starting up my aquarium

[cougargirl50]

Hi again. I posted before on starting up my aquarium. I decided to do the fishless cycle since it is easier on the fish.

I have my underground filter, and of course the OTB filter. (I don't know if I did that abbrev. right)

I have a couple stupid questions before I actually get started.
What type of tester kits do you recommend using?
There are so many out there. I'm not even sure what all I have to test for.

I know i have to test the ammonia, and the ph but other than that im clueless. I have been reading alot about tropical fish and this site is very helpful.

I also want to know. I use Dockwell's fish aquarium salt in with my goldfish in the 10 gallon tank that I have.
The 29 gallon tank that I am about to set up for tropical fish will that help if I put some in with the tropical fish also??

This question is about power heads. Do you recommend using power heads. With having the underground filter I have the stones on what looks like a straw. Will it benefit me at all to using the power heads.

And one other question for right now. Im trying to find the right air pump. Is there a thing where an air pump is to big. How do I know what size to get.
As of right now I will be running the undergravel filter with 2 tubes, and a 23" bubble wall. I would like to also put a decoration in the aquarium that has a bubble affect also. So in a 29 gallon aquarium how do I know how big to go?

Thanks for your help.

 

[sinistral]

I recommend a kit containing tests for pH (sometimes divided into low and high pH range), ammonia, nitrIte. It may be helpful to have test kits for nitrates, KH, GH, but I think these are optional to start. I have the Aquarium Pharmaceudicals Master Freshwater Test Kit (about $20 online).

Salt in general isn't required unless you have specific fish which require it. Some fish do worse with salt. It can become rather tedious over time to keep figuring out how much salt to add with water changes, so I think it's better without to begin with.

Air pumps will generally list how many devices they can drive. The description of the Tetratec AP80 Air Pump for instance states:

AP80 delivers 80 liters per hour and is recommended for up to three air-driven devices (airstones, ornaments, or accessories).

It's best to browse around the petco website for instance and research which one would suit your needs.

Can't help you with the powerhead question, sorry.

HTH~