Help to start - first 30L tank

[redtailshark34]

Does anyone know what I should do regarding this, does the heater need to be on or should it be off until I'm close to putting the fish in?

You can keep heater on or turn it off. It doesn’t really matter because it won’t effect anything, however the longer the heater is one for the more likely the water temperature will be evenly distributed.

 

[marklcfc]

#1 The safest way

Buy a test kit and a bottle of ammonia. Fill the tank with dechlorinated water. Follow the method I have you in post #2 then when you finish the cycle, do a big water change. Refill with dechlorinated water and go and buy fish.

Does gravel go into the tank during this or after when its all done and a water change is done?

I'm still confused by it all as I'm adding water conditioner which says its ammonia nitrate remover but then I'm also supposed to be adding it. What is this ammonia I'm supposed to add?

 

[redtailshark34]

Also things like this also confuse me I don't know what I have, combi boiler / hot water cylinder is beyond my knowledge. I have a tap for cold and hot water. I have a kettle for boiling water, that's all I know.

Usually I fill up a bucket of water in my room with lukewarm water, treat it with dechlorinator, and let it sit for a few minutes. I then will test and if all good add it to the tank.

 

[marklcfc]

Usually I fill up a bucket of water in my room with lukewarm water, treat it with dechlorinator, and let it sit for a few minutes. I then will test and if all good add it to the tank.

I always find hot water from the tap to be very misty, compared to cold water and boiled water from the kettle.

 

[redtailshark34]

Does gravel go into the tank during this or after when its all done and a water change is done?

Gravel should go in before, during, or after. I think it is easiest to put in before so that way you save yourself from a hassle later one and before putting it in make sure you rinse it off in warm water for a little bit just to clean off any dust, dirt, etc or you will have cloudy water later on.

 

[marklcfc]

Gravel should go in before, during, or after. I think it is easiest to put in before so that way you save yourself from a hassle later one and before putting it in make sure you rinse it off in warm water for a little bit just to clean off any dust, dirt, etc or you will have cloudy water later on.

How do you get all the water out but leave the gravel in if a full water change is needed before putting fish in?

 

[redtailshark34]

I always find hot water from the tap to be very misty, compared to cold water and boiled water from the kettle.

Fill the bucket up with the cold water and let it sit for a few days it should warm up, or you could use some boiled water from the kettle and cold water. Mix them together, and let it sit which should give you the temperature you are looking for,

 

[redtailshark34]

How do you get all the water out but leave the gravel in if a full water change is needed before putting fish in?

Vacuum all the gravel until there is no more water, any water trapped in the gravel will come out and then you can refill.

 

[FF_Member146894]

i'm lost
why would you need to do a 100% water change after the tank is cycled? wouldn't that defeat the purpose of cycling in the first place?

 

[marklcfc]

i'm lost
why would you need to do a 100% water change after the tank is cycled? wouldn't that defeat the purpose of cycling in the first place?

That’s what I thought but they are saying otherwise. I am very much lost and didn’t expect to have to spend a month getting it ready

 

[redtailshark34]

i'm lost
why would you need to do a 100% water change after the tank is cycled? wouldn't that defeat the purpose of cycling in the first place?

When cycling a tank it isn’t the water that cycles, but rather the filter and the filter cartilage.

Any sort of water changes (as long as water going in is dechlorinated) won’t harm the beneficial bacteria colony that are built up from the cycling process as they live in the filter and cartilage.

This is why when you rinse off a clogged filter you should only do so in a bucket of old tank water.

 

[redtailshark34]

That’s what I thought but they are saying otherwise. I am very much lost and didn’t expect to have to spend a month getting it ready

The hobby when first starting out can be very confusing. I remember not understanding cycling because none of it made any sense (often I thought what even is half of this stuff). Most kits you buy or people you talk to don’t really get it either. They say things like let the tank sit for 24 hours before buying fish, you can instantly add fish after treating this, etc.

As you slowly gather knowledge, the hobby can be quite fun. It took me a while to get the hang of it but when I did I wondered how I went so long without it.

Do you have any other questions as of right now ?

 

[marklcfc]

Has anyone got a link to the ammonia that is suggested I add?

 

[marklcfc]

Do you have any other questions as of right now

I don’t completely understand what to use to measure the ammonia / nitrate part. I’m not made of money and all this is adding up for two £4 fish

 

[marklcfc]

Do you have any other questions as of right now

Also when the fish are in do you have to keep measuring those readings and adding ammonia or is that just before the fish go in