29G Upgrade!

[Ravenstar]

I just purchased a fish tank from a fellow on Craigslist (for an exceptional price!), and finally I got everything home today. I'm a little bit at a loss for how to go about things, though...I have the tank, a stand, heater, filter, decorations, the whole shebang. I even have two fish, since the guy needed to get everything out of his house.

Now, the filter is a Tetra Whisper "30-60" filter, HOB, and it honestly looks a bit overkill for the 29G. I suppose it's better to over- than under-filter, but it has two sides to it that have weird mesh bags and I'm not completely sure what to get for refills. After poking around online, it looks like the model has been revamped and I don't know if the new media will still work in this filter. Oh, and how essential is carbon?

In regards to the fish, I have no idea what to do with them. The entire setup is about 6 years old, and judging by the size of the fish, I'd say so are they. There were originally 4 fish (2x Tiger Barb, 1x Albino Cory, 1x Kuhli Loach), but in the 2 weeks since I first talked to the guy and today when I picked everything up, a barb and the loach had died. Now, I don't know if it's old age or what, but I'm guessing that by the condition of the tank, it was ammonia poisoning. Oh Em GEE that tank was so disgusting there aren't even words adequate enough to describe the filth! Huge bits of (what I think were) food flakes floating everywhere, indescribable amounts of debris and poo in the gravel, algae everywhere...it was utterly gross. Anyway, after scrubbing everything within an inch of its life and rejecting the gravel altogether, I don't know if I should put these fish in the tank or try to give them away or what. Ultimately I don't want them, since the community I'm going for isn't barb friendly and I don't particularly like albino cories...Ideas?

 

[OrangeCones]

If you don't want the two fish, I'd rehome them and do a fishless cycle. Far more humane than a fish-in cycle, and if the tank is/was as bad as you say, you'd likely need to start over anyway.

 

[TheRainbowFish]

The bigger the filter the better, even if its over kill that just means a clean tank, but replace the filter sponge and carbon when you begin the cycle!
Definatly give the fish away! If they dont die because of sress from being so old and the move then theyll die in a cycle.
Also with cleaning all the stuff you got, I'd boil it in...well water () exept if it's plastic just to get rid of any decay or disease left from all the dirt ; ) have fun!!

 

[Ravenstar]

Well I've already got a couple of cycled tanks (if you can call my 2.5G betta bowls "tanks" :3), so I'm just going to plop in some of that filter media. However, I'm not sure how long it will take to cycle the new tank if I help it along like that.

I wasn't going to try to continue to use the cruddy mess that this guy had...I'd rather start over so that I can keep my tank immaculately clean.

About carbon: I've heard it's fine, just use it, and I've heard that you should only use it to remove things like meds from the water. Is one correct, or should it be a discretion thing? And why should I even use carbon at all?

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Ravenstar]

Alright, so I'm not going to actually get the 29G up and running until after I'm back from my 2 week vacation coming up here in a couple days, but I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on what I want to stock with and how I should go about cycling.

I know I want cories and I know I want Io in the tank, but I can't decide if I want rasboras or tetras to fill the rest of the tank. Tetras would be a neat school to have, and I could kinda dump everything in at once so that I don't have to worry about Io getting too freaked about territory. I also don't want to get neon or cardinal tetras because of how bright they are, but even with black neons and cories, that's not a very colorful tank...

A school of harlequins would make for a brighter tank, but everywhere I've read says not to put them in until the tank is fully cycled. Which then leads me to questions on how I even want to cycle! Should I get the cories and put some media from my est'd tanks into the filter with the new media and wait for things to get done, then add everything else? Or what? I want Io to be the last fish in the tank.

And I'm a bit torn on stocking ratios. If I go with tetras, I could do 7x cories and 7x tetras to have a sizable shoal of each, or I could probably even do 5x cories and 9x tetras...same with the harlequins. I just don't know what would provide better security for the fish.

 

[TheRainbowFish]

Cycling isnt something you should cop out on, I did that with my present 2 tanks and severly regret it. (money and fish all died) If you take the foliter out of one tank and into another then your still left with a tank that doesnt have a filter. Leave the already cycled one where it is as not to cause stress, I'm a big one with having to pay with things and an hour later a fish goes to sleep for a long time x.x

Try simply making another filter sponge. A thickish peice of cleannnn cloth, a peice of foam off a bed corner, from the couch or a cusion. I use mainly foam as it's cheap and effective. Cycle it thoughroly (...) as anyone would say and I know! It sucks big fish head wating for ever but its worth it for sure.

Carbon I've only ever had once and it's mainly used to ''purify'' the water.(>.<) Just to make it ... clear? Shiny? I dont know mainly add stuff that makes it look more like water than a toilet.

Your stocking ratios are good, I'd go the harlequins as their hardier than most tetras. You probably wont need so many cories, 5 at max. You want them to feel safe but not crammed. I'd (SoMeHoW) resist getting NINE harle-things and maybe 8 or 7. Perhaps have 6 and add something solitary to the tank?

You could...possibly... dont eat me if I'm wrong but its what i'd do... cycle the tank while your gone. Buy some off those long lasting food shell shaped things from coles/woolies/whatever and only have water and the filter (no decortions) add a couple of blocks then leave it... But its not something I'd approve of doing on a forum. (I'd say no and do it anyway)

 

[Ravenstar]

Oh nonono, I have a filter for the 29G (a Tetra Whisper 30-60), I'm just talking about taking media from one of my other tanks and cutting a bit off to put in the whisper filter! But that's definitely a cool way to make easy filter media for bacteria.

For stocking...tetras are cool, harlequins are cool, but I've been so torn between them since I ever even started THINKING of a community tank! I've read on here that harles like to be in shoals of 8-10, which is why I was suggesting such a large number. If I were to cut numbers and have 5 cories and even 7 harles, plus the betta, that leaves roughly 3" of fish space left...I'd love to fill that but I honestly have absolutely no idea what I could even fill it with. It's also tempting to just leave it a tad understocked...

 

[TheRainbowFish]

Understocked is the best even if its hard to do! My first tank was a 3 gal with 11 different fish in it... (>.<) Your stocking is fine now if you go with the betta.

If you leave extra space then it gives them room to grow, plus more to swim adding to the saftey feeling of the shoal. Bleeding heart tetras are a beautiful shoal, but so a harelquins!
Generally most of the bigger tetras are easy to keep. Heres a site with some common tetras and barbs >>
Freshwater Fish, Aquarium Fish, Freshwater Tropical Profiles

With the filter I'd say, yeah cut a bit off just make sure you replace it with something. It will help the cycle along a fair bit.

 

[homebunnyj]

If you have an already established tank, cycling will be a breeze. Set up the tank, put in some fish -- a light bioload -- and 'seed' your tank by adding a cup or so of gravel from your established tank. If it is in a mesh bag or a bit of pantyhose, you could put it in your filter media box. Otherwise place it right where the water flows into your filter intake, or at the outlet, depending on what you can do with your setup. The point is to have the water circulating over and around the seeding material. Also, every day or two you can swish the media from your established tank through your new tank; then replace it in your old tank's filter.

If you choose the harlequins, you could have kind of an Asian theme to your tank... not completely, because I think all the cories are South American, but still... are you going to add plants? If you have low light I'd recommend java moss, quite a bit of java fern, maybe marimo balls (I know, Japan, but they look so cool), a small piece of driftwood to keep the water soft, and maybe some fake bamboo stalks (NOT 'lucky bamboo' or other real non-aquatic plant). I got some dried bamboo and dipped it in epoxy resin, then placed several pieces toward the back as though they had fallen into the water for a river look. Sand bottom, some scattered gravel and rocks, it looked very nice. You can do a lot with a setup like that. Instead of having two smaller schools I'd definitely go with one larger school of harlequins. It has much more visual impact, plus they are very striking fish. And the green of all the plants (real or fake) sets off the colors of the harlequins as well as a betta.