Just Introducing Myself!

[Blough]

         Hello! I am new on this website, and kind of new to fish tank care. I'm fourteen years old, and got my first fish tank last October, but my mom has a fish tank that she's had for about seven or eight months longer. She also raised fish as a teenager. Her tank is kind of a family tank, and it is 120 gallons. It contains a lot of different species of tropical fish. My tank is ten gallons, and I have one betta named Blough, and four Cory Cats. I think I have two males and two females, but I'm not sure. (I know that there can sometimes be a problem with other fish living with Bettas, but I've seen no aggression between the two species, and I have the 120 gallon tank as a backup plan in case the Cories don't work out.) I didn't cycle my tank the normal way, but instead I took a filter bag from my Mom's tank, and used that to get the proper bacteria into my tank, by leaving it in there for about a month and a half with a fish in there.
I'm looking forward to being on this forum, and learning the tricks to keeping happy and healthy fish.
 

 

[ricbea]

Welcome to the forum Blough and perhaps more importantly welcome to the hobby. I like that you used established media from the family tank. This will definitely have helped to get your tank up and running. Is it fair to assume that you had new media in there at the same time? Also, do you or mum have any test kits  so you can keep a check on your water parameters? This is very important for the well being of your fish. I hope your fish give you great happiness.
 
Richard.

 

[AmtotheBurr]

Welcome!

 

[Blough]

Yes, we have a test kit. I tested my tank last night and found a higher level of nitrates then I would have liked, so I just finished a water change of three or four gallons.

 

[Blough]

Media is the bag in the filter, right? The bag that holds the bacteria? I don't have that because I have an under gravel filter. I'm told that with an under gravel filter the bacteria is living in the gravel. I put the filter bag back in my Mom's tank about a week ago.

 

[boshk]

Welcome!