I want to check if ive done it right

[2tank]

Day 1,
I started off with cleaning the tank I bought from the pet shop with isopropyl alcohol, I then rinsed the tank with water.
I mixed 3 types of gravel together and rinsed with Isopropyl, and then water.
I added the gravel into my tank.
I added 110 litres of water from the tap.
day 2
I dosed that water with Seachem Prime to treat for chlorine.
I installed the filter.
day 3
I added the plants.
the water was slightly murky from dust which was in the filter.
I added Nutrifin Clear Fast to remove the cloudiness from my water.
I then added 3 caps of Seachem Stability, once the water had cleared
Day 4
I added a cap of Seachem Stability.
Day 5
I added another cap of Seachem Stability. it recommends a 7-day course.
Day 7
which is today, I haven't added anything to the water, but it feels slightly slimy.

 

[Essjay]

Can I ask, what is the wood just making an appearance in the photo?

The reason I ask is because I have had two pieces of azalea root soaking for 5 weeks. They have made the water cloudy, they have been covered in white goo which I keep scrubbing off, and they feel slimey. If you have azalea root, that could account to some, if not all, the slimey feel.

How many plants do you have in the tank, and what species of plant? If there are a number of fast growing plants, you need to wait until the plants are actively growing, then add fish a few at a time.
However, if you only have a few slow growing plants you need to do a fishless cycle. Seachem Stability may or may not do anyhting and the only way to check is to add ammonia from a bottle to get a reading of 3 ppm and test for ammonia and nitrite 24 hours later. if both are zero, the tank is cycled; if one or other or both are not zero, the tank is not cycled and is not ready for fish.


Just to check, you did remove all the isopropanol that you used?

 

[2tank]

Can I ask, what is the wood just making an appearance in the photo?

The reason I ask is because I have had two pieces of azalea root soaking for 5 weeks. They have made the water cloudy, they have been covered in white goo which I keep scrubbing off, and they feel slimey. If you have azalea root, that could account to some, if not all, the slimey feel.

How many plants do you have in the tank, and what species of plant? If there are a number of fast growing plants, you need to wait until the plants are actively growing, then add fish a few at a time.
However, if you only have a few slow growing plants you need to do a fishless cycle. Seachem Stability may or may not do anyhting and the only way to check is to add ammonia from a bottle to get a reading of 3 ppm and test for ammonia and nitrite 24 hours later. if both are zero, the tank is cycled; if one or other or both are not zero, the tank is not cycled and is not ready for fish.


Just to check, you did remove all the isopropanol that you used?

I removed all the isopropyl first of.
the wood is spider wood, the white goo is apparently supposed to appear according to the aquarium shop I bought it at.

 

[Essjay]

Spiderwood is azalea root. I have read too many tales about the white goo poisoning fish, which is why mine is still soaking after 5 weeks. I'll probably not use it now as I've bought more wood labelled 'mangrove' since I got the azalea root.

 

[2tank]

@Retired Viking so for the mention here. But, I would like to discuss how I should set up my plants and how to save my currently planted ones.

P.S I think this is a better place to have a discussion than the newbie thread.

 

[2tank]

Today I did a 50% water change and followed a guide from fishkeeping world on Anubis plants.


I also did a water test with a JBL AQUATEST 7 in 1.
My PH is 7.1
I have zero nitrates in the water
My water hardness is oka.
My alkalinity is 3 53 and is in the red warning zone on the test.
chlorine is also 0

How would I fix the alkalinity problem?

 

[Essjay]

I don't know why these test kits give good or a warning or whatever for GH and KH (aka alkalinity)

KH - alkalinity - is only important to fish because it stabilises pH. There is no such thing as a bad KH. If KH is high, it is hard to alter pH; if it is very low, pH can change easily. Your KH is 3 dH and 53 ppm. That is on the low side, but as long as you do weekly water changes of at least 50%, that will replenish the KH and keep the pH stable. That's all you need to do.


There is also no such thing as an all purpose good GH. It depends on what the fish are as to whether it is good or bad. Soft water fish need low GH and a high GH is bad; hard water fish need a high GH and a low GH is bad.
The photo shows your hardness is above 4 but under 7 dH (or above 70 but less than 125 ppm). This is good for soft water fish, but not for hard water fish.


Unfortunately, strips do not test for ammonia. You need a separate tester for that. Ammonia, like nitrite, needs to be zero when fish are in the tank.



I know you have been adding Stability to the water, but that may or may not have grown all the bacteria you need for when there are fish in the tank.
Just how many plants do you have in the tank, and what type are they?

 

[2tank]

Just how many plants do you have in the tank, and what type are they?

8 Anubius plants, 2 Cryptocoryne Beckett and 1 African water fern.
4 of the Anubis are planted and both Cryptocorynes are also planted along with the water fern. 4 of my anubius plants are still in their pots so I can add them to my second tank.

About the spider wood aka azeal root, I did some research and it appears that the slime is harmless. though it was responsible for the slimy feel of the water.

 

[Essjay]

Anubias should not be planted. They have a rhizome - the thick thing that the leaves grow out of - which will rot if it's under the substrate. The usual thing is to attach it to decor.

Anubias are slow growing plants which won't do much to remove ammonia when there are fish in the tank. Crypts are better but you have only two of them. I don't know what African water fern is I'm afraid

With just these plants in the tank, I would get some ammonia (or ammonium chloride) and add enough to get a 3 ppm reading in the tank water. Then test ammonia and nitrite 24 hours later. If both are zero, the tank is good for fish. But if either or both are above zero, it is not ready for fish. That leaves the option of doing a fishless cycle, or getting a lot more plants. Floating plants are especially good as they are close to the lights and can get carbon dioxide from the air so they are very fast growing and take up a lot of ammonia.



Azalea root - I've found references to the slime killing fish which is why I'm erring on the side of caution........

 

[2tank]

Anubias should not be planted. They have a rhizome - the thick thing that the leaves grow out of - which will rot if it's under the substrate. The usual thing is to attach it to decor.

I attached my Anubias to the wood in the center of my tank.

 

[Essjay]

That's fine, that's what I do with mine. Once the roots cling to the wood you can remove the string/wool/whatever it is.

 

[2tank]

cool thnx for the help