So here is my placement in the 50 gallon. I placed the powerhead, which had one of those hoses for outside air, toward the top. Per your suggestion I took the hose out because you were right, LOTS of bubbles! I put two of the hoses on their own connector spots with the little stones. I actually ended up shoving the stones inside a small decorative rock thing because that was the best/fastest way to weight them down (I am nervous of having my arm in there for so long). Eventually I will get some suction cups to hold the hoses in place and make it look a little neater (but I refuse UNLESS necessary to make another trip to the store this week). I do not have any sort of tool to manipulate things inside the tank. I also put a background on the back of the tank. And I placed the new heater by the powerhead and bubbler. For now I have the air pump on top of the tank.
I am still waiting on the test kit from amazon and I really hope it comes tonight or tomorrow. Tonight I am doing another water exchange in the 10 gallon. Also I checked the temp on the 10 GALLON (an hour ago) and even though the heater is set to 86, the tank is WAY up to 90 according to my separate thermometer. So yeah, now I am trying to cook poor Po. Enter a bunch of explentives here, because I was shocked, horrified, and angry. So I turned it way down (thought about taking the heater out for it bit) and will be monitoring the temp. I also took the lights off ((they are on in the picture so that I had some light for the pic)). I have had them off the tank for a couple days and for whatever reason my husband put them back on this morning before going to work. This might be why the water is so hot, otherwise maybe the heater is just really off. Something had to have gone wrong since I did have it set to 86 and it was 86 this morning before lights were placed on. And I forgot to mention before I noticed the Ick spots, I HAD purchased that morning two females for companionship for him. And had already released them into the tank with him. Hopefully my extreme temp in the tank doesn't boil them all alive or make them sick. Immediately regretted that purchase and decision after I noticed the ick. So I feel awful about bringing those poor fish into this.
I now realize why people with money just hire people to set up tanks, it is a bit of work and a lot to learn for a beginner. Its all doable, its just wow..... we should have done a LOT of reading/learning/saving before jumping in the deep end. I am also happy we didn't run out and purchase expensive hard to care for fish. AND I am SO grateful for this community and all the help everyone has been giving. I just wish went I went to the store I didn't get lots of other suggestions. It is hard for me to make a decision sometimes on what my next move will be, and if I had more money things would be a lot easier as well. Maybe some time from now I would really like to upgrade our filter to something WAY better, I want live plants, better lights, and probably sooner than later I would like sand. According to the lady at Petco who talked me into the powerhead, with that I wouldn't need a filter that was meant for 2 to 3 times bigger of a tank(as suggested) to do sand. Is this true?
-Robyn
I am still waiting on the test kit from amazon and I really hope it comes tonight or tomorrow. Tonight I am doing another water exchange in the 10 gallon. Also I checked the temp on the 10 GALLON (an hour ago) and even though the heater is set to 86, the tank is WAY up to 90 according to my separate thermometer. So yeah, now I am trying to cook poor Po. Enter a bunch of explentives here, because I was shocked, horrified, and angry. So I turned it way down (thought about taking the heater out for it bit) and will be monitoring the temp. I also took the lights off ((they are on in the picture so that I had some light for the pic)). I have had them off the tank for a couple days and for whatever reason my husband put them back on this morning before going to work. This might be why the water is so hot, otherwise maybe the heater is just really off. Something had to have gone wrong since I did have it set to 86 and it was 86 this morning before lights were placed on. And I forgot to mention before I noticed the Ick spots, I HAD purchased that morning two females for companionship for him. And had already released them into the tank with him. Hopefully my extreme temp in the tank doesn't boil them all alive or make them sick. Immediately regretted that purchase and decision after I noticed the ick. So I feel awful about bringing those poor fish into this.
I now realize why people with money just hire people to set up tanks, it is a bit of work and a lot to learn for a beginner. Its all doable, its just wow..... we should have done a LOT of reading/learning/saving before jumping in the deep end. I am also happy we didn't run out and purchase expensive hard to care for fish. AND I am SO grateful for this community and all the help everyone has been giving. I just wish went I went to the store I didn't get lots of other suggestions. It is hard for me to make a decision sometimes on what my next move will be, and if I had more money things would be a lot easier as well. Maybe some time from now I would really like to upgrade our filter to something WAY better, I want live plants, better lights, and probably sooner than later I would like sand. According to the lady at Petco who talked me into the powerhead, with that I wouldn't need a filter that was meant for 2 to 3 times bigger of a tank(as suggested) to do sand. Is this true?
-Robyn