New tank help

[Berty’sPop]

Hi all, I’m pretty beginner when it comes to fish and tanks, but want to learn. We were recently gifted this tank and would like to use it, but aren’t quite sure how to best set it up. I’ll post pictures of everything. Hope this is an ok forum choice. The items shown are how my SO’s mom was running it, but she was “winging it”, in her words. Our fish is Bert, a Betta. He’s about two and a half, we believe. The guy at the store sold me this filter. Got a receipt as I’m not sure this tank is designed for it. Thanks in advance.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Your aquarium is what's called an "all in one aquarium" and has built in filtration. The chambers at the back form your filtration, called a sump. It's going to provide very good filtration.

How it works is the water pump in the left hand chamber pulls water through the different chambers and returns the water into the main display area. You can see the slots in the right hand chamber where the water goes into the sump filtration, then there should be more slots between the 3 chambers allowing water to be pulled through the sump into the last chamber on the left where it goes into the water pump and is returned to the main display area.

Your filtration is provided by that sponge block in the middle chamber, and the cartridge full of biomedia in your hand which should slot into one of the sump chamber somehow. I think it goes in the right hand chamber from one of your photos. There should be room in one of the chambers for your heater, if not that will have to go in the main display area somewhere. As long as the water pump works OK you have a pretty good filtration system built into the aquarium and don't need the internal filter you bought. If the water pump doesn't work go to a decent aquarium store and get a replacement. I've got a similar aquarium and find the pumps will last years although they tend to get a bit rattley after a year or 2, after when I replace them.

This isn't your aquarium, it's mine, but the diagram shows in principal how an all in one sump filtration system works.


As a new hobbyist are you aware of the nitrogen cycle and how to safely cycle an aquarium?

The only issue I can see is that the filtration in all in one aquariums can sometimes create too much flow for bettas as the return pumps are sometimes too strong for these fish. You will have to see how your betta gets on. There are measures you can take reduce flow rates if it's too much.

And does your aquarium have a lid? Bettas are prolific jumpers.

 

[Berty’sPop]

Thanks. Super helpful explanation. We do have a lid. I forgot to put it in the pictures. Currently we are using top fin betta water conditioner. That’s all we’ve done as far as water treatment goes. We aren’t planning on having any live plants, if that changes anything. Everything other than the nitrogen cycling makes sense to me. I’ll look into it on my own, but do you think you could elaborate a little? We have been doing full tank changes when it looks needed with very close attention to water temp, as we had issues cycling the water 25% at a time. I’m assuming we should figure out how to change our method, rather than changing all the water at once?

 

[Aiken Drum]

The nitrogen cycle are the processes that convert ammonia (fish waste) into less harmful nitrate which you typically remove through your regular water changes. This is mainly done through microbes that eat the ammonia and excrete nitrate via an intermediate nitrite stage. These microbes live in places where the is surface area to grow on and a good flow of oxygenated water. In aquariums this is mostly going to be in your filtration, and they grow on those beads in that cartridge in your photo and the sponge. To a lesser extent they will also grow on your substrate, the glass your aquarium, your aquascape, anything with surface area to grow on.

But aquariums dont come with these microbes built it, you have to grow them. "Cycling" an aquarium is the process of growing enough of these microbes to consume the ammonia your fish produces and turn it all into nitrate. This typically takes a couple of months, and until you are cycled toxic waste (ammonia and nitrite) will build up in the water between water changes, and when you are cycled you will see zero ammonia and nitrite, and less harmful nitrate will build up between water changes.

In short, as you already have a fish you should be doing what's called a "fish in cycle". Essentially this involves frequent testing of water parameters and changing water before ammonia and/ or nitrite get to toxic levels. In newly set up aquariums this might be a daily water change, but as your cycle establishes and those microbes grow, you will see less ammonia and nitrite and need less frequent water changes, and when you consistently see zero ammonia + nitrite you are cycled and can settle into a weekly/ fortnightly water change routine.

You will need a reliable test kit that tests for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Avoid test strips as they arent always reliable. API Freshwater Master Test Kit is commonly used. It covers what you need, is reliable enough for what you are using it for, and fairly easy to use.

Here is a more detailed guide on how to do a fish in cycle. You are already part way through. Have a read through, but you are going to be at Stage 3.

Fish In Cycle Guide.

STAGE 1 – SET UP AND PREPARATION. Set up the aquarium, stand, filtration, lighting, heater if required and any other equipment. Fill the tank and run for 24 hours to ensure there are no leaks and that all the equipment functions correctly. Drain the tank. Aquascape including substrate...

www.aquariumadvice.com

 

[Aiken Drum]

As for water changes, get a simple aquarium syphon. You can syphon out half the water (or however much you want to chsnge) into a bucket leaving the betta in the aquarium. Dump the bucket of water down the sink or on the garden. Add your water conditioner to the aquarium, and then refill the aquarium with water the same temperature as your aquarium temperature.

 

[Berty’sPop]

Awesome. I’ve been having a difficult time researching it myself online. We’re heading to a better shop today to speak with them. The pump is quite rattle-y and missing some tubing(I believe), so we’ll be picking up a new one and some cycling supplies. Your help has been greatly appreciated.

 

[Aiken Drum]

The only thing you "need" to help with cycling is a reliable test kit. Make sure its a liquid drop test kit, not test strips.

If you want to try a bacterial supplement to help seed your cycle and speed up the process, only buy one if its one of Fritz products, so Fritz #7 or Fritz Turbostart, or Tetra Safestart. Any other product is going to be a waste of money.

If they sell Seachem Prime or API AquaEssential, get a bottle of one of those. It's a better water conditioner than the one you got, and they are likely cheaper too as they are more concentrated.

Get a syphon to help with water changes, a net if you dont have one, buckets are always useful, keep at least one for aquarium use only to avoid contamination.

 

[Berty’sPop]

Ok. Is it fine to be using tap water?

 

[Aiken Drum]

Most of the time tapwater is fine as long as you use a water conditioner to remove the chlorine/ chloramine.

There might be some circumstances when your water might be high pH, hard water and the particular species of fish you are trying to keep require soft, acidic water. Or ig your water is soft and acidic and the species of fish require hard, higher pH water. In these circumstances you are better off keeping fish that suit the water. If your betta was kept locally, and had the same water supply no reason to do anything different. Bettas can acclimate to a wide range of water types.

Marine aquariums dont typically use tap water because there are chemicals used in water treatment that coral doesn't tolerate and water conditioners dont remove those chemicals.