Complete Beginner

[Tank Sinatra]

I done the fish food method and seachem stability. Takes forever. Wish I'd bought pure ammonia instead.

Oh ok. I also read about a method on here where you add fast growing plants and once you see considerable plant growth then the cycle is complete. Is that right?

 

[Fishfaced]

Oh ok. I also read about a method on here where you add fast growing plants and once you see considerable plant growth then the cycle is complete. Is that right?

I've never heard that one to be honest. Someone else here would have a better idea.
Have you bought a test kit?

 

[Tank Sinatra]

I've never heard that one to be honest. Someone else here would have a better idea.
Have you bought a test kit?

Yes I have. That turns up tomorrow too

 

[Fishfaced]

Good stuff mate

 

[ClownLurch]

Oh ok. I also read about a method on here where you add fast growing plants and once you see considerable plant growth then the cycle is complete. Is that right?

Yes. Do it. Just do it. You dont want to be one of those posters tearing their hair out fretting about a bunch of numbers and chemistry that they deep down don’t really understand.

Silent Cycling it’s called. Fill up your tank with as many of the following that you can get your hands on:
Water Sprite
Amazon Frogbit
Water Lettuce
Duckweed
Anarcharis
Hornwort
Moneywort
Turn everything on, take a photo of the tank then wish you could be down the pub for a week or two. After that week or two you’ll see visible growth.
Test your water. Which by the way will be like liquid rock as you’re not too far from me on this places global scale. If everything’s good with your water then add some fish that you’ve researched on seriouslyfish.com and asked about on here and that suit your tank size, water hardness, water ph, water temp etc.
For a better understanding of the above take a look at the Silent Cycling section of this forum. It’s very good. In fact it’s very probably the best explanation currently on the internet. Mainly because I was kept well away from it. Have fun.

Oh and welcome. Stay safe.

 

[Tank Sinatra]

Yes. Do it. Just do it. You dont want to be one of those posters tearing their hair out fretting about a bunch of numbers and chemistry that they deep down don’t really understand.

Silent Cycling it’s called. Fill up your tank with as many of the following that you can get your hands on:
Water Sprite
Amazon Frogbit
Water Lettuce
Duckweed
Anarcharis
Hornwort
Moneywort
Turn everything on, take a photo of the tank then wish you could be down the pub for a week or two. After that week or two you’ll see visible growth.
Test your water. Which by the way will be like liquid rock as you’re not too far from me on this places global scale. If everything’s good with your water then add some fish that you’ve researched on seriouslyfish.com and asked about on here and that suit your tank size, water hardness, water ph, water temp etc.
For a better understanding of the above take a look at the Silent Cycling section of this forum. It’s very good. In fact it’s very probably the best explanation currently on the internet. Mainly because I was kept well away from it. Have fun.

Oh and welcome. Stay safe.

Yeh I thought I had read that. The silent cycle suits me perfectly, little to no knowledge on cycling tanks and a whole heap of live plants turning up tomorrow.

Haha you’ve got that right! We moved into a new home just a few months ago and there already limescale marks in the toilets.

From the research I’ve done, I’m not hugely over awed by hard water fish. There’s some lovely fish don’t get me wrong, but my preference would definitely be for trying to hit a middle ground regarding water parameters.

Still trying to work out an ideal solution to soften the water. Installing an RO machine wouldn’t be a bad thing, as like you said the water is so hard. Health benefits and plenty more fish to choose from. Also considering collecting rain water in a large water butt. Or I live a 2 minute walk from my very local fish shop, so collecting RO water from there wouldn’t be an issue. Other than a constant expense.

Luckily I have time on my hands to decide which option will best.

 

[ClownLurch]

70% of the planets chalk streams are in the SE of England and were right smack bang in their hood, hence the liquid rock.
Take a look on your water providers website for your water details in numbers. We’re with affinity and their website tells us our postcode is 18dh but my test kit and the old boy on the corners and his mate in the next street all say 19dh.

I hadn’t had fish for 22yrs and had been researching my options from Xmas 2019. Once lockdown kicked in I had more than enough time to compile a 30+ list of accessible small fish under 2” suitable for liquid rock and tanks under 3’/900mm. I’ll stick the list up on here if you want.
Those I keep tend to be at the colder water end of the scale.....I spend enough money heating MY house never mind bothering with heating theirs! Plus I can give em a holiday outside during the summer, they’re more likely to breed out there apparently. There’s plenty on the list suitable to warmer water though.

MrsLurch recently gave the go ahead for a 6’ tank, I didn’t ask if that meant the current community tank would have to go

Best of luck.