Hello From Staffordshire

[marianda24]

Just wanted to say hello.

We are still very much novices in the fish world and having read hundreds of posts for newbies we have to confess to not knowing where to start. It is all so confusing

We have just bought a second-hand Juwel Trigon 190 and have started off with the gravel and filter media (correct phrase???) that came with it. Have we done the right thing or should we have started off with brand new? We filled the tank on Saturday evening and have no idea what to do next.

Help!!!!!!

Gill and Mark

 

[JenCliBee]

Firstly Hi & Welcome TFF

rite no it wsnt the wrong thing 2 do using old media ,if the media has straight away been tranfered from the tank after it ws moved then u could have done some good preserving maybe some bacteria firstly tho u will need 2 cycle the tank this process is adding a sort of waste source so bacteria can grow have a read HERE about fishless cycling its a really good read very informative... wilalso need a water testing kit for this process as u need 2 closely monitor ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels and test PH levels 2 see wot fish are avaible 2 u just have a read it will explain everthink anyways and if u have any more question dont hesitate 2 ask



hope i helped

from a fellow midlander jen

 

[chesterscot]

welcome to tff's you need to read threads about cycling if you havnt already thats the nxt step b4 you add fish
good luck scot

 

[Corleone]

There's a lot of help out there, but it's overwhelming figuring out what to do when. I'll try to boil it down as best I can

You should alright with the used gravel and filter media, but if it dried out, you probably won't have any bacteria left in it, so it's similar to starting brand new. I've used gravel and media I've kept stored for months without problem. Some sponge media shrivels up when it's been wet and dries, but it'll be pretty obvious from a look if it's gone bad, you can usually replace the media without needing to replace the filter.

This is an excellent guide from Miss Wiggle (she's probably one of if not the best source of newbie friendly advice on the forum, really). You can review it to make sure you're set up right, and it'll also list all the other things you'll want to buy (and not buy - some pet stores make their best bank pushing stuff you might not need).
http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/24...Up-An-Aquarium/


From there, since it sounds like you don't have fish yet, you can get started with a fishless cycle using an artificial ammonia source. This will go a long way to skipping the biggest problems new fish owners run into, particularly "New Tank Syndrome," which is a mess of separate problems that generally stem from not knowing how to deal with the cycle process.
http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...shless-Cycling/

You can also check this list for people near you who might be able to donate mature filter media - this can greatly speed or even eliminate the cycle process.
http/www.fishforums.net/content/New-to-t...ia-To-Newbies-/


And for the near future when your cycle is completed and you're ready for fish, here's a fairly basic rundown of stocking.
http/www.fishforums.net/content/forum/19...ut-In-My-Tank-/
There's as much art as science in stocking, so while the cycle is in progress, take the time to come up with ideas and feel free to ask in the New to the Hobby section if you want any advice on numbers, compatibility, and so forth.

 

[kewskills]

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