Questions

[Ben K]

Hello. I am looking at setting up one of my tanks that has been sitting around in the basement for a while. It’s a 33 gallon tank. I would like to set this tank up in a decent manner so to speak. At least better then what I did whit my 13 gallon tank. (which was to fill it with water, insert filter and water conditioner and then fish). So I thought I would ask for some help. Consider me a newbie when answering the following questions.

Also, I plan on editing this post with the answers I receive so in hopes to help future people who have similar questions. Well, on with the questions. Feel free to answer only the ones you know the answer to, I would love all the help I can get.

1)	My tank has been sitting around for quite some time collecting dust.  Upon inspecting it I have noticed that it has several water stains on the glass itself.  What is the best way to clean the tank and get rid of the water stains?

2)	What type of gravel should I get?  In my 13 Gallon tank, I just bought Top Fin Aquarium Gravel.  I’ve heard that if you wish to use live plants you should use a substrate.  Do you use just substrate or do you put a layer of substrate down then a layer of normal gravel, like the top fin gravel mentioned above, on top?  What do you suggest?

3)	I’ve read that you should cycle your tank before introducing fish.  How does one do this?
	a.	What is the simplest and easiest way of doing this?
	b.	What is the best way?
	c.	How long does it take?
	d.	When I do tests, what levels should I get in everything to know if the cycle has been completed or is still taking place?  I’ve read that something will go to 0 then go high again when the cycle is complete.  Is this true and if so, what?
		i.	What is the bare minimal that I should test for when cycling?
		ii.	What is best tests suggested to get an optimal result?

4)	What sort of tests should I do to keep my tank in a healthy condition?
	a.	Which basic tests are needed to keep fish alive?  Just the bare minimal test please.
	b.	If I wanted to go into more precise testing, what other tests should I perform?
	c.	How often should I perform each of the above tests?

5)	In my 13 gallon tank, I have a problem where my PH is rising up to 7.4, even after I use the chemicals to lower it to 7.0  Why is this?

6)	What type of Filter should I get?  Should I get more then one for a 33 gallon tank, or will one do the trick?

7)	Should I get any other accessories before setting up my tank?  I know I should get a heater and a thermometer, but is anything else needed?  Perhaps an air stone or something?  Is driftwood needed?

8)	How often should I perform a Partial Water Change?
	a.	How often while cycling?
	b.	How often during normal use?

9)	I like the idea of having some plants in my tank.  Though I would like some input on setting up a tank that has plants in it.
	a.	Can you have too many plants in a tank?  
	b.	If I put a fine substrate in my tank, can I grow all plants, or do some only grow well in a medium or heavy substrate?  What is the best way to set up my gravel if I want fish and live plants?
	c.	What is the cheapest way of adding CO2 to a tank?  Is it really needed?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

1) Vinegar should help.

2) Post your Planted questions in the Planted Forum. We have many plant guru's that can help you with this.

3) Easiest? Bio-Spira, as long as it was a good batch. You could also cycle using pure ammonia. Check this article for info on cycling the tank. Also read this article for an understanding of the Nitrogen Cycle.
d) Ammonia, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 10+

4) Bare Minimum test kit
b) You could test for TONS of stuff. If you are going for fish only with fake plants, all you need is the above mentioned kit. I keep a planted tank and the only thing I have added to my testing kit is Phosphate and Harndess.
c) After your tank is cycled and you get a good water change schedule down, you shouldn't need to do it often. I haven't done a full spectrum testing on the tanks in months.

5) Stop using the pH chemical. The reason why it is going back up is beacuse you have a good buffering ability. It will keep bouncing around. Leave it be.

6) For a 13 gal tank I'd go with a hob. An AquaClear.

7) You'll need a heater, I'd go with the VisiTherm Stealth 100W. That's all you need.

8 ) You'll get a feel for it with your test kits. I do 50% once a week. During the cycling process (fishless), you don't need to do them at all. If you cycle with fish, you may need to do them every other day until the cycle is complete. The frequency and percentage depends on the tank readings.

9) In short, yes. You could have so many your fish can't move. I'd ask these questions in the planted forum. And you won't need CO2 unless you have increased lighting.

 

[neilanh]

I was gonna respond, but FF said pretty much exactly what I was going to.

Thanks FF