New tank lots of questions.

[kxgard3]

I bought a 2 gallon tank setup today and have a few questions.

First we put it all together and used a chemical that came with the tank called AquaSafe by TetraAqua, to condition the water I suppose.

My biggest concern is millions of tiny bubbles have attached to everything the tank side the rocks the fake plant. Will these go away?? Are they bad?

What type of fish would be good for this tank?

How do I know its ready?

Thanks

 

[Teelie]

2 gallons? Betta, Ghost Shrimp, African Dwarf Frog, Snails. That's about it. The bubbles are just air, they'll go away in a few hours or so and are totally harmless. The tank won't be cycled and ready for fish for a month or so.

 

[kxgard3]

Why so long? Every thing else I have read has said at most a week.

2 gallons...........yeah I am thinking of taking it back and getting a bigger tank. 1 inch of fish per gallon equals 2 fish..........not really what i was thinking.

 

[Teelie]

The Cycling thread will give you all the information you need on cycling and why it takes so long. The short of it is they take a month to colonize the aquarium.

 

[Alia]

Congratulations on your new tank! Yes, the bubbles are normal, and yes they will go away. Someone else can probably better articulate why they are there. Aquasafe is a water conditioner, that is correct. It neutralizes the chlorine and chloramine in tap water. Chlorine and chloramine are very bad for fish tanks.

When your tank is cycled, it will be ready. There is a pinned post about cycling somewhere -- I'll see if I can find it for you. Here, this one is good:
Alien Anna's Post

Two gallons is a very small tank, so your options are fairly limited. One betta of either sex, or perhaps one African dwarf frog. That's about it, really. Maybe you could keep two little honey gourami alive in there, but I would not recommend it. And whatever you put in, you will have to be really scrupulous about keeping the water clean.

I'm sure that is disappointing news, but for all that they are selling these small tanks like crazy, there is a reason that the 10 gallon size used to be about the smallest setup you could really get, other than for fry or to use as a hospital tank. 10 gallons is really about the bare minimum for most of the small fish that pet stores sell, even neons, and it is far too small for many fish. Just try to see yourself living the rest of your life in a space that you can traverse in a fraction of a second!

The good news is, bettas are very handsome and personable fish. Some people have multiple small tanks, all holding bettas, they like them so much. And a small tank done right is a good way to get your feet wet, so to speak. Just read that post and you will be on your way. Good luck!