a N00b to tropical fish, please go easy on me

[sub-mariner]

Hi all,

Greetings from sunny Berkshire, UK

Like the title reads, I'm very new to tropical fish and after haveing a browse over the forums I feel a bit intimidated by it all already

So I'm hoping a few kind people out there will help assist me in creating the ideal setup with what i have, and possibly answer a few questions I may have about setup.

I have to admit, I've made a few typical errors, and fel I deserve a flamming from you guys already

The good news is that I havent added any fish yet to my setup so whatever I have done wrong can easily be redone and put right.

OK, so where to start.

Well, Gravel, water, plants, decor and filter and air pump have all been added to the tank, but I'm not to sure if we rinsed the gravel well enough as the water is a *little*cloudy even after the tank has been left on for 12-14 hours. IS it worth me draining the tank and starting from scratch by emptying all the gravel and giving it another clean?

Also about fishtank cycling.......I could relly do with a hand in understanding this and a step by step guide what to do as I live in the UK and not too sure where to get items like ammonia from.



I only want the best for my future fish so please, any help appreciated

 

[sub-mariner]

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I don't think you've done anything bad!!

I am not sure about the cycleing as I never actually knowingly done it. There is such a thing as cycling with a fish or 2 in the tank. I think it's better not too but if there's nothing else you can do. I am sure that someone else will help. There are some fish that are considered 'hardy' and will not suffer bad effects from the amonia/nitrIte but will provide the waste required to get your friendly bacteria going.

I am sure someone else will help soon and don't dispair!!

For now, try to give us some more info. Like size of tank, kind of filter and especially what fish you want to put in!!

 

[nightlife20]

u dont need bottles of pure ammonia to do the cycle... u can do it with fish food and a few algea tablets... fair enough it might take longer for it to rott and break down into ammonia but at the end of the day it has the same desired effect...

i didnt do the fishless cycle the first time round, and i found it easyer.... but for the second time i went fishless... took longer cause i didnt have pure ammonia ect...



gl with how ur gonna do it tho

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

first of all, welcome to TFF sub-mariner!!

i don't think the cloud will be a problem, the filter should take care of it.
i also agree with cheese specialist on the cycling front, i've never done the fishless cycle as i have never been able to find the ammonia necessary to start it off. i have always added a couple of hardier fish and fed them sparingly throughout the cycling process. you may find some so it is worth looking into.

above all have fun in your new hobby, there are no stupid questions here and i'm sure that someone will be able to help you with any question you ask.

 

[RYO]

If you know of anyone neer you who keeps fish or a local fish store,see if they will give you some water from a clean up or a filter clean.
as for your water,a few water changes will sort it out .
good luck

 

[sub-mariner]

thanks for the replies guys, appreciate the help you have slready given,

any recommendations as what are GOOD hardyfish? are Gourami's?

Also, I purchased some "Safe Guard" Dechlorinator. IS this something I should add to my tank water NOW? or do a water change and add it to the new water.

Thanks again guy's I'm already looking forward to adding my fish ...

 

[modernhamlet]

Ammonia should be available at your local grocery store. Make sure the bottle says "100% Ammonia" or "pure ammonia" or something similar. Shake the bottle. If there are lots of bubbles that stick around, don't buy it.

If you decide not to go with fishless cycling, here's a list of some good first fish: http/fins.actwin.com/mirror/fish-popular.html. Go with Danios or Rasboras, especially if you want to add Gourami after them. They go well together.

Declorinator (aka water conditioner) is essential to remove the chorine or chloramine in your tapwater. Chlorine will kill fish. Add the right amount to the tank now and to any and all water you use for water changes in the future.

Good luck!

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

Ammonia should be available at your local grocery store. Make sure the bottle says "100% Ammonia" or "pure ammonia" or something similar. Shake the bottle. If there are lots of bubbles that stick around, don't buy it.
not here in the Uk it isn't, we can't buy it in case we are closet terrorists!!!

 

[modernhamlet]

Wow. I just lost a lot of respect for Great Britian. Sorry, that's really sad.

Not that the US isn't going in that direction awfully fast...

I Big Brother.

 

[Perky]

WHAT SIZE TANK IS IT?

 

[Bol]

Also, I purchased some "Safe Guard" Dechlorinator. IS this something I should add to my tank water NOW? or do a water change and add it to the new water.

Add it now.

All water you add to your tank should be dechlorinated. All of it. Every drop. Forever. * Note: that doesn't necessarily mean the water has to have dechlor added to it before the water hits the tank. Depending on how you do water changes, it's often sufficient to add the dechlorinator to the tank right before you add (or as you are adding) the new water.

Among other things, chlorine will kill the bacteria that you're trying to 'grow' in cycling.

Also, in case you don't know, when you do a partial water change, you dose your dechlorinator based on the amount of new water you're adding, not the tank's total water.


I don't think you'd need to empty the tank, and start from scratch. It may take a few days for the gravel dust to get filtered out, but it shouldn't cause any harm.

Gouramis are probably not good cycling fish. Zebra danios seem to be the most popular choice, as modernhamlet mentioned -- they tend to be notoriously hardy, and are usually dirt cheap.

 

[gadazobe]

not here in the Uk it isn't, we can't buy it in case we are closet terrorists

I live in the uk and get ammonia from my local hardware store with no problem. I'm suprised that you can't get it in Scotland

 

[sub-mariner]

The tank is a Rena Aquarama 60 Panoram tank so i think its 60 x 31 x 45 cm

heres a link to it with tank info

Rena Aquarama 60 Panorama

thanks guys appreciayte all the help im getting here

 

[Lenna]

I'm from Australia and I couldn't get ammonia anywhere at grocery or hardware stores. Thankfully my university let me have a bottle of pure ammonia from their labs. If there's a uni near you they may give you some.