Common Newbie Pitfalls

[dskidmore]

Originally Posted by baldmtnbrew

I read in tropical fish hobbyist magazine that when I cycle my tank I can put a cooked shrimp in the tank I have done this but when do I take it out?

You don't take it out. The shrimp will rot and look nasty, then melt away. This process of the shrimp rotting is the entire point of putting it in. The rotting shrimp supplies ammonia at a fairly steady rate to fuel your nitrogen cycle without fish.

If you have fish already, take out the shrimp ASAP, you want to keep your ammonia levels low and take longer to cycle.

[JRagg]

The biggest piftall is the thing that we see 5 new threads on daily. Someone buys a tank, a bunch of fish, and dumps them in without cycling the tank.

Note to all aquarium newbies: Read up on cycling your tank, and cycle your tank before adding fish!

[anna]

Oh wow...all this advice. I have all the basics covered except the master test kit...right now we have the lame strips.

But there is a pleco in every tank!

[Jchillin]

Unfortunately, the forum does not have kudos anymore, but since you have plecos, I can give you a when you get the liquid re-agent kits.

[NeonJulie]

Using an ammonia source that is not clearly indicative of the ingredients... and assuming that this thing called Surfactant is not "a dye" and "not a perfume" and assuming that since the label calls it Clear Ammonia, that that's what it is...

ACE Hardware Janitorial Strength 10% Ammonium Hydroxide solution... I personally will mistrust everything else. They can keep their "quality control agents" and non-specific labeling! And try the Shake test to. (And dilute some to see if it feels velvety or soft, instead of the normal clean friction of water that makes things squeak!)


Another mistake... letting your emotions get the best of you. I'm not sure what it is about fish, but the emotional fascination they get in people can sometimes defy logic. I went browsing (my tank's still cycling), and saw this Betta that I just watched for an hour, I really liked him. Part of me wanted to buy him, buy him a bowl, and wait for the tank to catch up. That's rediculous. Why would I buy a fish I without the right setup... full well knowing it wasn't ready yet. There will be another fish. They get them in quite often. *lol* Even if he is peach with red patterns and a lovely personality. We shouldn't put our own wants in front of their needs. (This experience surprised me.)

Buying anything on emotion ALONE could be trouble... because when you think about it later, you may feel entirely differently. Or you may have made a poor decision that could hurt a living thing. (A few hours later I hardly remembered him. :/ And now I've decided to go with a Gourami instead of a Betta.)

[squeekness]

I am not new to fish but I have a large tank. I have heard of this marvelous python device but never purchased one because I have to add chemicals to my water before I can add it to the tank. I was told it is better to add them to the buckets I use. I keep my water slightly acid (using the dreaded PH down products you mentioned) and since I have done that my fish have been quite happy and relatively healthy for years. (I have large irridescent sharks and a large pleco). When I kept my water nuetral my plecos died. They don't die anymore. I don't dare add water right from tap into my tank because it is way too alkaline, plus aren't we supposed to add an anti-cholirine chemical to new water as well? I Ph balance and add anti-chlorine chemicals to my buckets before I add them to my tank. If I buy a python, how then would I PH correct my water when I do water changes? *confused*

[dskidmore]

Originally Posted by squeekness

I Ph balance and add anti-chlorine chemicals to my buckets before I add them to my tank. If I buy a python, how then would I PH correct my water when I do water changes? *confused*

For the anti-chlorine chemicals, you can just add the full dose to the aquarium before adding the water. As for the pH adjustment, that's a bit trickier, as you don't want to shock the fish with too much acid being added ahead of time. If you were using a buffer instead of acid, you could add it ahead of time and just add water, but pH down would shock the fish while waiting for enough diluent. You could pre-mix your pH down in a cup with a small amount of water, and pour it out slowly into the stream, but that also may cause some minor pH swings if not done carefully enough. With a very large tank, you can mark off on the side of the tank fractions of the amount that require filling, and pour off equal fractions of the cup without too much risk. A small to medium tank I wouldn't try it on.

[waicool]

OK I'm In, First post newbie here! ('')

Like the sticky title says I'm getting started. Here is my first online parts order and, no, i am not ready to get fish yet. From my experience with other forums this one seems to rock.

net and bucket
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...net8x624handle

python cleaning system
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...on30graveltube
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...onpumpmodel13b
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...switchmodel13c
(I may need another part or two and I have my own hose thank you!)

10 pounds of gravel (Hey, It's A Start!)
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...inumgravel5lbs

ap master test kit
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...rmastertestkit

thermometer
http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS...talthermometer

[dskidmore]

Originally Posted by waicool

OK I'm In, First post newbie here! ('')

Welcome!

Do you already have your heater and filter?
Are you interested in live plants? (May want a diffrent substrate for live plants, but gravel is the easiest to clean if you don't have live plants.)

Originally Posted by waicool

python cleaning system(I may need another part or two and I have my own hose thank you!)

If you're using the python for filling the tank as well as draining it, make sure you have a hose rated for drinking water, like is availabe at RV/Camper supply places. Ordinary garden hoses often have coatings to keep algae from growing in them.

[waicool]

I am sometimes pennywise and pound foolish so thanks for the hose tip. I was anxious (another pitfall to avoid) to get started so ordered up my first $50 bucks worth of stuff to get the supply chain going. i couldn't see buying the entire python kit because i couldn't tell how long the gravel tube was. now i am smarter and will pick up a clear drinking water rated hose when i go after the other parts i will need. thanks for the prompt reply(s).