Rebuilding an old abandoned 29g

[wgoldfarb]

I wish your new one could be a little bigger and not same size!

Unfortunately I need to stick to this size tank. I built the stand to fit it perfectly, so the stand cannot take a bigger tank, and I don't really want to have to buy a new stand. A bigger tank would also likely mean a bigger filter, light... The expenses can build up quickly! I'll keep it simple for now

By the way, how many litres are exactly one gallon?

One gallon is 3.78 l. So 29 gallons is approximately 110 l.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Just found this thread, not sure why it took so long (?)....I'm very glad to see you getting back into the hobby, Goldie

 

[wgoldfarb]

Just found this thread, not sure why it took so long (?)....I'm very glad to see you getting back into the hobby, Goldie

Thank you! It's been long overdue! I actually spent some time reading my old journal... a LOT of time: that was quite an active thread, and we weren't always exactly on topic ! It was a good refresher, and I took notes of a few tricks I learned along the way but had forgotten... (Are you still using pant hangers to hold the bags when you acclimate your fish?)

 

[Slaphppy7]

(Are you still using pant hangers to hold the bags when you acclimate your fish?)

LOL, had forgotten about that trick...nah, nowadays, I actually have a QT tank, and prefer plop-and-drop, after temp acclimation...the hanger method was for adding tank water to the bags, which I don't bother with anymore..

 

[wgoldfarb]

LOL, had forgotten about that trick...nah, nowadays, I actually have a QT tank, and prefer plop-and-drop, after temp acclimation...the hanger method was for adding tank water to the bags, which I don't bother with anymore..

So you temp acclimate, and then net the fish into your QT? That's too easy. You shouldn't find easier way to do things. Where is the fun in that?

Imagine there are many things we do "out of an abundance of caution" when first starting that eventually get left behind. I remember I used to rinse the filter and all filter media in tank water every time I cleaned it. Then you told me that you rinse your ceramic media in dechlor or tank water but some of your filter pads in tap water. I was mildly shocked... But then tried it myself and never looked back!

 

[Slaphppy7]

So you temp acclimate, and then net the fish into your QT? That's too easy. You shouldn't find easier way to do things. Where is the fun in that?

Imagine there are many things we do "out of an abundance of caution" when first starting that eventually get left behind. I remember I used to rinse the filter and all filter media in tank water every time I cleaned it. Then you told me that you rinse your ceramic media in dechlor or tank water but some of your filter pads in tap water. I was mildly shocked... But then tried it myself and never looked back!

LOL...yep, as I've gotten older, I find that I adhere to the KISS method, in many of my daily/weekly activities..."Keep It Simple, Stupid!"

Yep, filter media in old tank water, all other filter parts under hot tap water...and after I joined THIS forum, I found that...*gasp*...some here even rinse their FILTER MEDIA in chlorinated tap water!

The theory is that not only do BB grow in our filters, but all areas of the tank...and after a tank is established, the BB in our filters is actually minimal, compared to the BB colonies in substrate, on deco and plants, etc.....but I'll be the first to admit, I'll never wash my media in tap water, as sound as that theory may be...it's just too easy to bail a few cups of tank water into a clean bowl, and rinse my media in that...I'll always ere on the side of caution

 

[wgoldfarb]

I found that...*gasp*...some here even rinse their FILTER MEDIA in chlorinated tap water!

The theory is that not only do BB grow in our filters, but all areas of the tank...and after a tank is established, the BB in our filters is actually minimal, compared to the BB colonies in substrate, on deco and plants, etc.....but I'll be the first to admit, I'll never wash my media in tap water, as sound as that theory may be...it's just too easy to bail a few cups of tank water into a clean bowl, and rinse my media in that...I'll always ere on the side of caution

Yeah, i read that too. I'm definitely not ready to take that leap. I make enough mistakes, I need to be as safe as I can wherever I can!

 

[Tacocat]

I don't wash my filter media, because my tank is I believe on the verge of overstocked or slightly overstocked, so I want to keep it on the safe side. What I did do however, is when doing the water change, take the sponge component out and squeeze it out in old tank water, and take the filter media out while squeezing, then putting it back in when water change is done.

 

[Essjay]

Most of the members who wash media in tap water have heavily planted tanks which have been running for years. They have very few bacteria present because of the plants, and those few are spread out all over the tank. Killing the few which are in the media won't affect their water conditions. The biofilm also protects the bacteria.

In newly cycled tanks, the biofilm isn't fully developed so tap water can harm the bacteria.
In newly planted tanks, tanks with just a few slow growing plants and tanks with no live plants there are a lot more bacteria which can potentially be harmed.

So very heavily planted tanks which have been running for years will probably be OK if the media is washed in tap water. For all other tanks, it is safer to use old tank water to wash the media.

 

[wgoldfarb]

Most of the members who wash media in tap water have heavily planted tanks which have been running for years. They have very few bacteria present because of the plants, and those few are spread out all over the tank. Killing the few which are in the media won't affect their water conditions. The biofilm also protects the bacteria.

In newly cycled tanks, the biofilm isn't fully developed so tap water can harm the bacteria.
In newly planted tanks, tanks with just a few slow growing plants and tanks with no live plants there are a lot more bacteria which can potentially be harmed.

So very heavily planted tanks which have been running for years will probably be OK if the media is washed in tap water. For all other tanks, it is safer to use old tank water to wash the media.

Thank you for the explanation, makes a lot of sense!

 

[Slaphppy7]

Most of the members who wash media in tap water have heavily planted tanks which have been running for years. They have very few bacteria present because of the plants, and those few are spread out all over the tank. Killing the few which are in the media won't affect their water conditions. The biofilm also protects the bacteria.

In newly cycled tanks, the biofilm isn't fully developed so tap water can harm the bacteria.
In newly planted tanks, tanks with just a few slow growing plants and tanks with no live plants there are a lot more bacteria which can potentially be harmed.

So very heavily planted tanks which have been running for years will probably be OK if the media is washed in tap water. For all other tanks, it is safer to use old tank water to wash the media.

So....do you rinse your media in tap water?...........

 

[Essjay]

I rinse mine in old tank water. I know I have virtually no bacteria in my filter media but I still can't use tap water as I've been so well indoctrinated about using old tank water



(Took some mature media for the quarantine tank and ended up doing a 6 week fishless cycle before it was safe to use the QT, so virtually no bacteria in the mature media)

 

[FishHobby99]

Here is an early picture of my tank before I abandoned it. The picture isn't great, but will give you an idea of what it looked like. If I remember correctly at this point I had already added Otos, Red Phantoms and Green Neons, but the Cories and Endlers were yet to come:

View attachment 147632

And now, please brace yourselves, as I am about to post pictures of what the tank looks like now. As they say on TV, sensitive viewers may wish to look away

The few inches of water left... probably full of decomposing dead fish and plants. And no, the dark water isn't caused by tannins... it's just disgustingly dirty and murky. You can barely see inside!
View attachment 147635

A view from the side:
View attachment 147636

A detailed look at the substrate from the other side. That sand used to be natural color, a sort of tan or beige (you can see a sliver of the original color in the picture above):
View attachment 147633

I worked up the courage to remove the lid and take a look inside:
View attachment 147637

And another look inside:
View attachment 147638

Horrors! What a brave man you are to tackle such a rehabilitation project.
I like that red plant. People are telling me I can’t do red without CO2.
Is it so?

 

[Slaphppy7]

Horrors! What a brave man you are to tackle such a rehabilitation project.
I like that red plant. People are telling me I can’t do red without CO2.
Is it so?

Nope....

 

[FishHobby99]

thanks, Slap! You’ve made my day!