Getting started

[ShadoeFox]

Only a few at a time, though a few can vary depending on the size of your tank. To many at once can put to much stress on your new tank biology and cause things to go completely out of whack.

 

[Deckape]

I added half of my final fish total. No problems except for one of my filters giving up the ghost. It was an Aquatech 30/60 from Walmart. I got it 2nd Hand (well used). Had to replace it with an Aquaclear 70 (NEW).. Now I am in a mini cycle even though I shook the media in the tank and all that jazz. If I had it to so over I would have only went to 1/3 insteadof 1/2. But up till then all was great. Ammonia never budged from 0. The moral to the story is, if you have any doubts about your hardware ( I did but didn't act on my instincts), do it now....Hope this helps in your decision making process.

 

[Deckape]

5 glowfish tetras after the cycling is complete.
Wait for tank to be stable.
5 Orange laser cory.
Wait for tank to be stable.
and lastly, one betta.

IMO, that's too many fish. The laser corys get up to 4 or more inches each. I don't have much experience yet, so anyone who disagrees let us know.

 

[eco23]

Don't heavily vacuum the gravel!!! That little brown cloud had lots of bacteria in it!

 

[straick]

Deckape, the stock list has changed. Instead of the orange laser cories, I'll be getting 6 pygmy cories( who grow to about 1-1.5 inches). Everyone else right now is the same.
As long as the beta's personallity works out right, I know that he'll swim all over, the tetras will school and swim around mostly in the middle to top areas, and the cories will be more towards the bottom.
Still wondering on the food for the cories, with the being bottom feeders.

 

[Deckape]

I wasn't trying to be a hater....Just been doing too much reading..

 

[straick]

I wasn't sure if I had updated on here or not the change, so it's fine.
I'm really starting to look at putting some real plants in here as well. The fake ones I have right now are ok, but I can tell that they aren't real by the way they move is the slight amount of current that there is(that, and I'm the one who put them in). Funny part, the ones I was looking at are all low light ones. Figure that if I can make it through a fishless cycle without giving in, I stand a chance at real plants. I'm also worried that the betta might swim through them and get hurt(flowing fins and sharp edges on the fake plants seems like it could be a problem).

 

[eco23]

I would wait to add the corys last because from what I understand they are the least hardy of the fish, and as you said are bottom feeders...and a newly established tank will have minimum snacks on the bottom of the tank for them. I did pick up some bottom feeder pellets this weekend to supplement the diet of the ones I'm picking up this week.

 

[Deckape]

In a couple of weeks you'll have more tanks too! I have to get rid if another couch.... haha

 

[straick]

Oh yeah, I'm also contemplating changing from the gravel over to sand now instead of later. Seems like it would be better for plants to grow in than the gravel I have right now.

 

[straick]

Don't laugh. I was already thinking of putting one in my bedroom as well.

 

[Deckape]

I bought some litthe terracotta pots from the dollar store,3 for a buck, so when I decide to do the same thing, I will just put the plants in those with PFS, to keep from having to change the gravel. I have to change the sand in my pool filter anyway, be a shame to waste it. Want some? I have 250 pounds.

 

[straick]

Only if you can figure out how to get it up to Upstate NY. LOL
Hadn't thought of the clay pot idea, but I like it.

 

[Deckape]

I am a cheap dude and a little lazy. I have been looking for Eco complete, but just found Eco23 instead. I think it would work???

 

[Deckape]

Only if you can figure out how to get it up to Upstate NY. LOL
Hadn't thought of the clay pot idea, but I like it.

Went to Americade in Lake George last June. Took a ride thru Lake Placid too. Nice folks and beautiful scenery. Gods Country.

 

[eco23]

I don't think I want to become your substrate, lol.

 

[Deckape]

I don't think I want to become your substrate, lol.

I just thought if that as I was typing

 

[straick]

I'm wishing I hadn't done that PWC. Guess that growth I saw was a bacterial bloom. It's not chomping down ammonia like it was, or nitrites, but it's starting to rebound. Nitrates are at 40ppm, which tells me that the bacteria got a little setback, but they are still there, and working.
Still looking at adding a few real plants though. I do like the idea of having little clay pots for them. That sounds like it would also make any rearrangements easier to do.

 

[straick]

It finally happened. Between yesterday morning and this morning, all ammonia and nitrites gone. To check, did a partial dose(about .5ppm) of ammonia, and within 3 hours, it was gone. I did all the tests for ammonia and nitrites twice both times because I couldn't believe what I saw, and they were the same both times.
Went to the LFS to get a light(got a 10000k 15 watt T8) and some plants(Cryptocoryne wendtii and some anachris), and made a mistake. Took a look at the bettas. Basically fell in love with one of them that is red with hints of blue in his fins. Set his little cup(which is now floating in the tank) in front of the tank, and he tried to swim right for the tank. While his cup was floating in the tank to get the temp the same, and he kept trying to swim right through it, almost like he knew he was in his new home. Right now, he's swimming around checking everything out. I will say this, he looks a lot happier now than he did in his little cup. The funny part is that he keeps swimming right into the filter return(which is turned way down now) for a easy ride down.
I'm now hoping that the water test results weren't a fluke, but time will tell.
Another project I'm working on is shining up an older stainless steel aquarium light. Right now I'm using a cheapy plastic one, but I like the look of the stainless better.

 

[Deckape]

Great job and congrats on your fish!