john connolly
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I am new to fishkeeping and setting up my first tank , do I need to add bacteria or something ?
first tank
- Thread starter john connolly
- Start date
Welcome to TFF.
There are a couple of informative articles on cycling a new tank in the "Cycle Your Tank" section, here:
http://www.fishforums.net/forums/cycle-your-tank.291/
There are a couple of informative articles on cycling a new tank in the "Cycle Your Tank" section, here:
http://www.fishforums.net/forums/cycle-your-tank.291/
Hi and welcome to the forum 
There are 2 ways to set up a new aquarium. You can either do a fish in cycle where you have a couple of fish in the tank while the filters develop colonies of good bacteria that help keep the water clean. You keep feeding down to 2-3 times per week and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding. And you do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0.
The other option is a fishless cycle where you set the tank up and add a source of ammonia each day for several weeks. You monitor the ammonia levels and wait and wait. After about 4-6 weeks the filters will have developed the beneficial/ good bacteria needed to keep the water clean and you can then add fish.
Both types of cycling take the same length of time (about 4-6 weeks). The main difference is you do a lot of water changes when doing a fish in cycle compared to a fishless cycle. However, you do get to have a couple of fish in the tank while the filters are developing. In a fishless cycle you have a tank with water, filter, and ornaments but no fish until it has cycled.
Fish living in an aquarium during a fish in cycle can suffer physical damage if the ammonia and nitrite levels get too high (above 0.25ppm) so there is more chance of them dying. But some people do fish in cycles because they want something in the tank.
-------------------------
Liquid bacterial supplements are available from pet shops and can help speed the cycling process up. If you use them, I recommend adding a double dose every day for the first week. try to add the supplement near the filter intake so the bacteria gets drawn into the filter where it is going to live.
-------------------------
Byron has posted a link to cycling filters. The following link has information on what to do if your fish gets sick. It is pretty long and boring but worth knowing. I recommend printing it out and reading it in bed to help fall asleep.
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/#post-3804819
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If you contact your local water supply company, they should be able to tell you what the general hardness (GH), carbonate hardness (KH) and pH of the water is. If they can't tell you, take a glass full of tank water to the local pet shop and ask them if they can test it for you. Write the results down in numbers when they do the test. Check with them to find out what the test results are in (eg: ppm or dGH), because they have different meanings.
While at the pet shop make a list of fish and plants you like and post that here along with the tank dimensions and water chemistry (pH, GH & KH). We can go through the list and make suggestions as to what will go well together.
There are 2 ways to set up a new aquarium. You can either do a fish in cycle where you have a couple of fish in the tank while the filters develop colonies of good bacteria that help keep the water clean. You keep feeding down to 2-3 times per week and do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate 4-8 hours after feeding. And you do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate any day you have an ammonia or nitrite reading above 0.
The other option is a fishless cycle where you set the tank up and add a source of ammonia each day for several weeks. You monitor the ammonia levels and wait and wait. After about 4-6 weeks the filters will have developed the beneficial/ good bacteria needed to keep the water clean and you can then add fish.
Both types of cycling take the same length of time (about 4-6 weeks). The main difference is you do a lot of water changes when doing a fish in cycle compared to a fishless cycle. However, you do get to have a couple of fish in the tank while the filters are developing. In a fishless cycle you have a tank with water, filter, and ornaments but no fish until it has cycled.
Fish living in an aquarium during a fish in cycle can suffer physical damage if the ammonia and nitrite levels get too high (above 0.25ppm) so there is more chance of them dying. But some people do fish in cycles because they want something in the tank.
-------------------------
Liquid bacterial supplements are available from pet shops and can help speed the cycling process up. If you use them, I recommend adding a double dose every day for the first week. try to add the supplement near the filter intake so the bacteria gets drawn into the filter where it is going to live.
-------------------------
Byron has posted a link to cycling filters. The following link has information on what to do if your fish gets sick. It is pretty long and boring but worth knowing. I recommend printing it out and reading it in bed to help fall asleep.
http://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-to-do-if-your-fish-gets-sick.450268/#post-3804819
-------------------------
If you contact your local water supply company, they should be able to tell you what the general hardness (GH), carbonate hardness (KH) and pH of the water is. If they can't tell you, take a glass full of tank water to the local pet shop and ask them if they can test it for you. Write the results down in numbers when they do the test. Check with them to find out what the test results are in (eg: ppm or dGH), because they have different meanings.
While at the pet shop make a list of fish and plants you like and post that here along with the tank dimensions and water chemistry (pH, GH & KH). We can go through the list and make suggestions as to what will go well together.
john connolly
New Member
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- Jan 15, 2019
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hi my tank is 100x40 cm it is a freshwater tank I started in on Monday , so far I have had it going at 26 degrees c , I have dechlorinated the water and put I aqua evolution balls to clear the water.i am waiting on live bacteria coming in the post
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