Setting Up My New 55!`

[smmetz]

Well, I had a busy day today. First, I moved my 29 gallon tank. That was no easy feat. The poor fish got a 2/3 water change, since I didnt have enough containers to save much of the water. Anyway, that finally got done.

Next, I got an old, sturdy chest of drawers (dresser) out of my shed. It is about 5 feet long, and 2.5 feet high. I put it where I had the 29 gallon, and spent about an hour re-inforceing the framing of it from the inside. After that was done, it took FOREVER to get 50 pounds of sand rinsed out! It's all together now, the water is a little greenish and murky, but I'll see how it looks in the morning.

The 55 gallon kit came with a Tetra Whishper 60 filte. It is leaking!! I think I'll put either some silicone caulking or some plumber's putty on it in the morning to fix it.

Anyway, excited about the new tank, wish me luck!

 

[anvil63]

Sounds good, I'd use the silicon and make sure to patch the leak from the inside so the water pressure will enhance the seal and not breal it down.

Carl

 

[smmetz]

Well, this morning I found some non-toxic thread sealer compound with teflon in it - used that to seal the gasket between the motor and filter box where it was leaking. It worked like a charm. The water was still a bit cloudy from the sand, but it did clear up a little. I still can't see anything through it length-wise though.

I added 3 zebra danios and 2 male platys before going to work. On my way home today, I think I'll stop at the lfs, get a background for it, and 3 more zebra danios. Then, I'll swap some filter media from my 29 gallon tank. If all goes according to plan - it should be an instant cycle.

I didn't want to add the filter media this morning, since there are absolutely no amonia or nitrites for the bacteria to feed on. I figure with 5 small fish in a 55 gallon for 10 hours - it will put a small amount of amonia in the water, and then the bacteria will not die off before it gets a chance to do its job.

 

[SamUK]

so youve got fish in there and it hasnt cycled yet?


definately wouldnt get anymore fish yet!


and if the filter is faulty then jus take it back and get a new one. u shouldnt have to fix it.

 

[smmetz]

Well, it hasn't cycled yet, but if I share the filter media from my 29 with my 55 - it should cycle instantly. After all, the fish came from my 29 gallon.

I think I'll wait a week or so to get the other danios - you do have a point. However (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm still a newbie) if the filter media from my 29 gallon was handling the amonia and nitrites from the fish in it - I split up the fish - and split up the filter media - in the same proportions as best as I can tell - then there will still be about the same bacteria to fish ratio in each tank. Therefore, the 55 gallon will be instantly cycled, and the 29 gallon will remain cycled. From there, I just SLOWLY add new fish the the 55 gallon, and I should be OK. Of course, I'll monitor the nitrite and amonia levels closely in both tanks for the first couple weeks.

I am just giving a few small fish a few hours in the 55 gallon to they produce a very small amount of waste before mature filter media gets added. I don't want the mature filter media to die off while it waits for some amonia in 55 gallons of water from about 7-8 inches of fish.

Oh - I would just return the filter - but since it came in the kit, I'm afraid they would want the whole kit back. It took forever to fill it up, and rinse all that sand - and only took 5 minutes to fix - so I figured I would just fix it.

 

[phlawed]

so youve got fish in there and it hasnt cycled yet?


definately wouldnt get anymore fish yet!


and if the filter is faulty then jus take it back and get a new one. u shouldnt have to fix it.

agree on taking the filter back. As for the fish, he has over 100 post here. He knows the routine. Let him make his own choices on the fish.

 

[BOD]

just to let you know for future reference maybe...you should have really added the mature media, straight away when you put the fish in there, the bacteria will not die off, and certainly would not die off that quickly.

you could also add some gravel/sand from your old tank, and just put in some tights or something similar if you have any near the filter, this will help establish you tank even quicker!

 

[smmetz]

Thx for the advice - I'll add the media as soon as I get home, and try to catch that last danio from my 29 gallon too - those guys are fast! I'll test for water for amonia / nitrites tonight and report back - I think it should be OK - but if not, I'll post up my stats so others can learn. (if it turns out I get some kind of amonia spike, others can learn that you guys are right, and waiting to add the filter media was not a good idea)

 

[SamUK]

surely youll be lucky for the fish in the 55 to even be alive when you get home if there in a totally uncycled tank with a brand new filter?



i see what you mean about the kit but you are the customer so jus make a lil fuss.


they cnt really expect you to empty the tank and pack it all up again cos they screwed up.

id give it a shot neway!

 

[smmetz]

surely youll be lucky for the fish in the 55 to even be alive when you get home if there in a totally uncycled tank with a brand new filter?

Surely you must be joking? A few hours with 1/8 inch of fish per gallon will not make amonia levels very noticable at all - IMO. I'm all for cycling tanks are being cautious - but I think "they'll all be dead from amonia poisoning in 10 hours" is just paranoia. I think that if they do have a rough time, it will be the result of the stressful move of the 29 gallon tank to another room and acclimation to the 55 tank - not the amonia.

Anyway, like I said, I'll post up nitrite and amonia levels tonight, I'm curious to see how they are.

 

[BOD]

What else are you gunna put in your new tank then in the near future? got any pics?

 

[SamUK]

hmm probably am bein a bit paranoid.


they wont be happy in all brand new water and stuff tho.

 

[smmetz]

Eventually, I will thin out my 29 gallon considerably, and get some friends for my fish who may be happier with more same species company.

I want to put my spotted raphael in the 55 gallon, and get him a couple buddies. I think they will enjoy the sand over the gravel in my 29 gallon - from what I have read.

I will probably keep my male platys in there, and add males from my fry when then are mature enough to hold their own. The fry are in my 10 gallon tank now. I was thinking of seperating males from females now, since wont be needing any more platys with all the fry I have!

I'll also put at least 1 of my two 4" common pleco's in the 55 gallon.

My 1 rainbow madagascar will go in the 55, and I hope to get 5-6 more of them. When they get to adult size of 4-5 inches, they will be kind of the main attraction in the tank I guess.

I havn't decided if I want to get any other species yet - want to concentrate on adding to what I have first - get all the species up to their recommended size groups.

 

[smmetz]

Well, I tested my amonia and nitrites. The amonia was between 0 and 0.25 - but much closer to 0, there was only the slightest hint of green. Maybe it was 0.05-0.1 The nitrites are 0. I just added some filter media from my mature 29 gallon, and I'll see how the amonia is tomorrow. I'm pretty confident that it will be 0.

The water is clearing up from the sand also!