Now To The Hoby New To The Site!

[Tish Fank]

hi guys!!
this is areally great site, it seems like there is a really great community on here so thanks to whoever writes the articles and takes care of the site, i can see a healthy obsetion forming.

so ill be getting my set up this week and starting the fish-less cycling fun. i think i have just about got my head arroun the nitrogen cycle and how important that side of things are. it seems like the whole tank is alive not just the fish (obvious to you guys im sure but a new cincept to a total novis like myself)

so you guessed it ...here are my nowbie questions

1. so would i be right in thinking, in a very basic fassion that cycling goes like this... set up tank just how you want it just without fish, dechlorinate add amonia and do water tests every day. if readings come down on their own then let tank cycle till amonia and nitrite levels are a zero. if amonia levels are continually high do 10% water change a couple of times a week? have i interprited the info correctly or am i just totally missing something?

2. im getting a 3 ft tank and my 2 favort fish so far are the golden nugit pleco and the betts i know the plcosare very sensative and need stable conditions but after i have gained a bit more exsperience with more robust fish is there any reason the betta and golden nugit pleco cant be in the same tank??

i have many other questions but ill keep a lid on it for now.

cheers

tish fank

 

[OldMan47]

Welcome to the site Tish Fank.
1. You are mixing fish-in and fishless methods sort of. You do add some ammonia to get up to around 5 ppm but then you watch it come down and when it gets to zero, you dose it back up to 5 ppm. Eventually the live filter bacteria will be able to move all of the ammonia through to nitrites in 12 hours or less. Once that is happening, you keep adding some ammonia daily until the nitrites are also being processed through to nitrates in the same 12 hours. At that point you will have enough of both types of bacteria to support a good sized fish population. After you have established the bacteria, you do a huge water change to get rid of the nitrates that have accumulated and you can get the fish to put in. Once you have fish in the tank, you start doing regular partial water changes to keep the nitrates from building up so high again. It is that simple until you run into some minor troubles along the way. For those situations, we are here to help you work your way through them.

2. A betta is not a sensitive fish. It makes a very nice first fish or a tank but is not going to be enough by himself to keep a 3 foot tank cycled. He will need some mates in with him to keep the filter bacteria thriving. I like the common livebearers for that but you could also use fish like zebra danios or rasboras depending on your water hardness. The common livebearers usually do better if the water is hard while zebras or rasboras will work fine in softer water.

 

[Tish Fank]

thanks a lot mate, that makes more sense now, im sure ill be back a many times for advice!

 

[waterdrop]

Where is Huddersfield, Tish?

~~waterdrop~~
ps. welcome to TFF!

 

[Tish Fank]

Where is Huddersfield, Tish?

~~waterdrop~~
ps. welcome to TFF!

huddersfield is in the north of england. the least tropical place on earth!

 

[waterdrop]

 

[youngfisher]

sent you a message fish tank.

 

[Tish Fank]

sent you a message fish tank.

so did you go with the fish-in cycle ot the fishless cycle?? let me know how it goes, im goping to get my set up this week and very much looking forward to it!!

 

[youngfisher]

i went for the fish-in cycle. still a very much beginner myself dont fully understand teh cycle process etc. so im just doing trial and error for now