Another Newbie With a New Tank - Few Questions

[SeannyBoy84]

How's it going? First off, I love the water. From surfing to snorkeling to sailing and everything else. I live in Vegas, so I try to hit San Diego, Maui, Fiji, etc. as much as possible, but I usually get to San Diego more than the others. So it's only natural that I have an aquarium of some sort, but I am only just beginning now. I've researched a bit online as I always do when tackling something new. My aunt had a hexagon acrylic 30 gallon tank and fluorescent hood that she wasn't using, and I thought I'd use it to start off. I've decided to buy most of the supplies I need from PetSmart, but buy the fish at a little store here called PetLand. It just seems like they receive more attention there and they also have more to choose from. Most of the equipment I bought were the Top Fin brand made for PetSmart.

-Power Filter 30
-Air Pump 30
-Air Check Valve
-25 lbs. of Brown Gravel
-25ft. Clear Tubing
-Tubing Organizers
-Several Plastic Plants
-Several Roman/Greek Decorations
-Tetramin AquaSafe
-Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Frshwater Master Test Kit
-5 in. Donut Air Stone
-Fish Net
-Glass Thermometer
-Acrylic Sponge Scrub

I have yet to buy a Python Kit or a heater. It's pretty much summer here in Vegas, and I'm not sure if it was necessary right away. I have just finished setting the tank up and it looks really nice. It's been running with the filter and the air stone for about a day, water has stayed clear. I know I have to cycle the aquarium and make sure there is enough good bacteria to break the Ammonia and Nitrite down before I get some fish. The water temp is at 73 degrees and I haven't added Ammonia to the water yet. I did a test with the kit:

pH: 7.6
High pH: 7.8
Ammonia: .25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0

Now the questions. How is everything? Should I add the Ammonia now? Would it be as good and faster if I bought some Spira? Do I do a large water change after the aquarium has successfully cycled? How much? When should the filter media be changed out? Should I get a heater? I'm sure the water temp will climb to around 80 once summer really hits in a week or two. Any supplements I should add to the water when fish have been put in? What is a good brand and what kind of fish food should I get?

Whew. I think's that's all for now. I took a quick glance at the fish today and the ones that caught my eye were Danios, Angelfish, different types of cats and sharks, etc. I'll worry about that a little later. What do you guys say? Thanks in advance.

 

[jbirdag96]

If you can, I'd recommend going with a Bio-Wheel filter. I got one for our 20gal tank and its worked great. I've heard others say pretty much the same thing. In regards to the fish you mentioned, we started out with Zebra Danions and Cherry Barbs. They are good "starter" fish that can handle the conditions being a little bit rougher. In a couple of weeks we'll add some others. We've only had one fish die, but I feel it was on it's way out before ever being bought as all the others are doing just fine.

 

[rich311k]

Yes, add the ammonia now. If you have run the tank for 48 hours and all is well you are ready to go. Get yourself pure ammonia. Ace hardware sells a 10% solution of Janitorial strength ammonia be sure whatever you use has on detergents or surfacants. If you shake the bottle you should get no bubbles. Add it to about 4ppm and you are off. Keep your levels at 4ppm until you see nitrites then maintain a level of 2ppm.

Do not change filter pads or clean the gravel until the cycle is done. Since you chose to do this fishlessly, you don't have to do anything but test your water.

Only thing you need to add to the water is Prime to dechlorinate it. Get yourself an Aquarium Pharamueticals Master test kit. You will need it.

Good luck.

 

[sith j]

angel fish would be great in that tank, watch which sharks you look at, most will get to big for that tank.

 

[SeannyBoy84]

Thanks for all the info guys. I've been monitoring the thermometer in the tank and it seems to be hovering around 75, day and night. If it begins to fluctuate too much, I'll run out and buy a 100/150 watt heater.

I was at PetLand today and decided to grab 1 fl. oz. of BioSpira for $10 which is good for aquariums up to 30 gallons. The aquariums were grouped by region and the guy suggested I buy fish mostly from the same one. Is this right? I might want to mix if it's possible. He advised that Cichlids are the most colorful freshwater fish. I still want maybe a couple cats/sharks if possible. I will most likely upgrade to a regular horizontal tank around 50 gallons by the end of the year after I get the hang of things. I'll be sure to get a BioWheel filter as I've heard those are great.

I will be looking around closer for info on which fish to get in the next few days, and will be buying fish and food this weekend. One of the very first things I bought was the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals kit. I will test the water again tonight. I'll keep you posted.

 

[Jchillin]

The aquariums were grouped by region and the guy suggested I buy fish mostly from the same one. Is this right? I might want to mix if it's possible.

This is a pretty good rule of thumb but doesn't always work. There are species from the same region that just don't get along and some species from another region that will. One combo that works is Angels, German Blue Rams, corydoras, dwarf plecos and black skirt tetras.

He advised that Cichlids are the most colorful freshwater fish.

He's 100% correct.

One of the very first things I bought was the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals kit.

 

[cappieBridget]

I'm a newbie and can't offer info. for you but I just had to jump in and say how beautiful your setup is! You must be so proud, just wait until you have fishies in there

 

[TomK2]

Nice tank! I started out with various sizes of Hex tanks too. Welcome to AA! Glad you looked into things first, and bought a good test kit right at the start.

One thing I noticed is that your tank tested positive for ammonia before you put any fish or ammonia in it? This would be highly suspicious for having chloramines in your tap water. Did you use any dechlorinator when you filled the tank? To verify that you have chloramines in your tap water, you can run your ammonia test on the tap water. If you have chloramines, it will turn color. If you do have chloramines, you must always use dechlor for water changes. you should also test your tap water for nitrate, Some municipal supplies have some in there. Thus, if you want to use nitrate as a secondary confirmation of the cycles end, you need to know if you started with zero or some other level.

 

[TomK2]

Duh. your tank has no nitrates, therefore your tap has no nitrates. You should skip the tap water nitrate test. Ooops.

 

[TomK2]

Oh, and why do a fishless cycle if you are going to use Biospira? The purpose of Biospira is to add biospira and fish at the same time. Results have been mixed from AA users, so be prepared for water changes if you get ammoia or nitrtie spikes.

Tom--
saying in 3 posts what could have only taken one. Now thats one way to boost your post count

 

[SeannyBoy84]

Just got home from work a couple hours ago. I was told that BioSpira should be put in with fish or the bacteria would die. I borrowed a few goldfish from my neighbor. They are swimming in there right now and the seem "happy". Tom, no wonder you have post count of over 1500 . I must have read the first reading wrong or something because I just tested my tap water and it read 0 on the Ammonia. I did use AquaSafe to treat the water when I filled the tank, an even put in an extra capful just to be sure. I was thinking about doing a fishless cycle but then changed my mind earlier today when I came across a fridge full of the BioSpira at the store.

Bridget, thanks, I'm really happy with it and I'm glad you like it. I hope your new tank turns out great.

As for fish. I'm thinking of buying a few Cichlids tomorrow and returning the goldfish I borrowed. I'll be reading up some more after this. I just completed another water test:

pH: 7.8
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 3.0 (it's in between the first(0) and second(5.0) shades, I'd guess 3.0)

 

[TomK2]

Goldies do better without a heater. I think cichlids need the temp like tropicals, 78 or 80?

Glad you don't have chloramines. The conditioners don't make false positive ammonia tests, at least with the two bottle ammonia test. Here's hoping the biospira works well for you, and glad you didn't treat the goldies as disposable cycle fish to be used without biospira. Your nitrate level is probably zero? Thats some suble shade differences between 0 and 5, so it can be a frustrating test to read at low levels.

Good luck!

 

[SeannyBoy84]

Alright I bought 3 Cichlids. 2 Jack Dempsey's and a Pink Marble I believe. I also bought a Silvertip Shark. The guy said they would be fine. The goldies are back to their original tank. The Cichlids started off shy, but are now slowly coming out into the open. The Silvertip is absolutely crazy. It's been going around in circles on the front of the tank for hours like it's stuck in a donut or something. Which brand of food is good? HBH, Hakari? I bought a small pack of shrimp pellets for now. My water has gotten a bit cloudy. I have some water clarifier, should I put it in? This was before I added the new fish. My recent water test looks normal. Nitrate is slowly going up.

pH: 7.8
Ammonia: between 0 and 0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5.0

 

[Lonewolfblue]

You should get a heater and keep the temp around 78-79.

Don't use water clarifier. They do nothing. I've tried like 10 different ones, and none did what it says it does. Also, should never add chems to the tank anyways.

 

[SeannyBoy84]

Sorry lonewolf, I've already put it in. But the good news is that it worked. It's some new product from Tetra, and it's supposedly safe, doesn't effect pH levels, and clears the water by "causing small, suspended particles to quickly clump together and be picked up by the power filter or settle into gravel." But now my filter has become fairly dirty. How do I go about cleaning this. Rinse it out in a pitcher of dechlorinated water? Or do I just leave it for now since my tank is still trying to cycle properly? Oh and I setup the heater also.

 

[TomK2]

I would leave the filter alone while cycling, as long as flow is good, don't clean it.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

If you absolutely had to clean it, rinse it lightly in a bucket of tank water. But like Tom says, if there's good flow, just leave it alone.