How To Make Sure The New Aquarium Is Safe?

[FishBlast]

I really need help as soon as possible, please.
I don't know what to do to make sure I don't end up killing all my fish while moving them to the new aquarium.
How should I make sure that there are no toxins in it? I have no means of reading if the silicone is toxic (and there probably isn't one unless I'd be a Chemistry savy).
I've left the tank dry for about a week, I've washed it with a sponge and repeatedly ran water through it and poured it in the bath tub. I've added 30L of dechlorinated fresh tap water to the tank so far.

Should I put one of my swordtails in there for a few hours and see if it's safe? (after moving some of the old water with him and adding some of the new one to the bowl and then putting him in the new tank). It sounds like a stupid thing to do, but it would be even stupider to add all 3 of my fish and watch them die in there along with the filter bacteria.

 

[FishBlast]

Oh well... better safe than sorry. I hope Cracker will be safe too though. He's so tiny compared to the tank...

 

[onidrase]

Where did you get it from? If it's made for an aquarium, and you got it from somebody that used it as an aquarium, then it's probably safe.

However, but the looks of the thing you have, it doesn't have any black plastic around the edges to help keep the seams from splitting. That worries me a little.

 

[balajake]

why does it look like it has a big crack up the right side ?

 

[FishBlast]

Where did you get it from? If it's made for an aquarium, and you got it from somebody that used it as an aquarium, then it's probably safe.

However, but the looks of the thing you have, it doesn't have any black plastic around the edges to help keep the seams from splitting. That worries me a little.

I ordered the tank to be made by custom dimensions 85x30x30. I didn't get the silicone myself and I didn't build this aquarium (If I had built it, it would be more along the lines of 100x30x30). The guy that made the aquarium has it. He has made more aquariums that he has on sale. That's why I am a bit suspicious, however he'd be gone from the market place by now if he did make them out of toxic silicone, or so I'd expect to happen.

What worries me is that this is a brand new aquarium. Nothing has lived in it for about a week since it was made.

It's a 76L so... I don't think it might need that. It also isn't too tall.

why does it look like it has a big crack up the right side ?

That's a cable (the internet cable).



So far, Cracker seems ok. He's eating and swimming around.

 

[balajake]

ah ok

 

[FishBlast]

ah ok

The funny part is that the dechlorinator is turning my water blue. It stays like that for a few hours (even Tzuppy's old tank turns blue for a bit).

It seems the dechlo did its job perfectly. No sign of chlorine stress.
The fish already started pecking the floor, which is a good sign. He can at least take a bit of rest from Bee's grumpiness. She's always scaring him away if he tries to mate with her (being pregnant, she's really getting angry easy).


So tomorrow if I move them all + filter + old water, is there anything else I can do to carry as much bacteria from the old tank as possible? The only decoration the old tank has that might have some bacteria on it is Tzuppy's ball.
Should I squeeze the filter sponge in the new tank or it's enough to just move the filter to the new tank?

 

[gforce17]

It is the filter that is cycled to deal with the toxins, not the water in the tank. If your filter is cycled just put it in the new tank - don't squeeze anything into the water.

 

[FishBlast]

It is the filter that is cycled to deal with the toxins, not the water in the tank. If your filter is cycled just put it in the new tank - don't squeeze anything into the water.

Yeah but I'll need to add some of the old water anyway to keep same PH.
And it seems like the silicone isn't releasing any toxins, the swordtail's minding his own business on the floor of the tank.

The filter might be cycled (at least for the ammonia part I'm sure it handles it according to the tests, as 2 days passed with no water change and the test still showed 0). I am not sure about nitrite but if it were present, during those 2 days the fish would have been at the top (unless they've been used to it and don't show any signs but it's been 2+ months so should have been processed too).

Tomorrow I'll be getting 4 more kg of sand to have 6kg and cover the tank floor with about 1.5 cm substrate. No plants will be in the substrate, just some floating elodea on the sides of the tank (for the two swordies to have their own territory, as the female cannot stand the male around her and turns at him when he comes closer to her).

And it's time to check the ammonia in this new tank. I don't know how fast one tiny fish can produce it, but just to be safe...

 

[FishFanatic04]

They are going to love it, and you will too

 

[FishBlast]

They are going to love it, and you will too

Yeah, the idea of having a nice tank in my bedroom sounds very relaxing. And the Hoplo that has welcomed me home for so many years since I've been through school and high school will be the star of it X)

Now waiting for the ammo test results of the big tank. I want to know if the dechlorinator has left behind too much ammonia (though my tap's at 0 too normally) or if the tiny fish has produced noticeable ammonia. He's quite entertaining to watch when he's on his own.

 

[gforce17]

Does dechlorinator leave ammonia behind? I'm learning all the time.

 

[FishBlast]

Does dechlorinator leave ammonia behind? I'm learning all the time.

Well, that's what I've heard, but maybe they were referring to a different type of water (might not be tap water). There was some post around here that said that dechlorinators might leave behind ammonia once it removes chlorine (or chloramine actually, since that one forms when chlorine binds to ammonia - i'm not entirely sure about this but it's how chloramine was explained somewhere). On some website, I've read that dechlorinator removes heavy metals, however that it might also remove important minerals.
I am confused.

But anyway the test result seems to still be 0 in the new tank. I guess it takes a while before it gets noticed in a larger tank. My turtle's pool is quite small so it detected the 0.25 ammo immediately, it turned pale green that time.

Yeah, still 0. I keep wondering if at some point there's going to be trouble if I keep throwing this substance into the toilet. *looks left and right*

 

[FishBlast]

The little guy seems to enjoy swimming in it, but I don't know what to do, tomorrow at noon dad and I will be setting the new tank properly so should I leave him in until tomorrow? Or put him back into the old tank? Would that shock him though?

 

[CezzaXV]

Dechlor will break chloramine down (if there is any) into chlorine and ammonia, but the resulting ammonia should not be high enough to register on a test kit. If you've got a cycled filter it'll disappear in no time.