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markbizz

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jan 7, 2010
Messages
2
I have a 55 gallon fish tank, I added 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt for each gallon, bought a heater and have two filters filtering the tank. I laid shells on the botom of the tank along with rocks. I have the temp at about 82 degrees. I used chemicals to speed up the process of treating the water.

How long does this tank have to circulate before I can add fish?

:p Thank you for helping

Markbizz
 
You'e off to a good start, but just letting the tank run won't get you ready for fish. You need to add ammonia and start testing your water parameters. Look up fishless cycling for more information. There's some good pages here on AA about it.
 
You need to do a water change to get some of that salt out of the water. Unless you are treating for a disease, it isn't needed.. and you have it at a very high level as well, I'm not so sure that any fish can really tolerate it. Unless that was a typo and you meant 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons.. If it wasn't you have the equivalent of 6 teaspoons per gallon, and the highest reccomended to treat disease is 3 teaspoons per gallon, of which most often 2 teaspoons per gallon is used.
 
Have you cycled your tank at all? It’s a 5-6 week process generally.

I know most people would recommend against it, but, unless you have really soft heart and can’t bear to lose a fish, get a cheap hardy fish (white cloud minnow?), and cycle with that so that you have a constant input of ammonia. Next, get a master test kit to test ammonia, nitrites and NitrAtes. Check them daily. Do large water changes if they get too high (small ones work as well, but large ones are more efficient - and don’t forget water conditioner!).

If you don’t want to cycle with fish (as many people prefer), you will need to add small amounts of ammonia daily to keep bacteria alive. If you are prone to forgetting (I am) you could accidentally kill all your bacteria and you may have to start over again. That’s why I suggest the fish. I cycled with 6 neons and they did fine with lots of water changes.

If you can, get someone with an aquarium to lend you some of their gravel and put it in your aquarium – it will speed up your cycling time by adding necessary bacteria.
 
Have you cycled your tank at all? It’s a 5-6 week process generally.

I know most people would recommend against it, but, unless you have really soft heart and can’t bear to lose a fish, get a cheap hardy fish (white cloud minnow?), and cycle with that so that you have a constant input of ammonia. Next, get a master test kit to test ammonia, nitrites and NitrAtes. Check them daily. Do large water changes if they get too high (small ones work as well, but large ones are more efficient - and don’t forget water conditioner!).

If you don’t want to cycle with fish (as many people prefer), you will need to add small amounts of ammonia daily to keep bacteria alive. If you are prone to forgetting (I am) you could accidentally kill all your bacteria and you may have to start over again. That’s why I suggest the fish. I cycled with 6 neons and they did fine with lots of water changes.

If you can, get someone with an aquarium to lend you some of their gravel and put it in your aquarium – it will speed up your cycling time by adding necessary bacteria.

Nothing personal, but I don't see why anyone that knows about the nitrogen cycle would advocate this. IMO It's so much easier (and better longterm) to throw a raw shrimp in a media bag (get established media if possible) and let nature take it's course without involving fish. If the OP chooses the fish route, I'd hope they at least match the fishes preferred temp range. Plenty of water changes are going to be needed to remove the salt already...
 
Nothing personal, but I don't see why anyone that knows about the nitrogen cycle would advocate this. IMO It's so much easier (and better longterm) to throw a raw shrimp in a media bag (get established media if possible) and let nature take it's course without involving fish. If the OP chooses the fish route, I'd hope they at least match the fishes preferred temp range. Plenty of water changes are going to be needed to remove the salt already...


I agree completely with the established media – ideally that’s what we would all do if we had the option! And I would hope that they did keep the correct temperature range for the fish.

However, I don’t like empty tanks, and I’m not past doing a ton of testing and water changes to keep them healthy.
 
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Hi,

Just offering my two bits. I used to sell fish and I understand the frustration a new aquarist can have when told that he/she has to wait 1-2 months before seeing fish in the tank. Unfortunately, it is this frustration that usually results in failure. The new aquarist may not listen to this sort of advice and then begin buying fish after a week or two. The nitrogen compounds spike and the result is dead fish. I know it is hard, but the first rule of successful aquarium husbandry is patience. (The second, I think, is water changes, Lol.)

As to myself, I am rather impatient. Consequently, I use a modified fishless/silent cycle to help speed up the process and occupy my time. Instead of just adding an ammonia source and waiting, I complete my startup in phases:

Weeks 1 & 2: Get the system up and running, add food every day just as if the tank had fish in it. Adding the food on a normal schedule means that the tank will be ready for the amount of food you use when the time comes. It also helps build a habit that will continue for the lifespan of the aquarium.

During the first two weeks, the tank lights are kept off and the aquarium is covered if possible. This helps prevent algae blooms (which can be majorly annoying) since it prevents algae from growing by blocking light. Meanwhile, the bacteria start to grow and use the food that would have otherwise been divided between the bacteria and algae.

It is also important to note that the aquarium should be decorated with semi-porous substance that are not more than 4 inches thick (10 cm). Lava rock and natural driftwood (not the fake petshop stuff, though some reputable dealers do carry the real stuff) work well for this. Another alternative is to use aquarium silicone to attach inert sponges to the bottom of slate slabs (let cure for 24 hours before placing in aquarium). These substances will encourage bacterial growth and make the system less dependent on the filter media (this way, the system will not be too disturbed when it is time to change the filter media).

50% Water Change

Week 3: Buy some hardy, fast-growing plants (hornwort seems to work for many aquarium systems) and plant them in the aquarium. Not just one or two, enough to really decorate the aquarium with. After the plants are in place, get into the habit of turning on the lights for 12-16 hours every day in addition to feeding regularly. If you are worried that your lights are not bright enough to support plant growth, leave most of the plants floating or simply add some more lights.

25% Water Change

Week 4: Test the water parameters. Many pet shops will test the water for free, but make sure they give you the results in numbers (not just "it's fine"). The ammonia and nitrite should be 0 and the nitrate can be as high as 40ppm without being seriously harmful. If the parameters check out, then it is time to add some fish. Make sure to put the most aggressive fish in the tank last and do some planning to make sure your fish will get along. (Hint: You have 4 weeks to research possible fish :).)

Do 25% water changes every week unless your nitrates are very low (below 20ppm). If your nitrates are very low, then you can afford to wait longer between water changes. (Hint: Gravel siphons are very effective ways to both remove water and rid the tank of waste debris.)

One last note: Unless you are opting for a true brackish water aquarium the shells are not a good idea. Seashells are basically made of the same stuff that limestone is and both can wreak havoc on freshwater chemistry. Fake shells are much better (one of the few places I would not advise using the natural substance in any form).

MOA
 
The idea of adding a hardy fish is good in theory however the stress of living through a cycle can weaken the fish and actually cause disease in a tank. Some life cycles of certain parasites takes as long to get rid of as cycling a tank. It is better to cycle a tank without livestock in it, even if it takes a few weeks.

What type of fish are you going to be getting start researching now, some LFS will say yes this fish will do fine in the tank only to later on find out it isn't the best fish to be in a tank with other fish. Are you doing a brackish or freshwater set up? Looking at the amount of salt you added makes me ask.
 
I agree completely with the established media – ideally that’s what we would all do if we had the option! And I would hope that they did keep the correct temperature range for the fish.

However, I don’t like empty tanks, and I’m not past doing a ton of testing and water changes to keep them healthy.

I think we agree. There are responsilbe ways to include fish immediately. I have (and do) put fish into a brand new tank. BUT we have seeded media ready and do daily testing and any WCs needed. As long as that dilligence is used, no worries.
 
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