3 Newbie Questions!

[**sarahp**]

OK - so this afternoon I start on a scary journey into fish keeping

I am about to go and clean my tank (bought it second hand), the plants have arrived in this mornings post so I must hurry up!!

But I have 3 questions

1 - I have the API tap water conditioner to dechlorinate my water - do I fill the tank from the hose pipe then add the decholrinator - or should I do it another way?

2 - When i got the tank I also got some bogwood from the previous owner. Up until Saturday it was in his Cichlid set-up. Will it be ok to just put back in the tank when I've done the tank and sand or do I need to do anything else to it?

3 - finally is there any one in the Dorset area willing to donate mature media to speed up my cycling? Will replace with new obviously!!!

Thanks

Sarah

 

[ebrcknrdg]

OK - so this afternoon I start on a scary journey into fish keeping

I am about to go and clean my tank (bought it second hand), the plants have arrived in this mornings post so I must hurry up!!

But I have 3 questions

1 - I have the API tap water conditioner to dechlorinate my water - do I fill the tank from the hose pipe then add the decholrinator - or should I do it another way?

2 - When i got the tank I also got some bogwood from the previous owner. Up until Saturday it was in his Cichlid set-up. Will it be ok to just put back in the tank when I've done the tank and sand or do I need to do anything else to it?

3 - finally is there any one in the Dorset area willing to donate mature media to speed up my cycling? Will replace with new obviously!!!

Thanks

Sarah

There should be no problem adding the API once youve filled it up, but in future (when you have fish) you need to add the api to the water before you put it into the tank (when you do a water change)

 

[andywg]

1 - I have the API tap water conditioner to dechlorinate my water - do I fill the tank from the hose pipe then add the decholrinator - or should I do it another way?

That is fine.

To make water changes easier, just take water out, put dechlorinator in the tank and connect the hose to the cold tap to fill. Makes it a lot easier than using buckets and the like.

2 - When i got the tank I also got some bogwood from the previous owner. Up until Saturday it was in his Cichlid set-up. Will it be ok to just put back in the tank when I've done the tank and sand or do I need to do anything else to it?

It will be fine to put straight in.

3 - finally is there any one in the Dorset area willing to donate mature media to speed up my cycling? Will replace with new obviously!!!

Try checking the pinned thread on members willing to donate (either in TCC or the n00b section). This should let you know who the nearest person is.

 

[squarefish]

Good luck with the new tank!

Don't forget to put a saucer in the tank when you are filling up to stop all your gravel being disturbed. I have got some previously used bogwood which was out of the tank for a while - I poured boiling water from the kettle over it and a spider ran out!

This is a great site for learning the hobby (I'm a newbie too!) all questions covered in the forums. See the fishless cycling if you are not aware of it, I wish I had known that one...

Steve