Re-starting, cycling, some questions

[rusilja]

Hey people,

I haven't mentioned it but my old tank got broken,a llw ater came out etc. (2 months ago)

Yestherday I bought a second-handed tank (15gal)
The tank from those people was running for 3 years I think and their filter was changed since september 2009.

So Yestherday I cleaned my tank with vinigar and kitchen chemicals etc.
I cleaned it and done everything to make it shine and fish-healthy.

So the tank is 95% full with tap water (I don't add chemicals that brake off stuff in the tap water, but I keep 1-2 gal bottles with water for 1 week so the water becomes harmless.

So my question is, how long should I wait until tank is likely cycled.

I added bacteria from my other filter's sponge, for a couple of hours my tank was brownish.

I added plants to my tank and so on.

The filter is all brown and blackisch from the dirt.

I cleaned the gravel but still lot's of dirt on it (=good?)

It's been running now, clear water and so on.


The main concern is, the large piece of drift wood (not mine) has plant like algae on it growing all over the wood. I tried to remove it with a toothbrush but it's realy hard?. So I think my shrimps will hopefully eat it.


I need TIPS!!

answers for

1) How long approx till it's likely cycled.
2) The algae thing on my drift wood
3) What can I use as stock for a 15-16 gal tank (23inch with I think), I already have 4 cardinal tetra's, 15+ red cherry's,,,, 5 platy's and 1 chinese algae eater (7inch):NOT MINE, I recieved it with my tank whn bought it.

I would like to get rid of the platy's and the algae eater ofcours( too big)

Any opinions or maybe u can change the plans ?

Tank will be planted!

 

[mfdrookie516]

So Yestherday I cleaned my tank with vinigar and kitchen chemicals etc.
I cleaned it and done everything to make it shine and fish-healthy.

can you go in to detail on this?

 

[rusilja]

can you go in to detail on this?

Well when I bought the tank, it had water, fish and everything inside, 70% of water was tapped away to carry it.

Home I've put the fish in a kitchen pan (I have nothing else to put fish in)

I tapped all water out, putted all gravel out.

I used the vinigar and the kitchen product to clean dishes with to clean the aquarium becouse there was an insane amount of dirt and algae that wasn't easy to remove (yellowish).

Then I cleaned it GOOD with water.

I cleaned the gravel. (only water)

I put the gravel in the tank, I added 2 dirft wood parts (mine + other one)

and started to add water.
When It was 90% full I added some plants in the background.

Filter was running since it was full.

I also cleaned the filter with tap water (not a full cleaning; just to take away big dirty parts)

some pics:

My tank (with DIY CO2)

The bottle (show off)

The unwanted fish (platy's)

And the too big fish

EDIT




Btw, Should I do water changes (little but many) or keep it on weekly water changes?

 

[rusilja]

Update!!!

I got rid of the unwanted fish..


Only concern is the Cycling process..


Should I keep changing the water or keep adding "dirt" from my other filter in a bucket??? (I would like to put my cardinals atleast within 5-7 days in the tank)

And what do you recommend as stock with Tetra cardinals and Red Cherry shrimps...

I was thinking of Dwarf gourami's??? Or A discus fish or something.

 

[Tivaala]

personally id of kept the water from the original set up (the stuff you transported the fish home in) and kept some of the gravel uncleaned put to one side, then cleaned the rest of the tank with the vinegar, rinsed like mad and then mixed the clean and dirty gravel back in, put back the old water and added a nice hefty amount (maybe 80%) nice new water. that way your tank would be pretty much cycled already. in effect youd of just been doing a large pwc. and remember try not to wash the filter in fresh water, use discarded tank water so you dont kill the good bacteria.
now tho id suggest adding water/gravel from your other tank and if you havnt washed the filter too much then it might be okay.

 

[Tivaala]

what worries me though is the "kitchen product". what did you use?

 

[rusilja]

what worries me though is the "kitchen product". what did you use?

The product u use to wash dishes in your kitchen

 

[Tivaala]

oops. washing up liquids contain antibacterials as well as many other harmful to fish chemicals, perfumes, alchohols. i really really hope you rinsed it enough.and i mean like soaked it, rinsed it under powerful running water (showers good) boiled it some and then did all that again. you might get away with it but in future i really would recommend not using kitchen products. bleach is okay but check the labels first, pure bleach is okay but things like domestos have perfumes in. and always remember the chemical that makes bleach bleach is chlorine (sodium hypochlorite NaOCl) and most commercial products also have significant amounts of sodium chloride (common salt NaCl) so still rinse well, use it weakly diluted and prob best to add dechlorinator after you refil. and check PH.

 

[rusilja]

Well, right now I have transfered all my (4) cardinals and all my RC-shrimps to my new tank. I have been adding the dirt from the sponge from my previous tank to my new tank, let's see how they'll do.