Newbie Nees Help Plz

[Bloo]

to get bogwood ready, you will want to soak it in hot (but not boiling) water for a few days, this just helps get rid of the tannins in the wood which would otherwise stain your tank water a nice piss-wee yellow! hehehe.

If I may just add the discoloration in no way harms fish - in fact it's said to get quite good for the fish.
Some people just rinse the wood under cold tapwater and put it straight into the tank.
It's those of us (like me) who don't exactly fancy yellow water for several months, that soak the wood beforehand.
It very much depends on the size of the wood, but I sometimes even soak it for a couple of weeks to get rid of the majority of tannins.

If your water still discolours and it bothers you, just do your normal water changes, and this will help to dilute it. You can also add some carbon to the filter to help remove some of the tannins.

A lot of plecs require wood because they chew on the bark (a lot of them have small teeth!) and get special nutrition they need (which cannot be obtained from food).

 

[Phillip.M]

Sorry to hijack the thread but do you have the rinse the wood if it already is in a aquariam at ur LFS? Thanks.

 

[Bloo]

A quick rinse under tapwater is always a good idea apart from the fact that there's a chance it might carry disease or snails. I've bought some wood with plants attached before, and there's not much you can do to ensure it's "safe" - but in my case it was fine.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jo-jo

Welcome to the forum!

Please click on the link in the email we sent you to validate your membership. This will enable you to post in any section.

I've moved your thread to the beginners section where it will be seen by more members.

 

[Wanda hornsey]

Oh and Jojo please dont use just drift wood you find on the seashore or anything like that as from the sea it will contain very high levels of salt and if its from your local woods or streams it may well contain high levels of pestacide residues.

Really unless you know what your looking for try your LFS for wood or ebay...but beware ebay shipping prices can make a bargin a very expensive one

Welcome and good luck with your tank

 

[missymermaid]

ok i will get the wood just the tank, i also took a bag of the water to the lps and he said the ph was 9 the nitrate was 0.25 and the ph ammonia was 1, i think i have the numbers right lol do i still carry on with the 20% water change every day or do i need to alter it

i checked my email and i still dont have a validation email

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jo-jo

Wanda was kind enough to send me an email to alert me to your problem. Please read this post by our Admin, William, and see if it will help you.


http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=82510

 

[missymermaid]

hi guys me again my tank seems to be clearing up great, i have a question for my auntie and it is as follows lol she has set up a 30 gallon tank its all been cycled, she hasnt got no fish in it yet but she is getting an angel fish given to her next week and its the size of her hand 5 inch by 5 inch and she wanted to know what other fish can she put in her tank with the angel being so big

 

[catxx]

glad to hear your tank is clearing up!
be aware though, a PH of 9 is VERY high. most water is between 7 and 8.
i'd get that double checked

and with the angel fish, that sounds like a tight fit to me. i think that guy need a 50 gallon + really, but i'm no angel fish expert.

 

[missymermaid]

ok i will tell her 2 rehome the angel as it really wouldnt be fair i will take another water sample to a differnt lfs and see what they tell me in the mean time i will keep doing water changes,
after i have my tank down to the normal stats how often do i do water changes and what % do i do, sorry 4 all the question but i think i have mucked up with my tank alot so far

 

[mark.w.jones]

ok i will tell her 2 rehome the angel as it really wouldnt be fair i will take another water sample to a differnt lfs and see what they tell me in the mean time i will keep doing water changes,
after i have my tank down to the normal stats how often do i do water changes and what % do i do, sorry 4 all the question but i think i have mucked up with my tank alot so far

A master water test kit that contains all the liquid solutions for all basic tests e.g. ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH is only about £25. The Aquarium pharmaseuticals one is the one ive seen recommended most often by other members. I got mine from ebay:

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/AQUARIUM-FISH-TANK-F...1QQcmdZViewItem

Only helpful if you live in the UK I know but hope it helps.

 

[dwarfgourami]

ok i will tell her 2 rehome the angel as it really wouldnt be fair i will take another water sample to a differnt lfs and see what they tell me in the mean time i will keep doing water changes,
after i have my tank down to the normal stats how often do i do water changes and what % do i do, sorry 4 all the question but i think i have mucked up with my tank alot so far

Once the tank is settled, i.e. the ammonia and nitrites both stay at 0, a good maintenance schedule is to do a 25% water change once a week.

If you are in the UK, PEts@home sell the API kit for 17.99. Money well spent as you get a lot more use out of it than the strip tests and it is more accurate.