Does This Happen Often ?

[onebto]

Hey all can you remember when you started your first aquarium?

Well my new aquarium has just turned up

I have spent quite a while reading advise from this forum and other places but now I am completely stumped on what to do first lol. Or maybe I just want to get things write first time

I am an engineer by trade and usually have no problem with new stuff an analytical mind, read the instructions and do what it says !

But for some reason I find myself shouting out HELP !

I got a Trigon 190 corner Aquarium

I want a Community tank I know that My good lady wants pretty fish well ill settle for interesting but that's getting ahead of myself.

check it for leaks first I guess?

So do I clean the tank with fresh water from my tap ? along with the bits and peace's I want to put in there put the 3d back ground on the back then fill the base with cleaned gravel ?

Then add water ? Yes I read all about cycling and stuff but before all that .

Is what I just suggested the correct way of doing things ?

I really would appreciate all your thoughts and apologies for being a really noob noobie

Regards onebto

 

[rodgerpickford]

hi ther.

glad to know it wasnt just me that paniced when i got my first tank, trust me tho i've been doing it about 1 year now and i'm starting to set up my 3rd tank a fluval 240l, it's the best hobby goin wish i'd done it years ago. it's not as daunting as you think but it sounds to me that most of your thoughts are right. first id fix backing, if its internal you may need to fix it with silicon sealant. once set rince the whole setup tank and everythig else in tapwater just to get rid of dust and debris.
set up your tank as you want gravel etc pump/filter and heater. i then filled with tap water and left running for 3 weeks for my first tank before i had water sample taken at local aquarium shop, if ok just start with a very few fish, take shop advice,i started with 2 mollies and went from there.
good luck

roj

 

[onebto]

Hello there rodgerpickford thanks for that yeah got the silicon and all that found a good post by Miss Wiggle for what I need as well as your kind advise

Regards onebto

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome OneBTO. Glad to have you here. I am also very analytical in my approach to things but got past this stage on my first tank almost before I could read. It is easiest to do all of the setup before you put any water into the tank. Place your substrate, arrange your various ornaments and any plants that you want in the tank. Place a dinner plate on the substrate as a deflector and introduce your water. When the tank is full, prime and start the filter and locate then plug in the heater. Once the water is circulating, treat it with dechlorinator and wait for some of the bubbles to start clearing. The aeration in your water faucet will have given you a supersaturated solution that will leave bubbles on all solids. Then start looking to start the fishless cycle using the instructions that you have no doubt found. If not, there is a link in my signature area.

 

[pippoodle]

Welcome oneBTO and dont appologise for being new everyone was new to the hobby once and it's so good that you have found this forum there are lots of great people on here who have given me lots of good advice

good luck and whille you will be waiting for the fishless cycle to complete make sure you read as much info as you can on the different types of fish you're interested in stocking , finding which ones mix ok and what temps they need etc .
take a trip to quite a few lfs go and look at fish that catch your eye then research them , also a good tip is when you have your list sorted post it here just to confirm you havent over looked any compatability issues

good luck and let us know what fish you decide on in the end - i know 4-6 weeks of fishless cycling seems like forever but trust me you start of properly you will have less problems in the future

also invest in a good liquid master test kit for your water - i cant remember the name of mine ati or api but they are the best ones i have found

good luck Sarahx

 

[onebto]

Thank you so much for the advise I will heed it all

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, good advice there from pipp~! Researching your fish stocking plans takes quite a while and plenty of learning and is a wonderful activity as you proceed with your fishless cycle. In fact, sometimes even those with stubborn fishless cycles that take a long time find that it was hardly long enough to learn all the good stuff that's nice to know before you have the actual fish in there to take care of!

Another similar tip is to read as many other beginner threads as you can here. You are very lucky to have found a really great place for beginner learning. Not only are there good pinned articles, which hopefully you are currently reading, but there is ongoing help and advice in all the threads here and lots of skill development going on. My own feeling is that knowledge gained from other experienced hobbyists is the most powerful tool you could possibly have in the hobby, short of your own direct experiences which must build up over time. The knowledge greatly multiplies what the tools (the hardware, the biology, the water chemistry etc.) can do for you.

At this early stage, I agree its important to get your test kit right. Many of us use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit and find it gives us a "common lingo" among many of the members. The Nutrafin Mini-Master Test Kit is also popular. There are a few others, some with tablets and such, including a few that people have had various problems with. And there are also special test kits out there with even higher accuracy, which are generally not needed at this stage of your journey.

The other important thing to get squared away is to verify that you have the right types of media in your filter (surprisingly, hobbyists do not always go with manufacturers recommendations here and there is quite a bit of lore to learn about it) and that you are satisfied with it prior to your fishless cycle. Its helpful also to understand the implications of your media choices and how they will be maintained. Members here can help a lot with this.

You'll also want to begin the search for the right kind of pure household ammonia for the fishless cycle as this can sometimes be hard to find. You need simple clear ammonia that doesn't have soap (doesn't foam) or dyes or fragrances in it. When you shake it you want to see bubbles as if it were just water, not any foam like there is soap in there.

You of course will not want to expose your new fish to any ammonia or nitrite, as these both cause different types of permanent damage to the fish and the symptoms often are impossible to see. That is why the fishless cycling process that has evolved since the 1980's has become such a key aspect of the hobby. A filter that has not been through this process is really not the fully functioning gear that you need it to be. Many beginners find they have numerous questions once they start reading about this process and ideally its a give and take exchange between you and the members here who have seen a lot of these.

Good luck and welcome to TFF!

~~waterdrop~~