Setting up a new tank
- Thread starter ecotank
- Start date
i am horrified after reading the cycling part, i just filled the tank, dropped some bottle of water (called cureme) in the filled tank , ran the filter/pump for full night, after i think 15-18 hours, i added the fish.
Should i now approach for cycling this ammonia/nitrate thing with fish in there? or should i use the spare quarantine tank to place them back and do this cycling again.
Damn i am so scared now. the fish are swiming fast and looking v playful I hope they dont suddenly die. I am going to add large stones soon. I know i should had done this already but..well. time to find that testing kit and stuff. i dont know if i will get it here or not.
Should i now approach for cycling this ammonia/nitrate thing with fish in there? or should i use the spare quarantine tank to place them back and do this cycling again.
Damn i am so scared now. the fish are swiming fast and looking v playful I hope they dont suddenly die. I am going to add large stones soon. I know i should had done this already but..well. time to find that testing kit and stuff. i dont know if i will get it here or not.
You ought to get an ammonia, a nitrite and a nitrate test kit so that you can monitor your tank as the cycle progresses. Whenever you see a spike of ammonia over about 1 or 2 ppm you need to do a big water change. Then whenever you see any nitrite over about 1ppm, do another. You can also look for a product called Stability that may help with a fish-in cycle...some have had good results with it. Don't worry 
Your fish won't all "die instantly"...
Your fish won't all "die instantly"...
Hi fishy people how are you all? I've read the beginner's suggestions but was just after a quick bit of advice! I'm just about to start cleaning out a tank I got from a friend who used it as a terrarium. It's mostly cleaned out, but still has some soil traces and build up in it. Was thinking of cleaning it with a white vinegar and water solution with some scourers to try to get the build up and residues out of it. I'm not sure how to fully get it all clean as it's a pretty big tank, but I'll definitely run everything for at least a week after rinsing it out and test so that all the levels are right for plants and fish. Any suggestions?
Keres- You brought up an oldie thread for sure, but it's all good. Are you sure this terrarium tank was intended to be an aquarium? Some reptile and terrarium tanks are not. It should have decent top/bottom frames and center braces if larger than 30-40g. You could test fill it somewhere safe and let it set overnight to test.
Just setting up the tank up and letting all the equipment run for a week still doesn't address your nitrogen cycle, so you might wanna read-up on that if you haven't. I know ~35yrs ago when I first had a tank, I knew nothing about ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and how it relates to an aquarium with fish!
Just setting up the tank up and letting all the equipment run for a week still doesn't address your nitrogen cycle, so you might wanna read-up on that if you haven't. I know ~35yrs ago when I first had a tank, I knew nothing about ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and how it relates to an aquarium with fish!
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FroggyFox
Bigger tanks have more stability. I have my betta in a little tank with some java fern and a little piece of driftwood and a snail. It just has a little internal filter (filter inside the tank), and the place I have it in stays warm enough without a heater, but I have a thermometer in it so I can keep an eye on it. You can buy some cute acrylic tanks these days, but be sure you get one that has a filter. I wouldn't go any smaller than about 3 gallons, a 5 would be fantastic. Shape doesn't really matter. I did have to have the filter turned down as low as it would go while my betta learned how to get around with the current.