Starting an Aquarium

I teed off of the waterline for my ice dispenser...and installed a water filter that I use to draw water for my aquariums. Most of your decent water filters will filter out the chemicals and crap from the water...fill a coupld of 5 gallon ozarka bottels and then adjust the ph while it is in those....once you have your ph adjusted to what you keep your tanks at...then you dont have to do anything to it before you dump it in.

 

Simple solution:

Trade Lil Pun's aquarium & fishes for a new computer + peripheral -- so there will be no dead fishes nor computer problems.

 

I just remembered, we lived in the country and had well water when I grew up so I didn't have to do the dechlorinization step. That probably saved a bunch of time.

 

For your ten-gallon tank with community fish I wouldn't worry about pH or filtered water or any of that. Just add water from the tap after you've added de-chlor drops. My pH is about 6.5. The pH out of my tap is about 7.5. When I do a partial water change I simply put the hose into the tank and fill it up slowly adding de-chlor occasionally as I go. I've had no problems with the fish adjusting to the temperature nor have I had any problems with pH swings.

Unless you are keeping really picky fish like Discus or Salt Water fish or trying to breed certain species, just add water and don't worry about it too much.

Of course, don't change all the water at once! If you remove about 20% at a time and then refill with tap water you should be just fine. If you can get one of those one-gallon milk containers, it would be perfect for you. Fill two up with tank water during a water change and you've got 20%. Fill it up with tap water and add one drop of de-chlor and you're ready to add it back to the tank. If you're concerned about changing the perameters of the water too quickly, add a quarter of a gallon, let the tank sit for 30 minuntes, add another quarter of a gallon and so on.

 

Make sure it's plain ammonia, no lemon-smelling stuff. The cheapest Wal-Mart ammonia works fine.

The method I used to cycle my 30 gal. was to add enough ammonia so that a test indicated 5 ppm, and then maintained that level until I had a nitrite spike. From there I added a teaspoon per day until that amount was consumed by the bacteria in 24 hours, without a trace of ammonia or nitrite left behind.

Then just do a big water change, to bring down the nitrate level, and add fish. This worked well enough that I added eight small Neolamps and three Synodontis without ever seeing the slightest jump in ammonia or nitrite.

 

Good point about getting the "pure" ammonia from Wal Mart. It's about a buck I think for a million times more than you'll need. I got mine from Wal Mart as well.

I see you like cichlids and African catfish, too.

 

I've still got almost an entire bottle of ammonia I dont need.

I set up the tank to keep neolamprologus caudopunctatus. They're cool little rock-dwelling shell breeders. For little fish (2 1/2 -3 in.), they really do a job of redecorating. The Synos (petricola), keep the tank fairly clean.

I've gotta set up a breeder tank one of these days. I get a batch of fry from these Cichlids every two weeks or so, but the catfish love to eat 'em.

 

I have a syno. petricola, too. Cool little fish, but he's always hiding. I have a 3-4 inch labidochromis caeruleus that doesn't just re-decorate - he excavates and quarries. My tank is only 29g and he rearranges everything to make a fort. Drives me nuts. But then most cichlids like doing that, so it was expected. It's cool to watch from a distance though as he takes each little gravel rock and spits it out about half a foot away.

I'm hoping to be in a house next year or the year after and want to get at least a 75g tank.

 

Aquasafe and others come with that slime crap that supposedly coats fish to help them heal and whatnot. I'd rather use something like Amquel that does what it's supposed to and not further add crap into your aquarium. That coating stuff does interfere with something ... I just don't remember what. I'm sure it'll come to me.

As for pH and water hardness, the best thing I've always been told is to buy fish that can handle whatever pH and hardness comes out of the tap. Otherwise, you'll be adjusting, buffering, etc. forever. The less you have to add to the tank, the better. But that's up to you.

Regarding fishless cycling : http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycle2.html
(Yeah, I know you hate to read. )

Regarding the salt. You can add it - just don't add too much and turn it into a saltwater tank. Salt in a freshwater tank can help stressed out fish. Get aquarium salt - don't be putting Mrs. Dash in there.

Danios cost $3 each? Dang... that seems expensive.

 

Much of the dechlorination process is damn near instantaneous. If you want to test it, put a drop or two of chlorine bleach on your hand, then rinse your hand off under the faucet - it should still stink of bleach. Pour a bit of the dechlorinator into your hands and rub them together... the stink should be pretty much neutralized within seconds. The whole dechlorination process shouldn't take more than several seconds to a couple of minutes.

That Aquasafe should take care of chlorine and chloramine, so that's good.

 

No kidding!

111chase111, those are some beautiful photos. When I had my big tanks I used to have a lot of plants, but never as fine as what you've accomplished. Not even close. I think that having plants like that can be as tough or tougher than keeping some difficult fish. (I need to find my slides of my old tanks and post a couple of them)

I used to have schools of cardinals with my congos, dwarf cichlids and clown loaches. The only time I had trouble was when the congo tetras were thinking about breeding. I saw one of my 3"-plus males swallow a cardinal whole!

If you have some clown loaches with some decent size, then snails will never be a problem... they eat them as an appetizer. Clown loaches can adapt to different water conditions if it's done gradually. I've seen some with Africans before.

111chase111, you're right about Village Tropical Fish... that's a great store. I did business with them when they were still in the Village. (bought my first 135 from them back then... used. got a great deal) They've been in business for over 20 years and really know their stuff.

About angels... I used to keep them with my other fish. No problems until they got large and thought about breeding. Then they can get ferocious. I loved the coal black ones. Beautiful. If one turned out to be especially mean (and they vary in personality), then I always got a pretty good deal trading them in. Large angels sell pretty good. That was my experience, anyway.

Lil Pun, the biggest problem in the long run for you is the size of your tank. A 10 gallon is nice if you keep the fish population low, but very high maintenance compared to a larger tank... as several of the folks here have pointed out. Once you get it going well, you'll have to control your urge to get more fish. I used to have 2 or 3 set up for breeding pairs of s. american dwarf cichlids. You can have one look very nice if you limit what you put in it. Good luck!

(and I agree with Dr of Dunk that you're paying way too much for danios. I don't know where in Arkansas you are, but you might try looking for some more shops)

 

Don't bother with the Amquel if you're using Aquasafe. They both do basically the same thing except Aquasafe has that slime coat crap in it. I just remembered why I don't like that stuff - it interferes with products like Purigen. And don't start askin' questions about Purigen now... forget I mentioned it... you don't need it.

I've tried Biozyme and other "bacterial kick starters"... to be honest, it's a mixed bag of info. Some people say it works, others say it doesn't. There are people that get an established colony in 4 weeks using it. Others say 2 weeks. There are those that don't use the stuff and still get a colony in 4 weeks.

BTW, the toughest part of waiting may be how long it takes the bacterial colony to get jumpstarted. Especially with no fish in there. Good luck... it could take as little as a week or two all the way to 2 months sometimes. My 29g took about 4 weeks. It really tests your patience...

 

Ive always had good luck with Cycle. I havent had to use it in a couple of years...but when I did..it worked well.

Good advice otherwise.

I never bother with Amquel or other products like it since it doesnt take long for the chlorine to evaporate from the water on its own.

Pun...sounds like you have everything going ok...you have gotten tons of good advice in here..just stick with it ansd be patient...thats the key to successful fishkeeping.