Mah Tank (Yeah another one)

Burninator

ok, So heres the deal. I went out and bought a tank, stand, filter, heater, rocks, air knife, air pump, light, vacuum and water conditioning chemicals.

THAT being said, i like your stickies as they are very informative and helpfull. On the forum im from nobody reads stickies and its irritating to get the same questions over and over. So i feel your pain on this one.

I just want some reassurance im doing the right thing :)

Im doing a fishless cycle, but there doesnt seem to be enough info for me so im hoping someone can clear it up. Ive had everything going since yesterday (yeah im that new). Right now i dont have any kind of "habitat" stuff, just bottom rocks. Should i put them in for a while before adding fish?

I know i need to let the bacteria grow and all that, but how long am i really waiting for? I dont wanna really be killing fish. Also, can someone reccommend me a good test kit so i dont have to run back and forth to petsmart all the time?

Anything im missing? I dunno, i think im pretty well covered so far.

lynneticknor

I am new at this too, but I've learned a lot from reading the very helpful people on this forum. I have a planted 10 gallon set up and only lost one fish (a Neon Tetra) in the process.

Others can correct me if my advice is incorrect, but here are my quick answers to your questions:

- I would put whatever else you are going to put into the tank (plants, driftwood, rocks, etc.) before adding fish.

- For test kits, I like the API Master Test Kit. Freshwater Master Test Kit
I don't know if this is the cheapest place you can find it at, but it is much cheaper here than what I paid at my lfs

- I'm not sure exactly how long you'll have to wait for your tank to cycle. It depends upon your water levels which you can determine on a daily basis after you get your test kit. But, I'd say it'll be a few weeks, at least. If you just can't wait to add a fish or two, add them VERY gradually (like 1 or 2 per week) and start out with hearty fish that can withstand the cycling process.

Others with more experience than I have can correct me or add their insight! I'm still learning but I thought I'd chime in anyway.

Good luck!

Burninator

That test kit was like $27 at the petsmart i went to, so $17 doesnt sound too bad


Another thing, looking at pictures of your tank, they look so clear. My water has like a blue/green tint to it. Its had it since i put the water in there. Anything i can do for that, or is it just time.

Burninator

I guess i cant edit my post in here, i was trying to edit so i didnt have so many post in a row but its fine.

heres what i look like so far
The bar in the back is uneven, the rocks are messy and its not filled all the way. When i put the bar and rocks in the water was too cold so i just wanted to get it in there and fix it later.

willow

hello :)
i'm in agreement,get all the decor into the tank befor the fish,
less stress for you and even less for the fish, :)
if you have any friends with a tropical or cold water tank,ask them
for a sponge or other filter media from their tank,put it into
your filter and you can add some fish.

Burninator

ok, decor before fish, but how long before?

Also, Sponge in my filter? Put something other then the carbon filter thats suppose to go in it?

TrashmanNYC

you really dont need the carbon unless you are removing meds........

Burninator

ok, so just a regular sponge that doesnt have the scrubber side?

TrashmanNYC

its a fish tank specific type of sponge

iamntbatman

You can put all of the decor and whatnot in the tank as soon as you'd like. Actually, the earlier the better, because more decor = more surfaces for bacteria to grow on. If you can get decor (artificial, driftwood, rocks, live plants, anything really) from an established tank that could help your cycle move faster.

You can bury that bubble wand under your gravel if you like. The bubbles will still come up but it'll look like they're just coming up out of the gravel and you won't see the bar.

Keep in mind that you need to have some ammonia source in the tank at all times during the cycle. Putting in some fish food every day, or using pure ammonia (make sure it's 100% pure and doesn't have any sort of fragrances or anything like that), or even putting in an uncooked shrimp will create an ammonia source that will cycle the tank.

Filters have to have some sort of filter media in them. Some use sponges, some use bioballs or ceramic rings, some use filter floss - all of these materials will have tons of bacteria growing on them in an established tank, so if you know someone with an established tank you can ask them for some of this media and stick it in your filter to help your tank cycle.