-> FILTRATION COMBO?!? HELP!!! <-

[wickedx107]

i just recently bought a 20 gallon starter kit (top fin). i am planning on starting with small community fish. such as betta, platys, mollys, guppies, etc.  so pretty much im going to have quiet a bit of fish's in there. my question is...

besides the power filter, what other type of filter is good to run with my current power filter.  example: power filter with an undergravel filter.

i want to be careful to chose the right filter to help me filtrate debree, poop, etc. i want something to run smooth without stressing out the fish with too much current, or sucking the fish and getting them stuck and what not.

or any ideas for a good setup for filtertion, aeration, and so on. thanks guys  ;D

 

[JWright]

Simply adding more filtration _doesn't_ allow you to overstock your tank. A single power-filter will handle a 20 gal. just fine. Perhaps an Aquaclear 150 or 200, either would be fine.

I would highly reccomend a process called fishless cycle. It will avoid the dreaded New Tank Syndrome (aren't buzz words great?), and it will give you good first hand experience with the nitrogen cycle before it matters to your fish.

Josh

 

[Avalon]

Right on Josh. Please cycle   *celebratesmiley*

How bout a gravel cleaner and a water change every couple weeks? That works miracles...

[storymodeon]
I was at Wal-Mart the other day (yeah, I know it sucks...) standing in line. I look up to the sound of "Is them fish dead?" There's a couple of Af-Am women standing there and one is holding a bag o' fish. I swear there were at least 20 feeder goldfish in in a bag not twice the size of my fist. Now Wal-Mart asscociates generally don't know what the heck a feeder goldfish is, they just think it's a normal goldfish. Anyway, the other woman says, "You prolly got too many fishes in there." They mumbled something else; I think it was something about taking them back, then the poor fish got chunked into the cart. Upon closer inspection, I noticed they had 4 full carts full of groceries(!!!), with a 10 gallon aquarium thrown on top as an afterthought. I got kinda pissed about it and started to tell them "Hey, those goldfish aren't as good as catfish...,"  *thumbsupsmiley* but I was outta my league. I knew better than to talk crap to women 3 times the size of me and still stoked that their LoneStar (food stamps) checks had come in. Oh well...that's why I couldn't work in a LFS...
[/storymodeoff]

 

[wickedx107]

*thumbsup2* *thumbsup2* *thumbsup2*

cool thanks guys.. ok i've started my *fishless* cycle. and everyday im checking the levels of pH. ammonia. and so on.  after after taking out the fish i had in there and tryin to work backwards... lol starting a "fishless" cycle.. i noticed that there isnt a lot of oxygen in the water. how do i increase the oxygen without having to go through a water change and messing up the level of my clorine... ammonia.. ph.. and so on?  oh and i only have a top fin 30 power filter and heater... heheh no airpump or undergravel. im taking the advice u guys gave me. so what can i do bout the oxygen?? thanks guys i appreciate it  *celebratesmiley* *thumbsupsmiley*

 

[Matt Nace]

Ok, first I hope you are adding ammonia to the "fishless" tank.

That is your food to start the bacteria.
You take tests of the ammonia, and the amount added to get a constant level. Josh should know better, probebly about 5 to 7 ppms you want to keep the ammonia at.

You keep adding ammonia daily and after a couple days or weeks nitrItes should be be appearing or getting high. You test for nitrItes as well now.

Eventually you will get nitrAtes, but you are only cycled when your ammonia and nitrItes are both 0.

oh ...I forgot about the article on this site...
http://www.myfishtank.net/articles/fishlesscycle.php

Don't worry about O2 levels. If you have normal filtration that is enough(as you do with your filter) It won't usually look "bubbley with O2 " except on waterchange days. But there is enough in there .

You do not do any water changes, and you wont have chlorine anymore since it has gassed out by now.

The only time you worry about chlorine, is when you are adding new tap water. Then you declorinate or aerate for 24 hours. This is when you put the fish back in anyways.

HTH *twirlysmiley*

 

[wickedx107]

                               *twirlysmiley*

thanks guys, you helped me out a lot. ill post again with the progress. see you guys on the msg board. bye

                              *thumbsupsmiley*

 

[huck]

You dont need to check pH everyday...  or anymore times during the fishless cycle...