Any Aquarium guys? (1 Viewer)

[TLEF316]

HELP!!!

I'm trying to setup the tank we just got. http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Cool-Goldfish-Aquarium-Purple/dp/B003RDV4E8

When you set up the filter, this is a totally dumb noob question....

Is part of it supposed to be sticking out of the top of the water? I have no idea how this works. Does water get "sucked in" through the filter and then com back out the top section ?

2nd question - it says to take 10% out weekly, do I just scoop out 10% of the water with a cup? then fill up with tap water? then add the nutrafin stuff in

3rd - can I replace the filter when I do the 25% monthly replinsh or do I have to do that at a different time.

and I think last - what can I use to take my water in for testing to see if I'm ready for a fish? water bottle ok?

Don't even have a fish yet and I'm already panicked and mildly addicted - all for one goldfish

they tell you to replace the filter because they want you to spend more money on filter cartridges. Beneficial bacteria that process fish waste live in your filter. When you throw away that sponge and put in a new one, you lose that good bacteria.

May not matter too much in a tiny little tank with just a beta, but it's a good lesson to learn if you ever go deeper into the hobby.

google "the nitrogen cycle" or "aquarium cycling"

ok thanks, any help with the other noob questions? Hate to put the fish in and it die instantly

well, for now, you're just dealing with a beta. Obviously, they are pretty hardy (considering that they stay alive in little tiny cups for weeks in pet stores)

All my experience is with my larger tank, but i would probably change more than 10% of the water a week. I do 25% on my tank, despite the fact that i over filter it and have a lot of plants to soak up the excess nutrients/waste. Like someone else said, you're much better off using a little siphon hose and taking the water/waste from the bottom of the tank. But honestly, I'm not sure just how much you meed to do on such a small tank with only one fish.

since you're keeping the beta in a tank with a filter, it's already much better off than probably 95% of betas that get sold (as most people just keep them in an unfiltered bowl).

The biggest key is to keep up with the water changes and to use de-clorinator when you put new water in. Chlorine kills the beneficial bacteria in your filter and its also bad for your fish. I use -_-xxx&gclid=CLu3gvesyacCFUpN4AodKDJPCw"]seachem prime. I've found it to be better than most of the other widely available brands and its less expensive in the long run (since it claims to be more potent)

 

[belljr]

HELP!!!

I'm trying to setup the tank we just got. http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B003RDV4E8

When you set up the filter, this is a totally dumb noob question....

Is part of it supposed to be sticking out of the top of the water? I have no idea how this works. Does water get "sucked in" through the filter and then com back out the top section ?

2nd question - it says to take 10% out weekly, do I just scoop out 10% of the water with a cup? then fill up with tap water? then add the nutrafin stuff in

3rd - can I replace the filter when I do the 25% monthly replinsh or do I have to do that at a different time.

and I think last - what can I use to take my water in for testing to see if I'm ready for a fish? water bottle ok?

Don't even have a fish yet and I'm already panicked and mildly addicted - all for one goldfish

#1 - Do you have a pic of the filter? There's usually an intake that will get submerged in the tank.#2 - Since you're only putting 1 beta in there, I think weekly water changes are overkill. You can use a cup if you want, but you could also get a siphon and siphon it into a 5 gallon bucket. Make sure to treat the water before you put it back in (dechlorinate, etc).

#3 - Is the filter a carbon filter or just a pad? If its just a pad, I'd recommend just rinising it monthly using the water you siphoned from #2 above.

#4 - Read up on tank cycling and get your own test kit. It's super easy to do. link

thankspump

http://www.amazon.com/Marina-I25-Internal-Filter-A131/dp/B0032GCCP0

filter

http://www.amazon.com/Marina-A134-Replacmnt-Power-Cartridge/dp/B0032GCCQE/ref=pd_sbs_k_1

We are just giving this a shot, my daughter has been itching for a pet. The whole kit, 2.6 tank, stone, crappy see weed, filter, food and water treaters was $25. If all goes well and we enjoy it, we'll worry about expanding etc etc. This is our first "pet" experience and I don't want to completely bunk it.

 

[Scarpaggio]

My tank build

very nice scarpaggio

Thanks. I didn't notice your comment until today. I need to get some more pictures up. I had some problems but things are doing well again. Just recently added a flame wrasse. The corals are beginning to take off too.

 

[Scarpaggio]

here she is just filled in all her cloudy sandblown glory.

this wil be my hi tech QT system

Fresh or salt water?

hi shaka,going to be salt.

mostly fish with an attempt at some soft corals.

what are you running for filtration? I see a hand on filter. I hope you have something else, or add more live rock. Go slow stocking and don't overstock. Maybe you know this stuff I don't know. Not sure of how much experience you have with saltwater tanks.

 

[Ned]

HELP!!!

I'm trying to setup the tank we just got. http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B003RDV4E8

When you set up the filter, this is a totally dumb noob question....

Is part of it supposed to be sticking out of the top of the water? I have no idea how this works. Does water get "sucked in" through the filter and then com back out the top section ?

2nd question - it says to take 10% out weekly, do I just scoop out 10% of the water with a cup? then fill up with tap water? then add the nutrafin stuff in

3rd - can I replace the filter when I do the 25% monthly replinsh or do I have to do that at a different time.

and I think last - what can I use to take my water in for testing to see if I'm ready for a fish? water bottle ok?

Don't even have a fish yet and I'm already panicked and mildly addicted - all for one goldfish

#1 - Do you have a pic of the filter? There's usually an intake that will get submerged in the tank.#2 - Since you're only putting 1 beta in there, I think weekly water changes are overkill. You can use a cup if you want, but you could also get a siphon and siphon it into a 5 gallon bucket. Make sure to treat the water before you put it back in (dechlorinate, etc).

#3 - Is the filter a carbon filter or just a pad? If its just a pad, I'd recommend just rinising it monthly using the water you siphoned from #2 above.

#4 - Read up on tank cycling and get your own test kit. It's super easy to do. link

thankspump

http://www.amazon.co...1/dp/B0032GCCP0

filter

http://www.amazon.co.../ref=pd_sbs_k_1

We are just giving this a shot, my daughter has been itching for a pet. The whole kit, 2.6 tank, stone, crappy see weed, filter, food and water treaters was $25. If all goes well and we enjoy it, we'll worry about expanding etc etc. This is our first "pet" experience and I don't want to completely bunk it.

That looks like a totally submersible filter. The pad is charcoal lined, so I'd change it out, but would stretch it longer than a month if you're just keeping 1 beta in the tank.

 

[steelerfan1]

what are you running for filtration? I see a hand on filter. I hope you have something else, or add more live rock. Go slow stocking and don't overstock. Maybe you know this stuff I don't know. Not sure of how much experience you have with saltwater tanks.

hi scarpaggio,pretty much 0 experience here, so thanks for the tip.i am trying the KISS method without a lot of the flash and see how it goes.i have 37 pounds of fiji DRY rock.i have an ac110 with 1 cup of lignite carbon and the real polyfilter.also have 2 tunze powerheads for flow.plan is a 5 gallon water change per week and vacuuming to keep levels in check.i have had some decaying shrimp in there since start of feb for an ammonia source.as of today i have readings of a full cycle.plan is to add a cleanup crew and cheato with some pods in the next couple of weeks and then let that pod population breed for 6-8 weeks.only other thing i plan to add in that time is a cleaner shrimp or 2.will cycle my QT during this time as well and get ready for fish. gonna go slow and hope i can pull it off.

 

[Scarpaggio]

what are you running for filtration? I see a hand on filter. I hope you have something else, or add more live rock. Go slow stocking and don't overstock. Maybe you know this stuff I don't know. Not sure of how much experience you have with saltwater tanks.

hi scarpaggio,pretty much 0 experience here, so thanks for the tip.i am trying the KISS method without a lot of the flash and see how it goes.i have 37 pounds of fiji DRY rock.i have an ac110 with 1 cup of lignite carbon and the real polyfilter.also have 2 tunze powerheads for flow.plan is a 5 gallon water change per week and vacuuming to keep levels in check.i have had some decaying shrimp in there since start of feb for an ammonia source.as of today i have readings of a full cycle.plan is to add a cleanup crew and cheato with some pods in the next couple of weeks and then let that pod population breed for 6-8 weeks.only other thing i plan to add in that time is a cleaner shrimp or 2.will cycle my QT during this time as well and get ready for fish. gonna go slow and hope i can pull it off.

Well you are kind of going down the right road. Most people new to saltwater aquariums don't have the patience to cycle the tank. Thumbs up there. The QT tank is a great idea also and something I don't even have. I would almost skip the cheato, unless its something you want growing in the main tank(it could become a problem in the main tank down the road - taking over the tank). You would be just as good going to the lfs and getting a few small pieces of live rock to seed the tank. You could also get a few lbs of live sand and let the tank go for a few more weeks. You could actually add the cleanup crew at the same time. DO NOT Vaccume a saltwater tank, unless you are going barebottom(no sand). You do not want to disturbe the sand bed. The sand and rock are going to be your only real filtration. The AC110 probably won't do too much other than oxigenate the tank and if you aren't careful the poly could become a source of nitrogen if crud builds up in it. Here is something I'd suggest, and you don't have to go down this route but I've seen a real nice SPS tank that didn't have a sump run this way. Add some more live rock to the tank, remove the AC110 and add a Tunze DOC skimmer. Get one that will handle your tank size or even the next size up. With a non-drilled tank the Tunze DOC and tunze powerheads will be about as KISS as you can get, with weekly or biweekly water changes. I run with a sump but the only thing in my sump is a skimmer. All of my biological filtration is through my live rock and sand. I store some extra live rock in the sumps since I have a more open tank.

 

[steelerfan1]

thanks bud.yeah, i really am in no rush to add stuff. going to go slow to make sure my bioload can keep up.the main reason for the cheato right now is the pods.i want to add some biodiversity since i don't have live rock.once the pods have populated i may get rid of it.i read that cheato does not attach itself like the other algaes and can be trimmed?lr at my fish place is 17.99 a pound, so you know where they can go, not to mention i don't want any pests to come in on it.i only have about 1.5 to 2 inch sand bed and thought it was cool to vacuum it? thought if it was a deep bed you needed to leave it alone?i rinse out my carbon and poly in tank water at every water change in hopes to keep things clean.i am looking into skimmers but every hang on i have read about has good and bad reviews so i am just gonna keep researching until i have a good bio load and need it.i am not going to keep sps.want to keep zoas and probably some lps, barring them not getting eaten by 1 of the fish i want to put in.37 pounds dry rock is around 50# of liverock, so unless i really need to i am gonna stay with what i got now.again, i will monitor as it goes and change as needed.thanks again for your time.you have any pics of your tank now since the rebuild?

Well you are kind of going down the right road. Most people new to saltwater aquariums don't have the patience to cycle the tank. Thumbs up there. The QT tank is a great idea also and something I don't even have. I would almost skip the cheato, unless its something you want growing in the main tank(it could become a problem in the main tank down the road - taking over the tank). You would be just as good going to the lfs and getting a few small pieces of live rock to seed the tank. You could also get a few lbs of live sand and let the tank go for a few more weeks. You could actually add the cleanup crew at the same time. DO NOT Vaccume a saltwater tank, unless you are going barebottom(no sand). You do not want to disturbe the sand bed. The sand and rock are going to be your only real filtration. The AC110 probably won't do too much other than oxigenate the tank and if you aren't careful the poly could become a source of nitrogen if crud builds up in it. Here is something I'd suggest, and you don't have to go down this route but I've seen a real nice SPS tank that didn't have a sump run this way. Add some more live rock to the tank, remove the AC110 and add a Tunze DOC skimmer. Get one that will handle your tank size or even the next size up. With a non-drilled tank the Tunze DOC and tunze powerheads will be about as KISS as you can get, with weekly or biweekly water changes. I run with a sump but the only thing in my sump is a skimmer. All of my biological filtration is through my live rock and sand. I store some extra live rock in the sumps since I have a more open tank.

 

[Scarpaggio]

thanks bud.yeah, i really am in no rush to add stuff. going to go slow to make sure my bioload can keep up.the main reason for the cheato right now is the pods.i want to add some biodiversity since i don't have live rock.once the pods have populated i may get rid of it.i read that cheato does not attach itself like the other algaes and can be trimmed?lr at my fish place is 17.99 a pound, so you know where they can go, not to mention i don't want any pests to come in on it.i only have about 1.5 to 2 inch sand bed and thought it was cool to vacuum it? thought if it was a deep bed you needed to leave it alone?i rinse out my carbon and poly in tank water at every water change in hopes to keep things clean.i am looking into skimmers but every hang on i have read about has good and bad reviews so i am just gonna keep researching until i have a good bio load and need it.i am not going to keep sps.want to keep zoas and probably some lps, barring them not getting eaten by 1 of the fish i want to put in.37 pounds dry rock is around 50# of liverock, so unless i really need to i am gonna stay with what i got now.again, i will monitor as it goes and change as needed.thanks again for your time.you have any pics of your tank now since the rebuild?

I'm not sure where you are located but see if there are any local clubs. You can find out on Reefcentral.com. What you could then do is see if you can get some sand from other established tanks. You are going to get a lot more life in your tank that way than through cheato. Heck you might even be able to find someone selling live rock. When I reseeded my current tank I got a ziplock bag of sand from a few different people. As for the skimmer i think most hang on skimmers are junk. Tunze is top of the line equipment and I would use one of their in tank skimmers after seeing it in action. I would suggest a skimmer even if you don't go with corals because it will help keep the nutrients in check and hopefully not have algae problems. I run a very low nutrient tank with only 4 small fish and only feeding twice a week and I still have problems with algae. I only have about a 2 inch sand bed. I wouldn't vaccume it, but then again i have a lot of flow that keeps junk suspended until it can get skimmed out of the tank. You would want to do the same thing but have the ac110 filter it out, and if you are getting snails/crabs they should help keep thing cleaned up. Feel free to ask about anything. I see a lot of folks come on our local message board for a few months and then they give up. I'm cheap so I try to suggest cheap equipment that does work. I've been burned over the years going cheap and having to upgrade because what I got just wasn't cutting it. I just hate seeing people get frustrated because things aren't as easy as they thought it would be. I haven't gotten any new pictures. I need to because things are starting to look good in the tank. Heck feel free to come on that site asking questions. Its not very active these days but a few of us respond on a reqular basis.

 

[belljr]

HELP!!!

I'm trying to setup the tank we just got. http://www.amazon.com/Marina-Cool-Goldfish-Aquarium-Purple/dp/B003RDV4E8

When you set up the filter, this is a totally dumb noob question....

Is part of it supposed to be sticking out of the top of the water? I have no idea how this works. Does water get "sucked in" through the filter and then com back out the top section ?

2nd question - it says to take 10% out weekly, do I just scoop out 10% of the water with a cup? then fill up with tap water? then add the nutrafin stuff in

3rd - can I replace the filter when I do the 25% monthly replinsh or do I have to do that at a different time.

and I think last - what can I use to take my water in for testing to see if I'm ready for a fish? water bottle ok?

Don't even have a fish yet and I'm already panicked and mildly addicted - all for one goldfish

they tell you to replace the filter because they want you to spend more money on filter cartridges. Beneficial bacteria that process fish waste live in your filter. When you throw away that sponge and put in a new one, you lose that good bacteria.

May not matter too much in a tiny little tank with just a beta, but it's a good lesson to learn if you ever go deeper into the hobby.

google "the nitrogen cycle" or "aquarium cycling"

ok thanks, any help with the other noob questions? Hate to put the fish in and it die instantly

well, for now, you're just dealing with a beta. Obviously, they are pretty hardy (considering that they stay alive in little tiny cups for weeks in pet stores)

All my experience is with my larger tank, but i would probably change more than 10% of the water a week. I do 25% on my tank, despite the fact that i over filter it and have a lot of plants to soak up the excess nutrients/waste. Like someone else said, you're much better off using a little siphon hose and taking the water/waste from the bottom of the tank. But honestly, I'm not sure just how much you meed to do on such a small tank with only one fish.

since you're keeping the beta in a tank with a filter, it's already much better off than probably 95% of betas that get sold (as most people just keep them in an unfiltered bowl).

The biggest key is to keep up with the water changes and to use de-clorinator when you put new water in. Chlorine kills the beneficial bacteria in your filter and its also bad for your fish. I use -_-xxx&gclid=CLu3gvesyacCFUpN4AodKDJPCw"]seachem prime. I've found it to be better than most of the other widely available brands and its less expensive in the long run (since it claims to be more potent)

Well our new Ryukin is home. Tank is now cloudy. Been reading that I should do a partial water change. Should I wait another day or just do it now..

 

[steelerfan1]

there is a club in area but i have not joined yet.i know this will probably sound stupid, but i am paranoid about putting something from someone elses tank in may tank.not sure of other peoples practices and don't want to introduce bad into the tank.i will probably go with a skimmer and have the tunze 9002 as 1 that i am looking at.just gonna keep reading up on them for now until the time comes.curious, do you use ro/di water?i haven't ran my lights that much and have avoided a lot of the algae issue, but am cycling lights for 2 days now so expect a little bit from that, hence me ordering the clean up guys in a couple of weeks. i get the waste suspended in the water pretty good too.was nervous at first as my tank was really cloudy when i started but i think that was the bacterial bloom, as it is crystal now. i will check that site out. hope to see pics soon.

I'm not sure where you are located but see if there are any local clubs. You can find out on Reefcentral.com. What you could then do is see if you can get some sand from other established tanks. You are going to get a lot more life in your tank that way than through cheato. Heck you might even be able to find someone selling live rock. When I reseeded my current tank I got a ziplock bag of sand from a few different people. As for the skimmer i think most hang on skimmers are junk. Tunze is top of the line equipment and I would use one of their in tank skimmers after seeing it in action. I would suggest a skimmer even if you don't go with corals because it will help keep the nutrients in check and hopefully not have algae problems. I run a very low nutrient tank with only 4 small fish and only feeding twice a week and I still have problems with algae. I only have about a 2 inch sand bed. I wouldn't vaccume it, but then again i have a lot of flow that keeps junk suspended until it can get skimmed out of the tank. You would want to do the same thing but have the ac110 filter it out, and if you are getting snails/crabs they should help keep thing cleaned up. Feel free to ask about anything. I see a lot of folks come on our local message board for a few months and then they give up. I'm cheap so I try to suggest cheap equipment that does work. I've been burned over the years going cheap and having to upgrade because what I got just wasn't cutting it. I just hate seeing people get frustrated because things aren't as easy as they thought it would be. I haven't gotten any new pictures. I need to because things are starting to look good in the tank. Heck feel free to come on that site asking questions. Its not very active these days but a few of us respond on a reqular basis.

 

[Scarpaggio]

there is a club in area but i have not joined yet.i know this will probably sound stupid, but i am paranoid about putting something from someone elses tank in may tank.not sure of other peoples practices and don't want to introduce bad into the tank.i will probably go with a skimmer and have the tunze 9002 as 1 that i am looking at.just gonna keep reading up on them for now until the time comes.curious, do you use ro/di water?i haven't ran my lights that much and have avoided a lot of the algae issue, but am cycling lights for 2 days now so expect a little bit from that, hence me ordering the clean up guys in a couple of weeks. i get the waste suspended in the water pretty good too.was nervous at first as my tank was really cloudy when i started but i think that was the bacterial bloom, as it is crystal now. i will check that site out. hope to see pics soon.

Its good to be nervous about getting stuff from other people but you are going to find that you will get just as much junk from a local fish store and many on-line places. 90% of whats in my tank came from frags I got from others in the area. Its cheaper and if you get to know the people you know how they take care of their tank. I actually just sold some frags yesterday to someone I never met before. I do really suggest getting some live sand or small pieces of lr if at all possible as it will have stuff the cheato doesn't and the worms and bugs in the sand will help take care of the detritus that settles in the tank. I only us RO water. I have an RO/DI set up in the laundry room that fills a rubbermaid tub so I always have water on hand. Its much easier than running out to the lfs and buying water. I put a float valve in the tub but I typically turn the water off to the RO just so I don't have an accident. I drilled the tub near the bottom and intalled a pvc valve and I have the tub on an old 10gal aquarium stand so i can fill 5 gal buckets for water changes. I use to have everything plumbed into the sump so it would automatically fill when my water level went down but since I moved I can't run the hose from one end of the house to the other like at my old place.

 

[steelerfan1]

Its good to be nervous about getting stuff from other people but you are going to find that you will get just as much junk from a local fish store and many on-line places. 90% of whats in my tank came from frags I got from others in the area. Its cheaper and if you get to know the people you know how they take care of their tank. I actually just sold some frags yesterday to someone I never met before. I do really suggest getting some live sand or small pieces of lr if at all possible as it will have stuff the cheato doesn't and the worms and bugs in the sand will help take care of the detritus that settles in the tank. I only us RO water. I have an RO/DI set up in the laundry room that fills a rubbermaid tub so I always have water on hand. Its much easier than running out to the lfs and buying water. I put a float valve in the tub but I typically turn the water off to the RO just so I don't have an accident. I drilled the tub near the bottom and intalled a pvc valve and I have the tub on an old 10gal aquarium stand so i can fill 5 gal buckets for water changes. I use to have everything plumbed into the sump so it would automatically fill when my water level went down but since I moved I can't run the hose from one end of the house to the other like at my old place.

actually just found a guy local to me and stopped by and saw his tank.he is gonna kind of take me under his wing and he has a frag tank set up and said he will help me once the time comes.i still plan on dipping all the stuff, no matter where it comes from.i just have seen too many threads on RC where people said they would never do liverock again as they have gotton isopods,aptaisia, red worms, flatworms, and a ton of other things that it really has turned me away from that.there are detriove kits from a few online sites where you can get your worms/etc that i think i will do.i am hoping through QT that i can miss most of the downfalls starting out.just started my light cycling for the last 4 days and hoping for algae so i can get some clean up crew in there.after almost 6 weeks i have some small amount of diatoms, but that is all so far.

 

[belljr]

Ok need a little help.

Upgraded to a 10 gallon for the ryukin. Tank has been going for 4 days now. Tests are ok, however the fish still is not getting enough oxygen. Water is not too warm either. How long to I wait to see if things settle down or should I get a bubble maker?

Also the filter seems to be a little powerful but it came with the tank, but he's hanging out near it and gets whooshed along

 

[Ned]

Ok need a little help.Upgraded to a 10 gallon for the ryukin. Tank has been going for 4 days now. Tests are ok, however the fish still is not getting enough oxygen. Water is not too warm either. How long to I wait to see if things settle down or should I get a bubble maker?Also the filter seems to be a little powerful but it came with the tank, but he's hanging out near it and gets whooshed along

Get the air pump and an air stone.

 

[Scarpaggio]

Its good to be nervous about getting stuff from other people but you are going to find that you will get just as much junk from a local fish store and many on-line places. 90% of whats in my tank came from frags I got from others in the area. Its cheaper and if you get to know the people you know how they take care of their tank. I actually just sold some frags yesterday to someone I never met before. I do really suggest getting some live sand or small pieces of lr if at all possible as it will have stuff the cheato doesn't and the worms and bugs in the sand will help take care of the detritus that settles in the tank. I only us RO water. I have an RO/DI set up in the laundry room that fills a rubbermaid tub so I always have water on hand. Its much easier than running out to the lfs and buying water. I put a float valve in the tub but I typically turn the water off to the RO just so I don't have an accident. I drilled the tub near the bottom and intalled a pvc valve and I have the tub on an old 10gal aquarium stand so i can fill 5 gal buckets for water changes. I use to have everything plumbed into the sump so it would automatically fill when my water level went down but since I moved I can't run the hose from one end of the house to the other like at my old place.

actually just found a guy local to me and stopped by and saw his tank.he is gonna kind of take me under his wing and he has a frag tank set up and said he will help me once the time comes.i still plan on dipping all the stuff, no matter where it comes from.i just have seen too many threads on RC where people said they would never do liverock again as they have gotton isopods,aptaisia, red worms, flatworms, and a ton of other things that it really has turned me away from that.there are detriove kits from a few online sites where you can get your worms/etc that i think i will do.i am hoping through QT that i can miss most of the downfalls starting out.just started my light cycling for the last 4 days and hoping for algae so i can get some clean up crew in there.after almost 6 weeks i have some small amount of diatoms, but that is all so far.

I missed this reply. IMO it doesn't matter how careful you are from the get go if you buy things from any local store, online store or the guy down the street you are bound to get all of the above in your tank. When you need live rock for the base of your filtration it needs to become alive from something, other live rock or sand and that stuff will have something in it. pods and bristle worms are no big deal and very beneficial to the tank. I currently have flatworms in the tank. They are the tiny variety and I see one every now and then but its not really a problem. The larger red ones can take over but you can also kill them easily with flat worm exit.

 

[belljr]

Ok need a little help.Upgraded to a 10 gallon for the ryukin. Tank has been going for 4 days now. Tests are ok, however the fish still is not getting enough oxygen. Water is not too warm either. How long to I wait to see if things settle down or should I get a bubble maker?Also the filter seems to be a little powerful but it came with the tank, but he's hanging out near it and gets whooshed along

Get the air pump and an air stone.

FInal question, when I do a water change, and treat the new water, do I put in the amount equal to the new water or full tank.So I say replacing 1 gallon after a water change, the label say 2 drops for 1 gallon - do I put in 2 drops in the new water or 20 for 10 gallons

 

[Sarnoff]

I've had my 30gal tropical tank going for about 6 years. It's been pretty self-sufficient, except for water changes I don't do much maintenance on it, don't bother doing tests, PH, etc., everything seems to be fine and my fish seem to be OK. But I've recently been thinking of switching to more colorful fish like cichlids, so for the past couple of years I haven't been replacing fish as they've died, I've just been letting the tank naturally empty itself out. Now I'm down to just a few, a cory cat to clean the bottom, some Oto cats for the sides, a pretty good-sized angelfish, and a rainbow shark.

Anyone have any tips on how to transition from a generic tropical tank to one for cichlids? Any advice on good cichlids to start with? Am I correct in thinking that eventually I can just add cichlids to the tank I have, or do I have to empty the whole thing out and start over?

 

[Gawain]

So I just got married and the wife came with a 3 gallon hex tank with a broken filter. There were 3 goldfish crammed into it.

Thinking this wasn't healthy for anyone involved, I picked up a 10 gallon kit with a working filter and built them a new home. Now, I don't know how they were living in their old tank, but they aren't doing very well in their new home. I stupidly forgot to buy anything to test the water (the wife was more concerned about getting decorations for the tank), so I don't know what the exact problem is in the tank. I plan to pick up some test strips tomorrow.

To keep them alive for now, I've done a couple of 15% water changes today. I have another 20% that I can do before I go to bed tonight.

I am thinking that there is an ammonia spike because I didn't really have the time to cycle the tank properly, but have no idea if I'm right. Then I think about the filth they were living in for the past three months and can't believe conditions are worse now than they were 48 hours ago. Could it be stress from a cleaner environment?

Anyone have any ideas besides continuing the water changes and testing the water tomorrow?

 

[Sarnoff]

My water company is changing treatment systems for tap water, from Chlorine to Choramine (chlorine + ammonia). I know this can be bad for my fish. What do I need to for this change?

 

[culdeus]

I added a live plant recently and must have brought a snail in with it. Holy crap, within 2 weeks I've got 40 of these guys all over the tank. I tried netting them and then someone said to put some lettuce in the tank. I caught 20 within an hour and another 20 over the next day.

What the ####?

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I added a live plant recently and must have brought a snail in with it. Holy crap, within 2 weeks I've got 40 of these guys all over the tank. I tried netting them and then someone said to put some lettuce in the tank. I caught 20 within an hour and another 20 over the next day.

What the ####?

You're ####ed. I've done this a few times and the only way I've been able to get rid of them is empty the tank and bleaching everything.

Try putting some lettuce in your tank at night. In the morning their should be a dozen or so on it. You won't get rid of them like that, but you can control them.

 

[TenTimes]

What's the smallest saltwater tank someone here has done. I just saw a 1 gallon reefbowl on youtube, does anybody know how to make that?

 

[VA703]

I've switched over to a cichlid tank. I know they don't play well with many other types of fish.

Is there a good algae-eating fish I can put in that tank to help with buildup? I used Otto cats in my previous generic tropical tank. Any one know one that can get along with cichlids? My local fish store doesn't seem to have any algae-eaters in their cichlid tanks.

snails?

 

[Harris]

Does anyone know of any good books on starting an aquarium? Fiance and I want to try with my brother's old 30 gallon tank but we don't know the first thing.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

I've switched over to a cichlid tank. I know they don't play well with many other types of fish.

Is there a good algae-eating fish I can put in that tank to help with buildup? I used Otto cats in my previous generic tropical tank. Any one know one that can get along with cichlids? My local fish store doesn't seem to have any algae-eaters in their cichlid tanks.

Bristlenose Pleco...or any Pleco should be fine...I think they'll typically leave them alone, assuming you don't have some dinner plate sized red devil or something

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Does anyone know of any good books on starting an aquarium? Fiance and I want to try with my brother's old 30 gallon tank but we don't know the first thing.

freshwater or saltwater? really depends on what kind of fish you want to put in there but a regular freshwater tank is pretty damn simple

 

[Ned]

I've switched over to a cichlid tank. I know they don't play well with many other types of fish.

Is there a good algae-eating fish I can put in that tank to help with buildup? I used Otto cats in my previous generic tropical tank. Any one know one that can get along with cichlids? My local fish store doesn't seem to have any algae-eaters in their cichlid tanks.

snails?

Oh god no. Snails will take over the tank.

What kind of cichlids? Most Africans will kill anything in their way, but a Pleco might be able to survive if you get a big enough one to start. I don't think a baby Pleco would last very long.

 

[Courtjester]

Wow this is an old thread....but,  I thought I would tell my goldfish tale. (or tail hahaha)

So last year ago my daughter did a science experiment "Can gold fish hear". We bought two gold fish (a backup in case the first one died) a calico and a black moore.

They were each in little desktop tanks. My daughter won best of show and placed in the regionals btw. So both of them survived the process and we decided heck lets get a little 10 gallon and they can be friends. Time passes they grow and grow and so I buy a 29 gallon and put them in there. We are now a year along and these fish are huge. I am the person who cleans their tank all the time, but my daughter is extremely attached to them and has been nagging me non-stop that we "NEED" to buy a new tank. Apparently these bastards live forever and grow huge (think the fish you see in those outside ponds).  So today I drop $350 and pick up a 60 gallon tank, stand, 60 pounds of gravel and a filter for fish that cost me initially $1.50.

So experts, I need to transfer these guys over. What is the best way to set up that environment in that new tank. Obviously I will bring over some of the water, I have heard that you should take your old filter and maybe run it in that tank for a bit to help bring over some environment as well. I plan to run the tank for a few days before bringing the fish over in case there is a leak,  but what else do I need to know to make this process smoother?

Also since goldfish are cold water fish, what other cold water fish can I put in there with them? I would love a catfish....

I have had aquariums most of my life, but nothing this big....

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Don't most fish grow to the size of thier tank?  So you keep putting them in a bigger tank and then they get bigger

 

[Courtjester]

Don't most fish grow to the size of thier tank?  So you keep putting them in a bigger tank and then they get bigger

But I think what happens with goldfish is they stop growing physically in length, but their internal organs continue to grow and they end up all bloated and die. At least that is what you tube videos seem to say.

Last weekend the calico knocked herself unconscious by jumping out of the water into the lid

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Don't most fish grow to the size of thier tank?  So you keep putting them in a bigger tank and then they get bigger

Myth. All species have a maximum size. A bigger tank will help them reach that maximum.

 

[Penguin]

I have heard that you should take your old filter and maybe run it in that tank for a bit to help bring over some environment as well.

You can squeeze the original filter media into the new tank. Yes it will look all cloudy initially but that muck and all the good bacteria will be quickly picked up by the new filter media and will help cultivate it.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Myth. All species have a maximum size. A bigger tank will help them reach that maximum.

No ####?  I figured that thing would be the size of Shamu if he kept making the tank bigger

 

[Big League Chew]

so uh yea 40gal tank

2 bettas 8 amano shrimp

3 corys

3 Chinese algae eaters

1 shrimp is pregnant I might isolate it

have anubias and jungle vals. just found some dude on reddit selling some plants so those should be arriving soon. needed some tall weed type plants for the bettas to hide in

 

[TLEF316]

crazy that I started this thread like 11 years ago.

My 75 gallon planted  is still going pretty strong. Haven't really added anything to for the past year or so. Looking to buy a bigger place and I REALLY want to upgrade to a 240 long (8 feet) planning on doing a dirt-capped substrate and eventually some light CO2. Planning on filling with with about 100 rainbows and some clown loaches

PlantedTank.net is an  excellent resource

I've bought some plants from https://www.aquariumplants.com/   Mostly a positive experience. 

Pretty much a current pic(other than my school of torpedo barbs, which have gotten a lot more shy for some reason since my re-scape like 10 months ago)

 

[Ron Swanson]

So my wife desperately wants a fish tank.  I'm OK with it but not super excited. However, I do like to fish and I use a lot of live bait.  Is there any reason I couldn't set up a saltwater aquarium and have it serve both purposes? I cast net or sabiki most of my bait (pinfish, grunts, etc.). Can these live in an aquarium that I basically use as a holding tank with rotating stock?

 

[Courtjester]

Good to revisit this thread—60 Gallon tank going strong still. Calico goldfish got huge and died. So we bought a little Pleco to keep the massive black moor company in this huge tank.

Well what we didn’t know is how quickly a common pleco grows. It became really large—really fast. The other thing we didn’t know is how aggressive they are. We came home one day to find the entire side of the black moor gone—like someone did a perfect circle cut out of it.  

So now we have a 60 gallon tank with one fish in it—a huge monster who doesn’t move during the day, but spends the night rearranging the decorations of the tank. And to know she can grow up to 18 inches to two feet is just great 

My daughter wants it gone since it “murdered” her fish.  The local fish store will take it because fish this size are good in ponds, but I have no idea how to catch it. Nets are out because these things have spines that get stuck in them AND your hands if your not careful. A bucket would work but I am afraid of it jumping out. I need a plan here. 

 

[McGarnicle]

Good to revisit this thread—60 Gallon tank going strong still. Calico goldfish got huge and died. So we bought a little Pleco to keep the massive black moor company in this huge tank.

Well what we didn’t know is how quickly a common pleco grows. It became really large—really fast. The other thing we didn’t know is how aggressive they are. We came home one day to find the entire side of the black moor gone—like someone did a perfect circle cut out of it.  

So now we have a 60 gallon tank with one fish in it—a huge monster who doesn’t move during the day, but spends the night rearranging the decorations of the tank. And to know she can grow up to 18 inches to two feet is just great 

My daughter wants it gone since it “murdered” her fish.  The local fish store will take it because fish this size are good in ponds, but I have no idea how to catch it. Nets are out because these things have spines that get stuck in them AND your hands if your not careful. A bucket would work but I am afraid of it jumping out. I need a plan here. 

Bucket covered with a garbage bag secured with a rubber band, or a stock pot with lid.

 

[TLEF316]

So my wife desperately wants a fish tank.  I'm OK with it but not super excited. However, I do like to fish and I use a lot of live bait.  Is there any reason I couldn't set up a saltwater aquarium and have it serve both purposes? I cast net or sabiki most of my bait (pinfish, grunts, etc.). Can these live in an aquarium that I basically use as a holding tank with rotating stock?

Seems like a bad idea for a few reasons....

-im not a salt water guy but from what I've seen, stocking tends to be a bit more strict than freshwater. Constantly changing the bioload might put a strain on the system

-adding new fish to an aquarium full of expensive salt water critters without quarantining them seems like a really bad idea. 

- rounding up feeder fish all the time (chasing after them with a net, moving tank decor,etc) would probably be stressful to the inhabitants of the tank

 

[TheFanatic]

Seems like a bad idea for a few reasons....

-im not a salt water guy but from what I've seen, stocking tends to be a bit more strict than freshwater. Constantly changing the bioload might put a strain on the system

-adding new fish to an aquarium full of expensive salt water critters without quarantining them seems like a really bad idea. 

- rounding up feeder fish all the time (chasing after them with a net, moving tank decor,etc) would probably be stressful to the inhabitants of the tank

All of this. That and salt is a pain in the ###. The only way to really control algae is with frequent water changes. The best way to do this is to rotate 25% of the water twice a month by buying the water from a pet store. 

 

[TheFanatic]

Good to revisit this thread—60 Gallon tank going strong still. Calico goldfish got huge and died. So we bought a little Pleco to keep the massive black moor company in this huge tank.

Well what we didn’t know is how quickly a common pleco grows. It became really large—really fast. The other thing we didn’t know is how aggressive they are. We came home one day to find the entire side of the black moor gone—like someone did a perfect circle cut out of it.  

So now we have a 60 gallon tank with one fish in it—a huge monster who doesn’t move during the day, but spends the night rearranging the decorations of the tank. And to know she can grow up to 18 inches to two feet is just great 

My daughter wants it gone since it “murdered” her fish.  The local fish store will take it because fish this size are good in ponds, but I have no idea how to catch it. Nets are out because these things have spines that get stuck in them AND your hands if your not careful. A bucket would work but I am afraid of it jumping out. I need a plan here. 

Pleco's really aren't that aggressive unless placed with incredibly slow fish with little to know defensive capability because they have been bread for bloated beauty, not for anything functional in the wild. You could throw in a bunch of South American Cichlids in there and you would be fine. 

And yes, getting that bad boy out of the tank is going to be a pain in the ###. He will lock his pectoral fins into his sides and they will be like to metal, spiked wings on each side. Removing him from the net to get him into the bucket (yes, go with the bucket or cooler) is going to be interesting. Maybe pick up a pair of grill/oven gloves that can handle like 800 degrees. Those should help keep from getting finned. 

 

[TheFanatic]

I remember contributing a lot to this thread, but when I moved into my new house in December of 2016, I sold the 110 Oceanic. It was filled with African Peacocks, exotic plecos and a school of Synondontus Multipunctatis and a couple Decorus. I had wood and this striated stone stacked to the top of the tank for copious amounts of hiding spots for all those aggressive beauties. Guy who bought it, pulled the rock work out and dropped a massive, neon castle in there and put a bunch of South American hybrids in there. I should've made him sign something saying he wouldn't turn it into a carnival goldfish game. 

 

[odin33]

I remember contributing a lot to this thread, but when I moved into my new house in December of 2016, I sold the 110 Oceanic. It was filled with African Peacocks, exotic plecos and a school of Synondontus Multipunctatis and a couple Decorus. I had wood and this striated stone stacked to the top of the tank for copious amounts of hiding spots for all those aggressive beauties. Guy who bought it, pulled the rock work out and dropped a massive, neon castle in there and put a bunch of South American hybrids in there. I should've made him sign something saying he wouldn't turn it into a carnival goldfish game. 

Sounds like time to fire up a new one... slowly resurrecting my defunct fish room. 

Craigslist is your friend, or search for a local club.

@Courtjester Find a pair of gloves that'll give you some protection. When that pleco sends those spikes out to the side, you can use those as one grab point (Watch his dorsal fin as they have spikes too). Just don;t lift solely by those. If he's moving, then use a pot lid or something to corral him. Oh and expect to get very wet.

 

[TLEF316]

I tried a pleco a couple of years ago. Wanted something that didn't get especially big so I went with a sultan pleco. 

I liked the look and it was reasonably priced, so I went with it. For the first couple of weeks, he sat front and center in my tank under some crypts. Perfect viewing spot. Then he moved under an overhang from some drift wood, but I could still check in on him.

Then he moved to the inside of a big log and I'd see him like once a day. Then he disappeared for like 9 months. I assumed he was dead and chalked it up as a loss. Then all of a sudden, I see his white dorsal fin poking out of the hole. So I messed with the wood a little bit and coaxed him out. He was nearly double the size but didn't look good at all. Looked bloated and kinda discolored and pretty miserable. Tried to make an effort to cater to him in terms of food but he just  hid for 2 more months until I finally found him floating when I came back from vacation.

So yeah, no more plecos for me. Lots of of $$$ (at least for the fancy ones)  for basically no interaction. Doesn't seem worth it at all in a nature style tank (where there's enough cover that you'll never see them)  Unless you're trying to set up a breeding group in a bare tank with a bunch of PVC "caves" I dont see the point.

 

[TheFanatic]

I tried a pleco a couple of years ago. Wanted something that didn't get especially big so I went with a sultan pleco. 

I liked the look and it was reasonably priced, so I went with it. For the first couple of weeks, he sat front and center in my tank under some crypts. Perfect viewing spot. Then he moved under an overhang from some drift wood, but I could still check in on him.

Then he moved to the inside of a big log and I'd see him like once a day. Then he disappeared for like 9 months. I assumed he was dead and chalked it up as a loss. Then all of a sudden, I see his white dorsal fin poking out of the hole. So I messed with the wood a little bit and coaxed him out. He was nearly double the size but didn't look good at all. Looked bloated and kinda discolored and pretty miserable. Tried to make an effort to cater to him in terms of food but he just  hid for 2 more months until I finally found him floating when I came back from vacation.

So yeah, no more plecos for me. Lots of of $$$ (at least for the fancy ones)  for basically no interaction. Doesn't seem worth it at all in a nature style tank (where there's enough cover that you'll never see them)  Unless you're trying to set up a breeding group in a bare tank with a bunch of PVC "caves" I dont see the point.

That's what I loved about the exotic plecos. It was a treat to see them. Also playing "find the pleco" with the kids. 

 

[CletiusMaximus]

I need to get my daughter an aquarium for her birthday, which is this weekend.  She claims she only wants one fish, an angel fish.  My main concerns are getting something of decent quality, but not going overboard in case she loses interest.  Also, as low maintenance as possible.

This is the one my wife suggested:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0173I55JM/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0173I55JM&linkCode=as2&tag=bestprodtagi4746-20

tia fbg aquarium guys

 

[odin33]

If she wants just one fish, bettas are your answer here. Stunning colors with long showy finnage. Are perfectly happy kept as a single fish, and the best part, can be kept in very small (cheap) containers. I personally wound't go smaller than a 2 gallon tank for a betta, but I've seen them kept in 1 gallons before. You're old school fish bowl will work here, just have to commit to water changes. Know that the smaller the tank, the smaller room for error, and generally the bigger PITA they become (algae, water changes, etc.).

If the betta is a no go and she's set on an angel, I'd suggest two (there's virtually no difference in maintaining 1 vs 2). You 'could' get away with a 10G tank, but the previous suggestion of a taller tank is very true. Angels move up and down the water column more than most fish, plus the finnage resting on the bottom is bad news.

Overall: The rule of thumb is one inch per gallon (I'd adjust up for angels), assuming you are talking the majority of fish store strains. Stay away from African cichlids, oscars, and cichlids in general (for the fellow fish geeks, yes i know Angels are SA cichlids). 

Dark gravel shows of the fish's subtle colors better. Have fun with it. A good filter and regular water changes are your friend. Direct natural sunlight is your enemy (algae).

 

[TLEF316]

Never kept angels but I'd imagine that a 10 gallon is probably too small. 

Agree with the comments about tank height. I do know that they like a taller tank.

Betta does seem like better choice here. If you find the right store (not a Petco), they have some pretty insane color choices. They're also much hardier than angels.

 

[Big League Chew]

aquabid.com for some nice betta fish shipped to your door