Previously Established 4Ft Tank

[RobDawg]

Hi everyone, I'm new here and new to fishkeeping in general.
Sorry if this gets a little long-winded but I need advice and I want to get this right.

First of all I've got a 5gallon tank I set up a week or two ago, housing two axolotls which seem to be happily living there with sand for substrate and an internal filter running. That's about as far as my experience goes when it comes to tanks.

Yesterday I bought a 2nd hand 4ft tank (50gallon?), which had been previously established, came with gravel and ornaments included.
It's empty at the moment and the ornaments and gravel are in bags nearby.

I also have a brand new external canister filter to go with the 4ft'er and will be buying a heater and air pump/stone shortly.

Only today did I do proper research on the whole nitrogen cycle and how important it is to keeping fish. I've completely failed on the axolotl tank due to lack of knowledge, so I'm hoping that it will cycle with them living in it.
But the bigger question is the 4ft..

Firstly I plan on keeping tropical fish in it, preferably Black Ghost Knives, Clown Loaches, perhaps a bn plecostomus, and as far as I've read they seem to live together O.K.
I want to cycle the tank fishless and plantless to avoid losing fish & money.

So what I'm curious about is:
1. How I should go about setting this 4ft tank up, if I should thoroughly clean the gravel/ornaments/tank before use or only lightly to preserve the beneficial bacteria (if at all) to save time on cycling.
2. The water testing, whether I test tap water before filling, then fill and test, after filling, what kinds of tests and what results should I be looking for?
3. The best, honest advice on how to go about cycling? Do's and don't's, what to use, when to use..
4. What kind of maintenance/testing will it require and how often? With the smaller tank I do weekly 20% water changes, but never tested the water, which I should soon, should I approach the 4ft in a different manner?

I know it's asking a lot and I should be researching this myself, which I apologize for in advance, but I've noticed advice and tips vary on tank size, age of tanks/parts/substrate, so I'm looking for advice or even links to fit my context.

Anything would be nice.
Thank you!

 

[Dieses Madchen]

There is a link in the beginners section that tells how to do a fishless cycle. Its awesome, as I used that link to cycle my 40 gallon. Definatly clean all the ornamants, as the tank probably sat empty for some time, and all the bacteria is probably dead. Definitely test the tap water prior that way you know where you stand. I know that my tap water has ammonia in it, so I know I have to take extra steps when doing my water changes. I also know that the pH of my tap water is well beyond what is good for my fish, so again, other steps I have to take. That is about all I know. Hopefully someone else with also comment, and possibly correct me if I am wrong on any of this advice. But definitely check out the link in the beginners section. It has awesome instructions as far as fishless cycling.

 

[Katch]

1) All the beneficial bacteria will be long dead. I would clean it thouroughly to make sure any pathogens / algae spores are removed. Thin bleach is good as is vinegar (choose one or the other not both!)

2) Invest in a API master test kit. You'll need to test pH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate while cycling.

3) Go buy some household ammonia from Homebase or Boots and use that.

4) 50% weekly is a good schedule to work on. You may get away with less or you may need more depending on what you choose to stock and how heavily you stock.

That tank won't be big enough for clown loaches when they are fully grown and you might want to try something a little less specialist than Knife fish while you learn the hobby.

Have a read of the link in my signature - it explains fishless cycling. Order the API kit and get your tank cleaned out and ready to fill.

Have a good think about what substrate you want to use as once you fill the tank its a pain to change. If you use the old gravel and ornaments they all need the same cleaning treatment.

Make sure the tank is well rinsed after using bleach or vinegar.

Get the tank placed, filled and the heater and filter running and by then I'm sure you'll have a whole load more questions.

Good luck and enjoy the journey!

 

[RobDawg]

Thank you, that just about covered everything I needed to know!
I just need to find somewhere to get diluted ammonia/water mix (problems finding it in Australia, it's all detergent based).
And I'll take the advice on clowns/bgks, are BN Plecos hard to keep?

 

[Katch]

are BN Plecos hard to keep?

Just add water

 

[the_lock_man]

And I'll take the advice on clowns/bgks,

Clown Loaches grow massive, and need to be kept in shoals of 6+, so I think they're are no-no in a 50gallon. I've just quickly looked on the species index for BGKs, and it recommends a minimum of 80gals, so again, not suitable for your tank.

 

[Louiseness]

are BN Plecos hard to keep?

Just add water

True that!

 

[HayzH]

Thank you, that just about covered everything I needed to know!
I just need to find somewhere to get diluted ammonia/water mix (problems finding it in Australia, it's all detergent based).
And I'll take the advice on clowns/bgks, are BN Plecos hard to keep?

just google jeyes Household ammonia...you can buy it off the net easy.

 

[Aqua Tom]

are BN Plecos hard to keep?

Just add water

True that!

+2, tough as nails