My new aquarium.

[Steve_wantz_u]

Hello all.

I have just filled a new aquarium and turned it on, all looks ok for now.

It is a smeall 20 litre tropical setup, I have put in some nice looking fack plants and a thermostat. I have also put the directed amount of STRESS ZYME and SAFE GUARD.

Everything has been well cleaned and it is all how I want it.

Now , as it is such a small tank, the instructions says that the maximum stocking capacity is

5 Large 2"
7 Medium 1.5"
10 small 1"

So my plan is...

Wait till wednesday to get my water tested at the local aquatic place.

If all is ok, add

2 x Platy
1 x Male guppy

then wait for several weeks..

then i would love to add 3 x neon tetra.

then wait weeks again....

then finaly add 1 more small , pretty comunity fish...


My questions are...

1/ Is this fish choice ok and in the right order?

2/ How do I change water , do I take out 25% and re fill with tap water then pop in the chemicals , do i put the chemicals in the new water first , if so for how long and do i have to heat it?

3/ I have a little carbon sack in the filter. It says remove after 3 weeks.. Should i replace it then or just take it out?

4/ Is there any more advice on offer from you good people.

Thanks in anticipation..


Steve

 

[fish_r_great]

Unless your lfs has proven themselves most people would tell you to test your water yourself

 

[Sondan]

OK here we go
1. I would only by the 1st guppy and leave him in there for a week or two. Then after that I would gradually add in more fish...say maybe one a week. Three fish immediately in the small contain will make a lot of poop. The bacteria will need some time to keep up and multiply. 6 fish is a bit much for a 5 gallon tank. (20 litres) But you can do it IF you keep good water changes.

2. Water changes- 25% a week is fine. For a 5 gallon tank I would keep one empty jug about the size of 4 or 5 litres and one filled with tap water. Let the tap water sit in the jug for atleast 24 hours. To me the extra chemicals you are adding are not needed as long as you let the water sit out. This is called aging your water. It allows all of the chlorine and harmful stuff to exit the water. Then once a week simply fill the empty jug from the tank and replace empty space in the tank with the aged water.

3. Filter- The carbon in the filter acts like a sponge. Since you can not empty it you will need to replace it.

4. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is don't overstock the tank...about 5 inches of fish will be a general rule for your tank. Also don't add them in quickly. I would take a few weeks personally to add them all in. One at a time over a period of time.

It is a smeall 20 litre tropical setup, I have put in some nice looking fack plants and a thermostat. I have also put the directed amount of STRESS ZYME and SAFE GUARD.

OK back to the chemicals. I think you will find that if you keep your tank clean and do the regular water changes you will not need these. I have never had a problem with diseases or sick fish except for when I first get them. If you want to keep buying the chemicals it is up to you but once your fish are settled try not using them and see if you can tell a difference. What these chemicals pretty much do is the exact same thing that just aging your water will do....and there are no extra costs or chemicals involved.

I know this was long but I hope it will help. Please let us know how it goes.
Signed,
Sondan

 

[Steve_wantz_u]

Hi Sondan,

I realy appreciate the info and your time.

You have helped me a lot and I will start with just one fish adding 1 more per week.

As for the final 3 neons, is it also best to add them 1 at a time as i thought they were unhappy alone. I undestand the imonia logic in delaying the stocking so do i add the neons 1 by 1 or wait 3 weeks and add all 3?

also, you say test the water yourself, if so test for just ph or everything? if just ph , which one ( i have seen little packets with 7.5 , 5.5 not sure but there are a few )

The local pet store said "we can sell you a full test kit but its better if we test the water, that way we can not only tell you what is wrong, we can also advise how to make it right"

Thanks for the info re water changes, i needed to know that... Based on the fact my tank is now 2 days old and is fishless, do i still change the water 25% in 5 days ( + 2 = 7 )

Thanks for the info so far and thanks for passing on more if you have time...

Ty

Steve

 

[Sondan]

As for the final 3 neons, is it also best to add them 1 at a time as i thought they were unhappy alone. I undestand the imonia logic in delaying the stocking so do i add the neons 1 by 1 or wait 3 weeks and add all 3?

OK Yes they are schooling fish but they can be kept by themselves and since you are only talking a few days I would not worry too much about it.

also, you say test the water yourself, if so test for just ph or everything? if just ph , which one ( i have seen little packets with 7.5 , 5.5 not sure but there are a few )

Honestly I do not test my water. IF I ever have a problem, which in 4 or 5 years I have not, I would take a water sample to your lfs (local fish store) and ask them to test it. They will generally do this for free just to keep you coming back. I personally do not think all this water testing is neccasary BUT there are some here who will disagree. To me if you just do regular water changes and keep your tank reasonably clean then why would there be a problem Again common sense should be used though. The biggest problem most people have, and it doesn't matter if it is fish, cars, or people, is that we don't hit the problem when we first notice it. A week later after most of the damage is done we go, "Oh I think there is a problem." The only piece of equipment that I am wanting to get for my own tanks is a pH meter. You can just get cheap little litmus paper tests kits that will work fine.

The local pet store said "we can sell you a full test kit but its better if we test the water, that way we can not only tell you what is wrong, we can also advise how to make it right"

Covered above But generally let them do it. OH YES!!! And this is sad to say but MANY fish store people DO NOT know what the heck they are doing. So make sure YOU understand AND agree with what they are saying.

Thanks for the info re water changes, i needed to know that... Based on the fact my tank is now 2 days old and is fishless, do i still change the water 25% in 5 days ( + 2 = 7 )

I would do more "smaller" water changes at first. Say 2 or 3 litres of water every 3 days. Then I would gradually back my way to the once a week routine. Again the water going into the tank MUST have set for atleast 24 hours before you use it.
I hope this has helped..if you need anymore just give a yell.
Signed,
Sondan

Added: Steve I would also add this: IF and I mean IF you think the lfs has nice clean well kept tanks ask them for a cup of water from their tanks. This water will already have the bacteria in it and help get your bacteria going. Kind of like a jump start.