With all due respect Tom, I disagree with just about everything you have said. Male and female fighters (betta splendens) should not be kept together unless you are breeding them, and even then great care must be taken to keep the male from killing the female. Most of the "bacteria-in-a-bottle" products do not work with the possible exceptions of Bactinettes and Bio-Spira, and those only work if they have been properly stored in refrigerated units during travel and sale. And by doing a fishless cycle, you completely eliminate the need for those products. Also, you should have your own test kit, so there is no need to take a sample of water to your LFS.
Introducing some bacteria from a mature tank is a great way to kick-start your cycle and reduce the time needed. There are some very nice memebers on here that are willing to donate some of their media, here's a link that list's them.
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=150631
Ok, Leitch, for your questions.
I've decided to buy a fish tank to house some tropical fish. I would like some advice on how to get the tank ready for introducing fish - Nitrogen Cycle, Amonia, Water Tempreture - The lot.
Well, to start you off you need to decide what tank to get. There are a couple of options for this, most LFS will sell tank kits that include: a tank, hood, lights, heater, and filter. These are ok, but eventually you'll probably want to upgrade the filter and or heater as they ones included in the kits are usually very basic, and in some cases underpowered. Then, many LFS will sell as a package a tank, hood, light, and stand; you supply the rest. This is a very good deal since it gives you the option of choosing your filter and so on. Or you can buy each piece separately, but that can get pretty expensive. You'll want to buy the largest tank you can afford and have space for, as a larger tank is easier to take care of, and trust me, this hobby is addictive and you'll want to upgrade eventually anyways.
Besides the tank and stand you'll need: filter, heater, substrate, plants, decor, testing kit, gravel cleaner, thermometer, water conditioner, food, fish net, and fish eventually.
Filter - there are many filter choices, but the two I recommend are power or HOB (hang-on-back) and cannister filters. HOB-these are very popular filters and you can find ones that will give excellent biological and mechanical filtration, I recommend the Aquaclear line. Cannister filters - I recommend these for tanks 55 gallons or larger. They sit under the tank and two hoses run up the back, one pulls the water out of the tank and through the filter, and the water gets pumped up and out of the second one. You can pack a lot of media in these, so they are very effective, and since the actual filter sits underneath, it doesn't clutter your tank. Eheim and Fluval are good brands.
Heater - the general rule of thumb is 5 watts per gallon, submersible are best.
Substrate - you have a couple of options on substrate, gravel, sand, or a planting media (for live plants), everyone has their own opinions on substrate, but most agree to stick with natural colors (no neon).
Plants/decor - real plants are great, but not for everyone, so that's your choice, IMO real or silk plants, rocks, and driftwood (in other words natural) look best, but again, decor is entirely up to you. I recommend taking a look at the pic section for inspiration.
Testing kit - Get a liquid test kit that includes testing for Ammonia, NitrIte, NitrAte, PH.
As far as getting the tank ready, you'll want to rinse the tank out (to get rid of dust and debris), get your filter, heater, and thermometer hooked up (but not plugged in), add your substrate of choice (after washing it WELL), and decor/plants. Then add water, temp isn't that important, but it will warm up faster if you don't add just cold water, don't forget to dechlorinate it. Start up your filter and heater, let the water get up to temp, then start your fishless cycle.
I would also like to know which fish you guys recommend i buy to start with. I want some easy to look after, not too aggressive, but still nice looking ones.
There are tons of species that would work, it all depends on the size of your tank, compatability, and what you like. I recommend going to your LFS and writing down every fish you like, then research them, and post on here, and we can help with stocking.
Id like to know how i can stop them getting sick and what to do if they do get sick. Also how to introduce a fish to a tank and also how to de-chlorinate water.
The best way to keep your fish from getting sick is to have excellent water quality, which is acheived through religious tank maintenance. Most fish won't get sick if their tank is well maintained. However, it's a good idea to keep a couple of medications handy just in case. I'm sure someone could recommend a few good ones. I personally keep Melafix on hand, it's great for stuff like fin rot and cuts and scrapes.
When you buy your fish, float the bag in your tank for about 10 minutes to get it up temperature, then empty the bag into a clean bucket, net the fish and add them to your tank. You don't want to add the LFS's water into your tank. Dechlorinating the water is easy, there are many products you can buy, most are sold as "water conditioners", just read the bottle and add the recommended amount. And don't worry, you can't overdose on dechlorinator.
Hope I helped you some, and feel free to ask anymore questions you have. Research is the key to success in this hobby. Oh, and welcome to the forum. -Dawn
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