Staeting a new 55 gallon from ground up

[Skeeter4158098]

So i picked up a used 55 gallon which had sat for over 4 years with gravel from what was left from the tank with dead fish chichlid carcasses in the bottom after about a month of heavy cleaning inside and out as well as top to bottom to get all the calcium off only used hot water and razor blades and sponges to clean. After cleaned i replaced every thing from new gravel went with 50 lbs of black rock from lps. Went with two 24" versa tops and a 48" single strip light. A fluval 306 canisrer filter set it up as it came so charchol in the first basket bio beads in the second and the foam in the botom basket. I have a aqueon pro 150 heater running at 74 to 78 degrees and i have the intake on the filter 2 inches from the bottom and is on the left side of the tank and i have the out take two inchs below the water line on the right side it angles to the left so it creates some circulation. I cleaned the tank had water sit for two weeks to make sure no leaks then emptied washed rock added it to the tank filled it for one week then got filter and heater cleaned off all filter media primed filter set heater let run for another month with a 50% water change then added three sepea tetras and decorations. Before adding fish did one more 50% wc then added tetra aquasafe to tank let bag with fish float in top of tank the fish and water went in to tank after 30 mins. So were I am at now is that it has been two weeks and one of the serpa tetras is a bully I still have only 3 fish in there was waiting till next friday to get more. Why is my serpa being so mean too the other two? Is it because he needs friends? Also I feed them only every other day no more then say the size of a penny for the three of them my chemical test reads as nitrate 20 nitrite .5-1.0. Hardness 150-300. Chlorine 0. Alkalinity 180-300. Ph 7.8-8.4. Same readings for the last 3 days were much higher when first started two weeks ago was told to wait to do a 50% wc for at least a month after adding first fish. I know there is a lot of jumbeled info and questions in here so if I can get any help it would be great

[Skeeter4158098]

[Skeeter4158098]

Added two more serpae tetra's figured that the one being a bully wanted more friends. Lol. Well thats what my local pet store said lol. So total of 5 serpae tetra in a tank thats been running for 2 weeks with fish in it. So far they all seam happier with more friends.

[New]

looks cool man, what are you thinking as far as the stocking list?

[Keao_m]

Wow that don't even look like the same tank. Good job and welcome

[Skeeter4158098]

Going with some more serpe tetras hatchet fish a couple other types of tetras cant remember the names have to go to the fish store and right them down. Other then that going with some angel fish as well and a placo. The only thing with the pleco I know with them they can get huuuuge I know there are some that stay on the smaller size.

[Skeeter4158098]

Originally Posted by Keao_m

Wow that don't even look like the same tank. Good job and welcome

Thanks. It took some work and a lot of cussing and sore shoulders from scraping and scrubing so much.

[jlk]

Hi Skeeter! Found your thread! Great job on the tank! Ok, a few things you will need asap are a water changer (if you don't have one), an API freshwater master test kit and a bottle of Prime. The strips are inaccurate at best. You will need to test your water daily for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & ph and do water changes as needed to keep toxins under control (namely ammonia & nitrite). Prime will help limit the toxicity of amm/nitrite. A water changer will make life a lot easier,too. Here's the fish-in cycle link- ask any questions you may have!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articl...now/Page2.html

[Skeeter4158098]

Originally Posted by jlk

Hi Skeeter! Found your thread! Great job on the tank! Ok, a few things you will need asap are a water changer (if you don't have one), an API freshwater master test kit and a bottle of Prime. The strips are inaccurate at best. You will need to test your water daily for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & ph and do water changes as needed to keep toxins under control (namely ammonia & nitrite). Prime will help limit the toxicity of amm/nitrite. A water changer will make life a lot easier,too. Here's the fish-in cycle link- ask any questions you may have!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articl...now/Page2.html

Well I do have a aqueon water changer one that hooks up to a sink. As far as the liquid test kits I have heard those are just as finiky as srips are. And as far as doing a water change was told to wait a good 3-5 weeks to let the tak grow with only a couple fish to start. And as far as the nitrites nitrates alkalinity (sp) with out checking for amonia i have read and heard many different things as far as one can be high as long as one is at 0?

[Skeeter4158098]

I also have aqua safe isnt that the same thing as prime?

[jlk]

Strips are just plain inaccurate (read: garbage). They will also cost 10x the amount of money over the long haul vs a kit. The liquid tests are as accurate of tests as you can use for home aquarium testing. But, you must read & follow the directions for performing the tests- the only inaccuracies are typically user errors.

The aqua safe is suitable as a dechlorinator but it does not detox ammonia and nitrite as Prime or Amquel Plus do.

If you let your tank sit with fish for 5-6 wks, all your going to wind up with is either permanently damaged or dead fish. Ammonia and nitrite are poison to fish. If you are not willing to do the work a fish-in cycle requires to make sure your fish survive a cycle unharmed, I would seriously consider returning them and doing a fish less cycle instead. You asked for advice & I am offering it- feel free to make your decisions.

[Skeeter4158098]

Finally ran out of strips. So broke down and got a api master kit. Everything reads good amonia is in the midlle of the two nitrites are in the middle of the two and nitrates are at 40. Have done a 50% water change. Planning on doing another 25% or 50% water change with in the next couple days when I have enough time do do one. I have 5 serpae 5 high fin black skirt tetras and 5 gold xray tetras. Looking at adding another at least 2 each to each school. And adding a school of either penguin tetras or black neon or bleeding heart tetras. Also would like to get at least two angel fish. They were my parents favorite fish and my parents have passed away so I really want to get two and name them after my parents. Also would like to possibly getting two black fin sharks (silver tiped sharks) the cat fish ones. Any thoughts?