SparKy697
Aquarium Advice Addict
I really get a lot of info from reading other peoples posts here. I especially enjoy watching your new projects as they progress. Since I’m new to this hobby again I thought I would follow your lead and show how my tank progresses to maybe help others who are in the same boat.
Not that I have anything necessarily better or different but my first tank is quite simple as compared to most of you veterans, and I thought that maybe somebody else who is interested in starting simple might benefit from my mistakes and all your input.
Here it goes:
-29 gallon tank, base and hood (single lamp) bought as a kit.
- Penguin bio-wheel 200 filter ( a little bigger is better was my thinking)
- Visi-therm Stealth 100w heater
Put it all together and filled it up on 12-3-2006. I added de-chlorinator and let it all set over night. The next morning I began my first ever fishless cycle. After reading for over a week about everybody else’s experience, I thought I had the info I needed…. First mistake! Check your math, check your math, check your math. Oh did I mention that you should check your math? Three major water changes later my ammonia was down to about 5ppm so I decided to leave it there. I think that if I were to do it over again, I would not even try to calculate how much ammonia I needed. I think I would use a little eye dropper and add a little at a time and then test until I got the reading I wanted.
Day 3: No noticeable change in the Nitrite level so I went back to the articles section on this site and found the part where it says to turn the temperature up in the tank to help the bacteria get going. This worked quite well!
Day 5: Ammonia down to around 2.0 ppm and Nitrite was ~.5 It’s alive!!
Went out this Saturday and found some cool rocks at the landscaper. I stayed away from the ones that looked like they contained Iron or Limestone. Bought way too many but had a nice selection to choose from.
Day 7: Ammonia down to ~1ppm and Nitrite up to ~2ppm.
I plan on making plenty of mistakes. It’s how I learn… Any and all criticism is welcome.
Not that I have anything necessarily better or different but my first tank is quite simple as compared to most of you veterans, and I thought that maybe somebody else who is interested in starting simple might benefit from my mistakes and all your input.
Here it goes:
-29 gallon tank, base and hood (single lamp) bought as a kit.
- Penguin bio-wheel 200 filter ( a little bigger is better was my thinking)
- Visi-therm Stealth 100w heater
Put it all together and filled it up on 12-3-2006. I added de-chlorinator and let it all set over night. The next morning I began my first ever fishless cycle. After reading for over a week about everybody else’s experience, I thought I had the info I needed…. First mistake! Check your math, check your math, check your math. Oh did I mention that you should check your math? Three major water changes later my ammonia was down to about 5ppm so I decided to leave it there. I think that if I were to do it over again, I would not even try to calculate how much ammonia I needed. I think I would use a little eye dropper and add a little at a time and then test until I got the reading I wanted.
Day 3: No noticeable change in the Nitrite level so I went back to the articles section on this site and found the part where it says to turn the temperature up in the tank to help the bacteria get going. This worked quite well!
Day 5: Ammonia down to around 2.0 ppm and Nitrite was ~.5 It’s alive!!
Went out this Saturday and found some cool rocks at the landscaper. I stayed away from the ones that looked like they contained Iron or Limestone. Bought way too many but had a nice selection to choose from.
Day 7: Ammonia down to ~1ppm and Nitrite up to ~2ppm.
I plan on making plenty of mistakes. It’s how I learn… Any and all criticism is welcome.