I Guess It's Time To End The Hobby.

[CezzaXV]

If it's aquarium silicone (and it says so on the packaging and not just what the guy told you) and you followed the instructions, then it should be fine.

Dechlorinator should work pretty much instantly, though it won't hurt to leave it a few minutes afterwards if you have a paranoid streak like I do.

 

[FishBlast]

If it's aquarium silicone (and it says so on the packaging and not just what the guy told you) and you followed the instructions, then it should be fine.

Dechlorinator should work pretty much instantly, though it won't hurt to leave it a few minutes afterwards if you have a paranoid streak like I do.

That's the problem, I cannot be sure. He does have a lot of aquariums on sale and the aquarium was done within a day and the silicone hardened (exactly as aquarium silicone should do), but I have absolutely NO guarantee. Just his words.

Well, it's been a while since I've put the 30L in the tank (which should also keep the swordtail from jumping), but I am more paranoid about adding all 3 fish and I still need to get more sand, so the tank isn't finished. Dad has to get a polystyrene or other material lid for the tank until we can make a proper lid or get one.
If I'd add the male swordtail without a filter, I can still monitor the ammonia since I have a kit. It shouldn't reach too high within 3-4 hours so I could move him back to the older tank, as I'd still need to move the fish out once the sand is all here.

Or should I move them all to the big one if it's safe (including the filter) and then tomorrow move them back to old tank while adding sand (and maybe plants too) ?

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

They survived their first water change with dechlo yesterday (though I still left the bottle for about an hour, not sure if it is true how fast the dechlorinator acts on the water so better safe than sorry). Ammo was still 0 after 1 day of no water change.
Today I've tested, ammo still appears yellow. I'm expecting the new tank to be ready by tonight unless something else comes up. And I still need a few more kg of sand, I have 2 kg so far. How much would a 85x30 cm base tank need? Are around 10-12 kg enough?

Side note: The smell of the ammo kit tester drives my nose away all the way to the South Pole!

When I was fishless cycling, I obviously had a bottle of ammonia. I had no idea how badly it would smell. It practically blew my nose off. If I was ever of the mind to torture someone, I'd tie them to a chair and expose them to ammonia fumes every minute or two.

Ha! Excellent idea!

 

[FishBlast]

They survived their first water change with dechlo yesterday (though I still left the bottle for about an hour, not sure if it is true how fast the dechlorinator acts on the water so better safe than sorry). Ammo was still 0 after 1 day of no water change.
Today I've tested, ammo still appears yellow. I'm expecting the new tank to be ready by tonight unless something else comes up. And I still need a few more kg of sand, I have 2 kg so far. How much would a 85x30 cm base tank need? Are around 10-12 kg enough?

Side note: The smell of the ammo kit tester drives my nose away all the way to the South Pole!

When I was fishless cycling, I obviously had a bottle of ammonia. I had no idea how badly it would smell. It practically blew my nose off. If I was ever of the mind to torture someone, I'd tie them to a chair and expose them to ammonia fumes every minute or two.

Ha! Excellent idea!

Is it THAT bad though? I never got a good sniff of 100% ammonia, but turtle pool smelled like rotten eggs. And there was a rotten egg that once broke in my hands when I was a kid... That one stank worse!

 

[CezzaXV]

Really, it is that bad. Imagine the most intense chemical smell you can imagine, then make it painful. It doesn't just smell unpleasant, it's actually painful to smell, and if you get a strong enough whiff of it it'll carry on hurting for a little while after you've taken it away.

 

[FishBlast]

Really, it is that bad. Imagine the most intense chemical smell you can imagine, then make it painful. It doesn't just smell unpleasant, it's actually painful to smell, and if you get a strong enough whiff of it it'll carry on hurting for a little while after you've taken it away.

Doesn't it have this sour smell, like mixing rotten eggs + vinegar + some kind of fungus?

 

[micko]

Imagine walking into an old folks home, you know the smell, the smell of pure urine that hasn't been cleaned in a number of weeks, times that by 10 to the extent that it makes your eyes water.

 

[FishBlast]

Imagine walking into an old folks home, you know the smell, the smell of pure urine that hasn't been cleaned in a number of weeks, times that by 10 to the extent that it makes your eyes water.

Uhh I never walked into old folks home. But I do know the smell of urine when my cat was using the litter box LOL... that smell...
Well my eyes already water just by smelling the turtle pool 1-2 hours after it's used.

Side note: I'm still concerned about Tzuppy. He looks ok (color is deep brown), he breathes normal, but he hasn't surfaced to gulp air ever since I put him in and he has barely moved.
He was jumping over the sand and looking at it as if it's going to eat him alive. Then he landed in one spot next to his ball and he's been there for like 2 hours now.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Yeah it's something pretty impossible to imagine lol.

Just keep an eye on him - it's a totally new environment it'll take him some time to settle in

 

[FishBlast]

Yeah it's something pretty impossible to imagine lol.

Just keep an eye on him - it's a totally new environment it'll take him some time to settle in

In the past he did sit like a rock every water change and started moving about an hour later on. But it's been 2 hours since he sat in that one spot with his mouth next to his ball. He did greet my mom today though before landing on the sand.

And my swordtail just won't stop eating the substrate. Could this cause her any harm? She even swallowed some grains, others she just "filters" out.

 

[FishBlast]

Ah he moved a bit

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

hmmm well she's obviously a cory/swordtail hybrid...

 

[FishBlast]

hmmm well she's obviously a cory/swordtail hybrid...

Nah, but she's buddies with my Hoplo. I guess he's her mentor.
They do tend to hang around a lot.
But will this hurt her? She just started pooping some king-kong-sized weenies.

 

[Alm0stAwesome]

Weenies, you say?

lol

I have no idea if eating sand could hurt her though, sorry!

 

[FishBlast]

Weenies, you say?

lol

I have no idea if eating sand could hurt her though, sorry!

Lol. Well, fish poop.

I've read somewhere that fish might eat the substrate but no bad effects reported.
It's just a bunch of rocks though. But may hurt when they have to come out. X_X It's like that time when one goes to the bathroom and has to stay there an hour or so...
Substrate Ingestion by Tank Occupants
Says here that it may help with maintaining buoyancy and Bee has exhibited every night some kind of odd behavior when she swims tilted by about 10 degrees from her vertical axis. Maybe that's why she's doing this.