Only Bad Luck So Far :(

[smally4]

Hi all just a quick message to get me started on this forum first time on the fish scene always been really into my cars so only ever been a member on them forums ......but a little bit about me ..... Always had a small little tropical set up around 80L and just kept tetras, gourami's and a pleq!
But just bought my own place and wanted to go for something bigger so just bought a 350L juwel corner tank as I've always loved the look of discus but understand there not as easy as just keep the water warm and all will be fine ( as my previous fish lol)
So far every thing that could have gone wrong pretty much has
1st- got the new tank filled it with water then added my new sand ( did wash it out several times before ) but then the complete tank just went cloudy and still not settled !!

2nd- got all the pipe work set up for the external filters as they came with the tank ( eheim 2228 & 2229 ) only using the 2228 as don't have a clue what the 2229 does or how it works ..... Any way once I finally had it full of water and running that was leaking from the seal around the lid !!
But because I had the 2229 I pinched the seal out of that and fitted to the 2228 now that's working fine

3rd- bought a really nice piece of bog wood figured id wash it off first ( had to fill the bath to do so as it was a massive piece ) then the bath went a tea like colour so now that soaking in there

Feels like I'm never going to get started so any heads up or tips ext with any thing atall will be very much appreciated
Thanks a lot Jason

 

[Corey90]

It will also take some time to let your sand settle a bit.  Get the filter running and let it run for a few weeks before you put fish in there.
 
You will have to soak that wood a few times before all that color leaks out.  If you are able to boil it that will help otherwise you will need to soak and re soak it until its done.  

 

[Gruntle]

My second-hand Aquis 1000 filter was leaking slightly around the rim (dried out before I could get hold of it), so I consulted a fishy friend and have smeared a tiny bit of petroleum jelly around the rim. No leaks any more, and he says he's been doing it for years with no ill effect on his beloved pets.

 

[l_l_l]

Hi and welcome!
make sure to read that just to make sure you don't run into bigger problems
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/

 

[Blondielovesfish]

to the forum.
 
The things you have experienced are pretty typical of a new set up (minus the filter problem).
 
Depending on the type, sand can take quite awhile to settle, no matter how much rinsing you do. Get some filter floss and run your filter for several days, that should clear it up quite a bit, you may still need to do some water changes though.
 
The tea coloured water is just the tannins leaching out of the wood, which is what normally happens. Pour boiling water over it (don't boil it as it breaks the wood fibres down and the wood can start rotting) and that should help, otherwise it is just a matter of changing the water several times a day until the water runs clear.
Some fish appreciate tannins in their water, so depending on the fish you want to keep, you may not want to soak the water.
 
What fish do you want to keep? 
Before you buy any, always make sure to research them thoroughly, to ensure they are compatible with your tank conditions and other tank mates.
 
Before you buy any fish, have a read of the link on cycling in my signature, it will prevent you having problems in the future.

 

[smally4]

Thanks for the great welcome every one
Very helpful knowledge thanks I'll keep it all in mind

Gruntle- it's funny u say that because when I removed the seal out of the other unit it felt like it had some kind of a grease on where as the 'leaking' seal didn't so looks like it had some petroleum jelly already on that one

l_l_l - ok thanks I'll take a read through that inabit would be nice to learn as much as I can before buying the fish!

Blondielovesfish- the sand is better today so slowly a improvement
O I'm glad you said not to boil the wood as I was gunna find some way of doing that! But think I'll just listen to you and just boil the kettle and pour that over then fingers crossed it stops soon

I want to start keeping discus, spoke to some guy in the local garden centre and he's told me there not to hard to keep providing I can keep the ph level around 6.5 Been doing some reading up on them online so slowly learning more and more
And I'll take a read of your link too

Thanks a lot everyone

 

[rms]

Hi there and welcome....
 
I am also a massive fan of discus fish. They are stunning. You might want to check out the fresh water journals and take a look at the 2000 litre discus tank thread. This will give you an indication of the level of fish keeping knowledge you need to look after them. It's a long thread, but you should read it all. A very worthy point is if you don't have a sump for discus fish you're giving yourself a tonne of tank maintainance with very regular water changes. Also it will cost you plenty in water treatments and test kits.
 
Keeping pH levels low is tricky, even more so if your tap water is particularly alkaline. I've been fish keeping a mere 6 months, which equates to nothing in terms of knowledge really. One thing I have learned though pretty rapidly is nothing is as easy as you might think. Another problem with maintaining steady pH levels is that if you do it the easy way with chemicals you're leaving yourself wide open to sudden increases or decreases in pH levels. This can be very stressful and sometimes deadly, particularly with fish like discus, which are hyper sensitive to water conditions. The pH scale is logarithmic, which means a change of 1 means 10x increase or decrease. A change of 2 means 100x increase or decrease. A change of 3 means 1000x increase or decrease. That's why it can be fatal.
 
Sorry if this seems negative, just trying to give an example of just how difficult things are when they seem relatively straight forward. The last thing you want to do is splash out a few hundred quid on some beautiful fish like that and then watch them bite it one by one, or even all at once!!
 
I would suggest, once you've sorted out the sand and wood issue, starting out with the basics. Get your tank cycled and add some less demanding fish. There are plenty of beautiful fish out there and with your tank size you could get some amazing shoals going on, perhaps with something like angels as a main ornamental; as a suggestion. As Blondielovesfish says though, do your research into compatibility.
 
If you're seeking advice from your local fish shop please make sure you post here before going ahead with anything they say. It's a shame, but they're not all looking out for your best interests, or your fish. I've had some shocking experiences with them. Sales targets, overheads and a lack of knowledge make lots of them a poor resource.
 
I want a discus tank as well, but feel I'm a year or two away from being ready for that. I think my wallet is even further away. As for the missus..... I won't ever be ready as far as she's concerned....
 
Do keep updating on here with your tank progress

 

[smally4]

Cheers rms and it's totally fine I understand your just trying to make sure I'm clear of the scale I'm trying to undertake with starting a dicus tank I don't look at it as negativity atall
I think I'm quite lucky with my tap water ph ( I've only used the little dip test strips) but my tap water is coming out at 7.2 ph which seams pretty good ! But WOW that does escalate pretty crazy just by the difference of 3 can see how easy it it becomes fatal so quick
I've got my old fish that going to be going in there first just some different tetras and pleqs to hopefully start the cycling off as they have always been pretty strong, never even knew about all of this cycling stuff with my little old tank just just put the little buggers in and they been strong so once I have them in and I know every thing is correct and fully cycled with no spikes in any thing probz around 1-2 months I'm going to try by introducing 3 discus then as read that they are best in odd numbers due to bullying
Ha yea I'll make sure to verify every thing I get from my lfs is checked on here as there don't always seam to have the brightest of ideas
Yea I'll be sure to keep you all updated as things progress ...... I'm sure you'll see me around asking plenty of questions on here any way from now on

 

[Ch4rlie]

to the forum.
 
Sorry you've had a bit of bad luck lately, hopefully your luck will change for the better soon.
 
Looks like you've had some decent advice already!
 
I don't have much more to add except a couple of points, your test you've used are dip strip kit, not recommended really as they can be very inaccurate, would actually recommend you get a liquid test kit or powdered kit.
Much more reliable and more accurate.
 
API Master Freshwater Test Kit is a fairly decent kit to start out with due to value for money really.
 
Cheaper to get one of these online for about £21, in store more expensive, generally £25 to £35.
 
I_I_I has given a link for the Fishless Cycling article, well worth reading and getting your head around as this is the easiest and best method to get your tank and filter ready before adding any stocking 

 
BTW if you are going to do Fishless Cycle, you'll need that test kit I mentioned and also some Ammonia for the cycling process.
 
Here's a link to help give you an idea what to look for and where you could possibly purchase some ammonia.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/427161-ammonia-and-bacteria-starter-sources/
 
And lastly, I also have a Juwel 350 corner tank, just in garage at moment waiting for the day I get around to setting it up! 

So would be good if you could keep us updated about your progress and how things turning out.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Please do not use your fish to cycle your tank, it is cruel and inhumane, a fishless cycle is a lot quicker and kinder for the fish.
 
Also, please do not get any discus until you are more experience and are sure you can take the best care of them, they are expensive, fussy fish and we don't want them dieing when it could be avoided, for both yours and the fishes sake.
 
What types of tetras do you have? What type is the pleco?

 

[smally4]

Ch4rlie- o right yea not finding them to be all that great these little strips so will be getting a proper lot on order then! Not to bothered with the price which kit gives best results would you say Liquid or powder ?
After reading blondielovesfish last comment i think I'll stick to fishless cycling!
O cool dig the tank out and get her up and running there a lush tank! Lol


Blondielovesfish- o didn't realise it was that bad for the fish opps poor lil things! Going to 100% go for fishless approach now then! And keep then in my old tank for a few more weeks
Hmm the more I'm reading the more being put off discus seams there a little too fragile a fish for me atm

But the fish I do currently have are Neon tetras, some harlequin rasbora, synodontis catfish , lemon spotted green pleco & dwarf gourami and had them all for a while now and sea to be a very happy tank ( I think I've got all the names correct !)

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Okay, sounds good!
 
I would just stick to those sort of fish, maybe increasing the shoal numbers of each.

 

[Ch4rlie]

API FW Master liquid test kit will do you fine for now.
 
When you've got the hang of tests and what to look for then you can have a look around for other more expensive test kits that may be more accurate but honestly the API one will do fine most of the time. 
 
Do note that the Nitrate test can be unreliable as this is usually down to the 2nd bottle of reagent solution which needs to be shaken until your arm falls off!

 

[rms]

Okay, sounds good!
 
I would just stick to those sort of fish, maybe increasing the shoal numbers of each.

 
You could get an awesome shoal of neon tetras in a tank that size. Be sure to add them slowly though, just a few at a time. Adding lots of fish in one go could start you off on a cycle again. Do you know how to add fish to a tank? If not please post here and someone will go through it.
 
Glad you've decided to hold back on the discus 

 
As I said previously Angels make a very nice ornamental. They're stunning, easy to look after and in a tank your size you'd be able to accommodate a fair number. Quite an impressive sight to see 6 or 8 in one tank. Some say they eat neons, but mine didn't. I think adult angels would eat very small neons, but it doesn't take a genius to work around that.
 
Anyway keep posting and hope the fishless cycle goes well. Good call on that too. I lost lots of fish due to cycling with fish in the tank, including two angels. If I'd known about fishless I'd have done it that way too.

 

[smally4]

Thank you blondielovesfish I'll take all your advice and be sore to use it well !!

cheers ch4lie I'll start pricing them up and get a kit ordered up

rms yea agree with you mate the neon tetras look great when u go to the lfs and see them in the display tanks only got 3 of them at the moment ..... Normally always offers on to buy them in little groups what would say was a safe number to introduce them into the thank in 5 or 10s?
O and will angles get on with angles get on with discus ? Only don't want to have some nice angles in the tank then in 8 months time or so find I have to choose ...... If your unsure it's no problem I've just started another thread up asking what fish mix well