Newbie Help Please

[chris_walton]

ive just set up a tank for the first time ever its a jewel 180 im just waiting for some more plants to arrive but what do i have to do next to ensure its 100% safe for fish i tried reading the atricles on here but found them a bit confusing i would like a really nice fully planted tank but am unsure about co2 and stuff like that

but anyway whats the next step after all the plants are in

thanks heres a pic of how it looks now

chris

forgot to say that pebble ontop of the wood is not staying its just there for now till the wood is fully soaked and sinks

 

[lilfishie]

the tank looks great. have you been following any form of cycling?

 

[chris_walton]

i filled it yesterday and changed to water again today just because it looked a funny color but apart from that nothing i did try and read about cycling but i didnt fully understand (trust me im not blond just thick) i was going to leave it about a month before looking for fish

 

[lilfishie]

try reading THIS writen by one of our experienced members, it shows 2 different fishless cycle methods and gives the pros and cons to each do you have any idea on future stocking?

 

[chris_walton]

im not 100% sure yet i have a bit more reading to do i know that i want some neons and some corydas and i have seen some pedigree guppies on ebay that i like the look of

 

[lilfishie]

tank is a nice size so plenty of choice, the cories would be great as sand. you should invest in a test kit if you haven't already got one. API master kits are great, it may seem a little pricey but lasts a good while, very accurate and does everything you need to know. you might pick on up cheaper looking on something like ebay

 

[chris_walton]

ok thanks for the replies you dont know much it means to have help does this look ok its on ebay

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/API-FRESHWATER-MASTE...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[lilfishie]

link not working for me nor will it let me post one either

 

[chris_walton]

opopps sorry let me try again

 

[lilfishie]

dont thnk it is going to work, i tried too and it still wouldn't work. but its one with test tubes that does Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH

 

[chris_walton]

API-FRESHWATER-MASTER-TEST-KIT

if you paste this into ebay it comes up its 14.95 buy in now

 

[lilfishie]

yep thats the one

 

[chris_walton]

thankyou shall i get some plant fertilizer while im at it can you reccomend a good one that will work well for my size of setup

thanks again

 

[chris_walton]

new plants arrived today im not loving it overall just yet as i know its trile and error over what survives and im not thrilled about the overall look of it maybe a few changes will be made i will post some pics after ive had a good fiddle with it

 

[chris_walton]

ok my new plants arrived this morning and after a good sort out and removal of some decaying leaves they have gone into the tank and it looks ok for now but im guessing its just trial and error to see what survives

so heres a quick pic

and look what someone gave me this morning what a god send

and i also found out that i can use some of the material in the filter from my frog or terrapin tank to help mature the tank a bit quicker