Newbie To Tropical Fish - All Advice Welcome!

[beccalovely]

Hi all!

So today is my birthday and I got what I wanted - a 30L BiOrb tropical with intelligent light

Now I know some people say BiOrbs are bad and they don't like them, but I had a cold water one a few years ago and loved it, and I love the design so that's what I've opted for!

I've been reading up as much as I can and went to my local aquatic centre today (who were fantastic, so helpful!) but there is so much conflicting advice out there...

I set up the tank this morning, using the chemicals provided (a sachet of stress zyme and a sachet of stress coat, one added this morning, one to be added tomorrow), and I washed the ceramic media and have added the plants (plastic) so that it is up and running as it will be when it's ready for fish.

Now, here are my questions...!

1) according to the BiOrb leaflet it will be ready for fish in 48 hours, according to the internet two weeks or more, and according to the aquatic centre it'll be 10 days-2 weeks. What I have done is bought a testing kit so that I can see when it is ready (apparently easy to use and tests all the things I need to know), and the aquatic centre will test my water for free before i buy any fish from them, but when should I first test do you think?

2)Obviously this is a new tank - unfortunately I didn't know anyone with an established tank so everything is new, including 100% of the water. Is there anything I can do to make it as healthy as possible before adding some fish?

3) Again I've read so much conflicting advice about the number of fish... the aquatic centre said 20-25 tetra/guppies and a catfish cleaner fish, OR 15 tetra/guppies with 2 slightly larger fish (still small) and the cleaner, OR 15 tetra with a siamese fighter (but no guppies as the siamese would eat their tails) and a cleaner. Other advice online has said only 8 tetra/guppies, so quite a contrast.

4) How many should I add at a time? Some internet advice says one at a time, the aquatic centre said 5 tetra at a time.

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to get it absolutely right for my fish, so that I can care for them properly and keep them happy.

Thanks in advance for any much needed guidance!

Becca

 

[Lizi_angelfish]

Happy birthday!!

I know what you mean about the conflicting advice - as a newbie myself I completely understand! The one thing I have learned, is that aquatic shop advice is sometimes a bit hit and miss and so I'd recommend first of all looking at the beginners resource section which is pinned in this section. I read the majority of it (a few times!) to try and get my head around it.

There's a lot to think about if you want the best for your fish (as we all do!) so I am currently doing a 'fish less cycle' which you can read about in the resource centre. In my opinion, it is the kindest way to introduce fish by prepping the filter for the addition on fish first. There is another fish in cycle option.

I've been cycling now for about three weeks because a member on this forum donated some filter media to me to help kick start my tank. If you have a friend with a tank or your fish shop is willing (and you fully trust the safety of their tanks), it is a great help! This way you won't have to wait quite as long to add your fish. It may still be a few weeks though and even longer if you do the cycle from scratch.

In terms of stocking levels, someone else will be far better to answer that, because it is very tank dependant but on first impressions, I think that is a rather optimistic level for your tank. Your fish won't have much room!

Happy birthday again, and hope you have a quick cycle!

By the way, everyone here is SO helpful so make the most of their advice (as I have hehe)

 

[Gvilleguy]

Hi Becca, welcome to the forum, and happy birthday! Lizi gave good advice.

For the least stress for you and your future fish:
1. Be patient, hold off, and do a fishless cycle if you are willing
2. Read the thread in the beginner's resource center, as well as the "do and do not" list in my signature
3. Initial stocking level is totally up to you and your level of commitment to the tank. A newly cycled tank, with no help from already mature media, is still prone to mini-cycles (you get ammonia and nitrites above zero after tank cleanings). That usually gets better as the tank matures up to about a year. Not everyone experiences this, though. I think it is worse for soft/acidic water tanks.

So you will get differing opinions on stock level for new tanks. My take on it is to try and stick with the 1 inch of fish per gallon rule while the tank is still young.

Good luck with everything - you will find helpful advice on here as you need it!

 

[beccalovely]

Wow thanks Lizi and Gvilleguy!!

I have read the Dos and Don'ts bit you recommended G, very helpful thank you.

So now, I'm going to have to ask a very silly question (keep in mind I'm a newbie!)
What is 'media'?! The filter thing in the BiOrb is just like a plastic cylinder and I presumed I just changed the whole thing when it's time to - but is the media the stuff inside it?

Also, the chemicals I added - do they not get the levels right then? Am I right in thinking that I need the bacteria to build up so that when new fish are added/ fish produce waste the bacteria deal with it and keep the levels safe for the fish?

Oh and the non-chlorine water - I presume tap water has chlorine so should I use bottled water?

I'm sorry if these are really obvious things!

On the number of fish - I have added a couple of plastic plants which obviously take up some room - should I factor this in when deciding how many fish to add as it will restrict their swimming space compared to an empty tank?

Thanks again!

 

[Gvilleguy]

The media is the material inside your filter. I always recommend just using aquarium sponges or ceramic pellets. However, since yours is a small tank, you might have limited space inside the filter. What kind of media did it come with? What is inside the plastic cylinder? We usually recommend NOT discarding all of your media at once, if you can help it. It takes a long time for the helpful bacteria to grow in your filter. So you need to get creative to find ways to only replace it partially when it comes time.

The chemicals that you added, assuming those are of the "bacteria in a bottle" variety, may or may not help you. Probably does not do any harm, and your filter will eventually grow the necessary bacteria on its own with or without the additives.

I recommend just using tap water in your tank, and buy a bottle of de-chlorinator at the fish store. You can add it to the bucket when you fill it with water prior to pouring it in your tank. Or if you add the water directly to your tank, just treat the tank with de-chlorinator before adding the water.

Plants don't take up much of your water space, but ornaments and gravel will sightly lesson the litres of water that fit. So, yes, you should try to account for that when doing your calculations.

 

[beccalovely]

Thanks G, I've been busy reading all the newbie help threads that are pinned and am starting to understand a bit more stuff now!
It's quite daunting really, but an exciting project too.

The chemicals were ones that came with the tank, stress zyme and stress coat, not at all sure what they are/do!
Looking online apparently the filter cartridge contains a sponge and 'activated carbon and resins'... I guess these are the little balls that float about in the cartridge... will have to research about how to change these without removing all media as not sure if they can be taken apart. I'll look into it, thanks.

I'll pop to the aquatic place again tomorrow and get the things I need for a fishless cycle, as keen as I am to add fish I want the tank to be right for them first.

 

[Lizi_angelfish]

I'll pop to the aquatic place again tomorrow and get the things I need for a fishless cycle, as keen as I am to add fish I want the tank to be right for them first.

You probably won't be able to get ammonia from the aquatic centres - people on the forum tend to get some 'kleen off' brand ammonia from eBay/amazon. Any ammonia that is just ammonia and water (I.e. not any fragrance or additives) should be safe to use. I tried homebase own brand and it didn't work very well for me, but I'm sure others will tell you their experiences with it if it differs to mine!

 

[beccalovely]

I'll pop to the aquatic place again tomorrow and get the things I need for a fishless cycle, as keen as I am to add fish I want the tank to be right for them first.

You probably won't be able to get ammonia from the aquatic centres - people on the forum tend to get some 'kleen off' brand ammonia from eBay/amazon. Any ammonia that is just ammonia and water (I.e. not any fragrance or additives) should be safe to use. I tried homebase own brand and it didn't work very well for me, but I'm sure others will tell you their experiences with it if it differs to mine!

In what way did it not work very well? I was thinking about Homebase or B&Q...

 

[Lizi_angelfish]

Well for me it was really diluted... Others have said similar things if you do a search on homebase ammonia in the forum.
I used a whole bottle in a few days whereas with the kleen off ammonia, a couple of mls is all I need and so I've got tons of the stuff.

 

[Aquascaper]

'Kleen off' is 9.5% pure ammonia mixed with water and is one of the strongest ammonia sources available to purchase readily by the public.

As Lizi said, all you need is a few mls at a time and a single bottle will do your whole cycle no problems at all. Just remember to shake the bottle well before using as the ammonia tends to settle at the bottom.

 

[beccalovely]

Thanks guys - your advice is invaluable!

 

[fluttermoth]

I just wanted to add that the bio media (that's the stuff that your bacteria gorws on) in a BiOrb is the rocks in the bottom; it's basically and undergravel system.

The stuff in the 'cylinder' is mechanical and chemical filtration, so can be replaced, although it would be better if you could dump all the carbon and resins and just run it with a sponge as extra biological filtration. Then you can improve the bio filtration and save yourself some money, as you won't need to replace it at all