Hi, I'm new to this. I bought a used 55 gal and have been cleaning it for the last month. Going to use a Filstar 2x, inline heater, DIY CO2, plants are ordered. Substrate to be 3 in pool filter sand over 1 in plant substrate I got a lfs. Got 108 total wattage on T5 HO light (2 bulbs). Tank is still empty- today I tested my water and fell out of my chair seeing a pH of 8.6. Checked my county's water quality site and yup thats what they report. My hardness is supposedly 57-100 ppm (I didn't test that).
QUESTION 1: Do I need to use a reverse osmosis filter on this? Or will dechlorination help (yes there IS chloramine) enough? Eventually I'd like to get to discus but will start out with community fish.
Planning a fish in cycle with tetra safe start. This is my plan: put water and plants in Thursday, treat with dechlorinator. Run normal, with lights, filter, thermometer. Was not planning adding NH4 (tap is 1 ppm). Let it run 3 days. Test again, then add the TSS and 5 zebra danios. Then go from there.
QUESTION 2: Am I missing something? Not adding any bacteria until same time as fish, as per TSS instructions.
THANKS!!
Terri
QUESTION 1: Do I need to use a reverse osmosis filter on this? Or will dechlorination help (yes there IS chloramine) enough? Eventually I'd like to get to discus but will start out with community fish.
Planning a fish in cycle with tetra safe start. This is my plan: put water and plants in Thursday, treat with dechlorinator. Run normal, with lights, filter, thermometer. Was not planning adding NH4 (tap is 1 ppm). Let it run 3 days. Test again, then add the TSS and 5 zebra danios. Then go from there.
QUESTION 2: Am I missing something? Not adding any bacteria until same time as fish, as per TSS instructions.
THANKS!!
Terri