New Site, New Tank, Need Help

[Ch4rlie]

Ok, if you can get mature filter media from LFS, you put all of it in your filter, it depends what they give you, usually something like bio balls.
Just put that in one of the compartments in filter with sponge media next to it or something like that, depending on your filter.
 
What kind of fitter do you have by the way?
external/canister filter
or internal filter
 
If someone says you can have some of their media, try just to take about a third of their sponge media, some ceramic rings from the filter and maybe some gravel/substrate if they are willing, a plant cutting or two may help to establish your tank as well. 
 
Anything will help basically to get your tank to get started.

 

[blueboy1]

i have a fluval internal pump so my best bet is getting it from lfs, i cant put the little rings in a pump like mine as there are two sponges that take up the space so what would i do? Thanks for all of your help by the way!

 

[Ch4rlie]

Fluval U3 am guessing.
 
I used to use a Fluval U2, a decent internal filter and access to inner compartments and media could not be easier, one of the reasons why I liked it.
 
Hmm, it depends what kind of filter media LFS sells you, will keep fingers crossed they will have some for you.
 
Once you get it, just post a pic or describe it on this thread, then take it from there.
 
BTW If you do get some from LFS, keep filter media wet if you can, do not let it dry out as this may affect the bacteria, unlikely will affect bacteria fatally but better safe than sorry really!

 

[blueboy1]

ok well once i go there if they dont have any yet on friday then hopefully they will by saturday and i will post pic, describe or worst case start cycling, i say worst case because i am so eager to get going with fish but qaulity is most important, if i dont get hold of any filter media, then i would like to do a fish in cycle with maybe 5 zebra danios as they seem quite robust fish and good for cycling? what do you think?

 

[blueboy1]

also i have one of these on side of tank and i dont know how to get a reading from this compared to a glass thermometer, any ideads?
http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AQUARIUM-LCD-STICK-ON-THERMOMETER-ADHESIVE-STICKY-FISH-TANK-TEMPERATURE-STICKER-/161099014429?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item25823fe11d

 

[Ch4rlie]

Will not recommend fish in cycle in any shape or form unless its a necessity and no choice.
 
Really would urge you to reconsider that idea of 5 danios and fish in cycle.
 
Fishless cycling actually has much more benefits than the fish in cycle method. 
 
1 - much easier to complete.
2 - more often than not, quicker than fish in cycle as long as followed correctly, 4 to 8 weeks on average.
3 - can fully stock your tank in one go once chyle is complete. Fish in cycle, you can only stock a few fish at a time once a week or fortnightly.
4 - healthier fish, due to above, fully stocking in a cycled tank. Fish in cycle means fish may have to endure ammonia and nitrite burns/damage to internals.
5 - no water changes necessary until completion
6 - much less stress 
 
Am sure there are more benefits but these are the main points.
 
So I would say worst case scenario, no media from LFS, just means you start a fishless cycle from scratch, get a bottle of nitrifying bacteria from Dr Tim's One and Only or Tetra Safe Start, just being a little more patient brings so much more satisfaction.

That stick on thermometer is ok, stick it on glass, usually top corner under water level.
 
The heat of water on glass make the thermometer glow basically, 24C glows usually green, above 24C glows more amber, below 24C glows more blue. 
 
Lots of people, including myself, use these. I also use a glass thermometer as well for comparison, just cos am fussy! 

 

[Ninjouzata]

Please, please, don't do fish-in. It is so much more stress on you and the fish.
 
I did both my first tanks fish in. They both, 7 months later, still get random deaths. There are no symptoms, just wake up, fish are dead. Water always tests the way it should (0 ammonia, 0 nitrite)
The fishless cycled ones have been up for a shorter time, but I have had zero deaths in them.
 
I don't know if there is an actual connection there with the way they were cycled and the fish dying even with good parameters, but that's the way I view it in my mind. If I knew what I do now, I would've done fishless.
 
I know you're eager to see some cute fishies in your tank, but patience is a big factor in this hobby, and while your cycling the tank, you can have more time to figure out what you want the final stock to be.

 

[blueboy1]

ok well fishless cycle it is then, i may still have to add fish few days inbetween each other though as i am still 16 and dont get money for 100 haul of fishies, is that ok?
thanks for telling me rule on thermometer i also have glass one to be picky  
the only thing is though, where can i get all in one from because others say tetrastart doesnt work but all in one doesnt come to uk?
Thanks for all tips and advice!

also on the stick on thermometer, it shows up blue meaning below 24* but shows up blue on 27.8* is that normal?

 

[Ch4rlie]

Good, thats a decent decision, I know it means you have to wait for a while until you can get fish, but also means you can save money in the meantime and try to buy as many for your stocking as you can when the time comes.
 
And yes, a few days in between fish stockings should be ok.
 
In meantime, you can do research on what fish you would like to have and ask on this forum about suitability for your tank and tank mates etc.
I found this to be good fun actually.
 
Thermometer varies between brands. But really for cycling, around 28C is pretty much perfect as helps bacteria grow, the cooler the water will slow the growth of bacteria and vice versa.
 
You'll soon get to know how your thermometer behaves over time and sometimes they do vary in colours between brands, mine does as I described in earlier post and yours may be slightly different, not to worry too much at this stage, just keep an eye on it and you'll soon get it.
 
If you cannot get any filter media from your LFS then using bacteria starter is you next best bet.
 
Tetra Safe Start some LFS do sell these but these bottles can be hit and miss as some other have said, works for some does not work for others.
 
A combination of factors can come into this like expiry dates, correct storage, transportation etc all can have an effect on the bacteria inside the bottle.
 
The number one choice IMO is Dr Tim's One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria, can be found online, very very few shops in UK carry any Dr Tim's products.
 
Try online like Amazon for example
 
http/www.amazon.co.uk/DR-TIM%2527S-AQUATICS-Only-Freshwater/dp/B001LULBXI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1384466487&sr=8-3&keywords=dr+tims+one+and+only
 
(Reminder -  get one of these above only if you cannot get filter media from LFS)
 
You will definitely need a bottle of ammonia for the cycling process, type in 'aquarium ammonia' on eBay and you should see several choices.
 
KleenOff is quite a popular brand, concentrated ammonia (3rd one down) is the one I used with no problems. 
 
http/www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.Xaquarium+ammonia&_nkw=aquarium+ammonia&_sacat=0&_from=R40
 
Homebase hardware store has an own brand Household Ammonia in cleaning section as well.

 

[blueboy1]

so whether i get filter media or not i still need ammonia?

 

[Ch4rlie]

You WILL need ammonia regardless of media from LFS or from bottle of bacteria or just simply starting with a dose of ammonia.
 
It is pretty crucial to dose 3ppm ammonia at times to get your bacteria to grow and to convert ammonia to nitrites.
 
Have you read the fish less cycle link?
 
can't remember if I gave that to you or not, anyway, apologies if you already have read it, can be difficult to understand at first but read it a few times and ask questions and you should get the basics, took me a while too! 

 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/

 

[blueboy1]

just drawing up a shopping list for lfs tomorrow or sat its getting longer and longer, also just thought, do heaters have plastic protector on it or do they just have on suction cup on? i think i might be using a light protector which is a bit awkward cus i thought fish would get burnt

 

[Ch4rlie]

Am afraid first starting out in fish keeping hobby can be expensive to start with.

Just buy what you need for now, ammonia and hopefully LFS filter media, gravel/substrate, that will get you started for now.
Tank decor and plants can be added during the next 4 to 8 weeks while tank is cycling.

However once you have all you need, then becomes much cheaper as you only need to buy occasional things when you run out like dechlorinator, test kit, thankfully these last a while anyway.

Any working heater will be fine, it's pretty rare fish will burn themselves on tank heaters.
You can buy heater protector if you want but not a necessity at all. Some do have one included in packing, all heaters sold should have the sunction suckers for positioning on tank glass.

 

[blueboy1]

yep i have filter, heater and most things i need like nets gravel cleaner ect but would the tetr start be equil to dechlorinator? the heater has suction cups and is in position in the tank, the tank has been going for 3 days with heater (27*) and filter running and i only adding dechlorinator so far. once i get the bits i need tomorrow or saturday and praying i get filter media then i will begin adding ammonia and will also be getting test kit, after i have added media, if i get some, what do i do with cycle wise, 1 week 2 weeks? 

 

[Jeremy180]

Yes, tetra start includes a dechlorinator.
With cycling, it depends on the individual aquarium.
Some tanks cycle within a week, others may take a couple of months.
You really should go by what your test kit tells you.
IMPORTANT: When you buy the ammonia, check the ingredients list, and do not buy ammonia that contains anything other than ammonia, chelating agent, and water.
Most ammonia sold in stores contain perfumes/scents and/or surfacants (soap), both of which are toxic for fish.
(The brand I used was ace hardware store brand Janitorial strength ammonia.)
If you can't find the ingredients list, shake it.
If the ammonia suds like soapy water it's no good for fish.
Personally, I would ask here about any brand without an ingredient list, even if it does pass the "shake test"