What are fish??

[eco23]

Up to you brother. Could be fine, or you might curse yourself for doing it, lol. I got tired of reading the thread so I don't know what they finally decided. You probably saw my comments at the beginning about playing it safe if you're not really experienced. But I don't blame you, they'll probably look great in the tank, and there's nothing wrong with saving a few $'s.

 

[Irish.OG87]

what would i expect from my water if i put a rock in there tat isn't clean, i mean would chemical lvls go up? and this is me talkin before fish are involved.

 

[Bettababe1011]

what would i expect from my water if i put a rock in there tat isn't clean, i mean would chemical lvls go up? and this is me talkin before fish are involved.

You could introduce pollutants. I boiled the rocks that I have in my tank. Several times.

 

[eco23]

You probably know more than me if you read that thread. I'm assuming pH changes, the potential for major algae outbreaks, fungus, etc... You probably saw at the beginning of the thread where I was telling people that a fish tank is a enclosed ecosystem. So anything harmful that makes it's way in there has a much more drastic effect than it would in nature. I'm probably just paranoid about it, but I worked so hard to get my tank cycled perfectly that I wouldn't have risked it.

Also, the lfs's seriously jack up the prices of things. You can probably find MUCH cheaper deco online.

 

[eco23]

You could introduce pollutants. I boiled the rocks that I have in my tank. Several times.

Boiling them would definitely sterilize them... But remember the part about certain rocks exploding, lol.

 

[Bettababe1011]

Boiling them would definitely sterilize them... But remember the part about certain rocks exploding, lol.

My rocks were very solid and didn't explode. But that is a possibility.

 

[Irish.OG87]

Im worried now, i wanna go ahead and boil me rocks but i dont want them to explode. how will i know if it will explode...instinct lol???

 

[eco23]

Im worried now, i wanna go ahead and boil me rocks but i dont want them to explode. how will i know if it will explode...instinct lol???

Maybe a pot on the grill outside away from the house? With you inside? Lol.

 

[Bettababe1011]

My rocks were very heavy and felt really solid. If that helps at all.

 

[eco23]

Didn't you say you were from Ireland? You guys are tough! Have a couple Guiness and just dip that thing in with your hand, lol! Just kidding.

 

[Irish.OG87]

im in a new home, dont wanna blow me house up lol

 

[Irish.OG87]

how long do i boil them for and do they have to be fully submersed in the water??

 

[eco23]

how long do i boil them for and do they have to be fully submersed in the water??

I don't know how long, maybe bettababe does...but yeah I'd think you've gotta get all of it in there.

 

[Bettababe1011]

how long do i boil them for and do they have to be fully submersed in the water??

I made sure mine were. I boiled them for an hour each time. I think I boiled them two or three times. An hour would probably do, but it's better safe than sorry.

 

[Irish.OG87]

im soooo glad i didnt boil them, had the gf go get some vinegar to see if they would fizz....every one of the 22 rocks i had fizzed..ugh i guess ill just add the plants and the 12 dollar mini rock i got from petco, so disappointed ....i want rocks in me aquarium!!!

 

[eco23]

Alrighty, if you've got ammo up to 3-4ppm you're in good shape. The next thing you need to do is be patient. Its a good idea to get a journal or notebook and start keeping a log of your daily reading.

Like you said, go ahead and test ammo and pH. The high range is for if your pH reads higher than the normal one shows. Don't waste your drops testing for nitrItes and nitrAtes for a while.

What you're waiting to happen is to see the ammonia drop. It will start slowly, but after a while you'll see it dipping from 4ppm down to 3.5,3,2.5 etc.

When the level starts dropping, test for nitrItes. You probably won't see anything happening for bout a week.

I've got more, I'll post this though so you can see it.

 

[eco23]

I can't remember if we mentioned this before...but try to get seeding material. The best is an old, dirty filter pad from an established aquarium. If you can get gravel, a decoration or anything from an existing tank...it can really speed things up. What you're trying to do is give the cycle a head start by putting some of the healthy bacteria early. If you vantage get seeding material, don't worry about it...my buddy Deckape didn't have any and finished his cycle as fast as I did with seeding material.

Also, you did good by getting the temp up. If you've got a bubble wand or airstone get that thing cranking too. Otherwise lower your tank level a couple inches so the water splashes into the tank to create oxygen. The more bubbles the better.

 

[eco23]

To have a nice fast cycle, you need warm water in the mid 80's, as much oxygen as possible, a good ammonia source and a bit of patience . Once it's been sitting with ammonia in it for a week, here's a few tricks we can show you that can potentially speed things up...but we've gotta get it going before we try anything fancy.

The bacteria in a bottle products at the store are 99% useless, but some people swear it worked for them. It won't hurt anything by adding it, and could even help, so if you've got an extra few dollars go ahead and pick a bottle up and pour it into the tank.

 

[eco23]

Hey, what type of ammonia are you using?

 

[Irish.OG87]

My pH level should be around 7 right?