Hi from Vic, Australia

[Guindoza]

Well I'm brand new to fishkeeping and have made quite a few mistakes. I bought a fishtank from kmart that cracked and went all over the floor. I was halfway thru cycling it, I'd started the cycle fishless, but my fish were in a bowl and I talked to a lady at the petstore who said it was ok to put my fish in just do 50% water changes weekly and bring in water for testing. So now I have a bull nose aquarium with foam underneath so it doesnt crack. Its on my kitchen bench so its well supported. And my fish are currently in the bowl where I had to put them until I bought the new aquarium.

Anyways, I have a few questions.

About a quarter of the water in the new aquarium is from the old one, and the filter is old filter. The filter is a submersible, and what I wanted to know was is it still ok to use when it ran above the water level after my tank cracked? Cos I didn't no it had cracked until I checked on my fish. It seems to be working fine.

I am going to have to put my fish in the new aquarium, the bowl just isn't nice, and to me they're better off in the aquarium, which hopefully is at the same cycling level as the old. I know that it will be rough for them but I have little choice.

Also a corner cover on the outside of the aquarium has come off, what should I use to glue it back on?

PS. I'm not here to be lectured about the size of aquariums for goldfish, or the fact that I should have cycled fishless. I know all that and I just want good honest advice from people in my shoes or who have been in this situation before.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Welcome to AA! I would just return the tank and try to get a new tank altogether, it doesn't seem like fixing the tank is worth all the trouble.

 

[Guindoza]

Hi thanks,

yer oops forgot to mention tht. The tank I bought from kmart, I returned and got my money back, and then I went to the petstore and bought a "real" aquarium, lol.

Just my poor fish are currently being housed in a bowl. Should I get the tank water tested before introducing them?

 

[bruinsbro1997]

How long has your tank been cycling? The main thing is if it can eat away at .5-1 ppm of ammonia in no time.

 

[Guindoza]

It had only been cycling fishless for a couple of weeks, when I took my water to the petstore for cycling. The lady there was very helpful and told me that people were just too inpatient and often introduced fish instead of doing a fishless cycle.

Well the old tank had been cycling for a few weeks, but I had to buy a new one, which I added all the old stuff to, ornaments, filter, filter media substrate so it should be at a similar level to the old fishtank. I suppose the best thing to do would be to just do what the lady at the store advised. Add the fish and do 50% water changes weekly. And take water for testing each week.

 

[Guindoza]

I doubt it has been cycling long enough to do tht, which is why Il be doing larger water changes until it can. I never thought keeping an aquarium would be so technical. My brother wants an aquarium when he moves to his new house... I'll def have to help him out. There just isn't enough advice given... but then I'm also guessing people don't ask, and the pet shop is about making profits.

 

[bruinsbro1997]

Yes. Let it be setup for bout two more weeks and then it'll be safe to LIGHTLy add a fish each week, unless it is a school.