I keep reading about changing the water in the tank on this forum. There have been fish tanks in my family since I was 8 and we've never changed the water, and our fish have always been healthy. Even when the tank had maybe 6 more fish than it should the fish always stayed healthy. Maybe we've been lucky? Anywho~ water changing has come up on this forum frequent enough for me to ask what is it? Do you just pull out water from your tank and new water?
Also, I keep reading about tank cycling? What is this? To my understanding you're suppose to allow NH3 to manifest, then allow bacteria to colonize in your tank to consume the ammonia and produce NO2, thus allowing a new bacteria to colonize and consume the NO2 and give NO3 as a byproduct? And that it's recommended to do this without fish?
I just got fish a week ago and put them in a old tank we had in my room. In the old tank I threw out the rocks (didn't want to clean the pebbles cause I just cleaned out my mom's 40 gallon). I wiped the sides of the tank and bought a new filter. Before I put the fish in I waited an hour (the filter said it filters ten gallons in ten hours) then let the fish out the bag. I read that they produce ammonia and can start a cycle. Three of them are mollies and I know they're pretty sturdy fish. All the fish are still alive and none of them are exhibiting any abnormal behavior except the platy (but he's been twitchy since before I but him in the tank), however he's finally swimming with two of the mollies now.
Anything else I should know about keeping a tank healthy? I don't a have testing kit or strips (don't plan on getting strips cause I hear they suck), so I can't tell you parameters
Also, I keep reading about tank cycling? What is this? To my understanding you're suppose to allow NH3 to manifest, then allow bacteria to colonize in your tank to consume the ammonia and produce NO2, thus allowing a new bacteria to colonize and consume the NO2 and give NO3 as a byproduct? And that it's recommended to do this without fish?
I just got fish a week ago and put them in a old tank we had in my room. In the old tank I threw out the rocks (didn't want to clean the pebbles cause I just cleaned out my mom's 40 gallon). I wiped the sides of the tank and bought a new filter. Before I put the fish in I waited an hour (the filter said it filters ten gallons in ten hours) then let the fish out the bag. I read that they produce ammonia and can start a cycle. Three of them are mollies and I know they're pretty sturdy fish. All the fish are still alive and none of them are exhibiting any abnormal behavior except the platy (but he's been twitchy since before I but him in the tank), however he's finally swimming with two of the mollies now.
Anything else I should know about keeping a tank healthy? I don't a have testing kit or strips (don't plan on getting strips cause I hear they suck), so I can't tell you parameters