South America River Basin Project

[Undawada]

Good news! I got the tank and it's now sitting waiting for me to fill it up and start cycling. I have yet to find pure ammonia around here, so I'll have to make a special trip out for that.

There is also a LPS here that is moving and has a 20% discount in everything in stock. I also get a 15% discount for being a member of my fish club. I called and asked if these discounts stack, and they do.

I bribed my sister and brother in law to drive me down, as it's pretty far and I don't have a car. I offered to let them ring in some dog food and other supplies with my super discount in exchange for the ride...


Balance added to total investment to date : $300 for tank, stand, lights and filter.

 

[Iron Man]

Wow you've been really blessed so far!

Keep us updated this is interesting.

 

[Ben]

wow!great deal on the 75
sounds like a good plan, please keep us updated,

DD

 

[CFC]

Excellent news unda. Why are you looking for pure ammonia? It would be far simpler and a lot quicker to clone the new tank from your existing one cutting out the need to cycle and leaving you able to start stocking with fish right away. Its is currently South American collecting season so the shops should be teeming with rare and unusual Amazonian fishes for the next month or two.

 

[One_Trick_Pony]

Its is currently South American collecting season so the shops should be teeming with rare and unusual Amazonian fishes for the next month or two.

thats a greaty bit of info cfc, im still new to the hobby sicne jan. so this i did not know!

otp

 

[Undawada]

I didn't know that either!

I thought of cloning my old tank, but it's a 24 gallon. Will this provide enough bacteria for a 75?

 

[Ben]

im pretty sure the bacteria will multiply quite fast

 

[CFC]

As long as you stock the tank slowly and dont put the bacteria under too much stress then you can stock any sized tank from a established smaller tank. Hook the filter up on the old tank ASAP so that bacteria will start to colonise the media and when you come to put it onto the new tank take some of the old media from your old filter and mix it in with the new media in the new filter, also you can either mix a couple of handfuls of old substrate with your new or place it in a old stocking or mesh bag and lay it on top of your new substrate so that bacteria will colonise this too. Start the tank off by stocking 5 or 6 small fish and then add one small group at a time once every two weeks or so. Remember as soon as you put the filter onto the new tank and seed the substrate you will need to add fish straight away to keep the bacteria alive.

I have done this several times including upgrading from a 50 to a 80 and from a 80 to a 200 and have never had a problem yet.

 

[Undawada]

Sounds good CFC! I will do that. That makes my life so much easier now that I don't have to cycle.

You are a fountain of fish knowledge, you know that?

It will have to wait at least a week, though, because the room where this tank is going to be has to be painted.

Will the filter from an eheim 2217 blow away my 24 gallon? The filter is almost as large as the tank

 

[CFC]

Just adjust the taps on the return hose to slow the flow and it will be fine, in a week you will have collected a nice little ammount of bacteria to get you started.

 

[Undawada]

*UPDATE*

I sold some old aquarium equipment that I'm not longer using and made $97, this will help with the costs a bit.

I also bought a 50' python for $45.

 

[nitro]

A blackwater biotope tank will have a silver sand (play sand) substrate

Is the sand just normal everyday sand or is it actually silver?

 

[CFC]

Its just normal everyday sand, its just called silver sand at the places that sell it.

 

[Iron Man]

I have playsand in my tank and its a very light tan color. I like it.

 

[Undawada]

Bought two bags of play sand.

Balance increased by $12.58