Have I Made A Mistake?

[JoelHoare]

So I've started my first aquarium with a 65l tank, and ELITE Stingray 15 filter - USED - I've had the tank running for a couple of days and I've added substrate, plants, rocks etc. The water is a little murky but i'm assuming that's due to the sand being stirred up while I was moving stuff around under water!?
 

 
Before I add ammonia and start cycling following the very helpful guide I've been directed to on this forum...
 
My main question is:
Should I have replaced the filter media before putting it in my tank? - OR - assuming the previous owner had a healthy tank, will this hopefully contain some of the helpful bacteria to bump start cycling?
 
My secondary questions are: 
- Should I keep the filter on? It seems like when its on, its just blowing around the cloudiness and debris that was kicked up from planting...I'm thinking I'll leave it off overnight to let things settle, then whack it on in the morning.
 
- Guy at my local LFS said to avoid guppies etc to start with and go with something more hardy like danios etc as my first fish are more likely to die...I've been told to take what these people say with a pinch of salt, so assuming I get my cycling right, get correct test readings etc, should I be OK to add any peaceful community fish? I was hoping for some Pygmy Cories, Red Cherry Shrimp and Guppies...
 
- Finally, what temp should I start at for cycling/keeping my plants happy? (I feel I may have rushed in a little with the plants as I just grabbed ones that looked nice)
 
Looking forward to receiving some advice...

 

[Ninjouzata]

You can keep the filter media if you like, though I'm very paranoid so would probably start cycle from scratch just to make sure

 
You want the filter on at all times, except maybe during water changes.
 
If you cycle your tank you should be fine with most fish. I would not put danios in this tank as they are generally recommended to have a 3-4ft long tank.
 
I -think- the fish you're wanting should be fine. Make sure you're cycling the tank following the article at the top of the page 'Cycling a Tank'. Have you already picked up some ammonia?
 
The cycling article recommends temperature to be 75-85F for cycling, I think that range should be fine for the plants.
 
If you want, perhaps take pictures of each type of plant and post them in a thread in the planted section to get an ID and some care information.
 
*Edit* I just remembered, I've heard of fish sometimes getting stuck behind this filter. Don't know how likely that is to happen though.

 

[sbenbow]

If the filter was previously used, and if it was allowed to "dry up" then the beneficial bacteria would have died anyway.  If it literally came from the previous owners tank, then it should have had some of the beneficial bacteria, although the beneficial bacteria would need ammonia / nitrates to keep on going - so I don't know if the beneficial bacteria would have "died" whilst just circulating water around for a few days.
 
As per the previous person's post, I would replace the used media with new media.  No chance of any diseases also being transmitted then.  Then you can just go straight into adding the ammonia for the fishless cycle.

 

[rms]

The previous owner may have decided to sell up due to fish death's, so the risk of disease/infection isn't worth it. So there's three no no's on the old media.
 
You'll find out soon enough if your LFS is a good one. Best to research or post on forums before following LFS advice.

 

[fluttermoth]

I would suggest you upgrade the filter anyway. Stingrays look okay but as a practical useful filter they're complete rubbish. There's hardly any space for media (certainly not enough to maintain a reasonable stocking) and, like Ninj, I've heard a lot of stories about fish getting stuck behind them.

 

[JoelHoare]

Last thing I want is dead fish, so I'm gonna buy a new filter. Any suggestions for good value brands? Ones to avoid? I'm looking for the cheapest thing that'll do the job enough to keep the fish and plants happy and healthy.
 
Thanks for the warnings...
 
I assume something like this is too cheap to be any good: http/tinyurl.com/p5vepea
 
Or this: http/tinyurl.com/p6tk9v4
 
Or should I get something more like this: http/tinyurl.com/qhxeeun
 
The filter that I've got came from a disease free tank as far as I'm aware so should I do a 100% water change when I swap it over or just put it in the current water?

 

[l_l_l]

I'd change the filter and get a decent HOB or sponge filter, cories like current so make sure you take that into account!

 

[fluttermoth]

All those filters will do the job perfectly well.
 
Go for the model up from the manufacturers recommendations though; you can always easily reduce the flow, if needs be.

 

[b3cca]

I don't buy what he said that your first fish are likely to die - yes for people who just buy anything without research and throw them all in a tank after a day that is true. But you have obviously researched a lot, are asking people here and are starting a fishless cycle doing everything the correct way.
 
If you have fully cycled the tank correctly then choosing fish that suit the P.H and hardness of your natural water supply is the best way.
All healthy fish from a good supplier should be perfectly fine if they are kept correctly and in the right conditions.