tertatorres
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
So, lets just start off with a little background. Names Steven!.
From downey ca. I bought a 30 gallon bowman tank with a stand, which also came with a coral light a couple of years ago. I used it for a crested gecko for awhile. He later was moved to a friends house because i just couldn't keep up with it. Now! that im growing up and looking at things just that "much" different, i feel like i could handle a tank. It really started when i walked into petco about 3 months ago. I looked into a few of the tanks and i was FASCINATED!! with how clear the water was and how calm the fish were. I guess i never really looked into a tank longer than a few minutes. I thought, well i could do that! SO! i sat out for knowledge! I asked the guy that worked there and basically he said buy this buy this buy this, wait a day and put fish in..(i knew this wasnt right) I knew my best bet was to look online and search from forums.
SO than xmas came around. My girlfriend ended up getting me this really nice sucken ship for the tank. Her getting me that really drove me to the hobby. I started looking online for filters and heaters and what i need and dont need. I did alot of my first research, on amazon(products had customer reviews which had a little insight to the tank itself, but not the fish) I knew some experts will be reading this and know BLAM should have looked in forums first!!! Well we all start somewhereD,
I bought a aquaclear 50 and a aquatop 200 watt on amazon for just $40!! i knew that was a deal so i just ordered it. i had about a week to learn as MUCH as i could before it came. Im 19 so getting packages excites me and so i knew when i got the filter i would just start the tank,
I grew up a little bit!! i swear!
I researched as much as i could on everything, the fish, the plants, substrates, fish food, ph, temps,...Im very NOOB so my lingo isnt up to pair.
BASICALLY, i could tell you my life story but really i just wanted you to know where im coming from. A full NOOB!! With that said, im very sponge like and i love learning new things. So this is why im starting this thread,
Im in aw of this forum and the community that it has. I know without a doubt that if i have a problem. ONE OF YOU FELLOW FRIENDS will have some kind of answerD
Now, i guess i thought i was going to be able to do it all myself and learn first hand with trial and error. So jan 12, i started up the tank. Rinsed the gravel/ sand/ ship. cleaned the tank up. Put everything down, placed it all nice and neat. Put the water in, treated the water with stress coat. Than i let it run over night. The next day, i went to a shop i heard about from an employee at petsmart. Tongs tropical fish! First off, when i walked in i felt like i walked into my own little biosphere HEAVEN!. EVERYTHING i wanted and saw online was there. The owner knew i was new at this. So he asked a few questions. Asked about the tank, and he said FIRST BUY tetra start up and you can put fish in right after. He knew the tank was running for 24 prior. so i trusted him. i mean come on, he owns a pretty nice shop so i thought hed know a thing or too.
Well he said just get 6 of the community fish and i will be fine.
i listened...
DONT BE MAD!, i just listened. I know now after looking on this forum that i have to cycle...this whole cycling thing just never came up on ANYTHING ive read or the people ive talked to.
So! now this thread turns into not only my own adventure in this new really rewarding hobby but also i need help with the way my tank is going to progress. I know i started it to soon, and its going to be a slow process but i think with some help i just might be able to understand and learn much more if i show you a play by play
So more info on the tank itself. Ill post a few pictures at the end.
This is what i have,
3-Neon Terta
1-Bala shark
1-guppy
1-dalamation mollie
1-peppered cory cat
1-lyretail ballon molly
1-chinese algae eater
When i got the fish, i put in the tetrastartup solution waited about 30 mins, kept the fish in the tank(inside baggie)
my temp was just at 78. I had put a little bit of stresscoat in the bags because i heard that it helps with the whole shipping process, i know STRESS isnt going to help ANYTHING!! haha
since i dont have a bunch of money, the guy told me to get the stuff i need and get the rest later. So i grabbed some flakes and a net. I know theres a bunch of other stuff i need, but i tend to rush myself, which through this process on its own im learning to just relax, because it will eventually work out.
SO! i went back to the bags, i released them one by one.
To be honest, they seem really relaxed. Its so crazy seeing each fish with its own personality and its own traits and habits..Not one fish was afraid of any other fish. It seems like they are all just getting along...the only problem is that i know that since i didnt cycle properly, there are going to be issues that are going to come up.
first, the water got a little cloudy,i would say about a 5% difference over night. Im thinking thats because now theres waste and i had fed the fish which me being a noob i wasnt to sure on how much. So i feel like i have already made some mistakes. Im eventually going to get plants and whatnot. i just want to know for sure that these fish are going to make it. Now looking and learning what i did today(mostly just by the noob forum thats on this site) that ive still got alot of learning to do. Not only about the fish but as this whole ECOSYSTEM will develop. So join in. Take a look and ill try to respond asap and follow up with anything information you need.
Please, i understand i made a HUGE mistake and now my fish has to pay the price. This is why im starting the forum...for help...I really am interested in this hobby...the whole idea of having a ecosystem in my room is just mind blowing. Now that i see that these fish arent just fish..they are just little minds in a tank with needs and wants..just like me.. See help us both out
I look forward to talking to you guys.Thank you for reading this(i dont ever write in forums, ever....haha) So thanks for your time and like i said im a sponge..
-(little noob)steven
pictures include-
tetras
bala
and front of tank
All the others were hiding..
From downey ca. I bought a 30 gallon bowman tank with a stand, which also came with a coral light a couple of years ago. I used it for a crested gecko for awhile. He later was moved to a friends house because i just couldn't keep up with it. Now! that im growing up and looking at things just that "much" different, i feel like i could handle a tank. It really started when i walked into petco about 3 months ago. I looked into a few of the tanks and i was FASCINATED!! with how clear the water was and how calm the fish were. I guess i never really looked into a tank longer than a few minutes. I thought, well i could do that! SO! i sat out for knowledge! I asked the guy that worked there and basically he said buy this buy this buy this, wait a day and put fish in..(i knew this wasnt right) I knew my best bet was to look online and search from forums.
SO than xmas came around. My girlfriend ended up getting me this really nice sucken ship for the tank. Her getting me that really drove me to the hobby. I started looking online for filters and heaters and what i need and dont need. I did alot of my first research, on amazon(products had customer reviews which had a little insight to the tank itself, but not the fish) I knew some experts will be reading this and know BLAM should have looked in forums first!!! Well we all start somewhereD,
I bought a aquaclear 50 and a aquatop 200 watt on amazon for just $40!! i knew that was a deal so i just ordered it. i had about a week to learn as MUCH as i could before it came. Im 19 so getting packages excites me and so i knew when i got the filter i would just start the tank,
I grew up a little bit!! i swear!
I researched as much as i could on everything, the fish, the plants, substrates, fish food, ph, temps,...Im very NOOB so my lingo isnt up to pair.
BASICALLY, i could tell you my life story but really i just wanted you to know where im coming from. A full NOOB!! With that said, im very sponge like and i love learning new things. So this is why im starting this thread,
Im in aw of this forum and the community that it has. I know without a doubt that if i have a problem. ONE OF YOU FELLOW FRIENDS will have some kind of answerD
Now, i guess i thought i was going to be able to do it all myself and learn first hand with trial and error. So jan 12, i started up the tank. Rinsed the gravel/ sand/ ship. cleaned the tank up. Put everything down, placed it all nice and neat. Put the water in, treated the water with stress coat. Than i let it run over night. The next day, i went to a shop i heard about from an employee at petsmart. Tongs tropical fish! First off, when i walked in i felt like i walked into my own little biosphere HEAVEN!. EVERYTHING i wanted and saw online was there. The owner knew i was new at this. So he asked a few questions. Asked about the tank, and he said FIRST BUY tetra start up and you can put fish in right after. He knew the tank was running for 24 prior. so i trusted him. i mean come on, he owns a pretty nice shop so i thought hed know a thing or too.
Well he said just get 6 of the community fish and i will be fine.
i listened...
DONT BE MAD!, i just listened. I know now after looking on this forum that i have to cycle...this whole cycling thing just never came up on ANYTHING ive read or the people ive talked to.
So! now this thread turns into not only my own adventure in this new really rewarding hobby but also i need help with the way my tank is going to progress. I know i started it to soon, and its going to be a slow process but i think with some help i just might be able to understand and learn much more if i show you a play by play
So more info on the tank itself. Ill post a few pictures at the end.
This is what i have,
3-Neon Terta
1-Bala shark
1-guppy
1-dalamation mollie
1-peppered cory cat
1-lyretail ballon molly
1-chinese algae eater
When i got the fish, i put in the tetrastartup solution waited about 30 mins, kept the fish in the tank(inside baggie)
my temp was just at 78. I had put a little bit of stresscoat in the bags because i heard that it helps with the whole shipping process, i know STRESS isnt going to help ANYTHING!! haha
since i dont have a bunch of money, the guy told me to get the stuff i need and get the rest later. So i grabbed some flakes and a net. I know theres a bunch of other stuff i need, but i tend to rush myself, which through this process on its own im learning to just relax, because it will eventually work out.
SO! i went back to the bags, i released them one by one.
To be honest, they seem really relaxed. Its so crazy seeing each fish with its own personality and its own traits and habits..Not one fish was afraid of any other fish. It seems like they are all just getting along...the only problem is that i know that since i didnt cycle properly, there are going to be issues that are going to come up.
first, the water got a little cloudy,i would say about a 5% difference over night. Im thinking thats because now theres waste and i had fed the fish which me being a noob i wasnt to sure on how much. So i feel like i have already made some mistakes. Im eventually going to get plants and whatnot. i just want to know for sure that these fish are going to make it. Now looking and learning what i did today(mostly just by the noob forum thats on this site) that ive still got alot of learning to do. Not only about the fish but as this whole ECOSYSTEM will develop. So join in. Take a look and ill try to respond asap and follow up with anything information you need.
Please, i understand i made a HUGE mistake and now my fish has to pay the price. This is why im starting the forum...for help...I really am interested in this hobby...the whole idea of having a ecosystem in my room is just mind blowing. Now that i see that these fish arent just fish..they are just little minds in a tank with needs and wants..just like me.. See help us both out
I look forward to talking to you guys.Thank you for reading this(i dont ever write in forums, ever....haha) So thanks for your time and like i said im a sponge..
-(little noob)steven
pictures include-
tetras
bala
and front of tank
All the others were hiding..