Starting an aquarium (1 Viewer)

[TLEF316]

A couple of pics (7+ years after starting the original thread)

http://i62.tinypic.com/6o3p87.jpg

http://tinypic.com/r/5n14dl/8

http://tinypic.com/r/2mwb8go/8

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Get him a few piranhas.

I had a Pirahna tank for a while . They.are.Awesome.

Toughest guy in the was a crayfish. He'd grab onto the piranhas any chance he got and go for a ride till they shook him off.

Bought some Giant Danios one day because the store was out of feeder fish. Piranhas couldn't catch them so I bought a bunch more and had a nice school of them in the tank. Piranhas just ignored them after a few days.

Also had a big Pleco living in the tank that they never touched.

 

[VA703]

low light fresh water planted tank

setup tank, add plants(Jungle vals & anubias or java ferns) to help cycle

change water couple times a week for a month

get a water testing kit ,, once tank cycles add fish slowly

get some shrimp and snails to help clean the tank

Ghost shrimp are sweet, I would avoid snails unless you want dozens of snails.

Get a few bottom dwelling fish or some algae eaters.

good thing about Nerite snails is they need brackish waters to breed so you are good to go with them. Also if you get those mystery snails that appear out of nowhere you can get an Assassin Snail to eat them all

 

[odin33]

Nice looking tank TLEF. Bosemani's were the reason I got back into the hobby. I've since moved on, but I still love those guys.

 

[Ned]

Get him a few piranhas.

I had a Pirahna tank for a while . They.are.Awesome.

Toughest guy in the was a crayfish. He'd grab onto the piranhas any chance he got and go for a ride till they shook him off.

Bought some Giant Danios one day because the store was out of feeder fish. Piranhas couldn't catch them so I bought a bunch more and had a nice school of them in the tank. Piranhas just ignored them after a few days.

Also had a big Pleco living in the tank that they never touched.

I had a piranha tank also. Tons of fun until they fully matured....they got really lazy and stopped chasing the fish. They'd just wait for them to swim by and snatch them up.

The carnage was cool for a while until I realized the mess it was creating made for more frequent water changes.

I love our canister filter (Fluval 405). Thing has been downright bulletproof and is easy to clean. It's much nicer than the hang-ons, IMO.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Get him a few piranhas.

I had a Pirahna tank for a while . They.are.Awesome.

Toughest guy in the was a crayfish. He'd grab onto the piranhas any chance he got and go for a ride till they shook him off.

Bought some Giant Danios one day because the store was out of feeder fish. Piranhas couldn't catch them so I bought a bunch more and had a nice school of them in the tank. Piranhas just ignored them after a few days.

Also had a big Pleco living in the tank that they never touched.

I had a piranha tank also. Tons of fun until they fully matured....they got really lazy and stopped chasing the fish. They'd just wait for them to swim by and snatch them up.

The carnage was cool for a while until I realized the mess it was creating made for more frequent water changes.

I love our canister filter (Fluval 405). Thing has been downright bulletproof and is easy to clean. It's much nicer than the hang-ons, IMO.

Yeah, the cleaning sucked. Every other day when they were eating feeders and everyday after giving them chunks of fillets.

Hope to get them again one day (moved and had to give those ones away).

 

[Angry Beavers]

Man reading this thread is making me want to start an aquarium. I had a tank as a kid and I haven't had one since we had a Piranha tank in college.... ( 25 years ago)! Thanks for posting all of this information!

 

[Guest]

My son had a shrimp tank with what was supposed to be a shrimp-safe dwarf orange crayfish. The crayfish ended up not being a dwarf and is now about 4" long. He ate all the shrimp.

I've thought about starting a shrimp tank with live plants. I think they're interesting.

 

[Treynwreck3]

I recently jumped back into the hobby after taking a decade off. So, I did a little research and found that the biggest change in the hobby had to do with the proliferation of LED lighting. No longer do you have to spend $100's of dollars on metal halides or T5 flourescents. The LED's use 12v power, produce very little heat and the coloration is superb. Here is what I did:

Tank: 20G Long 30"X12"X13" ($30)

Filter: Aqua Clear 50 ($40)

Filter Media: Blue Life Clear FX Pro 225ml ($15)

Heater: Eheim 75W ($25)

Lighting: 24" Current USA Orbit Marine LED ($150)

Flow: Hydor Koralia 425gph ($26)

Substrate: 20# CaribSea Black Live Sand ($25)

Rock: 10# Premium Fiji Live Rock ($60)

Water: 16G 1.025sg from LFS ($20)

I already had an RO/DI water filter that came with the house purchase in April 2013. So I have quality top off water to keep my tank's salinity at 1.022sg. Set it all up December 15, 2014 in my garage to cycle. Three weeks later my Nitrates had dropped to an acceptable level, so I broke it down and moved it inside, reserving water. Up and running inside, I left it alone for another week, monitoring my nitrate level. When my levels were acceptable, I decided to start stocking my tank.

I know that this is alot of useless information, but I was typing it up to complete my log book anyway, so I figured that I would share it.

The SINGLE most important advice that I can give anyone wanting to start a tank is USE GOOD WATER. RO/DI water is a must. The stuff coming out of your tap is crap. You wouldn't drink it if you knew what was in it and your fish shouldn't have to swim in it either. Start with good water and you can eliminate a bunch of problems before they start.

 

[Ned]

Get him a few piranhas.

I had a Pirahna tank for a while . They.are.Awesome.

Toughest guy in the was a crayfish. He'd grab onto the piranhas any chance he got and go for a ride till they shook him off.

Bought some Giant Danios one day because the store was out of feeder fish. Piranhas couldn't catch them so I bought a bunch more and had a nice school of them in the tank. Piranhas just ignored them after a few days.

Also had a big Pleco living in the tank that they never touched.

I had a piranha tank also. Tons of fun until they fully matured....they got really lazy and stopped chasing the fish. They'd just wait for them to swim by and snatch them up.

The carnage was cool for a while until I realized the mess it was creating made for more frequent water changes.

I love our canister filter (Fluval 405). Thing has been downright bulletproof and is easy to clean. It's much nicer than the hang-ons, IMO.

Yeah, the cleaning sucked. Every other day when they were eating feeders and everyday after giving them chunks of fillets.

Hope to get them again one day (moved and had to give those ones away).

I was back/forth on getting them again since my boys (8 & 6) would love it, but we opted for Oscars. They love watching them swallow the feeders whole

We have a 90gal tank that was an african cichlid tank for 6yrs. They all slowly died off of old age, so we made the switch to Oscars a few months ago. I forgot how quickly these suckers grow up.

 

[Seatown Mofos]

I recently jumped back into the hobby after taking a decade off. So, I did a little research and found that the biggest change in the hobby had to do with the proliferation of LED lighting. No longer do you have to spend $100's of dollars on metal halides or T5 flourescents. The LED's use 12v power, produce very little heat and the coloration is superb. Here is what I did:

Tank: 20G Long 30"X12"X13" ($30)

Filter: Aqua Clear 50 ($40)

Filter Media: Blue Life Clear FX Pro 225ml ($15)

Heater: Eheim 75W ($25)

Lighting: 24" Current USA Orbit Marine LED ($150)

Flow: Hydor Koralia 425gph ($26)

Substrate: 20# CaribSea Black Live Sand ($25)

Rock: 10# Premium Fiji Live Rock ($60)

Water: 16G 1.025sg from LFS ($20)

I already had an RO/DI water filter that came with the house purchase in April 2013. So I have quality top off water to keep my tank's salinity at 1.022sg. Set it all up December 15, 2014 in my garage to cycle. Three weeks later my Nitrates had dropped to an acceptable level, so I broke it down and moved it inside, reserving water. Up and running inside, I left it alone for another week, monitoring my nitrate level. When my levels were acceptable, I decided to start stocking my tank.

I know that this is alot of useless information, but I was typing it up to complete my log book anyway, so I figured that I would share it.

The SINGLE most important advice that I can give anyone wanting to start a tank is USE GOOD WATER. RO/DI water is a must. The stuff coming out of your tap is crap. You wouldn't drink it if you knew what was in it and your fish shouldn't have to swim in it either. Start with good water and you can eliminate a bunch of problems before they start.

What is RO/DI water and where would you get it if you don't have a filter in your house for it?

 

[odin33]

RO/DI is Reverse Osmosis / De-Ionized water. Sometimes it's referred to as RO water. It's the closest thing you'll get to pure H2O- nearly zero contaminants/particulates. Local fish stores will often be your best source outside of a home unit.

The hobby sells RO/DI units specifically designed for aquarium usage. Local company Buckeye Hydro has some great videos on setup and just what a home unit can do (at least they did last I checked and their customer service is second to none if you're looking for one).

They're honestly really simple, and once you understand what you're doing- a great tool. In most cases it's unnecessary for freshwater, unless you're like me, and like South American dwarf cichlids (low pH and very soft water) and have liquid brick coming outta your faucet (very high pH and very hard water).

 

[MC Gas Money]

My son had a shrimp tank with what was supposed to be a shrimp-safe dwarf orange crayfish. The crayfish ended up not being a dwarf and is now about 4" long. He ate all the shrimp.

I've thought about starting a shrimp tank with live plants. I think they're interesting.

Be honest

You ate the shrimp didnt you?

 

[jhib]

Just in case the OP is getting even more scared, you don't need special water for your starter aquarium. Just get the drops to dechlorinate and further condition your tap water. If you buy a starter kit with the tank, it will come with some.

In fact, I'm not sure it's a good idea to start your tank of with RO/DI water anyway. Fish need some of those things in the water that make it "impure." They may not like straight tap water, but they aren't swimming around in pure water, either. The RO/DI is more for topping off to replace the pure water lost to evaporation, right?

 

[NutterButter]

If the fish are full why dont they stop eating?

If there is an abundance of food in the wild do fish just commonly eat themselves to death?

It's not the over feeding of the fish, it's the extra waste in a limited amount of fresh water. Fish eats more food, more waste produced; ammonia. Fish doesn't eat all the food, food rots on bottom; more ammonia.

This leads to less O2 in the water, lower Ph, algae blooms, and mold...which leads to clogged filters, etc

Are you talking about those filter cartridges or something more elaborate? I usually just spray all the green gunk off of it every week using the sink sprayer. That seems to do the trick at keeping my 10 gallon tank clean.

 

[Guest]

Just in case the OP is getting even more scared, you don't need special water for your starter aquarium. Just get the drops to dechlorinate and further condition your tap water. If you buy a starter kit with the tank, it will come with some.

In fact, I'm not sure it's a good idea to start your tank of with RO/DI water anyway. Fish need some of those things in the water that make it "impure." They may not like straight tap water, but they aren't swimming around in pure water, either. The RO/DI is more for topping off to replace the pure water lost to evaporation, right?

Yeah, things are getting complicated for a kids starter aquarium. The choice of fish will determine the water needs. The other info is educational though.

As mentioned, over-feeding is a big issue.

I had read in the past about using a couple inexpensive "feeder" goldfish to start the cycling process. Do people still do that?

 

[ChiefD]

In my experience, I would not go with goldfish or anything like that for a first aquarium. They are a pretty dirty fish.

 

[culdeus]

We've done fine with a fluval kit. I've pushed to get a larger tank but can't get the wife to buy in. As long as you don't have too many fish for the water volume it's not too bad to keep clean.

 

[AcerFC]

As much as I think it would be cool, it sounds difficult for beginners and a little costly until you figure things out

 

[ChiefD]

Meh, this is really easy:

1. Go buy this at PetSmart. Has the tank, filter, heater, and light.

2. Buy a bag of pea gravel. Put on bottom of tank.

3. Buy a couple of the fake plants and a couple of cool castles.

4. Fill with water. Buy the water conditioner. Add a capful. Run filter for a week before adding fish.

5. Go buy fish. Put fish and bag in water for about 20 minutes to level out the water temp. Release fish.

6. Feed twice a day with small amounts of food until you get the hang of it.

 

[AcerFC]

What is the longest amout of time you can be away without feeding the fish. I remember it meant so much to weebay to make sure the fish were taken care of. I go away a lot. Not sure its a right fit for me

 

[ChiefD]

What is the longest amout of time you can be away without feeding the fish. I remember it meant so much to weebay to make sure the fish were taken care of. I go away a lot. Not sure its a right fit for me

They make these food blocks you put in the bottom of your tank. They make them for different lengths of days.

We went away for 10 days last summer, put one of those in, and no problems.

 

[AcerFC]

Thanks

 

[VA703]

Just in case the OP is getting even more scared, you don't need special water for your starter aquarium. Just get the drops to dechlorinate and further condition your tap water. If you buy a starter kit with the tank, it will come with some.

In fact, I'm not sure it's a good idea to start your tank of with RO/DI water anyway. Fish need some of those things in the water that make it "impure." They may not like straight tap water, but they aren't swimming around in pure water, either. The RO/DI is more for topping off to replace the pure water lost to evaporation, right?

Yeah, things are getting complicated for a kids starter aquarium. The choice of fish will determine the water needs. The other info is educational though.

As mentioned, over-feeding is a big issue.

I had read in the past about using a couple inexpensive "feeder" goldfish to start the cycling process. Do people still do that?

It is frowned upon in the community.. They feel that is torture for the fish etc

the only problem really with using a goldfish is they require very cold waters. im assuming OP wants tropical fish and not goldfish.. So unless you have someone that will take the goldfish you are short of options.. well some fish stores will take a fish back so that may be an option

 

[odin33]

Meh, this is really easy:

1. Go buy this at PetSmart. Has the tank, filter, heater, and light.

2. Buy a bag of pea gravel. Put on bottom of tank.

3. Buy a couple of the fake plants and a couple of cool castles.

4. Fill with water. Buy the water conditioner. Add a capful. Run filter for a week before adding fish.

5. Go buy fish. Put fish and bag in water for about 20 minutes to level out the water temp. Release fish.

6. Feed twice a day with small amounts of food until you get the hang of it.

This is pretty spot on for the first timers. I'd add to wash the gravel before putting in tank and rinse the tank inside itself to get rid of any dust/debris. Colanders work great and make it quick, or you can poke a few small holes and use the bag it comes in- this isn't nearly as effective though.

Also regarding feeding, another good guideline as to how much: If you feed and there's food left after a couple minutes, you've likely fed too much. One exclusion is if you have a bunch of bottom feeders, (corys, catfish, etc) but you shouldn't have those in a starter tank anyway.

Acer, If you do big feeding the day before along with a good cleaning and a water change right before leaving you can usually stretch a week, maybe 10 days (especially if you have live plants). This of course excludes fry. The food blocks CheifsD mentions will work too, just make sure you get it outta the tank when you get back and do a water change shortly after.

 

[dino259]

Meh, this is really easy:

1. Go buy this at PetSmart. Has the tank, filter, heater, and light.

2. Buy a bag of pea gravel. Put on bottom of tank.

3. Buy a couple of the fake plants and a couple of cool castles.

4. Fill with water. Buy the water conditioner. Add a capful. Run filter for a week before adding fish.

5. Go buy fish. Put fish and bag in water for about 20 minutes to level out the water temp. Release fish.

6. Feed twice a day with small amounts of food until you get the hang of it.

This is pretty spot on for the first timers. I'd add to wash the gravel before putting in tank and rinse the tank inside itself to get rid of any dust/debris. Colanders work great and make it quick, or you can poke a few small holes and use the bag it comes in- this isn't nearly as effective though.

Also regarding feeding, another good guideline as to how much: If you feed and there's food left after a couple minutes, you've likely fed too much. One exclusion is if you have a bunch of bottom feeders, (corys, catfish, etc) but you shouldn't have those in a starter tank anyway.

Acer, If you do big feeding the day before along with a good cleaning and a water change right before leaving you can usually stretch a week, maybe 10 days (especially if you have live plants). This of course excludes fry. The food blocks CheifsD mentions will work too, just make sure you get it outta the tank when you get back and do a water change shortly after.

That's a good deal for the tank. Makes me think about replacing my 10 gallon tank that is almost 20 years old. Lots of calcification on the top and the seems are not in the best shape with enough algae growth stuck to them.

 

[VA703]

I don't think you can cycle a tank without some sort of bacteria. using fresh tank gravel filter etc does not provide the bacteria you need.. if you know someone with a fish tank borrow a dirty filter/castle/gravel

 

[Ned]

I don't think you can cycle a tank without some sort of bacteria. using fresh tank gravel filter etc does not provide the bacteria you need.. if you know someone with a fish tank borrow a dirty filter/castle/gravel

This stuff has served us well.

 

[odin33]

dino,

If you've had the tank for 20 years it's likely time. I'd have to think the silicone is about toast.

But for those that find a nasty looking tank on CL or at a garage sale don't be intimidated. Just make sure the silicone looks good. Go get yourself some razor blades (the rectangular kind) and a good razor blade holder for them and a bucket of vinegar water. It'll take a lot of elbow grease, but it will clean up. Just stay away from the silicone with the blade. Usually a rag with vinegar water will work somewhat on the silicone. Anyone have any tricks save for cutting it out and redoing it?

 

[VA703]

I don't think you can cycle a tank without some sort of bacteria. using fresh tank gravel filter etc does not provide the bacteria you need.. if you know someone with a fish tank borrow a dirty filter/castle/gravel

This stuff has served us well.

good idea

I use the stress coat from API for conditioning the water for weekly changes. decent brand

 

[VA703]

dino,

If you've had the tank for 20 years it's likely time. I'd have to think the silicone is about toast.

But for those that find a nasty looking tank on CL or at a garage sale don't be intimidated. Just make sure the silicone looks good. Go get yourself some razor blades (the rectangular kind) and a good razor blade holder for them and a bucket of vinegar water. It'll take a lot of elbow grease, but it will clean up. Just stay away from the silicone with the blade. Usually a rag with vinegar water will work somewhat on the silicone. Anyone have any tricks save for cutting it out and redoing it?

I havnt tried but when I do new sealant for the shower theres a liquid you can apply to the silicone that turns it into mush and you just wipe it off

 

[odin33]

I don't think you can cycle a tank without some sort of bacteria. using fresh tank gravel filter etc does not provide the bacteria you need.. if you know someone with a fish tank borrow a dirty filter/castle/gravel

It does happen naturally (usually due to the micro organisms in the water finally getting to a large enough volume to kick it off) but it takes forever.

Here's kinda a loose order in slowest to fastest way to cycle a tank- VA and others, feel free to poke holes. (I've eliminated 'nothing' as an option- you'll kill the fish will inhumanly get the ball roiling)

1. a few flakes of food- food breaks down and kicks off ammonia cycle

2. borrow a used castle/decoration, but it needs to come directly from a tank that is established

3. aquatic plants- Not the ones that come in test tube type things at petsmart, I'm talking stuff that was pulled from a tank. Anubias and java fern are great choices (beginner live plants)

4. hardy fish- I don't care for this option as it's rough on the fish but it is effective. I personally use this as an absolute last resort

a wide margin

5. a used sponge filter/media pad/those white ceramic media/etc. Anything used in the filter is chalk full of good bacteria, plus you get the bonus of constantly dumping it into your tank if you can fit it into your filter.

 

[odin33]

dino,

If you've had the tank for 20 years it's likely time. I'd have to think the silicone is about toast.

But for those that find a nasty looking tank on CL or at a garage sale don't be intimidated. Just make sure the silicone looks good. Go get yourself some razor blades (the rectangular kind) and a good razor blade holder for them and a bucket of vinegar water. It'll take a lot of elbow grease, but it will clean up. Just stay away from the silicone with the blade. Usually a rag with vinegar water will work somewhat on the silicone. Anyone have any tricks save for cutting it out and redoing it?

I havnt tried but when I do new sealant for the shower theres a liquid you can apply to the silicone that turns it into mush and you just wipe it off

Game changer. Any chance you can find a name. Only concern is possible residue that leaches into glass. I'd be ticked if I killed off a tank because I was too lazy to do it the "right" way. Just realized I still owe you a pic of my fishroom.

 

[VA703]

dino,

If you've had the tank for 20 years it's likely time. I'd have to think the silicone is about toast.

But for those that find a nasty looking tank on CL or at a garage sale don't be intimidated. Just make sure the silicone looks good. Go get yourself some razor blades (the rectangular kind) and a good razor blade holder for them and a bucket of vinegar water. It'll take a lot of elbow grease, but it will clean up. Just stay away from the silicone with the blade. Usually a rag with vinegar water will work somewhat on the silicone. Anyone have any tricks save for cutting it out and redoing it?

I havnt tried but when I do new sealant for the shower theres a liquid you can apply to the silicone that turns it into mush and you just wipe it off

Game changer. Any chance you can find a name. Only concern is possible residue that leaches into glass. I'd be ticked if I killed off a tank because I was too lazy to do it the "right" way. Just realized I still owe you a pic of my fishroom.

I have it in my garage ill check when I get home

 

[VA703]

I don't think you can cycle a tank without some sort of bacteria. using fresh tank gravel filter etc does not provide the bacteria you need.. if you know someone with a fish tank borrow a dirty filter/castle/gravel

It does happen naturally (usually due to the micro organisms in the water finally getting to a large enough volume to kick it off) but it takes forever.

Here's kinda a loose order in slowest to fastest way to cycle a tank- VA and others, feel free to poke holes. (I've eliminated 'nothing' as an option- you'll kill the fish will inhumanly get the ball roiling)

1. a few flakes of food- food breaks down and kicks off ammonia cycle

2. borrow a used castle/decoration, but it needs to come directly from a tank that is established

3. aquatic plants- Not the ones that come in test tube type things at petsmart, I'm talking stuff that was pulled from a tank. Anubias and java fern are great choices (beginner live plants)

4. hardy fish- I don't care for this option as it's rough on the fish but it is effective. I personally use this as an absolute last resort

a wide margin

5. a used sponge filter/media pad/those white ceramic media/etc. Anything used in the filter is chalk full of good bacteria, plus you get the bonus of constantly dumping it into your tank if you can fit it into your filter.

this is wha ti did

used a filter from an established tank and some java ferns and jungle vals (live plants) don't even need flakes of food at that point just let it run for a few weeks with water changes twice a week. then add fish slowly

 

[BroncoFreak_2K3]

Meh, this is really easy:

1. Go buy this at PetSmart. Has the tank, filter, heater, and light.

2. Buy a bag of pea gravel. Put on bottom of tank.

3. Buy a couple of the fake plants and a couple of cool castles.

4. Fill with water. Buy the water conditioner. Add a capful. Run filter for a week before adding fish.

5. Go buy fish. Put fish and bag in water for about 20 minutes to level out the water temp. Release fish.

6. Feed twice a day with small amounts of food until you get the hang of it.

/thread

 

[TD32]

I need to do a partial water change and add some distilled water. I have a 50 gallon tank. How much is a "partial?"

 

[MC Gas Money]

I need to do a partial water change and add some distilled water. I have a 50 gallon tank. How much is a "partial?"

Less than the entire tank

 

[TD32]

Thanks! Can you make me a shirt showing this exactly?

 

[MC Gas Money]

Thanks! Can you make me a shirt showing this exactly?

No more busting chops.

When I had fish I usually did a 2/3 tank change

 

[TD32]

Cool. Thanks

 

[MC Gas Money]

Cool. Thanks

Np. You can get the level as low as you want if you remove the fish first. If not dont go too low to stress them out.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

I need to do a partial water change and add some distilled water. I have a 50 gallon tank. How much is a "partial?"

I'd do about 25% for weekly changes then about once a month do 50%. Depends what you have in there as well.

 

[VA703]

dino,

If you've had the tank for 20 years it's likely time. I'd have to think the silicone is about toast.

But for those that find a nasty looking tank on CL or at a garage sale don't be intimidated. Just make sure the silicone looks good. Go get yourself some razor blades (the rectangular kind) and a good razor blade holder for them and a bucket of vinegar water. It'll take a lot of elbow grease, but it will clean up. Just stay away from the silicone with the blade. Usually a rag with vinegar water will work somewhat on the silicone. Anyone have any tricks save for cutting it out and redoing it?

This hereI havnt tried but when I do new sealant for the shower theres a liquid you can apply to the silicone that turns it into mush and you just wipe it off

Game changer. Any chance you can find a name. Only concern is possible residue that leaches into glass. I'd be ticked if I killed off a tank because I was too lazy to do it the "right" way. Just realized I still owe you a pic of my fishroom.

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Motsenbockers-4-5-oz-Silicone-Latex-Caulk-and-Foam-Sealant-Remover-411-45/100395888

 

[odin33]

dino,

If you've had the tank for 20 years it's likely time. I'd have to think the silicone is about toast.

But for those that find a nasty looking tank on CL or at a garage sale don't be intimidated. Just make sure the silicone looks good. Go get yourself some razor blades (the rectangular kind) and a good razor blade holder for them and a bucket of vinegar water. It'll take a lot of elbow grease, but it will clean up. Just stay away from the silicone with the blade. Usually a rag with vinegar water will work somewhat on the silicone. Anyone have any tricks save for cutting it out and redoing it?

This hereI havnt tried but when I do new sealant for the shower theres a liquid you can apply to the silicone that turns it into mush and you just wipe it off

Game changer. Any chance you can find a name. Only concern is possible residue that leaches into glass. I'd be ticked if I killed off a tank because I was too lazy to do it the "right" way. Just realized I still owe you a pic of my fishroom.

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Motsenbockers-4-5-oz-Silicone-Latex-Caulk-and-Foam-Sealant-Remover-411-45/100395888

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Just in case the OP is getting even more scared, you don't need special water for your starter aquarium. Just get the drops to dechlorinate and further condition your tap water. If you buy a starter kit with the tank, it will come with some.

In fact, I'm not sure it's a good idea to start your tank of with RO/DI water anyway. Fish need some of those things in the water that make it "impure." They may not like straight tap water, but they aren't swimming around in pure water, either. The RO/DI is more for topping off to replace the pure water lost to evaporation, right?

Yeah, things are getting complicated for a kids starter aquarium. The choice of fish will determine the water needs. The other info is educational though.

As mentioned, over-feeding is a big issue.

I had read in the past about using a couple inexpensive "feeder" goldfish to start the cycling process. Do people still do that?

It is frowned upon in the community.. They feel that is torture for the fish etc

the only problem really with using a goldfish is they require very cold waters. im assuming OP wants tropical fish and not goldfish.. So unless you have someone that will take the goldfish you are short of options.. well some fish stores will take a fish back so that may be an option

I could see that. I currently have 4 goldfish in a tub in the basement. They are $ .19 feeders I put in my backyard pond. Tough as nails and probably could kill them if I tried.

I just ordered all the equipment for a 10 gallon plant/shrimp tank. Will see how it goes. This gets good reviews for starting a tank.

 

[VA703]

Just in case the OP is getting even more scared, you don't need special water for your starter aquarium. Just get the drops to dechlorinate and further condition your tap water. If you buy a starter kit with the tank, it will come with some.

In fact, I'm not sure it's a good idea to start your tank of with RO/DI water anyway. Fish need some of those things in the water that make it "impure." They may not like straight tap water, but they aren't swimming around in pure water, either. The RO/DI is more for topping off to replace the pure water lost to evaporation, right?

Yeah, things are getting complicated for a kids starter aquarium. The choice of fish will determine the water needs. The other info is educational though.

As mentioned, over-feeding is a big issue.

I had read in the past about using a couple inexpensive "feeder" goldfish to start the cycling process. Do people still do that?

It is frowned upon in the community.. They feel that is torture for the fish etc

the only problem really with using a goldfish is they require very cold waters. im assuming OP wants tropical fish and not goldfish.. So unless you have someone that will take the goldfish you are short of options.. well some fish stores will take a fish back so that may be an option

I could see that. I currently have 4 goldfish in a tub in the basement. They are $ .19 feeders I put in my backyard pond. Tough as nails and probably could kill them if I tried.

I just ordered all the equipment for a 10 gallon plant/shrimp tank. Will see how it goes. This gets good reviews for starting a tank.

Why not just transfer media from the goldfish tub into the new tank? The link you posted may be awesome I have no clue or experience. But from what I've read before starting my tank many people said that type of jump start isn't 100%

If it isn't saltwater immsure it wouldn't hurt to try just go slow

 

[Guest]

Just in case the OP is getting even more scared, you don't need special water for your starter aquarium. Just get the drops to dechlorinate and further condition your tap water. If you buy a starter kit with the tank, it will come with some.

In fact, I'm not sure it's a good idea to start your tank of with RO/DI water anyway. Fish need some of those things in the water that make it "impure." They may not like straight tap water, but they aren't swimming around in pure water, either. The RO/DI is more for topping off to replace the pure water lost to evaporation, right?

Yeah, things are getting complicated for a kids starter aquarium. The choice of fish will determine the water needs. The other info is educational though.

As mentioned, over-feeding is a big issue.

I had read in the past about using a couple inexpensive "feeder" goldfish to start the cycling process. Do people still do that?

It is frowned upon in the community.. They feel that is torture for the fish etc

the only problem really with using a goldfish is they require very cold waters. im assuming OP wants tropical fish and not goldfish.. So unless you have someone that will take the goldfish you are short of options.. well some fish stores will take a fish back so that may be an option

I could see that. I currently have 4 goldfish in a tub in the basement. They are $ .19 feeders I put in my backyard pond. Tough as nails and probably could kill them if I tried.

I just ordered all the equipment for a 10 gallon plant/shrimp tank. Will see how it goes. This gets good reviews for starting a tank.

Why not just transfer media from the goldfish tub into the new tank? The link you posted may be awesome I have no clue or experience. But from what I've read before starting my tank many people said that type of jump start isn't 100%

If it isn't saltwater immsure it wouldn't hurt to try just go slow

Makes sense to use the filter media from the goldfish tub. It has no gravel/substrate. Temporary Winter housing until they can go back in the pond.

I'm in no rush with my tank. I want to get the plants established well before I put any shrimp in it. The product I linked above was just a suggestion to get some beneficial bacteria started.

 

[WookieBooger]

My kids betta has Fin rot. We have corrected the water quality issue (not cleaning tank often enough)

Has anyone dealt with this before and/or can recommend a good water supplement?