New To This And Feel I've Taken On Too Much

[marieukxx]

I'm new to this and after all my research I feel I've taken on too much! I have depression anyway so I've always been a worrier till I get used to things.

It's just so overwhelming everything that you have to worry about with a tank! I thought you just treated the water and popped your fish in.

I'm following all the advice. So far I've spent a fortune on the tank and all the gear and I haven't even got my fish yet.

Does it calm down a bit after the cycling and when I've added the fish? It'll be worth it in the end but I have got myself quite stressed with it all.

I have 3 dogs and they're easier to look after lol

 

[james_fish]

It's pretty much a walk in the park when you are fully cycled. Sit back and enjoy the show.

It sounds to me like you could use some mature filter media, this will pretty much instantly cycle your tank meaning you can add fish straight away. I would recommend you post up your location (city, town) and see if you get any responses from people in the area willing to donate mature media.

James.

 

[marieukxx]

Thanks for the reply I feel better knowing it's not so hard all the time. It's all so much to learn.

 

[Stumpjumper]

It's pretty much a walk in the park when you are fully cycled. Sit back and enjoy the show.

It sounds to me like you could use some mature filter media, this will pretty much instantly cycle your tank meaning you can add fish straight away. I would recommend you post up your location (city, town) and see if you get any responses from people in the area willing to donate mature media.

James.

I used a product called SuperBac in my 55g, just pour it in, add fish and it was insta-cycled. Another good product is Tetra Safe Start. Both are aquatic based bacteria, stay away from any other products though. Those are the only two that actually work. The rest have a land based bacteria that die after a week and you have to continue to add the stuff weekly.

Once you are cycled all you have to do is test your water and clean the tank and do a partial water change once a week. No biggy!

 

[marieukxx]

It's pretty much a walk in the park when you are fully cycled. Sit back and enjoy the show.

It sounds to me like you could use some mature filter media, this will pretty much instantly cycle your tank meaning you can add fish straight away. I would recommend you post up your location (city, town) and see if you get any responses from people in the area willing to donate mature media.

James.

I used a product called SuperBac in my 55g, just pour it in, add fish and it was insta-cycled. Another good product is Tetra Safe Start. Both are aquatic based bacteria, stay away from any other products though. Those are the only two that actually work. The rest have a land based bacteria that die after a week and you have to continue to add the stuff weekly.

Once you are cycled all you have to do is test your water and clean the tank and do a partial water change once a week. No biggy!

Thanks I actually bought a tropical starter kit:
http/www.petsathome.com/shop/tropical-startup-kit-25615 Is this any good it said it speeds it up.
I've asked a member in my area on the list to donate media if they could donate me some too.

 

[Stumpjumper]

It's pretty much a walk in the park when you are fully cycled. Sit back and enjoy the show.

It sounds to me like you could use some mature filter media, this will pretty much instantly cycle your tank meaning you can add fish straight away. I would recommend you post up your location (city, town) and see if you get any responses from people in the area willing to donate mature media.

James.

I used a product called SuperBac in my 55g, just pour it in, add fish and it was insta-cycled. Another good product is Tetra Safe Start. Both are aquatic based bacteria, stay away from any other products though. Those are the only two that actually work. The rest have a land based bacteria that die after a week and you have to continue to add the stuff weekly.

Once you are cycled all you have to do is test your water and clean the tank and do a partial water change once a week. No biggy!

Thanks I actually bought a tropical starter kit:
http/www.petsathome.com/shop/tropical-startup-kit-25615 Is this any good it said it speeds it up.
I've asked a member in my area on the list to donate media if they could donate me some too.

No that stuff has land based bacteria. It will work if you want to add it every week, forever. That's not what you want to do though. You want a natural cycle that will work on it's own. That land based crap will compete with the real bacteria and your tank will never truly cycle. Superbac (www.naturbac.com) or Tetra Safe Start...

 

[james_fish]

It's pretty much a walk in the park when you are fully cycled. Sit back and enjoy the show.

It sounds to me like you could use some mature filter media, this will pretty much instantly cycle your tank meaning you can add fish straight away. I would recommend you post up your location (city, town) and see if you get any responses from people in the area willing to donate mature media.

James.

I used a product called SuperBac in my 55g, just pour it in, add fish and it was insta-cycled. Another good product is Tetra Safe Start. Both are aquatic based bacteria, stay away from any other products though. Those are the only two that actually work. The rest have a land based bacteria that die after a week and you have to continue to add the stuff weekly.

Once you are cycled all you have to do is test your water and clean the tank and do a partial water change once a week. No biggy!

I can't see those working either. No liquid based bacteria will survive on a shop shelf as it has no food source. I think the bacteria found in our aquariums dies off something like 10-20% per day. So it would last at the most 10 days. If a bottle has been in a shop for 2 months with so called 'bacteria'... how has this bacteria been surviving? Remember bacteria is a living thing that needs food just like us.

Am I right in saying this TFF?

James.

 

[Randi]

Don't worry. You could have done like I did when I first got started and not realized what you were getting into until you had a tank full of dead fish. You saved yourself a lot of trouble by doing the research first, and once your tank is cycled it will be no problem to maintain.

 

[BIG BAD BARRY]

Plenty of folk here to help you if you need it.

Definitely more pleasure than pain!

 

[ian]

I also have to agree with James here. Bacteria in a bottle just doesn't work...

 

[Little_Nemo]

I'm new to this and after all my research I feel I've taken on too much! I have depression anyway so I've always been a worrier till I get used to things.

It's just so overwhelming everything that you have to worry about with a tank! I thought you just treated the water and popped your fish in.

I'm following all the advice. So far I've spent a fortune on the tank and all the gear and I haven't even got my fish yet.

Does it calm down a bit after the cycling and when I've added the fish? It'll be worth it in the end but I have got myself quite stressed with it all.

I have 3 dogs and they're easier to look after lol

Technically I wasn't really new to fish keeping but I too thought I'd taken far too much on, and thought "Hang on I've spent far too much already and what do I have to show - just an empty tank" i admit I just thought you could get a tank a pop a few fish in a couple of weeks later sadly only one survived! Years ago this method worked for my brother, but now the humane way is fishless cycling which to be honest is pretty easy once you got the hang of it, I mean hey look at me I've just completed mine and have a family of fish in my tank and I'm even thinking of getting another tank project - it really is that much fun! It certainly does calm down afterwards, you can sit back and admire the lovely fish you feel like you've worked hard for. And in the meantime if you ever feel like your going wrong somewhere down the line don't worry just pop on here and lovely members will be on hand to sort you out! They've certainly helped me :]

 

[Miles_hot]

Just to add that getting mature media will significantly speed up your cycling but it will not instantly make your tank fish safe...you will still have to do a bit of cycling and then a check week.

Hang in there - this is all part of the journey. I have to admit that I am feeling some of what I think you are = planted vs not, how to landscape the tank, sand vs gravel, how to stop the kids wanting to fill the tank with plastic tat, which fish (oh goodness that's a big one - which do I like, which will get on with each other, which , which which.....). I am starting to think that the best way is to limit the things I'm trying to think about so my order of attack is:

Cycle the tank (preferably with some mature media donated by a kind forum member)
Whilst this is happening:
Chose sand vs gavel and prepare it (towards end of cycle as this could be fish dependent). Add during cycle
Between now and tank cycle ending chose the degree of planting and the plants (so I've got at least a month to worry about that)

Between now and cycle end time (including qualifying week): Chose fish = visit shops and make general notes about types we like. Work out which types get on with each other. Eliminate whole swathes of fish types, chose ones we want (or a set of options) and ask advice here.

All this makes me feel like we've got a bit more time to make these choices and I can break them down into smaller chunks rather than facing a very long list of questions. I'm not expecting the fish-less cycle to be stressful just frustrating

Hang in there - I've got a feeling it's going to be worth it

Miles

 

[marieukxx]

Thanks so much everyone it's good to know it's not just me that feels like this. I have a few more questions about setting up now if that's ok.

What do I get instead of that tropical fish starter kit? Just that stuff that makes tap water safe?

I have all my gravel and plants and stuff. Now do I put all that in when the tank is empty then put the water in and start cycling? or do I cycyle with an empty tank?

Thanks

 

[Miles_hot]

You need ammonia to provide the bacteria with a food source. There are bacteria in your tap water however if you can get some mature media you'll have a head start oevr tap water.

You need the test kit to find out how the cycle is going and hence how your new bateria (two types) are growing.

Ideally you'd cycle with a darkened tank to minimise the Algae growth. Obviously this means no plants however if you've got plants then you'll just have to get use to a green and smelly tank

Personally I will cycling a bare tank until I've worked out the sabd vs gravel question at which point I will add the substrate. When the tank is cycled I will add the plants (some of the hard grown bateria will then starve but hey ho). Then I'll add the fish (granted in fairly short order!).

Miles

 

[Little_Nemo]

Most people use Seachem Prime and from my personal experience its more value for money, this one you can add to the tank after you've put temp matched water in, or I prefer to add it to the bucket of water before that goes in tank. Gravels fine to go in the tank at this point, and your ornaments. Bogwood is usually added after cycling is complete as this can sometimes lower your pH, and cause your cycle to stall. Plants if they are real are more than likely better to be added after the cycle too, as lights on during a cycle can cause slight algae build up, reason being Ammonia + Light = Algae.