Setup advise

[JDogg]

ok i want to set up a 30 gal for my pair of Convicts

i want have a sandy bottom (any advise on this? best way to clean, best filters,....)

i also want to try the fish-less cycle method, any ideas/ experience with this? how long does it usually take.

currently the fish are only an inch long and inhabit a 10 gal.

thanks

 

[Toirtis]

ok i want to set up a 30 gal for my pair of Convicts

i want have a sandy bottom (any advise on this? best way to clean, best filters,....)

Aquaclear works great...especially with a pre-filter to keep sand particles out. Cleaning is as usual, but 'hover' your gravel vac a couple of inches above the sand bed.

i also want to try the fish-less cycle method, any ideas/ experience with this? how long does it usually take.

We have a nice article on that:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=15

 

[JDogg]

this article involved saltwater, does it work the same in freshwater?

i heard someplace about adding a cup of clear ammonia and then sucking some bacterial out of a established tank and adding all that to the new tank...????

thanks

 

[Blazeherd2306]

this article involved saltwater, does it work the same in freshwater?

yes

 

[Toirtis]

Using the shrimp works for both. Using clear (pure. non-sudsey) ammonia works, too.....as does transferring bacteria....have you an established tank to transfer from, and how would you intend to 'suck some bacteria' out?

 

[Jchillin]

The process is the same for both FW and SW.

You can use established media from another tank (filter media, gravel, decorations). You can slowly add fish with this method.

Dosing pure ammonia also works, so does fish food. True Value hardware sells the pure ammonia.

 

[rich311k]

Are you planning to move the whole ten gallon tank and take it down?

 

[JDogg]

i have an established 28 gal, i figured next time i cleaned it i would put a couple gallons of the crap in the gravel into the new tank. that has to be packed with bacteria.

 

[JDogg]

the tank will probaly get new residents, or maybe tanken down. depending on the space in my new classroom.

 

[Blazeherd2306]

i have an established 28 gal, i figured next time i cleaned it i would put a couple gallons of the crap in the gravel into the new tank

Just take the gravel out of your 28 gal and add it to the new tank to seed it.

 

[JDogg]

i have an established 28 gal, i figured next time i cleaned it i would put a couple gallons of the crap in the gravel into the new tank

Just take the gravel out of your 28 gal and add it to the new tank to seed it.

don't want to take down the 28 gal

 

[rich311k]

You said they were in a ten. If they are ina 28 split some of the filter media and use it in the new tank. It will make the fishless cyle much faster. If they are by themselves in a ten then move the whole filter and the fish. Run it cuurrently with the new filter you should have almost no cycle.

 

[JDogg]

they are in a ten alone, see my sig

i said i would suck the crap out of the 28 because there is more crap produced by the all the fish in there, then the two convicts alone.

more crap = more bacteria

 

[rich311k]

If you move the filter and maybe the gravel from the ten over. You could avoid a cycle altogther. I know you want sand so just move the filter and the fish, run the new and old filter together, you should have little or no cycle.

 

[JDogg]

ok thanks

 

[Botia4Life]

If I used a piece of driftwood in my new tank, would that provide quite a bit of bacteria?

 

[mattrox]

If I used a piece of driftwood in my new tank, would that provide quite a bit of bacteria?

Without hijacking this thread, the bacteria are only present on the surfaces of objects inside an established tank. Fitler media probably has the highest levels of beneficial bacteria due to the high surface area.

 

[Botia4Life]

Oh my bad, I used a piece of driftwood that I had in an old tank of mine, I just transferred it over. Sorry if I'm taking over the thread, haha.

 

[Pearlgirl]

I have a 29 gallon tank and it has been curing for 2 weeks. This is the tank that I plan on putting my pond fish in once it turns cold as our temperatures here in Northern Illinois get down to 10 below 0 at times and I know, that with the depth of only one foot, my pond will freeze solid. I have 2 concerns, one is that I seem to have a high calcium content in the water as there is a white powdery substance on the filter equipment when it is dried off. Is it wise to add some coral to the gravel bottom for bacteria propogation? I am using a Whisper 30 filter with a carbon bio-bag and a sponge for the biological.
2. The flow from the filter is quite strong and the fish are used to zero water current. Might this injure the fish or wear them out trying to swim against it? I have only three fish at the moment...a 2 1/2 inch Comet , a calico goldfish that is a bit smaller than the Comet and a feeder fish that is about an inch long.
I am also using Proquatics Bacteria starter as directed on the label. Is this ok as a bacteria starter.

Would adding some gravel from my pond, which is about 2 months old, work for the biologogical?