New 29Gal Glass Aquarium.

[Snype2live]

I love fish keeping. I have a second hand glass 29gal aquarium, so it's not in the greatest condition. The filters are 2 Tetra Whisper Internal (10-30). Heater is a Tetra Submersible (10-30), keeps the temperature around 76 degrees Fahrenheit on cold days and 78 degrees Fahrenheit on warmer days. I have about an inch of natural river pebble substrate, and some artificial plants and decor. On the outside of the aquarium there is a stick on thermometer, and a magnetic algae scraper. The chemicals I have are: Start-zyme, aquarium salt, aqua-safe, algea-control, and wardley flake food. Medication is fungus clear tank buddies. The test kit I have is API Freshwater Mastertest Kit.

I been cycling it with just fish food( crushing up 3 flakes in tank every 12 hours) for a week. Today is the first day I have the materials to do a complete ammonia fish-less cycle. I have what i think is pure ammonia the label says ammonia hydroxide (with no phosphorus). It does not foam or feel any slicker then water in the hands and when I shake it. I also have been dosing it as the instructions say with start-zyme( I know most don't believe in it but i figured for 3 bucks it cant hurt anything, it can only help. So what should my next steps be? Also these next questions are for and about the forum. Do you all stay pretty active on threads? Also Could I keep this one thread open for my hole tank from cycling to stocking?

 

[waterdrop]

So now that you've got your ammonia, the next task is to figure out what quantity of -your- ammonia will raise your tank to 5ppm (parts per million) ammonia concentration. Read about how to do it in our main Fishless Cycling article by RDD in the Beginners Resource Center up at the top of this sub-forum. He explains how to use a bucket and eyedropper and some trial and error to figure it out. You can also use a syringe to help keep track of the ammonia amounts for your trial and error sessions. Once you get it all figured out you're going to dose the tank such that your liquid-reagent based ammonia test kit tells you that you're close to the 5ppm we like to start with.

Usually you'll then settle in for a week or so of nothing but if your fish flakes have given you a few A-Bacs you may find that they will process some of your ammonia sooner than that. Of course, study that fishless cycling article to get a feel for other things to expect.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Snype2live]

Thanks waterdrop it took 10mls with what I was measuring to get it to 4ppm (what my Api test kit goes to besides 8ppm). I just added 5mls and it brought it up to 2ppm so I just added that again and well it brought it up to 4pp or 4.5ppm cause before i added any my ammonia was at .5. Also a update my tap water parameters are 0ppm Ammonia, 0ppm Nitrate, 0ppm Nitrite, and pH, and my tank is closer to a 22g with y'all calculator and my math, but when I go to petsmart and look at there 29g aquariums the measurements are 29l,15h,12w so i think they messing people over on the actual size of tanks

 

[waterdrop]

yes, no matter how carefully you think you've planned, it is always better to come in low with your ammonia and then ease the concentration upwards with a series of tests. This helps to handle different actual tank volumes and different actual concentrations of the ammonia that comes out of the bottle. WD

 

[Man of fish]

My 29 gallon is 30Lx14Wx21H and on the calculators I've used it said 29 gallons. Dont know bout yours but mines a 29 or so gallon. Height may be 18 inches or 21 inches I forgot.

 

[Snype2live]

Ah see thats my problem mine only 29lx15hx12w

 

[Man of fish]

Wait are you in the uk us Australia or somewhere else cuz mines us gallons and yours might be imperial gallons.

 

[Snype2live]

I'm in United States of America, my measurements right now in inches are 29 long x 15 high x 12 wide

 

[Man of fish]

I got 22.61 blah blah something on the calculator I used so yeah.

 

[waterdrop]

wait, that seems strange.. my son's 28g is 19" tall and my old 29g tanks were always that tall or taller...

 

[Snype2live]

Yea so I guess I better update it. So what would be some good stocking options for this unfortunate 22g tank with ph of 8.2.

 

[waterdrop]

The way to get started with stocking (since it's so wide open) is to visit your shops and take notes. Keep track of fish that you like and then study them via the web or books. Propose your rough stocking ideas fairly early on and that should give the members some things to "push against".. I used to find that the members did better helping with the problems of proposed lists rather than suggesting fish from scratch. WD

 

[Snype2live]

well i would like either some dwarf groumis for the middle or some angel fish, and for the bottom some Cory's and I don't know about the top. Or I could go with just some sort of a ciclid tank, or straight Cory's. I don't really like molly's, platys.

 

[Snype2live]

I'm more worried about the ph cause 8.2 limits me to only a.ciclids. and my tanks to small for any of those. I really want a community tank or Cory tank.

 

[waterdrop]

Tank is not tall enough for angels unfortunately.

Are you sure about the 8.2 ph? That is unusually high for a municiple water system. Is that from a good liquid test kit and is the tap water and has it sat to get the CO2 out?

~~waterdrop~~