New Aquarium & My First Time!

[SchottayB]

Hi guys, thanks for reading this...

I've recently brought my fish tank, 50ltr hexogan shape. I've set it all up how I like it, temprature is good and the filter etc is working good.

It's just 100% tap water at the moment because i'm stressing incase I kill somthing! I have the water treatment to take out the chlorine etc in the water (i've not added it yet).

Anyone take me through some nice, easy and simple steps to follow please? Like what do I do after I've added the water treatment? How long do I wait from putting in the water treatment in untill doing the next stage?

What good products to buy to add bactirea and how to get nitrate, and what good test kits to use? (name of product and link maybe?)

I would like to get all the water and tank going, befor adding fish to cycle, so what do I need to do (be nice, and simple hah) I would like to cycle with out the fish in, just incase somthing went wrong!

Many thanks guys, and wish me luck!

PS, Sorry for the essay!

 

[ChiNA MaN]

add the treatment i think its like 5ml for every 10 gallons so do that then let it sit for atleast 4-6 weeks and test the ph nitrates and all and if its all on set then add fish and water change 15-20% every week or two and gl =)

 

[SchottayB]

add the treatment i think its like 5ml for every 10 gallons so do that then let it sit for atleast 4-6 weeks and test the ph nitrates and all and if its all on set then add fish and water change 15-20% every week or two and gl =)

Thanks for the quick reply, make it sound so easy lol! Don't I need any bacteria tablets or anything? Says I do so i've read else where.

I will add the water treatment tomorrow morning and leave that to set then, with the pump/filter going I guess?

Any nice colourful fish that are reccomended to add to start with? I hear you need some tough fish to start with, to get things rolling...?

Thanks!

 

[pippoodle]

add the treatment i think its like 5ml for every 10 gallons so do that then let it sit for atleast 4-6 weeks and test the ph nitrates and all and if its all on set then add fish and water change 15-20% every week or two and gl =)

YOU dont just let it sit for 4-6 weeks you need to cycle the tank
just letting it sit that long will do nothing

please read this link on fish less cycling
[URL="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861"]http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861[/URL]

thanks Sarah x

 

[rdd1952]

First, hello and welcome to the forum.

I agree with pippoodle. Letting it sit is the same as filling it with water and adding fish. You have to cycle the tank which is the process of building a beneficial bacteria colony that processes ammonia and nitrite which are 2 toxins resulting from fish waste. Read the articles on fishless and fish-in cycling in the Beginners Resource Center. Besides the article of cycling, there are other threads that will help you understand the ins and outs of the hobby.

From the fish's standpoint, fishless cycling is the best. They are never subjected to harmful toxins and will be healthier. You aren't likely to see diseases pop up as a result of stress from poor water conditions. If you don't want to go through the fishless cycling rocess which can take from 2 weeks to a couple months, then you can cycle with fish but you have to go very slowly, only adding 3 or 4 fish at a time. You also have to test the water daily and do water changes as needed, up to several a day, to keep the ammonia and nitrite to a minimum.

As far as good products for bacteria, the bacteria in a bottle products are pretty much rubbish and a waste of money. Some people swear that they work but I never had any success with them. They most likely won't help but also won't harm anything except for possibly your wallet.

Get a good liquid test kit. Strips are very inaccurate and for the most part much more expensive than liquid. For about the same price as 50 test strps, you can get a liquid master kit that will give you hundreds of tests. You need tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Most 5-in-1 strips don't test for ammonia and that is the first toxin your fish encounter so it is imperitive that you have a test for it.

As far as getting the tank ready to cycle, it's really as simple as filling it up and adding dechlorinator. Other than that, nothing to do. If you do a fishless cyce, you will need to turn the heat up a bit and add extra aeration to keep enough oxygen in the water for the bacteria but that's it.

 

[SchottayB]

add the treatment i think its like 5ml for every 10 gallons so do that then let it sit for atleast 4-6 weeks and test the ph nitrates and all and if its all on set then add fish and water change 15-20% every week or two and gl =)

YOU dont just let it sit for 4-6 weeks you need to cycle the tank
just letting it sit that long will do nothing

please read this link on fish less cycling
<a href="http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861" target="_blank">http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=113861</a>

thanks Sarah x

Awsome, thanks for that I've just read through it... sounds abit confusing but I'm deffonatly going to follow it! I'm sure if I get stuck, or think somthings wrong i'm always welcome here for the awnsers to my problems?

Going to go out and buy whats on that list tomorrow.

Also would I need a siphon pump, to clean the gravle and use it for the water change rather than stick a bowl in there?

Many thanks for all your help, any advice is welcome!

Thank you,
Scott

 

[pippoodle]

get dechlorinator for ponds if you havent already got any , it's cheaper and does the same job
and you use a lot less as it more concentrated

a Gravel vac is a good idea this means you'll be able to siphon the water now when it needs water changes during the cycling process
and then when it's cycled and you have fish in the tank you can clean the gravel and do a water change at the same time - during your weekly water changes

saves money on buying a syphon aswell

 

[SchottayB]

First, hello and welcome to the forum.

I agree with pippoodle. Letting it sit is the same as filling it with water and adding fish. You have to cycle the tank which is the process of building a beneficial bacteria colony that processes ammonia and nitrite which are 2 toxins resulting from fish waste. Read the articles on fishless and fish-in cycling in the Beginners Resource Center. Besides the article of cycling, there are other threads that will help you understand the ins and outs of the hobby.

From the fish's standpoint, fishless cycling is the best. They are never subjected to harmful toxins and will be healthier. You aren't likely to see diseases pop up as a result of stress from poor water conditions. If you don't want to go through the fishless cycling rocess which can take from 2 weeks to a couple months, then you can cycle with fish but you have to go very slowly, only adding 3 or 4 fish at a time. You also have to test the water daily and do water changes as needed, up to several a day, to keep the ammonia and nitrite to a minimum.

As far as good products for bacteria, the bacteria in a bottle products are pretty much rubbish and a waste of money. Some people swear that they work but I never had any success with them. They most likely won't help but also won't harm anything except for possibly your wallet.

Get a good liquid test kit. Strips are very inaccurate and for the most part much more expensive than liquid. For about the same price as 50 test strps, you can get a liquid master kit that will give you hundreds of tests. You need tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Most 5-in-1 strips don't test for ammonia and that is the first toxin your fish encounter so it is imperitive that you have a test for it.

As far as getting the tank ready to cycle, it's really as simple as filling it up and adding dechlorinator. Other than that, nothing to do. If you do a fishless cyce, you will need to turn the heat up a bit and add extra aeration to keep enough oxygen in the water for the bacteria but that's it.

Hello and thanks, thanks for all that! Sounds great, I will be going for the fishless cycle as it "seems" the best, so i've read. Hopfuly I can get this working well, no rushing or it will turn into a mess, these things take time I have all the time, if I will end up with a great healthy aquerium at the end

 

[rdd1952]

That old saying about patience being a virtue is very true in this hobby. If you rush things, they usually don't turn out very good. You may want to check the Media Donors thread in the BRC and see if there is anyone near you that can give you some media from one of their tanks to help speed the cycling process.

 

[fatheadminnow]

Yes, some very good information from the members above!

I would suggest on getting the API Freshwater Master Test Kit which test for Ammonia, NitrIte, NitrAte and pH. This test kit is fairly inexpensive and will last you a long time. And it is a LIQUID test kit, not a strip one. Strip test kits are very inaccurate, never buy one.

You want to add the water conditioner to your water every time you do water changes/add water to the tank. This will de-chlorinate your tap water, making it safe for fish, when you get fish after the cycle, it also makes the water safe for your bacteria to grow in your filter. Chlorine can kill off your beneficial bacteria colony in you don't add water conditioner.

As far as that goes, make sure you read through that link that pippoodle sent you about how to do a Fishless cycle, and make sure you understand it!

If you have any questions on it, please ask!

Regards
-FHM

 

[SchottayB]

Yes, some very good information from the members above!

I would suggest on getting the API Freshwater Master Test Kit which test for Ammonia, NitrIte, NitrAte and pH. This test kit is fairly inexpensive and will last you a long time. And it is a LIQUID test kit, not a strip one. Strip test kits are very inaccurate, never buy one.

You want to add the water conditioner to your water every time you do water changes/add water to the tank. This will de-chlorinate your tap water, making it safe for fish, when you get fish after the cycle, it also makes the water safe for your bacteria to grow in your filter. Chlorine can kill off your beneficial bacteria colony in you don't add water conditioner.

As far as that goes, make sure you read through that link that pippoodle sent you about how to do a Fishless cycle, and make sure you understand it!

If you have any questions on it, please ask!

Regards
-FHM

Thanks for the help from everyone, its helped alot! Tomorrow i'm going to buy the liquid test kit that tests everything listed above (thanks!) and the ammonia, hopfuly all goes well, I will repot back tomorrow and let you know how it goes. Hope everythings in stock! hah

Thanks guys, big help!

 

[SchottayB]

Hi guys, today i'm off to buy a test kit. Just wondering if all this sounds ok to you pros lol,

A-7865 Nutrafin Mini Master Test Kit

Contains 4 essential tests for freshwater:
Ammonia (NH3/4); Nitrite (NO2); Nitrate (NO3); pH (Wide Range).

Full complement of test equipment: test pipette; glass test tubes and caps, lab base, instruction booklet for each test.

The basic introductory kit for all new freshwater aquariums
Allows monitoring of toxic biological compounds.
Allows monitoring of nitrate, important for frequency of water changes and implications for algae growth.

Verification of pH is essential in relation to ammonia toxicity as well as establishing beneficial value ranges for various fish and plants.




Do I test the normal tap water in my tank first, befor adding any tap water treatment? What ways do I do this please,

Many thanks again,

Scott

 

[Bobtastic]

I am currently using the Nutrafin Mini Master kit and it is the one that want from the Nutrafin range. Tho... I've found it difficult to read on occasion and plan to get the API equivilant once the Nutrafin one runs out.

It is usually a good idea to do a test on you untreated tap water to get your base readings. Testing the water after adding the dechlorinator shouldn't make much of a difference to your results. If you find that you have a low pH (around 6 and below) you may need to get hold of a KH/GH test kit. But dont worry about that yet.

 

[waterdrop]

While I think there is a bit of a preference for the API Freshwater Master Test Kit here on the forum, I think in the long run there is little difference between this one and the Nutrafin Mini-Master Test Kit. The minor difficulties in making a judgment call to match the test tube color to the chart color exist to an equal extent in both I believe, with the Nutrafin users fussing that they can't judge the "pink" level and the API users fussing that they can't judge the "green" level. The API tests have a nice way of changing color to show zero (for ammonia, green switches to yellow at zero; for nitrite, purple switches to sky blue at zero) but the Nutrafin users say that Nutrafin tests switch to a clear "clear" at zero, so overall, either should be about the same for most people.

Once you stray off of these two brands, I'd say we hear a few more serious complaints/problems with say, Interpet or RedSea or perhaps a few others but I can't remember enough to cite details. On the other end of the scale, Salifert is usually considered the fancier, more expensive brand to go to for more detailed readings and other types of tests but I believe someone said their testing process was perhaps a bit overly involved for the larger number of tests newbies are performing during startup, so some considered it too time consuming. Those are just general impressions so don't hold me to them please!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[pippoodle]

one tip

test your tap water and get a baseline result so you know what the reading are in your tap water