canyou help with my tank setup

[vantgE]

PLease help i'm tryin to finish the setup this weekend and start cycleing?

1.(a)is amonia hydroxide the same as amonia? for my fishless cycle,
if not(b)capt. canuck or freshmike you seen any?
been to co-op safeways and wallmart
thanks

non cycleing questions too

2. and I bought some eggcrate for the base of the tank it's plastic but shouldn't be toxic right?

new question just added here since noone has answered yet

3. (a)what are some things to look out for with rocks i have scavenged and plan to place in my tank? specifics questions ( one has a bit of red it mean it's rusting is that bad? © some have some hardened clay or cement on them that I can't get off can I still use these? (d) but some has come off after it was soaked with a screw driver icouldn't get it all off can I still use this?

cmn someone answer i'm doin this tonight please

another one,

4. i heard about cleaning rocks with bleach what kind of bleach? brand?



thankyou

 

[kribs mate]

amonia hydroxide is what you need.

regarding the rocks a lot depends on what fish you want to keep. whether or not you want to use the rocks to raise your hardness of the water etc...

if just for community fish you could test your rocks by putting vinegar on them.. if the vinegar fizzes that its not recomended you use them..

also any rocks with concrete etc i would not use personally.

boil all the rocks your going to use aswell this should kill of any "nasties" if any.

avoid limestone ans sandstone.. (unless to buffer like i said above)

 

[Pescado Guy]

Hi,

I agree, I wouldn't use any rocks that have any concrete either. You can use them but you must cure them first which is a very lengthy process. I have always used bleach on the rocks that I get but maybe boiling is better. Just be sure that if you boil them you let them sit out of the water for a LONG time. It takes a long time for the inside of the rocks to cool and if you add them in the water too soon the temperatures in your tank will go way up. If you don't have any fish then that should be okay though.

 

[vantgE]

My fish need alkaline hard water malawis, so does the vinegar test aply?

 

[kribs mate]

in that case you will be ok using limestone, coral or sandstone, tuffa rock ...basicaly anything

but i would boil them all first still

 

[drobbins27]

but i would boil them all first still

I agree. So does limestone make water have a more alkaline or acidic pH. I read it made it more acidic but u said it would be ok for malawi which has very alkaline water...wow im confused

 

[kribs mate]

but i would boil them all first still

I agree. So does limestone make water have a more alkaline or acidic pH. I read it made it more acidic but u said it would be ok for malawi which has very alkaline water...wow im confused

Adding limestone will raise GH and also increase kH which in turn will increase PH making your water alkaline. NOT acidic... dunno where you heard that

 

[aberdeen aquarist]

avoid limestone ans sandstone.. (unless to buffer like i said above)

KM, sand stone doesn't have any buffering qualities, in fact it's recommended for not altering water chemistry!!

 

[kribs mate]

perhaps not worded the best i admit. although sandstone is made of sand grains cemented together its mostly safe stuff however the cementing material in some sandstone is calcite which isnt particularly good for an aquarium unless you actually want to raise hardness and alkalinity so may not to too safe for community tanks etc...

 

[vantgE]

about the cement cause alot of the rocks i found have a little tensy bit on I can't use this for sure cause most of them do?

and again it might not be cement cause i not sure how it would get on the rocks they were found on the ground it could just be some hard clay stuff, or does it mmake a difference?

anyone still checking this