Noobie Would Like Some Advice Please

[Tropical_Noobie]

Hi to all who reads!

I have just bought a tank, it's a Rekord 60(61 x 31 x 36cm)it has come with filter/pump/15w tube and heater. I have filled it with water/dechlorinated, I have also put in a piece Bog wood. Please see below:
I have ordered a bunch of live plants from good old ebay along with some plant food!(not sure what one's yet as they are randomly picked from too many to mention at the moment)
My intension is to get the plants up and runnig first then add some fish (not sure what one's yet) Anyway I didn't realise that there was a bit more involved than just planting them in the tank add fish and off you go untill I came accross this fourm
I have tried to understand bits and bob's I have read already but must admit it is all a little confusing for a neebie like me!
I am looking for any advice in laymans terms? in a step by step guide as I am a bit on the thick side lol.
Thanks for looking
Clint.

 

[chrisbassist]

Ok, step by step would be.

Set up tank.
Do fishless cycle
add plants and fish

the are some good explanations of a fishless cycle if you look around. But basically boils down to:
add ammonia to 5ppm. Once it reaches 0, top up to 5ppm.
Repeat last step until ammonia and nitrite are both being cleared in 12 hours.

Do you have a test kit?

 

[Wills]

Okay if there are no fish in there now you are here at the best time to start. With fish keeping there are a lot of things you dont get told in shops or books but you do find on the internet and they do work. The main thing is the fishless cycle which takes about 5 weeks of adding pure ammonia to the tank, you avoid the risk of death and disease in the early stages of the tank. Just worth mentioning though that this cycle takes part if you add fish straight away as well - Ill explain....

When there are fish present in water a natural cycle of chemicals happens as a result of the fish poo. Its called the nitrogen cycle and goes like this -

Fish poo = Ammonia = Nitrite = Nitrate

Ammonia and Nitrite are highly toxic to fish however there are certain types of bacteria that will grow in your filter or in any fast flowing parts of water in the world that will deal with these toxins in the water and as a result life can thrive in there.

So as I was saying this cycle happens all the time and keeps the water clean but when a tank is new like yours (or anyone buying a fish tank) there is no bacteria present to keep the ammonia and nitrite under control so they spiral off till the bacteria colony eats it all up and as a result the fish in the tank are exposed to what is essentially poison. This is why you often hear of people getting a fish tank and then giving up after a month or so because all the fish die from ammonia poisoning.

The fishless cycle comes in at the ammonia point, we totally bypass the fish and their poo and add pure house hold ammonia to the tank its actually a cleaning product but its the same stuff that fish poo produces. So I would strongly recommend you do this route it really is easy, stress free and gives you a good amount of time to plan your tank properly for you to get the most enjoyment out of it whilst giving your fish the best possible home.

So shopping list time!
1 bottle of pure household ammonia - if your in the UK you can get this from boots or homebase
1 syringe - to measure the ammonia out and adding to the tank
1 API master test kit - these test kits are available from most pet stores and will help you monitor the ammonia and nitrite levels in the tank whilst you are in the cycling stages, it will also be useful for you to have while the tank runs as it will help you diagnose problems if they arise later on.

Then I would recommend starting a thread in the new tank section called a fishless cycle diary and post your water test results each day and other members will be able to help you work out when to add fish

Once you have your ammonia you will want to start adding a certain amount each day, if you look at the top of the page you will see a calculator section and on there it will tell you how much ammonia you need each day when you enter in your tanks capacity.

Hope thats helped clear things up and dont forget there are a lot of excellent articles in the begginers resources section to help you on your way

BTW had you thought about what fish you want yet?

Wills

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

Thanks for your quick reply and advice thus far Gent's !

I do have a 6 in one test strips (TETRA 6 IN 1 AQUARIUM WATER /TROPICAL TEST KIT) and am waiting for a API Freshwater Master test kit to arrive (should be tomorrow)

I have had a look at the calculator you mentioned Wills but am unsure on how to input the correct information ?

I will pop to my local chemist tomorrow and buy some ammonia & syringe so I can start the fishless cycle and post it on the new tank section fishless cycle diary as you advised.

As far as to what fish I will put in the tank ? not to sure yet! but by the looks of thing I have a little while to look befor my tank is ready for them I have also noticed that some fish sre not compatable with others! So I will have to be carfull b4 buying!

I noticed chrisbassist that you mentioned that I should cycle then add plants/fish, I was wondering what and were is the best to store the plants I have just orded ( boo boo my mistake )as I would like to save them if poss ( not that i'm tight lol.
Clint.

 

[BethK]

The test strips aren't 100% accurate, compared to the bottled stuff. You can buy normal ammonia testing stuff from boots, garden centres and ebay, cheaper than the branded stuff x

 

[Tropical_Noobie]

The test strips aren't 100% accurate, compared to the bottled stuff. You can buy normal ammonia testing stuff from boots, garden centres and ebay, cheaper than the branded stuff x

Thanks for the tip bethk I will keep it in mind as I have already bought the API Freshwater Master test kit from ebay and I am waiting for it to turn up !

Could I ask you or anyone else looking how to input the correct infomation into the Fishless Cycling calculator mentioned by Wills ?

Thanks in advance
Clint.

 

[Night61]

i would isolate or rinse the plants off before putting them in a tank, thats where hitch hiker snails hide.

 

[chrisbassist]

You cannput the plants in now if you like. It just means you'll need to run the lights. Which can cause algae issues in the cycle.

But if you don't mind cleaning the tank out before putting the fish in it'll be fine.

 

[Dan-CR4]

using the calculator is easy mate, just put in how many litres your tank is. what ppm of ammonia you want your tank to be at, which at the start of a fishless cycle is 5ppm and the % of ammonia in solution, if you use the boots ammonia it will be 9.5%. it will then tell you how much ammonia you need to put in the tank to get you round to the 5ppm mark.

if you read the fishless cycle tutorial, that will get you started.

this is a friendly forum. I joined here not too long ago and saw a fishless cycle through with the help from these guys. just be a bit more patient and drop the attitude and you will get the help you need. also quite a few people did reply to you, if they did not answer the question you needed answering, all you had to do was ask again.

 

[lljdma06]

using the calculator is easy mate, just put in how many litres your tank is. what ppm of ammonia you want your tank to be at, which at the start of a fishless cycle is 5ppm and the % of ammonia in solution, if you use the boots ammonia it will be 9.5%. it will then tell you how much ammonia to put in the tank.

if you read the fishless cycle tutorial, that will get you started.

this is a friendly forum. I joined here not too long ago and saw a fishless cycle through with the help from these guys. just be a bit more patient and drop the attitude and you will get the help you need. also quite a few people did reply to you, if they did not answer the question you needed answering, all you had to do was ask again.

Just be patient. Different time zones are represented here.

 

[Dan-CR4]

Just be patient. Different time zones are represented here.

why was i qouted? i was just answering his post thats now been deleted?

 

[lljdma06]

Just be patient. Different time zones are represented here.

why was i qouted? i was just answering his post thats now been deleted?

On my iPhone, it wouldn't let me post any other way. Sorry.

Switched to my laptop, so now I can do some damage.