Used To Have A Tank Then Forgot Everything Please Help

[jonh95]

hi i used to be a member on here, but i forgot my user.
but anyway i used to have a tank but then everything died and i could be bothered to put more money towards the tank for it just to die again.

my problems are:
i have forgot how long you have to let the filter cycle so the ammonia and nitrite tests results are clear. (does anyone else remember, if so please tell me.)
also would it be quicker by just pouring small amounts of pure ammonia (per week) into my tank to cycle it a little bit quicker, i think this is what i done last time but i cant remember if it went wrong or not.
also for most tropical fish i cannot remember the temperature the tank water is ment to be at, this is because i got my tank water to the right temperature before and just left it, i have posted a photo of my tank i spent all day setting up below.

http/i716.photobucket.com/albums/ww170/j...0322_212022.jpg


before you ask yes i do like my rock

please answer to my questions to help me out and stop my fish dieing once i have got some in there

tanks,
jon

 

[waterdrop]

jon, yes, you're remembering correctly that there are some important steps to setting up a new aquarium. It can take up to 2 months or so to prepare the filter before fish (3 to 6 weeks is perhaps average but its highly variable and depends on each case.) What you want to begin reading is the "Beginners Resource Center" up above in this "New to the Hobby" section of our forums. Read about the Nitrogen Cycle and about starting a tank. Then the "Add and Wait" section of the Fishless Cycling article by rdd1952 is our "working paper" on how to go about your fishless cycle. You also should post questions and talk about what's going on with your cycle here in your thread on the beginner forum, because its not all as "cut and dried" as it may seem when reading about it.

The fishkeeping hobby can be one of the few things in our modern, busy lifestyles that is quiet, calm and slow. So you might want to sit back, relax and take your time with all aspects of it, including the learning and setting up part. Looking back later, it will seem like nothing.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[oscars r ace]

i have my heater at 26 degrees, and also a thermometer, ferthest point from the heater

 

[waterdrop]

But of course the temperature for fish doesn't matter for the first month or two while you're growing the bacteria. The optimal temperature for growing the bacteria is about 29C/84F, with a pH of 8.0 to 8.4 or so.

While you are growing the bacteria you have time to look up the background info on each species of fish you want and write down their good temperature range, then you look at what "compromise" temperature might best serve them all. It might indeed be in the neighborhood of 24-26C as those are pretty common for people to end up with after they've done this exercise.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[jonh95]

do you think it would be easier instead of buying ammonia just buying 2 or 3 guppies just to get some bacteria growing?

 

[lil-x-me...x]

that would be doing a cycle with fish, wich i did, not knowing what my fish went through, i wouldnt recomend putting anyfish in it, i think people would agree, guppies may be cheep fish but no fish really deserves to go in a cycling tank, the water conditions for them arnt good.

glad you have decided to start again though x nice to see you again x