be done and why others shouldn't. Reasons for some things are sometimes the most important part of the lesson. Giving the reason for things allows the youngster to understand the "why's" of the hobby. Very important at that age. You will need to help him with water changes. It is best to make it a regular scheduled event, like every Tuesday evening. Explain why water changes are important. Teach about feeding and not to overfeed. The lesson of monitoring water conditions may be a little too complicated for the youngster to understand, but he will learn by watching you do them for him over time. You must emphasize that the aquarium is the fishes' home. It must be cleaned just as his house needs to be cleaned. One of the most critical parts of keeping any aquarium, or pet for that matter, is maintenance. Water conditions and fish compatibility are the others. Express to him that he is taking on a big responsibility and that the fish are living things that will depend on him to take care of them, just like he depends on his mom and dad to take care of him. As for fish for the beginners, I almost always suggest livebearers. The reason is, the beginner will be exposed to the miracle of life very easily. Many livebearers are easy, and sometimes prolific, breeders. Fish such a mollies, swordtails, guppies, platys, endlers, and least killiefish to name a few. Of course you will also need to add "janitors" to the tank to aid in cleanup. Here I would suggest a corie species. Of the livebearers I named, I would probably lean toward the endlers or least killiefish. The endlers and least killiefish may be hard to find in some local stores. (But if you wish to go that route, I can give you contacts to get them over the web. This will also buy you some time to get the tank cycled) Of those two fish, the least killies are a less prolific breeder and will not overrun the capacity of a small tank as easily. You didn't mention tank size. A word of advice here. The smaller the tank the more maintenance needed. 10g tanks mean more work and are less forgiving than a 29g. Keep that in mind. My favorite beginner tank is the venerable 29g, if you haven't guessed. It may seem a little large, but as I said before, it is much more forgiving to any errors. And it is much more flexible as to the design and layout of any aquascape the two of you may decide upon. Any more help needed, we are here. Feel free to post any questions. Heck, let your nephew ask the question and you type it in. He'd surely get a kick out of seeing his question answered on the forum, I'm sure. Good luck. | |
| Here is some more important info about the livebearers.
Things like: Every female coming from a pet store is likely to be pregnant. The ratio of livebearing fishes is 2 females for each male. Livebearers can have 30+ fry at a time, and they do that about every 30 days (for each female). And most importantly... if working with livebearing fishes, no matter how big or small the tank is, another tank will be needed soon enough, as well as an outlet for the fry. I am very familar with breeding livebearers, I still have swordtails going here, and just seperated my mollys. In 6 months time (after 3 deliveries to the pet store), with 5 female mollys in a 90 gallon tank with 2 males, I had about 200 fry. That required daily water changes, and the fry lived with the adults without being eaten. The fry also grow very quick. My molly fry were adult size by 13 - 14 wks. I still say that's a lot to put on an 8 yr old, especially when there are so many other, easier options... and unless the aunt is living with the nephew... it will fall on the parents to help care for that kind of tank set up. One other important point to make here. If the water changes are not kept up with, if the water quality becomes poor/polluted, the fish will die. My 12 yr old daughter started out by taking care of her first tank alone, at age 9. I started her with a 5 gallon mini bow and taught her how to do the water changes herself. Other than the reminders to do the water changes sometimes, she did really well with it. I would not, on the other hand, have put her in charge of any of the livebearing tanks, as it was more work than she was interested in doing, or capable of doing alone. 8 and 9 yr olds seldom want to give up play time with friends to be slaving over a fish tank. | |
| It really comes down to your nephews maturity. Also, if he is willing to learn to clean the tank and care for the fish properly (a love of looking at them is not the same thing).
By the time I was 8, I had a 20 gallon in my bedroom I used my own allowance to buy fish, food, dechlor (I didn't understand the nitrate cycle fully, but I knew to vacuum the rocks until 25% of the water was out and replace with dechlor water every Saturday). I kept mollys, tetras, bala shark, etc. A $5 fish was a luxury to me. Not to mention my pet hamsters, corn snake and duck I was the sole caretaker for. Dogs and cats, my parents paid for. I just bought a beta as a Christmas present to my 3 year old nephew. Mom and Dad have to do water changes, but he knows he should never touch the water and only look at the fish, and every morning to ask Mom for two pieces of food to feed "Brian". He puts the pellets on the water surface very carefully and tells Brian to eat...when the fish takes it, he laughs like it's the coolest thing. He will either tire of it someday, in which case Mom has already adopted Brian for herself, or he will let the love of fishkeeping grow. When the beta dies, he will get another, then maybe a 10 gallon with UG filter.... In the end, I like the idea of taking him to the store to look at fish and talk to him about the cleaning, etc. If he seems interested, you can start a bit bigger, if you sense some doubt about it, a beta is a good start, or goldfish.[/i] | |
| I just don't understand (top) | |
| Ok i understand how cycling works, ammonia spike, then nitrite spike followed by a drop in ammonia, then finally nitrate spike followed by a drop in nitrite.
my tank has been cycling for 6 weeks now, ammonia has been at 0 for about 2 weeks nitrite dropped from +5 to 2ppm 1 week ago. For the last week its been at .50ppm and my nitrate in that same 2 week perieod hhas gone from 5ppm to 20ppm. So basicly at the end of week 5 nitrite dropped from 2ppm to .50ppm and nitrate wen from 5ppm to 10ppm. Now at the end of week 6 nitrite is still at .50ppm but nitrate is at 20ppm, how is it possible to have the nitrates keep climbing but the nitrite to stay the same if it can drop from 2ppm to .5ppm in one week shouldn't the next week make it drop to 0. I hope its gone by end of week 7. I have a 55 gallon tank, with a 50 gallon wet/dry, the wet/dry has 5 gallons of biomedia and 27 gallons of water. Turn over rate is 350 GPH I like it slower to make sure the water spends more time in in the biomedia and filters better. | |
| Besides what you already stated, there's no rhyme or reason when it comes to cycling. Your doing good so far. My 55g took 12 weeks to completely cycle I had no choice but to do it with fish. What's in the tank now? | |
| Weird Ammonia reading, need help! (top) | |
| Here is the setting:
10g freshwater tank. Whisper power filter 10. Tank established one week ago today. 7-glowlight tetras 1-yoyo loach 1-ghost shrimp. Did about a 30% water change on Monday. Water has been and is presently crystal clear, looks good enough to drink. Wednesday, about 30 minutes after I fed the fish, I did a liquid water test with API's kit and got about .5ppm ammonia to show up. I attributed this to testing the water shortly after feeding. Thursday, (without thinking) I pulled the filter cartridge out to check it and noticed that some particles spilled out into the water when I did so. Not much. I slid the cartridge back in and again about 30 minutes later I did an ammonia test. This time it showed up at 1ppm. Was is it due to the pulling of the cartridge letting junk in the water. If not I don't understand how my ammonia can be so high when I just did a change three days ago. The fish all look fine. They don't look sick. They are alert and eating and swimming about, especially the yo yo loach (active little critter). I just find it odd that in an esablished tank that I would begin to get ammonia readings only 3 days after a water change. You should start getting first signs of ammonia at day 5 with a water change coming every 5-7 days. What's going on? | |
| you put WAY too many fish in at once and the tank isnt even cycled yet. | |
| no, no my tank is cycled what i meant by established is that my tank is done it ready to go it was done a week ago. i had three fish on friday when it finished cycling i added four more for a total of 7 waited 24hrs and added a loach and a shrimp
at that time it was monday and i did a 30%water change my ammonia has steadily increased all while the water looks perfect and the fish look fine, no signs of sickness. i don't know why my ammonia would increase so much after doing a 30% water change? basically if it was not for a water test you cant tell that there is a problem the water looks good enough to drink the fish are all good and fine. could this be a mini cycle? | |
| Ah, adding too many fish too fast. I have 10 gallon tanks, adding more 2 fish at a time has given me an ammonia spike every time.
How did you cycle the tank? Is good to know to try and figure out another ammonia source. When you do a water change do you gravel vac? If you don't then food and fish waste is decomposing in the substrate and producing ammonia and nitrites. The stuff coming out of the filter did not cause this or at least I have never heard of it. I lose a lot of little particles when I rinse my sponges weekly and it has never caused an ammonia spike. | |
|
1) I cycled the tank with two glow light tetras. 2) I do use a gravel vac. 3) Glad to know adding more than two fish for you in your 10 gallon tank will give you an ammonia spike. I went from 2 fish to 9 in 48hrs. So that is more than likely the reason why my ammonia has spiked. I will do small water changes to allow the bacteria to bloom and catch up. Thanks, | |
| Done it myself so don't feel bad. | |
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UPDATE: came home just now planning to do a slight water change and I did a test first. The ammonia jumped again...2ppm and pushing 3. (It was slightly darker than 2 but not quite 4.) I proceeded to do about 45% water change (I changed a shade under 5 gallons). It ws too high for me to rest well doing just a small change. The water then tested out to 1ppm (I plan on doing about another change tomorrow, 25-30%) But here is what I found: I gravel vacumed alot....I MEAN ALOT OF WASTE... from the bottom. Some was food, but the vast majority was fish waste. I was shocked at how much fish waste was there from Tuesday through today. I tend to over feed just a bit to ensure some flakes reach the bottom for the ghost shrimp and the loach. The Glowlights don't let anything reach the bottom, so I feed them until they stop eating and then put some more so it reaches the bottom. They get most of it. I didn't vacume up any where near the ammount of fish waste there was. Did this happen because I added so many at once? The tank finished cycling on Friday last week. At that time I had 0 ammonia, 0 Nitrites, and just under 5ppm Nitrates. I added 3 more glowlights to go with the scout glowlights I had to cycle the tank for a total of 5. The next day I added two more for a total of 7, and the next day (SUnday) I added the loach and the ghost shrimp. Was this too much in such a short time? More than likely what caused this ammonia spike and all the waste? | |
| You may wish to use a turkey baster to "target feed" the bottom dwellers instead of having to feed the others that much food. Before this, when was the last time you did a gravel vac...danios (that's what glolights really are) are kinda messy and you have a lot of them :) | |
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No, there aren't glowfish. They are Glolw ight Tetras. See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glowlight_tetra I gravel vacume everytime I do a water change. Everytime. The decorations come out, and I run the siphon through the gravel. That is why I was so shocked at all the waste. I think I may buy the sinking pellets for the bottom feeders and keep the flakes for the Tetras. | |
| LOL, ooops :) I do actually know the difference, my ADD kicked in at the wrong time...uuuuuugh. | |