Confirmation of my thoughts and research for my first tank.

[Sprizmo]

That seems like the best option.
With the Java bits to go in the bucket, do I just need rocks from a aquatics store? Then gorilla super glue them to the rock and put them in a bucket with some water covering all the plant or just enough to cover the rock? Do I put cling film over the top to stop any debris or just leave it open to air?
Sorry for all the questions but I don’t want to waste them if I can save them.

Don't want to be a party pooper but still kind of my thread and questions
So would the best option to be to go and get more plants when ready to start and then leave it for a few weeks and test regularly? Seen videos and other posts where people say that doing a fishless cycle with plants in can speed it up and doesn't have a detrimental effect.

Also got my test kit. Going to check pH now, already got the cup resting for 24 going so 1pm tomorrow that's ready for testing.

 

[Essjay]

It is really up to you, whichever you feel happy with. I know a lot of fishkeepers prefer to have the bacteria in place before getting fish so that if the plants don't do well the fish aren't at risk. And there are plant expert fishkeepers who would not consider anything but a heavily planted tank right from the start.

Fishless cycle with ammonia, adding plants during the cycle, then get most of the fish on your wish list when the cycle in finished.

Plant cycle, adding a lot of plants now, then adding fish a few at a time once the plants are actively growing.

 

[Sprizmo]

It is really up to you, whichever you feel happy with. I know a lot of fishkeepers prefer to have the bacteria in place before getting fish so that if the plants don't do well the fish aren't at risk. And there are plant expert fishkeepers who would not consider anything but a heavily planted tank right from the start.

Fishless cycle with ammonia, adding plants during the cycle, then get most of the fish on your wish list when the cycle in finished.

Plant cycle, adding a lot of plants now, then adding fish a few at a time once the plants are actively growing.

Okay. Thank you. Got to wait until all the stuff arrives yet, for some reason some shops seem really quick and others still not shipped things I bought Wednesday, strange that some can and some can't.

Well I have tested my pH and Nitrates as requested.
pH from tap immediately is 7.4
Nitrates from tap immediately is approximately 10ppm

Run into another problem, got to find a way of getting water into the tank efficiently. I have a gravel vac to get it out the tank so that's not an issue, slow but doable. Have a 25 litre jerry can but not really safe to lift it and pour it in, especially when doing water changes. Any ideas?

 

[Oblio]

Run into another problem, got to find a way of getting water into the tank efficiently. I have a gravel vac to get it out the tank so that's not an issue, slow but doable. Have a 25 litre jerry can but not really safe to lift it and pour it in, especially when doing water changes. Any ideas?

The easiest solution is to get a Python, but you already have a vac.
You could get a Python hose connector and connect to some tubing from H/W, and connect this to a faucet adaptor (any LFS). Python also makes a filling hook that hangs over your tank but you can easily make one with PVC.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000255NW8/?tag=ff0d01-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01654SSXA/?tag=ff0d01-20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00176B01Y/?tag=ff0d01-20

 

[Oblio]

The other thing you can do is put a small pond pump with a hose in the Jerry Can, that would allow you to precondition the water before adding to the tank. Since I change 75 G at a time, I just add the conditioner to the tanks before filling with the Python from tap water. Or put a large tub or trash can next to tank, fill with Jerry Can, condition, and pump into tank.

 

[Essjay]

Or use my time consuming method of a bucket which hold 8 litres. I can't even lift that to I have to ladle the water into the tank with a jug. I'm not allowed a hose as I'm notoriously clumsy and would probably flood the house

 

[Slaphppy7]

+1 to the Python, as long as you have a faucet nearby that is compatible...makes weekly WC's MUCH easier to do

10PPM nitrAtes from the tap?....is this when using the API liquid test kit?.....are you near a farming town?

With the API liquid test kit, is it imperative when doing the nitrAte test that you shake the second bottle of reagent before adding to the test tube, otherwise you will get inaccurate results....shake like mad for two minutes or more, bang it on a desk, throw it against a wall, and shake some more...this is especially true for new tests, or ones that have not been used in some time...the reagent has crystals that will settle out of solution, you need to get those crystals BACK into solution for accurate results

 

[Oblio]

Or use my time consuming method of a bucket which hold 8 litres. I can't even lift that to I have to ladle the water into the tank with a jug. I'm not allowed a hose as I'm notoriously clumsy and would probably flood the house

I did that once, got distracted and tank overflowed, ran through the floor and into florescent light fixture in basement and on to the basement floor and stuff in storage.

 

[Essjay]

Dropping a bucket of water makes enough mess. I only spilled the top few inches but the carpet took days to dry out........

 

[Sprizmo]

+1 to the Python, as long as you have a faucet nearby that is compatible...makes weekly WC's MUCH easier to do

10PPM nitrAtes from the tap?....is this when using the API liquid test kit?.....are you near a farming town?

With the API liquid test kit, is it imperative when doing the nitrAte test that you shake the second bottle of reagent before adding to the test tube, otherwise you will get inaccurate results....shake like mad for two minutes or more, bang it on a desk, throw it against a wall, and shake some more...this is especially true for new tests, or ones that have not been used in some time...the reagent has crystals that will settle out of solution, you need to get those crystals BACK into solution for accurate results

Yeah its the API test kit. Read the instructions and did as it said. Shook the bottle for over a minute before using it, I was surprised but someone did mention earlier in the thread that some places in the UK have high Nitrate from the tap.

 

[Essjay]

The legal upper limit for nitrate is 50 ppm (measured on the nitrate-NO3 scale, the same as our test kits) Some places do have near that in their tap water.





[Some American members in the past expressed horror that the limit is 50 ppm while the limit in the USA is 10 ppm - but the US authorities use the nitrate-N scale and we need to multiply that by 4.427 to convert it to the nitrate-NO3 scale, which means that the US nitrate limit is 44.27 ppm on the same scale as the UK and our test kits]

 

[DaveInBracknell]

Don't want to be a party pooper but still kind of my thread and questions
So would the best option to be to go and get more plants when ready to start and then leave it for a few weeks and test regularly? Seen videos and other posts where people say that doing a fishless cycle with plants in can speed it up and doesn't have a detrimental effect.

Also got my test kit. Going to check pH now, already got the cup resting for 24 going so 1pm tomorrow that's ready for testing.

Sorry Sprizmo I'll start a new thread with this one, +1 Python have a small one myself for my tank not attached to tap just use the hand pump and away I go.

Dave

 

[Sprizmo]

Sorry Sprizmo I'll start a new thread with this one, +1 Python have a small one myself for my tank not attached to tap just use the hand pump and away I go.

Dave

It's no problem really. Just nobody answered my question is all

 

[Oblio]

DIY Filling Hook

 

[Sprizmo]

Okay so the results of the water in cup for 24 hours are in and they are:
pH is still 7.4
Nitrates is between 10ppm and 20ppm which is probably same as yesterday but maybe slightly higher as the colour looks deeper although I did shake the bottle much harder and longer than yesterday so maybe more accurate.

So pH looks stable at 7.4 which is good and surprising low for such hard water if I am correct? So I'm thinking of Kamaka and Crossing Rainbowfish and hoping that a Bristlenose Pleco from this area would be a good fit?!
Managed to get another 3 plants from Pets at Home who had a delivery so more plants coming in.