New setup, a couple of questions

[Tap]

Hey all,
i have been lurking these forums for a while and finally decided to join. I purchased a second hand 33 gallon tank and stand and bought an aquaclear 200 (now called 50) and an ebo Jager 100 watts heater, driftwood and 4-7 mm black gravel.its is now cycling. now for the questions

-Is that heater impotent for my tank , i set it at 26c (78 F) and it still hasent gone up (the water was below 18 C) after like 3 hours

-what could i buy (creature) to help cycle and to have during cycling...the tank looks pretty dull. Should i feed it? etc...

-plants? any nice ones that don't need too much light?

thanks in advance

 

[lyquidphyre]

Hi welcome to aquarium advice!!

1.Your heater is in fact "impotent" =o)
you will prolly need 150-200 watt heater (prolly more like the 150). it should be 5 watts for every gal.

2.You could buy a product called Bio Spira and it instantly cycles your tank... and is, in my opinion, the best "instant" cycle product out there. Order some bio-spira online and once you know what fish you want.. you add the two at the same time

3. Java ferns and java moss are low light plants.. but there are some more that I cant think of at the moment

Hope that helps!

 

[Tap]

damn it !! is there a way to make it "potent" i dont want to dish out more bucks
and i meant by having shrimps or snails and stuff

 

[lyquidphyre]

buy another 50 watt heater =oP

Can you return/exchange you heater? If not, your gunna have to spend some money somewhere to get that extra 50 watts of heat.. it doesn't even have to be an expensive heater.. and since its only 50 watts it won't be *that* expensive

In fact, it is even be better to have two heaters to spread out the heat evenly.

I don't see why you couldn't have a snail or ghost shrimp in there

 

[extremenewb]

more eg plants : crypts , anubias

 

[patagonia]

ive been doing some research because i am going to get some plants too...and i found these to be low light plants and beginners plants as well...
anubias nana, java fern, tiger lotus (green and red), hornwort, anacharis elodea and glossostigma elantoides...HTH...

 

[FMJnaX]

For the heater, you really should either return and upside or buy another one. The only other thing you can really do is turn it up more to add extra heat. By doing this, however, you will need to keep a keen eye on the water temp since you won't be able to rely on the thermostat of the heater. It works fine for me. I had a 100W heater in a ~30 gal "pond". I wanted the water at 75F and had to turn the dial between 82 and 84F. I had to check the thermometer every couple of hours, but finally found the sweetspot to keep the pond constant.

For cycling, if you don't want to spend the money (or can't find) on Bio-Spira, then you can try a feeder goldfish. They're like 12 cents a piece here. They're fairly hardy and will help you cycle the tank. You MUST use caution though because they are know to be a "dirty" kept fish (since they are feeders). Fish shops normally don't medicate and/or keep the tanks and, as a result, they may introduce disease to your tank that can lay dormant until you add your "real" fish. You could also do the fishless cycle, but since you want "creatures" in there, it may not be right for you.

For plants, I like the look of the elodea (Anacharis) as well as the ease of growing. It's almost weed-like (and it considered a weed in some areas). Mine grows about an inch a day. Good thing is that you can pinch it off and replant or pinch it off and throw it in the trash. You can get some for about a dollar a bunch and in a few weeks, have a full planted tank. Most places says it needs moderate sunlight, but I've had nothing but success in a shaded barrell outside, only getting about 2 hours of light a day. The Java Fern is also an awesome choice!

 

[Tap]

Update: after like 5 hours more, the heater is one degree away from the being 78 F and the thermometer is on the opposite side of the heater guess i dont need a new heater. i dint change thepresets at all. when i get more money, ill buy some plants and meybe a ghost shrimp

 

[lyquidphyre]

hahaha i bet you could look under a couch cushion and find money to buy a ghost shrimp!! yay 26 cents

 

[FMJnaX]

Same for the Anacharis. You may even be able to walk in to a LFS, or even a "BigBox" shop, and ask for a 4-6" piece for pennies on the dollar, or even free. Sprout that sucker and in a week or two, you'll have enough for a bunch. The good thing about Anacharis (Elodea), is that it doesn't really root. As a result, it will grow floating or planted in gravel. I'm currently experimenting with floating vs. planted and I'm seeing no difference after 1 week. Both seem to grow equally well. It requires no CO2, plantfood, etc. Just give it a well established, cycled tank (though it will survive in normal water), and it will handle your nitrates for you (as well as extra ammonia and nitrite).

 

[Tap]

Just went to buy 3 shriimp and a plant im starting!! finally

 

[Tap]

whoa i left somewhere and then when i came back the water was all murky. is that normal?? when will it settle down? do i need to change like 50 %

 

[fishyrican]

Your tank may now be cycling. Have you tested your water?

 

[Tap]

i dont have a test kit yet ... i dint have enough money...next in my list

 

[fishyrican]

i dint have enough money

Boy, do I know that feeling. My wife says I pick the expensive hobbies.

It'll be hard to pinpoint exactly where your cycle is without a test kit though. And I don't think anyone has managed a way to create a DIY test kit yet.

 

[Tap]

well ill contunue to add 15 drops of ammonia a day until i get the test kit .
my shrimp are eating like mad i put alot of flakes and theyre munching away, i wanna fatten them before my big fish come. is there a possibility they overeat and croak??
thanks

 

[Tap]

i just got my test kit, the reading says 0,6 ppm. do i need to continue adding ammonia untill i get a zero reading?