New Freshwater 10 Gallon...

[Sly13Cat]

So I bought a 10 Gallon starter kit from my local Wal-Mart so it came with a filter as well as a hood with fluorescent lighting (which I may replace based on what I've heard). Well today we found the second of the 2 heaters we used for the 77 gallon (before it broke) so we have all the basics. I plan on buying the gravel, plants (we also found a plastic plant and cleaned it)as well as a hiding cave for the Betta. This Saturday I plan on buying the all this stuff. Also, I'm buying some male fancy guppies to go with my Betta (Yes I'm aware of the danger to the guppies and he docile so I'll hope for the best!)

So here are my questions

1) It's Wednesday here in Canada and I wanted to know if it's a good idea to set up the tank today to allow the nitrogen cycle to go before I buy the fish Saturday (from Big Al's).

2) To maximize my chances of the Betta/Guppy mix should I add the Betta first or last. (I'll be watching them a lot to make sure they don't fight)

3) What do you think of Big Al's? Is it a good store to buy the guppies?

I'll provide information as needed

 

[Man of fish]

1.you can't cycle the filter like that. You'll need to go through a long process called fishless cycling.
2.last
3. Sorry never been there but is it a big/or small chain or a ms and pa type store?

 

[Sly13Cat]

They have quite a few stores in Canada and they even have their own website
bigalsonline.ca

So how does the fishless cycle work?

 

[Man of fish]

Oh ok. I'm sure it's fine but add them first and wait a few weeks before adding the betta to make sure they have no diseases.
You dose ammonia up to 4 ppm daily until the filter breaks that into nitrites and then turns those nitrites into non-harmful nitrates within 12 hours. It usually takes 40-60 days to do.
Unless you can get mature media from somebody.

 

[Sly13Cat]

So I have to add ammonia daily for 2 months before I can add fish?

 

[Sly13Cat]

We have another 10 gallon with filtration. Would the sponge from that filter do? If it does, how long do I need to keep that sponge in before I add the new one?

 

[Man of fish]

Do you have two in your other filter or even three?? If so take 1 of those and add it to the new media in the new filter and just replace the old sponge in the old filter with a new one, then do fishless cycling for about a week just to make sure it will do
Never change the sponges.

 

[Sly13Cat]

I only have one sponge in the other one. But I have another sponge I could add just in case. Also, does that mean I add ammonia for a 2 months before adding fish? Because that seems kind of long.

 

[Fishy friend2]

You add Ammonia until the ammonia, and nitrites are getting eleminated quickly, like in about 12-24 hours, and you have a reading of nitrates

 

[Sly13Cat]

So basically I add ammonia so it remains at a steady 4 PPM and then once the Nitrites increase sharply then drop and the Nitrates start to increase (to be removed after water changes), I can add fish. How long would that take?

 

[Fishy friend2]

It usually take around 1 month minimum

 

[Sly13Cat]

So would if I add the sponge filter from the other tank and just use a new sponge (temporarily) for the other tank until I'm done with the mature sponge?

How would I go about it with mature filter media?

Ahh! I just remembered that we got a new filter for the old tank. So the old sponge is still in the old filter in a container at room temperature for about 2 weeks. Is it still good?

 

[dh058977]

So would if I add the sponge filter from the other tank and just use a new sponge (temporarily) for the other tank until I'm done with the mature sponge?

How would I go about it with mature filter media?

Ahh! I just remembered that we got a new filter for the old tank. So the old sponge is still in the old filter in a container at room temperature for about 2 weeks. Is it still good?

You would have had to remove some of the mature media from the other tank and use it in the new one, taking it away from the current tank would just be shifting problems from one tank to another! However, now the sponge filter has been dry and out of water you should look into getting mature media from somewhere else or just use Ammonia.

 

[Sly13Cat]

The mature sponge from the old filter is still wet if it makes a difference.

But if it doesn't i'll just do it the hard way.

Btw do any pet stores sell mature filter media?

 

[Man of fish]

Like wet wet or damp and was it in water and water flowing through it? Your big Al's may give you some if you ask.