The Start Orf A New Begining!

[Tuppers]

Thanks for that rabbut I have an Eheim Aquaball in it at the mo way over what I need never too much filtration hey!! Well I will look into this lighting some more! I do like the look of the new T5 ARCADIA lighting equipment I was just worried about fish or shrimp jumping!

Cheers

Tuppers

 

[Tuppers]

Well checked the levels this morning and it took the Nitrite 15 hrs to get to 0 so I am wondering if this has anything to do with the water change hopefully it drops back to 12! It has been so long and I really really want some fish now!!

Tuppers

 

[rabbut]

15hrs to drop it if you are going down the small community fish route should be fine IMO...

 

[Tuppers]

Well I was thinking about 6 neons at first waiting for a month and then getting 6 more and staying with that for a long while after to really mature the tank and then look at getting some shrimp in their as a cleaning crew?? What do you think?

 

[waterdrop]

Welcome back Tuppers!! Congrats on everything -

A water change during fishless usually only sets you back a day or two, so those drops should go back to 12 hours very quickly.

With neons there is always the standard advice that these are delicate enough that people usually wait for 6 months of tank ageing regardless of cycling (an admission that nobody really knows what it is quite that they are sensitive to.) BUT, it could very well be that this lore is actually predicated on them needing a really stable cycled filter. I believe there are those that have had success regardless of that lore and you might just go ahead and be a good test for us! I usually recommend that you get an extra one or two neons at each purchase, especially if some are small, as usually one or two won't make it through the transfer/transition process.

Why are you thinking about upgrading your light? What wattage is the actual bulb?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Tuppers]

I think I will test this out! I now OFFICIALLY apologise to the neon’s who will be used as Guinea Pigs!!!! Sorry Again!!

I will purchase 8 then I think! Just to cover any loss and I think the tank will be able to cope with this amount any how even if it does take 12-14 hrs to get back to 0!!

The reason I want a change is that I just don’t like the hood I have!! That’s basically it really!! Nothing more!! I just want something that just looks a little slicker if you know what I mean!!

Oh and I added some substrat to my filter this morning!! Kindly donated from a friend who was getting rid I have plenty more but I thought I would add a little at a time for now and get my colonies thriving first before I removed any of my pads!! My filter is an Aquaball 2012 I have two chambers not three as the filter would not fit I have added a few layers under each sponge of the substrat.

And again shoul I go with Neons or Cardinals??

 

[waterdrop]

Well if you're just changing the lighting system for sake of the look of the cover itself, that's fine, but be careful that you don't move yourself up into the "high-tech" lighting range without that being a "concious" move. The -amount- of light (eg. total wattage of the bulbs, regardless of color spectra) is like the gas peddle for the plants. Step on the gas too much and it gets more dangerous, just like cars, in the sense that a fast growing plant needs more "gas." That means extra systems for CO2, more fertilization etc. In your tank size, I'm pretty sure anything above 2 watts per US gallon would be considered "high lighting" and would get you into this area. Apologies.. as I may truely be forgetting.. in fact I almost think I vaguely remember that you might have taken some steps about this stuff(?) even CO2?

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Tuppers]

Yes I have a Nutrafin CO2 setup in at the mo I was also thinking about the future as I have my eye on a larger tank and was going to use my smaller tank to setup a heavily planted one with grass and so on!

BUT really its bloody ugly! thats why!!

 

[Tuppers]

Hi there itt seems the tank is settleing down to 13-14 hours to get Nitrite to 0.

So after I have done my large water change tomorrow Tuesday, I cant get the fish till Wednesday so do I feed the Bacteria a small amount of ammonia for the night or can I leave it for a day? I mean intead of 2.5ml I put in 1ml? Just to give it something for the 18 or so hours it would be to add some fish?

Cheers

Gareth

 

[rabbut]

I'd let it have the 1ml personally

 

[Schmill]

^^^ me too.

I did the large water change the night before my fish arrived, and after refilling I dosed ammonia at 50%, then just checked that all ammonia & nitrIte was gone, (well, tests reading 0), before introducing the fish.

 

[waterdrop]

me too

 

[Tuppers]

Well the little critters have arrived!!

Only problem is I paid for 8 and got 14!!!! NO NEED!!!!!!

2 have died with all the stress but the 12 remaining have taken to the tank well!!!

The lights are off and have been for an hour now so how long do I wait till I turn them back on and when do I feed these guys?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

cool, freebies are always good, give it a few days and see how they acclimitise, you may loose another one or two which would bring you a reasonable number for the tank, if not then you can always sell/re-home them to another member near you, sure it won't be hard to find a home for them.

leave the lights off and don't feed for 24 hrs. i know it's hard cos you just wanna poke around wuth your new fishies but it's for the best to let them settle down today. they're unlikely to eat any food you put in so it'd just pollute the tank.

 

[Tuppers]

thanks Miss Wiggle!!