Newbie Checking In

[FlyingFish78]

Hi everyone!

I'm completely new to fishkeeping and as a result have been doing lots of google research lately on the subject. This forum seems to appear more often than not in the search results so that's why I chose it to make a profile. Anyway, it's great to be here and I look forward to making a contribution in the months amd years ahead.

Brief bio: 35 year old man based in the South of England. Never kept fish before. My partner and I just purchased a Fluval Roma 240 and we're extremely excited about the prospect of keeping fish.

Great forum!

 

[508]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

 
The Beginners Resource Center is great for new fish keepers so make sure to give some of the topics a read, especially the first few about cycling.
 
240 litres sure is a lot of space, do you plan on planting the tank? Make sure to post a journal when you start getting things set up and feel free to ask us any questions!

 
 

 

[Ch4rlie]

Hello and 

to the forum.
 
Glad to have you aboard.
 
Have a read of this before you consider buying fish, would recommend you fishless cycle your tank.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/
 
Hope you enjoy the forum.

 

[Ninjouzata]

to TFF! Hope you enjoy it here.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

to the forum.
 
Make sure to do tons of research before buying fish, which you seem to already be doing, which is great
 
I look forward to following your progress when you set up your tank and stock it

 

[FlyingFish78]

Hello everyone and thanks for your warm welcome.

 
240 litres sure is a lot of space, do you plan on planting the tank?

  

I eventually plan on replacing all the plastic plants with real ones. I wasn't helped by the fact my LFS told me that plastic plants are better and advised me to use a straight builder's gravel substrate. Upon further research, apparently fish prefer a natural environment; so it would have been nice to lay a proper substrate first...

 
Have a read of this before you consider buying fish, would recommend you fishless cycle your tank.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first/

My LFS recommended cycling for 3 days prior to inserting the first fish. Again, after some research I decided to cycle for 2 weeks (to do things properly and minimize fish suffering). Following the advice of a certain well known UK fishkeeper (youtube video) I began cycling using nutrifin cycle. I later found out this is not the best way to cycle... Oh well... You live and learn. Not that it mattered much anyway because 4 days ago....

DISASTER STRUCK...

I did a 50% water change + gravel hoover for practice and forgot to dechlorinate the new water

Silly me... I won't be doing that again!

Anyway, I tested the water after 3 days of nutrifin cycle and both ammonia and nitrite were zero, so yesterday I took the decision to begin gradually introducing fish and do a fish-in cycle if necessary. I added 6 zebra danios because I heard they're just about the hardiest fish for beginners. These were added last night amd so far they're doing well. I'll do a water test later to keep a check on the ammonia and nitrites.

And to think the LFS made this hobby sound so simple!

 

[Ryan10]

 Lfs always make it sound easy....just add water.   Just stick with it, it gets easier.  Just take your time with it and try not to rush anything.  You will be setting up your second tank before you know it.

 

[Ch4rlie]

To be honest, LFS advice is not always the best.

Am afraid to say that your LFS advice is not quite accurate. In reality they're saying to do a fish in cycle which we in this forum do not advise to do at all. Most of the time LFS basically say whatever to make a sale of their products, not ALL LFS are like this however, the exception is sadly all too rare really.

I'd suggest you read that article on Fishless Cycle which I linked for you.

2 weeks cycle is not really enough time to do a fish in cycle or even a Fishless cycle unless you have good mature media from an established tank or a good bottle of nitrifying live bacteria.

Fish keeping hobby is an ever learning process and lessons are learned all the time.

 

[FlyingFish78]

 Lfs always make it sound easy....just add water.   Just stick with it, it gets easier.  Just take your time with it and try not to rush anything.  You will be setting up your second tank before you know it.

I already bought the 2nd tank yesterday a 15 litre bi0rb for use as a hospital tank.

Ch4rlie, what brand of nitrifying bacteria would you recommend, and is this something which can be added with live fish in the tank?

 

[Ch4rlie]

I have a thread here with 2 brands of nitrifying bacteria that is recommended. Also has ammonia, but that really for fishless cycle, do NOT add ammonia if you have live stocking in your tank apart from live plants.
 
And yes, you can add the bacteria to the tank with live stocking.
 
Dr Tim's One and Only and Tetra Safe Start tend to be the two that works best, have a look on the thread for pic and where you could get one of these.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/427161-ammonia-and-bacteria-starter-sources/

 

[Tongue_Flicker]

Hi welcome aboard!

 

[FlyingFish78]

I have a thread here with 2 brands of nitrifying bacteria that is recommended. Also has ammonia, but that really for fishless cycle, do NOT add ammonia if you have live stocking in your tank apart from live plants.
 
And yes, you can add the bacteria to the tank with live stocking.
 
Dr Tim's One and Only and Tetra Safe Start tend to be the two that works best, have a look on the thread for pic and where you could get one of these.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/427161-ammonia-and-bacteria-starter-sources/

Thanks for this, it looks like the answer to my prayers! Based on the glowing amazon reviews I've just ordered a bottle of Tetra Safe Start. I'll wait for ammonia to pick up a bit before adding it. Cheers Ch4rlie.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

 

I have a thread here with 2 brands of nitrifying bacteria that is recommended. Also has ammonia, but that really for fishless cycle, do NOT add ammonia if you have live stocking in your tank apart from live plants.
 
And yes, you can add the bacteria to the tank with live stocking.
 
Dr Tim's One and Only and Tetra Safe Start tend to be the two that works best, have a look on the thread for pic and where you could get one of these.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/427161-ammonia-and-bacteria-starter-sources/

Thanks for this, it looks like the answer to my prayers! Based on the glowing amazon reviews I've just ordered a bottle of Tetra Safe Start. I'll wait for ammonia to pick up a bit before adding it. Cheers Ch4rlie.
 

 
Don't wait... add it immediately.
I posted a rather lengthy response on your other thread about the fish-in process.... I hope it helps you.

Incidentally, ALL cycling products, like this are completely worthless unless you are adding a source of ammonia.
 
 
Nutrafin cycle is, unfortunately, not very good.   And even if it were, without an ammonia source being added to the tank, the ammonia and nitrite would ALWAYS be zero.

 

[FlyingFish78]

 

 

I have a thread here with 2 brands of nitrifying bacteria that is recommended. Also has ammonia, but that really for fishless cycle, do NOT add ammonia if you have live stocking in your tank apart from live plants.
 
And yes, you can add the bacteria to the tank with live stocking.
 
Dr Tim's One and Only and Tetra Safe Start tend to be the two that works best, have a look on the thread for pic and where you could get one of these.
 
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/427161-ammonia-and-bacteria-starter-sources/

Thanks for this, it looks like the answer to my prayers! Based on the glowing amazon reviews I've just ordered a bottle of Tetra Safe Start. I'll wait for ammonia to pick up a bit before adding it. Cheers Ch4rlie.
 

 
Don't wait... add it immediately.

I posted a rather lengthy response on your other thread about the fish-in process.... I hope it helps you.

Incidentally, ALL cycling products, like this are completely worthless unless you are adding a source of ammonia.
 
 
Nutrafin cycle is, unfortunately, not very good.   And even if it were, without an ammonia source being added to the tank, the ammonia and nitrite would ALWAYS be zero.
 


 
Thanks for this, eaglesaquarium, I'll add it as soon as it arrives.
 
Yes, Nurtafin Cycle isn't very good and I look forward to receiving the Tetra Safe Start. And there sure is a source of ammonia now with 6 Zebra danios in there. BTW I just tested 24hrs after putting them in and ammonia and nitrate were zero.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Nutrafin cycle can do 'that', but it doesn't lead to 'cycling' your tank. 
 
 
Let me explain, the bacteria that are in the Cycle product are NOT the ones that naturally inhabit a mature fish tank.  So, unless you continually add that product UNTIL the other bacteria come, they won't do a thing.  And they will prolong the amount of time, as they will be competing for the ammonia that the OTHER bacteria, the ones that ARE found in a mature fish tank.
 
 
You've made a better choice with SafeStart.