I've Picked Up Lots Of Equipment And Now Need Help!

[simonford]

Greetings all
I already have a small (25l) tropical tank going nicely - but being small and using an under-gravel filter I wanted to upgrade!
And now I have just got hold of the following stuff so I can make my tropical joy bigger!

* A 120 litre tank

* A Fluval 203 external filter, along with the following 'bits': activated aqua carbon, Eheim EHFI-LAV biological filter media, Eheim Ehfidrafin, and a bag of filter fibre
- my main question here is - is the filter big enough, what do I put in the fluval? I've also just seen in the box a small Eheim ultra small internal filter (suitable for up to 60l) - do I just ignore this? Do I add it in too - can you have enough filtration???

* There are 4 pumps: Whisper 300, Algard, Atlantis 3000s, Hagen elite 800 - do I just use one of these? And get a tube and air stone or something? Is it worth using more than one? Is it just to look good with lots of bubbles???

* There are various lighting units - a 'modern' one being a jerrard twin 15w lighting control unit, plus a 1inch light fitting unit (25 or 30w) and a 1.5inch unit (20w). How much lighting do I need? Is it worth going with two lights?

* I also have 4 heaters!!! But there is a new tronic 200w one that says it can do my tank capacity so I'll use that one

Would love someone to advise me what to use - how to set it up - what I need to still get hold of (I have gravel cleaners and dechlorinator and thermometer and glass cleaner... I also have a cone shaped feeding ring! What's this?) Should I get plants etc?

I want to set it all up, so I can do a clean cycle (how do you test the water?)

Many thanks for any advice offered - I'm convinced there's someone out there willing to help!

Simon

 

[mark.w.jones]

That's a whole bunch of questions. I'll do my best.

1. Read all pinned topics at the top of this forum + tropical chat one.
2. Please, please, please fishless cycle your tank before adding fish. Follow add & wait method from link in my sig.
3. The Fluval 203 is fine for that tank although there is no harm in running the eheim in there as well once youve finished your fishless cycle on your 203.
4. You want no more than 60W of light over that tank to begin with. This is about 2 Watts per gallon which is fine for growing most of the easier to grow plants.
5. I would highly, highly recommend getting plants. They help so much with stablising your tanks water conditions and are dead cheap too. Greenline Aquatics do really cheap multipacks of plants for new setups. But don't add them until your fishless cycle is finished.
6. Fishless cycling is much quicker with some mature sponge and ceramic media from a mature tank.
7. Careful use of the "search" button. Top Right corner will find you answers to the vast majority of your problems.

All the best

 

[simonford]

4. You want no more than 60W of light over that tank to begin with. This is about 2 Watts per gallon which is fine for growing most of the easier to grow plants.

Thank you for your quick helpful response. To get 60w of light, is it a good idea to go and get a new lighting unit that can do this with two tubes?

 

[mark.w.jones]

Having two 30W bulbs will give you far more lighting flexibility. You can have one bulb more suitable for your plants and another more suitable for lighting your fish etc. There are many bulbs, just pick the right combo for what your aims are for your tank.