Looking To Join This Beautiful Hobby

[waterdrop]

Fish tank arrived today and i got it set up in the corner.
I also got the internal filter removed within 5 mins with no bother.
Just awaiting my new filter before i start adding the water.

Exciting day, congratulations! Its fun, mucking with your new hardware isn't it

 

[timoregan79]

Hi Jay,
Thanks for the info,
Just bought my pump, Airline, Non return valves and air stones off ebay for €40. It would of cost me double that to buy the in cork.
I also got some bog wod, stones and some silk plants off and irsh site for around €60.
My filter should be arriving tomorrow or friday.
The sooner the better at least then i can get my tank started and add the other parts as i go.
Also can i use the heater from the internal filter.
From what i understand all i have to so is buy the suctionj cups.
I also bought the API complete testing kit from ebay as i read here this is a good one to buy.
Could you also reccomend a good thermometer.
I am also stuck at the moment between the black stone or the sand.
I have asked for advice already on this but i am still unsure.
Sorry if i am repeating myself in my comments but i am so excited getting into this great hobby. (or should i call it a lifestyle)

 

[timoregan79]

Hi Waterdrop,
Your right it is fun,
I wanted to leave work early today just to come home and set up the tank.
Cant wait untill my filter arrives so that i can get started properly.

 

[mark.w.jones]

As long as the thermometers are glass ones then they're fine. Its worth buying 2 just to be on the safe side. Gravel or sand has been discussed to death in this forum. I have one sand tank and one with black gravel and love them both. Gravel hides mess better but is not great for bottom feeders, however I only have one bottom feeder in that tank. Sand looks more natural in my opinion but gets messy quicker and is trickier to clean. I also find it more difficult to anchor plants in initally. However, once rooted they are fine.

 

[timoregan79]

As long as the thermometers are glass ones then they're fine. Its worth buying 2 just to be on the safe side. Gravel or sand has been discussed to death in this forum. I have one sand tank and one with black gravel and love them both. Gravel hides mess better but is not great for bottom feeders, however I only have one bottom feeder in that tank. Sand looks more natural in my opinion but gets messy quicker and is trickier to clean. I also find it more difficult to anchor plants in initally. However, once rooted they are fine.

I think i will lean more towards the black graver as i am a newbie and it will help for me to get the experiance.
If it comes to it i can always change it in the future.
I am going with the fake silk plants as ithis also comes down to an experiance thing.

 

[waterdrop]

Yeah, there is no right or wrong, just these different approaches to learn and lots of them work. I've experienced the same thing of wanting, in my head, to try all the approaches at once, sand, gravel, etc., but you kind of have to do each in its correct manner and just learn about that one and then perhaps have a different tank to try another one.

I made the same choice as you, to go with traditional gravel, in order to fully experience this thing about gravel-cleaning that I was trying to understand in a deeper way than I had years ago. It all sounds kind of simplistic now but I found it kind of awesome: The thing of always doing a gravel clean combines with doing water changes which combines with the whole thing of having a good biofilter and the three things together is much greater than the sum of these 3 maintenance items, its nothing short of amazing how beautifully this can maintain the water for tropical fish.

Its made me feel like finally I've proven to my own satisfaction that the simple gravel based "beginner" community tank is truly a viable environment, able to be maintained and run continuously with the fish being unhindered by "flaws" in the overall system. The 3 things just mesh together so powerfully: the gravel cleaning happening each week just never lets the debris and nitrates take over. The water change each week does a "reset" of the water chemistry by ridding the tank of all sorts of unknown organics and excess nitrates and brings in a fresh batch of calcium, magnesium and other things needed by the tank occupants. Meanwhile the biofilter constantly removes the two major toxins and can keep doing this forever if you do good filter maintenance. The filter itself assists with the debris removal and circulates the water, keeping the bacteria alive and helping oxygen exchange. Its sort of amazing how well it all works.

But that's only one avenue! You can do a similar sort of thing with sand and the gravel cleaning changes but the whole thing still works. You can do any of several approaches to a "planted tank" and a whole bunch of the processes you do are different skills to learn, some overlap, but definately different. Anyway, I guess those of us that for whatever reason can't have a lot of tanks (yet) just have to work on one thing at a time and just try to learn about and imagine the others!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[timoregan79]

Hi,
I received my filter today Fluval 405.
This thing is a beast. Up and running in no time.
Extremely easy to set up and had it running in 5 mins after tank was full.
The tank is running away at the moment with crushed coral sand in it and all the water was dechlorinated.
Could be waiting until monday for my test kit so i am going to wait till then to start adding the amonia and start cycling.
Is ths OK. Also he water is crystal clear at the moment and looks great even empty.
Also the filter i keep having to check as you can not even hear it running.
As far as setup i would reccommend it to anyone.