brand new need help

[badman]

i just got a new 10 gallon fluval tank and dunno how 2 start it up this is all i hv in it:
1-fluval 2 plus filter
2-150 watt heater
3-flourencent light
4-electronic thermometer

these subjects if anwsered would b helpfull:
1-step by step guide 2 fishless cycling
2-how 2 introduce fish
3-store names where i could buy ammonia (i live in london uk)
4-wat kinda fish would b nice as id like 2 breed them and i also like colourfull ones 2
names would be nice

thnxs alot 4 ur help

 

[chumley71]

Hi and welcome. Here is a link to the fishless cycling.

http/www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycling.html


Also something that has helped me get answers fast on here is that there is a search bar on the bottom of the page in each different forum. Simply type your question or a key word or two and all posts with that in them will be at your service.
HTH

 

[modernhamlet]

You might want to exchange that 150W heater for a 50W. 150W is far too much for a 10 gallon. If the heater breaks, it could cook the fish.

And for fish, if you're interested in learning how to breed, you could start with 1 male and 2 female guppies. They're colorful and from what I hear, almost impossible to keep from having fry.

 

[maestro]

do u have a test kit for ammonia and nitrite because if u do the fishless cycling ull need to test the water,

fish to breed would be livebearers, but swordtails would be too big for ur tank so either platies or guppies their both colourful 3 of these and a small shoal of neons would be good for ur tank, take in mind that ull need to look after the fry if u buy livebearers

 

[badman]

no i dont hv a test kit
but i cant find ammonia!!

 

[MadAsToast]

Badman,

I'm from the UK also, you'll find a few problems getting your hands on pure unperfumed ammonia in the UK (mainly as it's a main ingredient in making explosives - so i'm reliably informed).

It is kinder to the fish to do fishless cycling, but in the UK nigh on impossible, they do use it in Hospitals, and sometimes in the industrial cleaning profession.

Really your left with cycling the tank with hardy fish. Exactly which fish, you can use White Cloud Mountain Minnows, there probably is a huge long list, but i'm new to this also and only know what was recommended to me - i used Siamese Algae Eaters (which my LFS recommended in a 4ft Tank).

To relieve the stress on the fish, you can try and get some gravel from an existing tank (which will have bacteria in it), or perhaps add some of your filter foam/sponges to an existing tank to get some beneficial bacteria growing on it (ask your Local Fish Shop - LFS - they're sometimes open to this). Regular water changes also help.

I used a product called Cycle, most LFS sell it, i've heard mixed reports, but my tank cycled in about 3 weeks rather than the month or so it usually takes.

You'll never remove all the stress for the first fish whilst it cycles, but making it easier for them is good.

Hope this helps.


MadAsToast

 

[thecichlidaddict]

I will just add one thing to Mad's post that wasn't included:

Water changes! When cycling with fish it is easy to keep them healthy by using a very small amount of fish per water volume, and doing water changes as often as it takes to keep the ammonia below .5.