New tank

[El tio]

Bought a 10 gallon tank kit for my threw year old, set it up with sand , and have a heater, I started it up today, no fish in it, I mixed in the tetra water conditioner and jungle start zyme. Now what do I do, I'm a beginner at this.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

You definitely need to cycle the tank. I don't believe that cycle zyme is enough. If the tank was for you and not a child, I'd go for a fishless cycling method because us adults can be a little more patient. i can understand how impatient kids can be, so I'd probably go fish-in but with some hardy fish and frequent partial water changes. Zebra Danios are best known for fish-in cycling. But since they are very active swimmers, they should have at least 20g's. However, you can use some Cherry Barbs to start off with. Those guys are great and are hardy IME. I've cycled with them in my first tank without any losses.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Bought a 10 gallon tank kit for my threw year old, set it up with sand , and have a heater, I started it up today, no fish in it, I mixed in the tetra water conditioner and jungle start zyme. Now what do I do, I'm a beginner at this.

You mentioned sand and heater, but you did get a filter too right? Or is it too obvious you just didn't bother to mention that part? LOL

 

[El tio]

Thanks for replying, well I can do the no fish cycle, she will be ok waiting, I just want to do it the right way so that when I do get fish they last long and want the water clear

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Read this
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/fish-in-cycling-step-over-into-the-dark-side-176446.html

 

[El tio]

No, no filter, lol naw jk, yea the kit came with a filter and the light and I have a air pump on it also

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Well since you're going fishless, you need a good source of ammonia to get the beneficial bacteria established. You can either buy pure ammonia (ace hardware brand is best) or let a piece of raw shrimp (not previously frozen) decompose in the tank. Get the API Freshwater Master Test Kit to monitor your progress. I found it best priced on Dr. Fosters and Smith site or Amazon.com. Or spend a little extra and support the LFS.

 

[paytertot]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/the-a...-Guide-and-FAQ-to-Fishless-Cycling/Page1.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/guide...-to-Starting-a-Freshwater-Aquarium/Page1.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/impor...r-those-new-to-the-Aquarium-Hobby-/Page1.html

Those articles are packed with info, definitely read them the first one covers fishless cycling in depth.

 

[absolutangel04]

Glad to hear you are joining the wonderful world of tanks. Definitely read the articles linked, they explain the basics better than we would be be able to in a simple post. Let us know if you have any questions about any of the info and we can certainly help clarify things.
Personally, I do fish-in cycles. A good idea for stocking the tank would be a few male guppies. They are colorful and active enough to entertain a kid, and easy to find.

 

[tamtam]

You've got tons of reading to tackle the process well enough I just wanted to second the male guppies.

They come in every color you could imagine, will do great in a 10 gallon, are very active and also very hardy fish. They would also work great if you decided you wanted to do a fish in cycle.

Your lil one will love the fish. I got back into the fish world when my then 4 year old begged me for fish. He's now 5 and is really interested in it. He knows the names of all of our fish and is so interested in learning about them.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I've read and also tried guppies for fish-in cycling and I've learned the hard way that they really aren't that hardy and can't tolerate conditions well in a non-cycled tank.

My cherry barbs on the other hand,, were built like tanks..lol

Edit: I had fancy guppies in the past and i can probably attribute their less than hardy rep due to that. I think fancy guppies may be weakened due to inbreeding to get those solid colors. However, plain old guppies might be another story.