I'm getting all of my aquarium together and soon I'd like to start building it, but I have a few questions:
I have an Eclipse Hex 5, and I'm just going to (once it's cycled properly) house one betta, maybe a snail when I get more confident. I'd like to have live plants, but can I do a fishless cycle on my tank with live plants in the water? The amount on ammonia I'd be adding to the water wouldn't be large enough to harm them, right?
Or, being a beginner, should I invest in some silk plants and just hang out until I get the hang of keeping fish, before I get live plants?
Another thing I've been wondering is, when I get my fish, are there any other things I should have on hand (other than the obvious gravel vac, the water conditioner, the test kit)? The guy at my LFS said that it wouldn't hurt to have some Protect-Ease, and that it might even be beneficial to add some when I get my fish. I guess (according to the bottle) that it's a preventative of all sorts of nasty.
Also, salt. I've read in places that aquarium salt, in teensy amounts, can be good for bettas and keeping them healthier/keeping bad bacteria away. I've also seen skeptics, so I'm not entirely sure, but LFS guy said that it would be good to have.
tl;dr: live plants for a beginner? Live plants in cycling tank? Protect-Ease? Aquarium salt?
Thanks so much! This site is a lifesaver, literally. My future fish thanks you. (I'm planning to call him Cougar. Cougs for short.)
Also, how should I tag this post/do I tag this post? I see the option, but I haven't found anything about tagging on the site. Thanks again!
I have an Eclipse Hex 5, and I'm just going to (once it's cycled properly) house one betta, maybe a snail when I get more confident. I'd like to have live plants, but can I do a fishless cycle on my tank with live plants in the water? The amount on ammonia I'd be adding to the water wouldn't be large enough to harm them, right?
Or, being a beginner, should I invest in some silk plants and just hang out until I get the hang of keeping fish, before I get live plants?
Another thing I've been wondering is, when I get my fish, are there any other things I should have on hand (other than the obvious gravel vac, the water conditioner, the test kit)? The guy at my LFS said that it wouldn't hurt to have some Protect-Ease, and that it might even be beneficial to add some when I get my fish. I guess (according to the bottle) that it's a preventative of all sorts of nasty.
Also, salt. I've read in places that aquarium salt, in teensy amounts, can be good for bettas and keeping them healthier/keeping bad bacteria away. I've also seen skeptics, so I'm not entirely sure, but LFS guy said that it would be good to have.
tl;dr: live plants for a beginner? Live plants in cycling tank? Protect-Ease? Aquarium salt?
Thanks so much! This site is a lifesaver, literally. My future fish thanks you. (I'm planning to call him Cougar. Cougs for short.)
Also, how should I tag this post/do I tag this post? I see the option, but I haven't found anything about tagging on the site. Thanks again!