Hello From The Midlands, Uk

[214jay]

Hello
 
I thought I would take time to introduce myself, I am from the Midlands in the UK and have just entered the world of tropical fish keeping.  I have purchased a 48l (10 gallon) tank with all the kit supplied, kind of wish I had gone bigger but it's a start.  I was advised by my LFS to get the tank up to temperature for 3 days then happily buy fish!! Luckily I like to do my research and needless to say my tank is now in the process of a fishless cycle. I tried to get some mature media from my LFS but they would not help so I have found an ammonia cleaner (9.5% ammonia with water) and am keeping a level of 4ppm (which has been decreasing to 0.25ppm in 24hours), nitrites are around 5ppm and nitrates were high but currently at 0.25ppm.  I have got a pump and an aerator setup to help with the cycling process and the water is starting to get a white haze so I am hoping I am slowly getting there.  Also adding a product called 'Interpet Filter Start' which supposedly contains bacteria, I am slightly dubious but it cannot hurt.
 
I have some live plants in the tank which seem happy at the moment but looking forward to getting advice on species choice as and when the cycle process is over!
 
Thanks to everyone who put all the information together on this website, I would have been in the deep end without it!
 
Anyway, a few pictures of my current setup below!
 
Many thanks
 
Jay
 
 

 

 

[DrRob]

Welcome. Glad you found the suggestions on the fishless cycle, hope it goes quickly for you. Good choice you made there, your eventual fish will thank you for it.
 
Sadly I have one initial suggestion. Take that dracaena you have planted amongst the larger stones and put it in a pot on the windowsill, it's not an aquarium plant. Something like a cryptocoryne would look nice there.

 

[214jay]

Hello Dr Rob
 
Thank you for your advice, I did think the Dracaena looked like a house plant, LFS sold it to me as an aquarium plant, I will get it removed!
 
Jay

 

[DrRob]

Happens a lot, they come from the same growing greenhouses and tend to get lumped in with block orders.
 
Some people also justify the use as they'll survive for a while underwater (many plants rot quite quickly) but won't grow there, so eventually just die off.

 

[214jay]

Makes sense, I have removed it now, thanks for the advice.