Chriznat20
Aquarium Advice Freak
Ok Ive been down this road a few times before (just look at my join date to this site ).
I sold my 55g FW tank last year and regretted it dearly ever since. I just picked up a 30g on craigslist. Oak stand, oak canopy, air pump, cleaning magnet, whisper 30, 150w heater, a whole lotta plants and decorations (currently downstairs being par boiled) for $55. Score!
I filled up the tank yesterday and let the filter/heater run all night mainly to check for leaks but also to get the water conditioned. I added the stuff in the yellow bottle that neutralizes chlorine and adds slime coat (forget the name). Today I went to my LFS and bought 4 black striped tetras - a whopping $1.24/ea.
Ive had tanks since I was 9 years old (I'll be 30 in a month) and have never done fishless cycling, its for the birds IMO.
I have 2 questions...
1.) Would it be wise for me to go to my LFS and get some of those "filter balls" out of their running filters, or some of their gravel, and put them into my whisper 30 to help colonize the bacteria?
2.) Lets say I let the tank cycle on its own with daily water changes. I dont have my aquarium encyclopedia handy (I moved, hence why I sold my old tank) so where the heck does the bacteria come from if I dont introduce any kind of colony myself?
Are you telling me that if you add ammonia to a tank, that bacteria "come out of thin air" and start eating the ammonia?
I sold my 55g FW tank last year and regretted it dearly ever since. I just picked up a 30g on craigslist. Oak stand, oak canopy, air pump, cleaning magnet, whisper 30, 150w heater, a whole lotta plants and decorations (currently downstairs being par boiled) for $55. Score!
I filled up the tank yesterday and let the filter/heater run all night mainly to check for leaks but also to get the water conditioned. I added the stuff in the yellow bottle that neutralizes chlorine and adds slime coat (forget the name). Today I went to my LFS and bought 4 black striped tetras - a whopping $1.24/ea.
Ive had tanks since I was 9 years old (I'll be 30 in a month) and have never done fishless cycling, its for the birds IMO.
I have 2 questions...
1.) Would it be wise for me to go to my LFS and get some of those "filter balls" out of their running filters, or some of their gravel, and put them into my whisper 30 to help colonize the bacteria?
2.) Lets say I let the tank cycle on its own with daily water changes. I dont have my aquarium encyclopedia handy (I moved, hence why I sold my old tank) so where the heck does the bacteria come from if I dont introduce any kind of colony myself?
Are you telling me that if you add ammonia to a tank, that bacteria "come out of thin air" and start eating the ammonia?