Not to go too far into detail and off-topic but I have a little knowledge on saltwater aquariums- I cared for a 70 gallon that had fish and live coral, even a derasa clam I purchased for it, and I did well maintaing the water cycles, chemicals, keeping everyone happy and healthy. I know an aquarium is a lot more than fish in a tank. Its an ecosystem that needs looked after, to live properly on its own.
Now on to the topic at hand I, learned quite a bit about water cycles, making sure everything is correct chemical wise, keeping certain fish together, or most certainly keeping some apart.
Its currently 8:50 (as i type this part) Tues, Nov 8.
Sunday Nov. 6 I finshed putting together a 20 gal. long aquarium, set with a aquaclear 50gal hang over back canister filter, hung all the way to the left back side of tank. it has the biomax cycle gaurd that's supposed to help out too. I have an aqueon subermisble 100 watt heater stick up on the glass. I also have a crystal LED color changing bubble maker on the opposite side of the tank from the filter and heater adding some aeration to the tank and looks pretty nice too.
I have Caribsea brand super naturals premium aquarium substrate "kind of jelly bean sized pebble rock", and it came with a free bio magnet clarifier inside that I guess is supposed to help with the cloudiness of my water that i did add at time of starting the tank. I do have to admit the water looks pretty decent at this time. I do have Decor in the tank I have a little castle kind of in the middle right side that is able to enter. a little smal log type piece to the left of that that has an arch hole through to hide in with some fake plant attached on top and from I have some black slate rock stacked, with a decent size piece of recycled glass on top with some kind of tree plant behind it all, kind of hiding my filter nozzle.
Once I had it set, that evening on sunday I went and purchased 5 gal jugs purified water, then I went and purchased a rainbow shark about an inch and a half or so in size, maybe a lil less but he's the biggest one i purchased. I also purchased a red tail black shark, a lil smaller about 3/5-4/5 the size of the rainbow. A lil smaller, and the 2nd biggest fish. I then also purchased 4 assorted mollies, all about an half an inch or so in size....... NOW, the gentlemen at the store told me I couldn't get another rainbow because they would kill each other for being the same species but that the rainbow and the black redtail would be okay since they were a different species of freshwater shark from each other.
I know now from research, that they shouldnt be together and even if they do survive eatchother i need a bigger tank. They guy told me tonight that theyll be fine but i will eventually need to put them in a bigger tank, when i brought up that i plan to get a 55 from my boss for free he said it would be okay to put them together in it once i get to that point. But i dont expect the tank for a month or two, and its am empty tank sitting in the garage and im not sure what investments ill need in the equopment for it to be proper so i cant say for certain when the tank will be ready for anything.....
Anyways, They seem to be doing pretty good. At this time. So far, the largest shark, the rainbow, he pretty much took over the castle. He seems to stay in there the most and will pop up and chase the others away sometimes but then other times I see the mollies in the top opening when I swear he's hiding in the bottom so i don't know... but when I do see him out and about in the tank he usually seems to leave the others alone I saw him chase the other shark once for a lil bit and maybe a mollMolly once or twice for a brief second..... the black red tail has been pretty active and out and about but latley today he seem to like to hide back in the tree plant up by the filter nozzle and it kind of drifts across the tope of the water to the front so hes been in there alot latley. The mollies don't have much rhyme or reason, sometimes together, sometimes apart.....
When I came home Sunday evening I filled the tank with water I turned on the filter after filling it I also turned on the bubble maker and Teeter by then added seachem Prime to dechlorinate the water I also added seachem stability I then also added pH neutralizer and then lastly some fish bacteria that ran about 8 bucks that I was just supposed to add to the cycle process I guess..... I let all the fish sit in the water about 2-3 hrs to adjust to the temp, and since the tank was new I didn't not drip acclimate them, I just let them out of the bags......
Obviously I'm in the cycle process, so I want opinions and advice on what I've done, what was right and wrong, per say, like I said I'm asking opinions from knowledge and experience, and what I could/should do from here.
If you've read all that, are still here reading, and want to help. I will galdy hear what you have to say. Thanks.
Now on to the topic at hand I, learned quite a bit about water cycles, making sure everything is correct chemical wise, keeping certain fish together, or most certainly keeping some apart.
Its currently 8:50 (as i type this part) Tues, Nov 8.
Sunday Nov. 6 I finshed putting together a 20 gal. long aquarium, set with a aquaclear 50gal hang over back canister filter, hung all the way to the left back side of tank. it has the biomax cycle gaurd that's supposed to help out too. I have an aqueon subermisble 100 watt heater stick up on the glass. I also have a crystal LED color changing bubble maker on the opposite side of the tank from the filter and heater adding some aeration to the tank and looks pretty nice too.
I have Caribsea brand super naturals premium aquarium substrate "kind of jelly bean sized pebble rock", and it came with a free bio magnet clarifier inside that I guess is supposed to help with the cloudiness of my water that i did add at time of starting the tank. I do have to admit the water looks pretty decent at this time. I do have Decor in the tank I have a little castle kind of in the middle right side that is able to enter. a little smal log type piece to the left of that that has an arch hole through to hide in with some fake plant attached on top and from I have some black slate rock stacked, with a decent size piece of recycled glass on top with some kind of tree plant behind it all, kind of hiding my filter nozzle.
Once I had it set, that evening on sunday I went and purchased 5 gal jugs purified water, then I went and purchased a rainbow shark about an inch and a half or so in size, maybe a lil less but he's the biggest one i purchased. I also purchased a red tail black shark, a lil smaller about 3/5-4/5 the size of the rainbow. A lil smaller, and the 2nd biggest fish. I then also purchased 4 assorted mollies, all about an half an inch or so in size....... NOW, the gentlemen at the store told me I couldn't get another rainbow because they would kill each other for being the same species but that the rainbow and the black redtail would be okay since they were a different species of freshwater shark from each other.
I know now from research, that they shouldnt be together and even if they do survive eatchother i need a bigger tank. They guy told me tonight that theyll be fine but i will eventually need to put them in a bigger tank, when i brought up that i plan to get a 55 from my boss for free he said it would be okay to put them together in it once i get to that point. But i dont expect the tank for a month or two, and its am empty tank sitting in the garage and im not sure what investments ill need in the equopment for it to be proper so i cant say for certain when the tank will be ready for anything.....
Anyways, They seem to be doing pretty good. At this time. So far, the largest shark, the rainbow, he pretty much took over the castle. He seems to stay in there the most and will pop up and chase the others away sometimes but then other times I see the mollies in the top opening when I swear he's hiding in the bottom so i don't know... but when I do see him out and about in the tank he usually seems to leave the others alone I saw him chase the other shark once for a lil bit and maybe a mollMolly once or twice for a brief second..... the black red tail has been pretty active and out and about but latley today he seem to like to hide back in the tree plant up by the filter nozzle and it kind of drifts across the tope of the water to the front so hes been in there alot latley. The mollies don't have much rhyme or reason, sometimes together, sometimes apart.....
When I came home Sunday evening I filled the tank with water I turned on the filter after filling it I also turned on the bubble maker and Teeter by then added seachem Prime to dechlorinate the water I also added seachem stability I then also added pH neutralizer and then lastly some fish bacteria that ran about 8 bucks that I was just supposed to add to the cycle process I guess..... I let all the fish sit in the water about 2-3 hrs to adjust to the temp, and since the tank was new I didn't not drip acclimate them, I just let them out of the bags......
Obviously I'm in the cycle process, so I want opinions and advice on what I've done, what was right and wrong, per say, like I said I'm asking opinions from knowledge and experience, and what I could/should do from here.
If you've read all that, are still here reading, and want to help. I will galdy hear what you have to say. Thanks.
