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Thanks everyone! Especially Catfish Lover...that is exactly the kind of advice I'm looking for. I didn't realize that the main size difference in a 75 versus 55 gallon tank is the 6 inches added to the width. That is really helpful. Keep it coming! This is helpful...

Ok, I know, I know...this is a major matter of personal opinion. But, hear me out on this one :whistle: I've had so much fun helping my son with first his 10 gallon tank and then his 30 gallon upgrade from that. I am starting to think that I want my own tank! But, as tempted as I am to get a...

I think you are well on your way to a completed cycle. However, I used that exact same ammonia to cycle my 30 gallon tank and I had to add way more than 1 drop per gallon to get my water up to even 2-3 ppm. I think I settled on about 60 drops for my 30 gallon tank to get it at a 3. So, be sure...

When is the last time that you added ammo? It has to be coming from somewhere... Have you tested your tap water to make sure that it reads zero for everything? Some people find that they have ammo, nitrites and/or nitrates in their tap water. If the tap water is zero. I'd say that the last...

A couple of thoughts: 1. Looking at your picture of the test results. Honestly, I'd call that 0ppm nitrite and 0ppm nitrates. That is sky blue and yellow to me! So, in my opinion, you don't have any nitrites or nitrates showing up just yet. 2. Your ammonia is sky high and that is ok. It just...

Hmmmm...I'm not an expert. But, I did just successfully finish a fishless cycle recently. :) I think that it is unusual that you would completely "miss" the nitrite part of the cycle unless you started with some really good seeding material. I had some seeded filter media and it still took...

DEFINITELY Craigslist. :) After the deal we got, I can't imagine buying new ever again. We got a 30 gallon tank (complete with hood, light, etc.) plus the stand, heater, air pump AND filter for $80. So, basically the complete set-up minus a few things here and there. I had priced it at our lfs...

It is SO awesome to be at this point! We were right there with you a couple weeks ago. It was very nice to be able to add our fish with the peace of mind that doing so wouldn't cause wacky water levels in a week or 2. I don't think my lfs employee really believed me when I told him we had done a...

Thanks, Rivercats. That makes a lot of sense. :) I was actually thinking that I wish I could get the 30 gallon to drop like that...I'm not trying to raise it. Our tap water is high enough already and it is super easy to do big wcs on such a small tank. I know the "drill" on goldfish. We were...

So, I was really surprised by something today and I wondered if any of you experienced folks may have the answer. Ok, so we have 2 tanks going right now. A 10 gallon with one little goldfish and a 30 gallon that currently has 8 harlequin rasboras and 1 dwarf gourami. Both are completely cycled...

Thanks! I think you are right that a big part of it is just getting used to the difference between how a goldfish eats and how these guys eat. We will be heading back to the lfs this week, so we will pick up a little variety to mix it up a bit. :) Right now, they still look happy.

I'm kind of struggling with knowing how to make sure my fish are getting enough to eat. I currently have 5 harlequin rasboras in my 30 gallon hex. (lfs only had 5...will be going back to get at least one more plus some other fish next week). They are adorable and zip all over the place. However...

I am far from an "expert". However, I DID just finish doing a fishless cycle on my 30 gallon tank. What I find odd about your water levels is that you state there is both a high level of ammonia AND a fairly high level of nitrates. In my experience, the Nitrates were the very LAST thing to show...

:thumb: Impressive! Maybe my next tank....:fish2:

I'd say it was about a week before the nitrites started showing up. The whole process took a good 5 weeks even with seeded material. I'm always amazed when I hear about people doing a fishless cycle in a week! In my case, the nitrites got to a SUPER high level and I went a couple of weeks...

I just finished with my first fishless cycle. The best thing you could do at this point is to get some seeded material to put in your tank. A piece of filter media, gravel or an ornament from a friend's tank? But, if you have no access to any seeded material...just keep doing what you are doing...

Am I the only one who has a terrible time with some of the colors on the API Master Test Kit chart? For example, the High PH colors are extremely difficult for me to read. My water is either 7.4 or 8.0 and I honestly can't tell which shade of brown it is closer to! Obviously, that is quite a...

It's so funny how these threads tend to get sidetracked by a random comments :lol: Don't worry...betas were never even a thought for this particular tank. Anyone care to weigh in on the list I gave, though? Too many fish or are we in the ballpark? Thanks :)

Super happy to report that it looks as if the tank has cycled! I'm giving it this week to be sure (since my son is at camp anyway...don't want to add any fish without him). But, the nitrite level finally dropped to zero with plenty of nitrates. Going to have to do a huge water change, but it was...

More questions.... Ok, had some fun looking at fish this weekend at our lfs. I have a few more questions now: 1. The ph in the tank is on the high side. It seems to hover right around 8. I think this is a factor of the water in our town. Is it of benefit to purchase fish from our local store...

Excellent! Yes, I'm so glad to be close to the end. It was really cool to observe the process, though. I feel so much more knowledgeable about the tank having gone through the cycle like this. SO much less stressful than our fish-in goldfish tank cycle for our first tank.:nono:

So, I'm a complete newbie...but, have recently had experience with both. My son wanted goldfish...so we plunged right in and bought a 10 gallon. We did what a lot of people do...we set up the tank, let it sit for a week and thought it was good to go! :rolleyes: Of course, once we put in a few...

Thanks! You guys are awesome! Thank you for all the great and very specific answers to my questions. After looking at an empty tank for a month, it is exciting to be getting close to the finish line on this cycle. When I tested today, I am at 0 ammonia and finally have some nitrates...probably...

Thanks! I'm going to check out some of these suggestions this weekend. I guess my main goal as we start this tank is to keep things as "non-agressive" as possible. Also, not wanting to have the whole breeding thing going on. Should we stick to all males or all females? Or, will that in itself...

Hi all, I've been lurking for the last month or so as I've been helping my son get his new aquarium cycled. It is a 30 gallon hexagon and we are almost there (I think) with the cycle. So, now it is time to start thinking about the actual fish that will someday soon (I hope) live in it. :) It...