Good afternoon everyone!
I feel I need to start out with a warm introduction and then run for cover!
My name is Dana and I just found this site last night. I work all day on the computer and usually the last thing I want to do when I get home is surf the internet. I started reading the threads and became hooked!
I did however make a MAJOR mistake. My family (son 12 and daughter 8) has wanted a fish tank for years. This year instead of buying toys and stuff that gets old by New Years I decided that we will have a family gift this year. So I purchased a 46 gallon bowfront tank. Now thinking I was being smart and preparing well for our new hobby I went to my local fish store several times speaking to the staff and read several books and magazines on fish and tanks etc... Not ONE book, magazine, friend or store employee ever mentioned a fishless cycle. I’m sure you can see where I’m headed.
Because I was afraid of screwing up I had the local fish store install my aquarium on Monday as an early Christmas gift. The guy who installed it said wait 24 hours before adding fish. Because of work and afterschool activities I did not go until last night (Thursday). I added ½ bottle of biological liquid and headed off to PetSmart. Normally I would have gone to the aquarium store but it was late and further away. Anyway I let both kids pick up three fish each. My daughter choose 3 dalmation mollies and my son choose 3 turquoise rainbow fish. Me and my super excited kids headed home, we floated the bags for about 30 minutes and added them to the tank. At first all the fish were a little skittish however by this morning they looked like they were doing fine.
What do I do know? I just can’t believe that the four books I purchased on getting started and speaking to the fish experts were completely wrong!
The lady at PetSmart told me NOT to do any water changes for at least a month because the higher concentration of ammonia will make the cycle faster. However would it matter much if I do small water changes everyday to lower the ammonia and hopefully keep it at a “safer” lever for the fish?
I have not purchased a gravel cleaner yet. It seems everyone recommends a Python around here. It sounds ideal for my setup (sink just feet away) however how do you add aquarium salt and declorinator when doing water changes? How do you measure how much water you removed in order when refilling it to get the salt and declorinator correct? Do you take the temperature before adding it to the tank or do you just "wing it"? I’m also worried that I will suck up a fish! These may sound like dumb questions but I really need some help figuring out my next steps.
Please don’t bash me for putting fish in the tank uncycled. I was naïve. I found this site last night AFTER the fish were already in the tank.
I feel I need to start out with a warm introduction and then run for cover!
My name is Dana and I just found this site last night. I work all day on the computer and usually the last thing I want to do when I get home is surf the internet. I started reading the threads and became hooked!
I did however make a MAJOR mistake. My family (son 12 and daughter 8) has wanted a fish tank for years. This year instead of buying toys and stuff that gets old by New Years I decided that we will have a family gift this year. So I purchased a 46 gallon bowfront tank. Now thinking I was being smart and preparing well for our new hobby I went to my local fish store several times speaking to the staff and read several books and magazines on fish and tanks etc... Not ONE book, magazine, friend or store employee ever mentioned a fishless cycle. I’m sure you can see where I’m headed.
Because I was afraid of screwing up I had the local fish store install my aquarium on Monday as an early Christmas gift. The guy who installed it said wait 24 hours before adding fish. Because of work and afterschool activities I did not go until last night (Thursday). I added ½ bottle of biological liquid and headed off to PetSmart. Normally I would have gone to the aquarium store but it was late and further away. Anyway I let both kids pick up three fish each. My daughter choose 3 dalmation mollies and my son choose 3 turquoise rainbow fish. Me and my super excited kids headed home, we floated the bags for about 30 minutes and added them to the tank. At first all the fish were a little skittish however by this morning they looked like they were doing fine.
What do I do know? I just can’t believe that the four books I purchased on getting started and speaking to the fish experts were completely wrong!
The lady at PetSmart told me NOT to do any water changes for at least a month because the higher concentration of ammonia will make the cycle faster. However would it matter much if I do small water changes everyday to lower the ammonia and hopefully keep it at a “safer” lever for the fish?
I have not purchased a gravel cleaner yet. It seems everyone recommends a Python around here. It sounds ideal for my setup (sink just feet away) however how do you add aquarium salt and declorinator when doing water changes? How do you measure how much water you removed in order when refilling it to get the salt and declorinator correct? Do you take the temperature before adding it to the tank or do you just "wing it"? I’m also worried that I will suck up a fish! These may sound like dumb questions but I really need some help figuring out my next steps.
Please don’t bash me for putting fish in the tank uncycled. I was naïve. I found this site last night AFTER the fish were already in the tank.
to AA! 
