My 'First' Tank

[Homedog98]

Check and see if your tests are expired...

Joyler, I saw nitrAtes before I saw nitrites on my 10 gallon. That was (as I found out later) a signal that I was about to start the nitrIte spike.

 

[Joyler]

Oh...sorry! Guess I learned something new today...that didnt happen to me

 

[Homedog98]

Oh...sorry! Guess I learned something new today...that didnt happen to me

Lol, it's cool. It's happening on my new tank too. 2 ammo, 0 trite, 2.5 trate. It just happens lol.

 

[Crew]

Hello. Welcome to AA.

I love how that tank looks like. I have a 4.4G flatback hex and I love it.

Agreed with some of the suggested stocks. Cardinal tetras, harlequin rasboras (which I owned 5, so it's highly recommended), maybe chili rasboras, black bar endlers, celestial pearl danios, maybe sparkling gouramis or a pearl gourami, or maybe dwarf gouramis, ember tetras, and/or pygmy cory cats for bottom dwellers.

It is not abnormal to have nitrates during the testings. But you shouldn't really worry about them right now. Check the ammonia and the nitrite more instead.

Anyway, I am definitely follow this thread. Welcome again.

Gouramis. For your size tank the dwarfs are good. And they look great.

 

[roundar]

Could someone with pure ammonia and a freshwater master kit try something with me? Test 5ml of pure ammonia with the ammonia solutions? I want to see if it skyrockets or sticks to a light yellow. If not for me, do it for science.

 

[daileene]

yep. especially the rainbow gourami. they are way too cool.

 

[roundar]

Random:

Got plenty of shale left, like 5 times this much... Trying to think of the perfect place for them...
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/aquarium/lots_of_extra.jpg

Here's a piece I'm considering putting in the tank. It would take up quite a bit of room. I also considered attaching a 'branch' like thing, but it's hard to explain.
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/aquarium/driftwood_front.jpg
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/aquarium/driftwood_back.jpg

Here's a piece begging for a home:
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/aquarium/big_driftwood.jpg

Random side view of tank:
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/aquarium/another_vantage_point.jpg

Here's a contraption I put together to day, is this standard? Is it ok to tie the two outputs together like that? And do you guys use the reverse siphon things?
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/aquarium/air_contraption.jpg

 

[Bud]

That big piece of DW "begging for a home" is awesome!

 

[Joyler]

That big piece of DW "begging for a home" is awesome!

VERY awesome!

 

[Bud]

Seriously, how big of a hunk of wood is that?!? You have to use it. Period.

 

[roundar]

I'll measure it tomorrow. I'd have to cut it back to fit it in the only tank I have. I've had it for a while. Waiting for it to tell me where it needs to be

 

[Crew]

Listen well.

 

[roundar]

So I finally got my ammonia level up to 5ppm. I guess this bottle of ammonia is very low concentration, took like >10ml. Temperature has settled at 86 and stays there which is great considering that's where I have the heater set.

Found this piece today, it's like 3ft wide. I cut it so big because I didn't know if I was going to use the curve somewhere. Still lots of scrubbing and scraping to get it clean:
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/new_piece_2.jpg
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/new_piece.jpg

 

[Joyler]

Sweet dw! Just make sure it is dry all the way through

 

[Bud]

Do you live next to a driftwood farm or something?

 

[roundar]

temp: 86
Amm: 4ppm, added some amm
NO2: 0
No3: 5ppm

Ok, so in light of my increased good finds lately I was feeling frisky and headed out this morning to find a couple pieces. One turned out to be pretty mediocre. The other piece however turned out to be a piece that branches out in all directions with a diameter just less than my tank and a perfectly flat bottom... HMMM idk what I'm going to do with it yet, but it threatens to become the centerpiece in this tank. The pictures don't do it justice but notice the 3 fin thing in the middle. Feel free to hate me.

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/tri_driftwood_1.jpg
http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad202/roundar/tri_driftwood_2.jpg

Time to go look at some Takashi works...

 

[spoonman]

Concerning the NitrAtes, do you have them in your tap water? That could be were that reading is coming from.

 

[roundar]

Yeah, looks that way. I'm getting ~2-3ppm on a straight tap water test.

 

[Bud]

It's a seething hatred... You really should be able to feel it through the interwebz. unbelievable DW...

 

[Joyler]

Ya...that last one is my favorite! So many options!!