FINALLY! New Tank!

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Fishandfrogs

Medium Fish
#1
Jan 19, 2008
70
0
0
#1
so, today i got paid, had more than i though i would, and said, damn it, i want a new tank. So i went out and got a 29g tank :D

Bought the kit, got a pretty good deal on it. it came with the full hood, light, heater, filter/waterfall, and some water treatment stuff. Also some "stress zyme" and "stress coat" whatever those are.

Im gonna order a master test kit tonight. I want to start cycling this tank this weekend if possible. Ive been reading up so i think i have a decent handle on the cycling process, but any suggestions and tips are more than welcome. Anything i might need that i dont have yet, ways to speed the cycle along, that sort of thing.

Also, i was hoping to get suggestions on what to stock this bad boy with. i want fish that are interesting to look at, have personality, and are fun to watch eat/ play/ ect. i know some will be bottomfeeders. beyond that, im not sure what i want.

Heres the tank, with as much as i have of the setup so far:


Heres the little cave i got for it:
 

TabMorte

TabMorte

Superstar Fish
#2
Jan 17, 2008
1,470
0
0
#2
You can help your tank cycle faster by taking established media out of your existing tank and putting it in the new one, just make sure if you use this methor you both put the established stuff in the water that has already been treated and dechlorinated properly and 2, feed the tank with ammonia or something to make sure the bacteria don't starve and die off. It will still cycle this way but it will do so faster.

Also when ever you're rinsing off your filter media do it in the water of this tank. You'll get algae if you do this (or I did) but it really really helped me quick cycle my little frog tank.
 

pwrmacG4

pwrmacG4

Superstar Fish
#3
Jan 16, 2008
1,086
0
0
My LFS!
#3
Congrats! I bet you are excited. can't wait to see some pics when completed.

are you going to have live plants?

do you know how you are going to stock it yet?
 

brian1973

brian1973

Superstar Fish
#6
Jan 20, 2008
2,001
3
38
Corpus Christi, Texas
#6
Congrats on the new tank.... I have to disagree with Tabs advice on using your media unless your puting your toads into this. While it is a good way to speed up the process but the toxins carried by those toads is most likely on everything including the filter media. So if you use that method you would very likely be contaminating a new tank from the beginning.

Good luck with the set up
 

Kissyboots

Kissyboots

Superstar Fish
#7
Dec 17, 2007
1,889
1
36
Arizona
cid-461aece5d238e494.spaces.live.com
#7
Since I've never actually cycled a tank...oops...I can't help you with that.

I would totally get live plants though. The fish like them, I think they look nicer, and they grow which makes them interesting.

As for the fish, I would get cories (about 4) for sure. They are so fun to watch. Swordtails (1 male, 2 females) are cool too because they are really active. Although I think they are boring, you could get some schooling tetras (at least 4). Some ghost shrimp (as many as you want) would fit as well. Even though I don't have them, otos (about 2-4) would be beneficial since they eat algae. I'm planning to get some soon. (((these are only suggestions)))

The little cave looks cool. I was going to get that for my 5g but it was too flat. It looks nice though.

Anyway, cool tank. Hope it works out for you. :D
 

TabMorte

TabMorte

Superstar Fish
#8
Jan 17, 2008
1,470
0
0
#8
brian1973 said:
Congrats on the new tank.... I have to disagree with Tabs advice on using your media unless your puting your toads into this. While it is a good way to speed up the process but the toxins carried by those toads is most likely on everything including the filter media. So if you use that method you would very likely be contaminating a new tank from the beginning.

Good luck with the set up
Click to expand...

That's a good point I forgot the toads are toxic.

I would recommend then using the new tank for the fish and leaving the toads where they are. Since the old tank's full of said toxin.
 

roark fishies

roark fishies

Large Fish
#9
Dec 20, 2007
485
0
0
North Lousiana
#9
R u planning to fish in cycle or fishless cycle? If you are fishless cycling you'll need to get some pure ammonia.
Since you can't use established media, you may want to get some bio-spira. I've never used it but apparently is helps speed the cycle. It's kind of like a mythical creature though (like a unicorn or loch ness monster) cuz I've never seen it.
 

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Fishandfrogs

Medium Fish
#10
Jan 19, 2008
70
0
0
#10
yeah i am pretty pumped about it all... waiting for it to cycle is going to annoy me but i dont want to fight with the water conditions for months so im gonna make sure it gets done right. I have put in a a handfull of established gravel from one of the tanks at the petsmart, so hopefully that will speed things along. The gravel has algae on it too so ill have to keep an eye on that.

yes Dwarfguarami, i am hoping to have live plants. not sure at which point in the cycle i should plant them, to be honest, im not even sure what the best way is to care for them. Is it as easy as plant, grow, and jsut trim it every now and then? As for stocking it, like i said before, i do know im going to want some bottom feeders. Not sure if itl be more cories, or some other sort of fish. I also want some midlevel and some surface level fish. Im thinking shrimp as well. and of course i will want some algae eaters. Beyond that, and the things i talked about in the original post, Im open for suggestions. :D

Tabmorte: This one is definitely getting fish. Im actually looking to find another home for the frogs. Never wanted them in the first place but thats a long story lol. I do have a temporary home for the frogs though, so as soon as that gets cleaned out (today) they are moving.
 

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Fishandfrogs

Medium Fish
#11
Jan 19, 2008
70
0
0
#11
roark fishies said:
R u planning to fish in cycle or fishless cycle? If you are fishless cycling you'll need to get some pure ammonia.
Since you can't use established media, you may want to get some bio-spira. I've never used it but apparently is helps speed the cycle. It's kind of like a mythical creature though (like a unicorn or loch ness monster) cuz I've never seen it.
Click to expand...

I am planning on going fish-in after a few days.. i already know my guppies are nigh indestructible, and the 16g is definitely approaching max density, so some of them are going in the new tank in a few days. thats the plan at least.

The media i did get came from petsmart. i actually did that because i didnt want the white fuzzy algae crap thats on my driftwood in the 16g, but the frog poison angle is good thinking too. although i am still not convinced they have ever released their poison in that tank. If its as easy to see as ive heard (white mucusy stuff) then i know ive never seen it.
 

I

iapetus

Large Fish
#13
Jan 15, 2008
572
0
0
34:09:39N, 118:08:19W
#13
What's the wattage on the light that came with the kit you bought? If you're thinking about live plants, you're probably going to want a higher wattage bulb than is standard with most kits. I'm currently setting up my own 29G (still waiting to pick up a heater and a filter from a friend who said he'd donate those to me) and am planning on putting in at least a 55-watt bulb so that my live plants will thrive.
 

pwrmacG4

pwrmacG4

Superstar Fish
#17
Jan 16, 2008
1,086
0
0
My LFS!
#17
I have alot of anubias nana growing in my tank.. it grows quickly and it is a short plant with broad leaves. it is a hardy plant that grows even in poor lighting conditions. I just use plant tabs when I do water changes. easy to take care of too.
 

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