My First post here.

[dwhit13]

Just recently started my first ever aquarium. set it up three weeks ago and without nowhere near enough research (before) I have absolutely made every single mistake a person can possibly make. As I've been doing this Ive been constantly reading sites like this one (wich seems like the best) and watching how to videos on you tube and getting jerked around by every different pet store employee that works at each one ive been to. My research as pretty much been oh oops yeah i did that, and yep i screwed that up to and uh oh I already did that one to. So here I am still learning but have a far better understanding now than I did two weeks ago. So hopefully being here I can learn some things to start correcting my mistakes bbefore its to late.

[treemanone2003]

So let's help you out. What do you have in the tank ( fish substrate, filter, heater ) now, do you have your own ( highly advised because of the bad LFS people ) liquid test kit, and do you know what your parameters are now ? What types of fish peak your interest and when are you getting the next tank, lol ?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium advice.

[dwhit13]

lol, now THAT was funny I'm already on the lookout for a bigger one lol. The wife says I have to prove i wont kill these first though lol. Well like I said I have made every mistake there is almost as If going down a list of top ten mistakes beginners make. That being said I have a 55 gallon (thought it was 75 when I began) tank. It was bought at a yardsale by my wife wich is why we werent sure. It is four feet long. I have a blue gravel substrate and started by running a emperor 400 filter. On Saturday I added a Penguin 350 as well so now there both running. I have had the water set at 72 degrees and have as of Saturday moved it up to 76. There are currently in there 4 Moonrise Pink Tetra , 3 slightly bigger tetra (cant recall at the moment) three black skirt tetra, three Dalmation Mollies, 1 balloon Molly, 9 cory cats (3 of one species,6 of another two rainbow sharks (tiny) two small clown pleco (the type that get 8 inches) one very very small rubber lipped pleco three bala sharks (going back to the pet store this week) I think thats all (its early in the morning). I do NOT have a liquid test kit that gives me the exact parameters but have been using the strips (api) I meant to get one yesterday but forgot . The water had been reading perfect according to the strips then three days ago I had a huge milky white cloud appear in the water , wich I now believe is what is called a bacteria bloom. I have done two (1 24% ,1 40% water change in the last three days and treated with Prime. as of last night the cloud was beginning to lift and the wter appears to be clearing back up. the test strips told me it was danger for ammonia then last night moved back to the safe level. Havent ran a test yet this morning. All the Fish seem to be doing wonderfully though. They did seem lethargic two days ago but now they have all been more active than ever and even there colors look brighter. I havent turned the lights on in there yet this morning but I can see the water still looks clear and there is a lot of movement

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard. We are glad you found us here at AA.

[dwhit13]

THANK YOU I have been reading every thing on here for days. Of course most of the things ive learned were right after i did them wrong lol. I am really motivated though to get my tank looking awesome and be stable. I can see how this stuff is so addictive.

[ScaryFatKidGT]

What heater do you have? I'd bump it up to 78 degrees, at least you have your filtering covered. Just keep up on the 25% weekly water changes and you should be good, and yeah the APi master test kit is only like $30 bucks.

[dwhit13]

I am embarassed to say but i really dont remember what kind of heater I have now. It does APPEAR anyway to get the job done. I clicked it up to 78 this morning .