Starter help!

[OrangeCones]

i'm boiling some to remove the chlorine, will this be enough, or will i have to go out and buy a dechlornator?

Boiling water will help to offgas dissolved chlorine, but I'm not sure how quickly this is done. With aeration, it can be removed within 24 hours. Are you sure your tab water contains dissolved chloriine? Most use chloramine which cannot be offgassed and must be treated.

i'll have to go out and buy a test kit. any reccomendations?

For home use, I'd recommend the API Master Freshwater test kit.

I also plan on taking the Pleco back. seeing if i can't get a few more guppies instead.

I would return the pleco now but hold off on more guppies until the nitrogen cycle is completed.

 

[OrangeCones]

I have a water change "kit" that I made. That way when I need to do one I have everything I need inside a 5g bucket - 2 syphons, faucet adapter, towel, wrench, prime, net, and algae scrubber.

My kit is the same except no algae scrubber (I grow plants and have an army of otos, so don't see algae) and I have my test kit in the bucket.

Or if your a car guy, its as crutial as oil changes. Don't put all that money and effort into a beautiful automobile and not change the oil.

Good way to think of it!

 

[FreshyFresh]

a combination of activated charcoal, UV light, 5 stage filtering and a long hard boiling, followed by a 2 day age.

Phew.. I'd need a nap after that!!

A big bottle of Prime is like $7-8 and it would treat a 10gal for a loooong time.

Joel

 

[SKSands]

i have heard the term oto tossed around for a while now, and 5 search engies give me a stock number. WHAT IS AN OTO?

 

[FreshyFresh]

i have heard the term oto tossed around for a while now, and 5 search engies give me a stock number. WHAT IS AN OTO?

Oto catfish?

 

[SKSands]

you group of individuals are highly skilled at making me feel stupid. congratulations. WHY DIDN'T I GOOGLE THAT EARLIER!?

 

[FishDad]

Well dispensing advice isn't as satisfying if you can't make someone feel stupid in the process. Just kidding brother... by the way I believe (perhaps someone else can confirm) that if your tap test positive for ammonia then that is evidence that you do have chloramines. If that is the case then you have to detox, that in turn could be what is happening to your guppies.

 

[OrangeCones]

i have heard the term oto tossed around for a while now, and 5 search engies give me a stock number. WHAT IS AN OTO?

It is one of several species of small, algea-eating, sucker-mouthed catfish. All stay under 2". Otocinclus is the first part of the scientific name, so Oto for short. They are normally wild caught and can be sensitive to water conditions. Normally they will not initially eat anything but actual live (growing) algae and may starve if not available in the tank. After a few months, most can be taught to eat veggies and algae wafers.

I keep:

Otocinclus cocama
Otocinclus vestitus
Otocinclus vittatus

You may also see the 1st part of the scientific name with just the first letter, then the last word (so you don't have to repeat yourself).

I could say: "I keep several species of Otocinclus: the O. cocama, O. vestitus, and O. vittatus."

The first word of the scientific name always starts with a capital letter, the 2nd word always lower case.

*end of oto educational spiel HEHE!*

 

[lauraf]

any chance you could post how you do it? the information the internet has is ...well...varied. which method would be best for my tank? (10 gallon)

Meaning do a water change? For a 10g it's dead easy. Get a bucket. Something you can carry when it's full of water, like maybe 5g would be good. You will use this bucket for your fish tank only, not for gardening or mopping or washing the car. Use the siphon and gravel vac, drawing up water and debris and into the bucket. Then dump the water out - down the drain, in the garden, in the houseplants. Fill up the bucket with tap water at the same temp as your tank water is. Add your dechlor - Prime rocks - wait a nanosecond, then slowly pour the water into your tank.
You are done changing the water.

 

[SKSands]

well ,i want to the store today, they had no tests kits, nor any prime. the lady at the counter said they had just sold about about 30 minutes ago. so i got this stability stuff. it dosen't decholanite water, but it does do a a lot of stuff, and it's by seachem, which as far as i can tell, is the Mercedes of fishtank chemicals. in other news, my 2 guppies have gotten used to the tank, and are swimming to and fro to their heart's content.

i also managed to nab a picture, if anyone'd like me to post it.

 

[SKSands]

and the little red tailed one is making me crack up. how my filter is set up, the filter makes a small waterfall, and it makes it U near the side of the tank, and he rides the current down, and back up, and swims to the other side, and goes back down. he's done it about 20 times now.

 

[FreshyFresh]

well ,i want to the store today, they had no tests kits, nor any prime..

i also managed to nab a picture, if anyone'd like me to post it.

SK, any chance of going to another local fish store?

I can't imagine a store without a SINGLE test kit supply on hand. That would kind of make me moon-walk back out the door.

Oh yes.. pics would be great!!


Joel

 

[Thyra]

When I first started three years ago, I went to Petsmart and ask for the API test kit - they had no idea what I was talking about. There were other single type tests. I searched around myself and finally found one - their only one - and bought it. They didn't restock for a long time. I now notice they do carry them.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Yeah, mine has a few API master test kits on the shelf for ~$29 and a bunch of single type ones. I mail-ordered mine through Petsmart's website for ~$20. Pretty much everything is cheaper online for Petsmart.

Joel

 

[SKSands]

they have it, i saw the price listed on the shelf, they just sold out. my timing sucks.

 

[Parkedout]

My fish store only has test strips and ammonia tests. And a bunch of additives. :/

I have to order all my stuff online too.

 

[SKSands]

UPDATE: Added some stability to the tank, added quite a bit a few days ago, more than 6 mL, and for the past few days, i'v been adding 15 drops from a dropper, about .5 to.7 ml a day. and my little fish seem much happier.

 

[SKSands]

UPDATE: did my first water change today, yay! splashed water everywhere though, but most got in the tank. also, took the pleco back, got credit, and got a tetra instead. he seems to be very happy. the tester at my store said my ammonia and nitrates are a little high, but nothing that shouldn't be fixed by a water change. my nitrites are very high though so, i did an immediate water change upon arriving home.

 

[SKSands]

now that the tetra's been introduced, he seems to be chasing the guppy all over the tank, until just now, where the guppy is stuck in the upper right corner of the tank. is the tetra establishing dominance, playing, or just being generally aggressive? either way, if this behavior doesn't clear up by Wendsay, when my LFS gets a new stock of guppies in, i'll be taking him back, i never though he'd do this, he looked so docile in the store tank.

 

[FreshyFresh]

..the tester at my store said my ammonia and nitrates are a little high, but nothing that shouldn't be fixed by a water change. my nitrites are very high though so, i did an immediate water change upon arriving home.

I'd be a bit concerned about that. Any ammonia or nitrites showing up in a tank with fish is cause for concern. Water changes and lots of testing until the beneficial bacteria build-up.

Joel