MoxieGrrrl
Aquarium Advice Freak
I was asked to keep notes on starting my new aquarium since I mentioned I was going to use Bio-Spira. I started two days ago, so I'll type the notes I have so far and add as I go.
December 23rd, 7pm - With kid finally in bed, mass chaos ensues to set up the tank. Rinsed tank and gravel, added fake wood pieces and fake plants, and placed heater. After much gnashing of teeth, discovered that the Eheim canister filter 2213 simply has terrible directions and made educated guesses as to how to set it up. And they give you pieces of equipment that appear to have nothing to do with the filter since there is no reference to these pieces either in the directions booklet or the photographs on the box it came in. Filled the tank with tap water and added 3.5 teaspoons of StressCoat. Tank thermometer arrived broken, will purchase new one. After 20 minutes, turned on the heater and filter. Everything appears in working order.
December 24th - purchased new thermometer in the morning. Soon discover that the water temperature is at 76 degrees and we can add fish sooner than expected. Trip over to our largest LFS and get one angelfish (now named Gill), one small pleco (Sandy), four mollies (one pure black, one white with black spots, and two oranges each with a little black - Blackie and Spot have been named), and five guppies (either clear with orange or blue with multicolored tails - none have been named). Started acclimating them at 1:00pm, netted them into the tank at 1:30 and immediately added one packet of Bio-Spira (one more in fridge just in case). Sandy the pleco is hiding in the back corner, and I dropped one algae wafer in. Fed them a small pinch of flakes and most was eaten immediately. Topped off the tank and added a dash of StressCoat. Blackie the molly is very active and seems to be enjoying swimming into the bubbles of the aerator. Gill the angel appears totally confused and is hiding in the back corner with Sandy. Spot decides the algae wafer is mighty tasty, so I drop another one in the opposite side so Sandy has a shot at eating some.
At 2:15pm:
Ammonia @ 0-.25 ppm
Nitrite @ 0 ppm
Nitrate @ 0-5 ppm
December 25th, 1:00pm - Stopped home from my mom's house to check in. Water temperature is a steady 78 degrees and I notice that the tiny bubbles that covered everything yesterday are mostly gone, but that the water now appears a bit cloudy or milky. Gill is out of hiding and swimming around with the rest of the fish. Blackie is still very active. Had to look hard for Sandy, who is nestled in a cave. The rest are just swimming around doing nothing remarkable. After testing the water, added one algae wafer and a pinch of flakes.
At 1:20pm:
Ammonia @ 0-.25 ppm
Nitrite @ 0 ppm
Nitrate @ 0 - 5 ppm
I will post a picture or two as time goes on, but left my camera at my mom's today.
December 23rd, 7pm - With kid finally in bed, mass chaos ensues to set up the tank. Rinsed tank and gravel, added fake wood pieces and fake plants, and placed heater. After much gnashing of teeth, discovered that the Eheim canister filter 2213 simply has terrible directions and made educated guesses as to how to set it up. And they give you pieces of equipment that appear to have nothing to do with the filter since there is no reference to these pieces either in the directions booklet or the photographs on the box it came in. Filled the tank with tap water and added 3.5 teaspoons of StressCoat. Tank thermometer arrived broken, will purchase new one. After 20 minutes, turned on the heater and filter. Everything appears in working order.
December 24th - purchased new thermometer in the morning. Soon discover that the water temperature is at 76 degrees and we can add fish sooner than expected. Trip over to our largest LFS and get one angelfish (now named Gill), one small pleco (Sandy), four mollies (one pure black, one white with black spots, and two oranges each with a little black - Blackie and Spot have been named), and five guppies (either clear with orange or blue with multicolored tails - none have been named). Started acclimating them at 1:00pm, netted them into the tank at 1:30 and immediately added one packet of Bio-Spira (one more in fridge just in case). Sandy the pleco is hiding in the back corner, and I dropped one algae wafer in. Fed them a small pinch of flakes and most was eaten immediately. Topped off the tank and added a dash of StressCoat. Blackie the molly is very active and seems to be enjoying swimming into the bubbles of the aerator. Gill the angel appears totally confused and is hiding in the back corner with Sandy. Spot decides the algae wafer is mighty tasty, so I drop another one in the opposite side so Sandy has a shot at eating some.
At 2:15pm:
Ammonia @ 0-.25 ppm
Nitrite @ 0 ppm
Nitrate @ 0-5 ppm
December 25th, 1:00pm - Stopped home from my mom's house to check in. Water temperature is a steady 78 degrees and I notice that the tiny bubbles that covered everything yesterday are mostly gone, but that the water now appears a bit cloudy or milky. Gill is out of hiding and swimming around with the rest of the fish. Blackie is still very active. Had to look hard for Sandy, who is nestled in a cave. The rest are just swimming around doing nothing remarkable. After testing the water, added one algae wafer and a pinch of flakes.
At 1:20pm:
Ammonia @ 0-.25 ppm
Nitrite @ 0 ppm
Nitrate @ 0 - 5 ppm
I will post a picture or two as time goes on, but left my camera at my mom's today.
It's still in the process of setting up, so I figure I would make notes every day until I am sure there's no major change. We'll see how it goes over the next few days, but so far I am impressed with the Bio-Spira.
