Argh! Tank setup delays.

[jinmon]

Hey guys. I just had to vent for a minute - my shipment from Drs. Foster & Smith of a filter, heater, thermometer, test kit, etc - for setting up my FIRST TANK - was misdelivered by FedEx today. Now, it's sent via FedEx Home, and the drivers head home after their route, so I have to wait until tomorrow to call FedEx and find out where I can pick up my package. SO MAD! It's really not a big deal, I haven't finished painting my tank stand yet so I don't NEED anything - but I was really looking forward to testing my tap water.

WAH! I know mistakes happen, but but but... ARGH!

Y'all better post a lot of interesting stuff today to keep me distracted. Thanks for letting me whine....

-Julie

 

[courtnee]

Im sorry. hope they figured it out. That would drive me nuts

 

[Davy_Jones]

I can relate, I had to do the same with UPS with ordering some decorations. I hate it when that happens. You'd be so eager to get the stuff and use it and something happens.
Hope things work out for you.

 

[jinmon]

Thanks! Actually, I emailed Drs. Foster & Smith, who contacted FedEx with the right address and let me know it would be redelivered yesterday (Saturday). So just to check, I got up Saturday morning and called FedEx, who told me it was scheduled for delivery Tuesday (which is what their online tracking thing now showed) - I explained, they called the local shipping center, who said it was on the truck for delivery... and thankfully it did INDEED show up. YAY! TOYS!

Of course, I really need the tank up with water in it to USE most of these toys, but that should be pretty soon. I decided the unfinished pine stand (which was CHEAP but UGLY!) had to be primed and painted and the hardware switched out, yadda yadda - so it's now DONE and we're just letting the paint cure a little more before setting the 40 gallon tank on it filled with gravel and water...

Today's tasks: moving the stand into place (we're rearranging furniture), checking the 40 gallon for leaks, and watching paint dry.

I think I have to place another order, too. There's soooo many things I didn't get that I'm going to need, I think... like a heater for my "quarantine tank" just in case, etc. (That quarantine tank is looking more and more like a betta home every day...)

 

[7Enigma]

What's your tap water look like? The only think that really needs to be tested is ammonia and nitrAte. PH won't matter for most species of fish, and GH/KH isn't important either until you decide if you want plants or not.

Ammonia in the tap water means you have chloramines which requires a decholorinator such as Prime to make safe for the tank. A lot of people don't have chloramines in their water (the ammonia test will come up negative), and so they just have chlorine which can be used with or without* a dechlorinator (*without requires letting it sit for a day or two and being aerated). It is still highly recommended that you dechlor any water supply as Prime also removes heavy metals which can harm fish/inverts. Bottom line, use a dechlor, and modify how much you use if your tap has high levels of chemicals in it.

NitrAte in your tap water will give you a heads up to possible problems during FC if you use that method. If you have nitrAte in your tap water it will always show in the tank and so you will think you're much farther in the cycle than you really are.

 

[neilanh]

NitrAte in your tap water will give you a heads up to possible problems during FC if you use that method.

Just wanted to clarify, it wont cause problems in your cycle, it's just something you need to be aware of is all when guaging your progress.

 

[7Enigma]

NitrAte in your tap water will give you a heads up to possible problems during FC if you use that method.

Just wanted to clarify, it wont cause problems in your cycle, it's just something you need to be aware of is all when guaging your progress.

Yeah I worded that poorly.

 

[jinmon]

Hee! Our tap water has a pH of 8.2ish, Ammonia shows at about 1.0ppm (yes, chloramine's added) and showed no nitrates when I tested it the other day, but I think I may have missed something in the testing (tested my tank water yesterday and had one of those "wait a sec... I didn't do that before!" moments) so I'll retest this morning.

Do you think I need to get the hardness testing kit if I want a lightly-planted, low-light tank?

Thanks!

 

[tropicfishman]

ehhh in a few days after gettin your package you'll be sittin back laughing about it all lol what kinda filter, heater and test kits did ya order?

 

[jinmon]

I got my package, thank god. I'm not laughing though. I keep having issues - mainly with my head, but sometimes with other things too.

I got an AquaClear 70/300, a VisiTherm Stealth 200W heater, and the AP master freshwater test kit.

So for my NEXT order I'm contemplating buying the water hardness test kit, a small heater for my quarantine (betta?) tank, some more filter media, a magfloat for GLASS (bought the acrylic one, gr, but hey - it'll work for my quarantine (betta?) tank...), some veggie clips, maybe some more airline tubing... and... ummm.... heck, I'm sure I'm forgetting lots! Maybe some lights....