New tank question

[Zagggon]

I need to know what exactly to do once i get my 42g freshwater tank up and running. Im talking about way before i add fish, i mean like what chemicals and stuff do i need to test for,add, etc...

 

[corrosive]

I need to know what exactly to do once i get my 42g freshwater tank up and running. Im talking about way before i add fish, i mean like what chemicals and stuff do i need to test for,add, etc...

Leave it running for a few days, then get a few hardy fish and a master test kit, which you can test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate etc and wait for your tank to cycle.

Stages, High ammonia level, then 0 ammonia and high nitrite level, then 0 for both and nitrites will be there.

 

[Tropjunky]

go to my site it's linked on my signiture. should help and some feed back would be nice

 

[Zagggon]

Ok thx but what do you mean by cycling?

 

[David]

You can cycle either by adding a few hardy fish, or by looking into fishless cycling. I'm sure there's a couple of links for it somewhere.. don't exactly know where however. Anyway cycling refers to allowing your colony of beneficial bacteria to grow, so that you have optimal waste reduction in your tank for when you get more sensitive fish. It all has to do with the nitrogen cycle. Fish produce waste, in the form of ammonia (which is very toxic and not at all good for your fish) which is then converted by a certain beneficial bacteria into nitrites (still quite toxic, but not as bad) which in turn is converted (by a second set of bacteria) into nitrates, which plants use for energy ( a fertilizer of sorts, if you will). Anyhoo, it can take several weeks for this process to fully take place, and it is not advisable to add any sensitive fish before your ammonia and nitrite levels are both 0, as this will seriously harm or kill your fish. You must make sure that your bacteria colony is capable of handling the waste that your fish produce before adding more. This can be done by adding several tough fish at the outset, or by adding household ammonia to the tank (no fish, please). Hope this helps.

 

[Zagggon]

So are angel fish and algea eaters a good rough fish to start out with? I have algea wafers so the plecos would be fine?

 

[David]

No, angels are quite sensitive and need the tank to be running for at least several weeks. Plecos too usually. Start with hardy livebearers such as guppies or mollies.