Restarting a tank... have questions. :)

SolaceTiger

I want to start using my 5 gallon tank again. ONLY my 5 gallon.

I want to get a Dwarf Puffer, and maybe eventually, 5 ghost shrimp or so... if the puffer finds them and likes to eat them, so be it. I plan on having lots of fake plants and hiding places in the tank.

Currently, my 5 gallon tank (which used to house my betta, Zidane), is in my bathtub, in a vinegar and water solution with all my fake plants inside. I plan to rinse it exceptionally well when it's done and leave it to dry.

I want to do a quick fishless cycling... I've heard good things about Seachem Stability, and I'm assuming I'll need a good dechlorinator to... like Prime? Should I use the Stability only for the cycling process, then just use the Prime for water changes? I have well water with high iron content, but we use a softener... when the softener wasn't working before we got the new one, the water was orange. Will this water with the softener be fine, as long as it's dechlorinated? (Sometimes there is a metallic smell.)

Any tips are welcome. I've had a 30 gallon, 5, and 10 gallon all set up at the same time in the past... in fact, I used to be a very active member here, I'm glad to be back. :)

ladayen

You should find out exactly how hard your water is.

As to Prime and stability, read the directions on the bottle. Follow them precisely.

gmate

If you get a Puffer, you'd be obliged to name it Quina.

SolaceTiger

Oh my goodness, that name is perfect! I may just do that. Ironic, that I've been wanting to finish my game of FF9 lately. :3

Byron

Most water softeners work by using certain minerals to affect/remove other minerals. You'll want to find out just how it works, i.e., what minerals/salts/chemicals is it using. As these can sometimes be worse than the initial hardness for fish. Not all softeners are like this, so this is just a caution.

Nice to have you back too.

Byron.

SolaceTiger

So I actually looked in my fish stuff, and realized I still have my GH and KH test kit, and master API Kit. I haven't used them in over a year and I'm not sure when they expire. I tested my water from the tap, and given my spastic ADD tendencies, I may be lying on these numbers. But... I got a reading of 200-400 ppm of KH, and 0-50 ppm for GH. A pH from 7.2-7.4. Does this sound accurate? I'll probably do it again soon. Also, I've decided on a Dwarf Puffer... possibly, some ghost shrimp given I have enough hiding places!

Byron

Don't know about accuracy, but if the KH is that high, I would suspect something is entering the water via the softener. The GH is quite low, as expected. But the KH might be salts of some sort.

SolaceTiger

Hmm, if the KH is high like that... should I try and reduce it?

Byron

Given that you are doing a 5 gallon tank, I would use rainwater, RO water, or a mix. But I would find out what the softener is adding; diluting it with rainwater or RO or even distilled water as for water changes should be feasible.