The New Tank!!!

[FreshwaterFishie]

I got my new tank yesterday. I got it as a birthday present. My plan was, if someone asked me what I wanted, to say an AquaLand gift card. But, my dad said he would buy it! I was thinking of Zebra Danios/Zebrafish, Cory Cats, Platys, and Guppies.
I like the Dwarf Cory Cats, the Mickey Mouse Platys, and the Fancy Guppies, only male Guppies. The Corys can "clean up" the bottom of the tanks and I wanted at least one type of bottom feeder. Our water is 18 grains of hardness, before the water softener and before adding RO (Reverse Osmosis) Water.
For food we bought, Brine Shrimp, Daphnia, and Algae Wafers for the Cory cats (all Hikari brand.) For cycling we bought NovAqua and they didn't carry Bio-Spira, so I got Cycle, I will keep it. Because it promotes bacteria growth. But, it says Kills Harmful Ammonia, then it says it brings it down to a low level, ideal for cycling. And sine I need the ammonia for the cycle, it wouldn't work. Also, Bio-Spira is better. They also didn't carry Pure 100% Ammonia (fishless cycle.) The tank came with a Tetra Whisper Bio-Filter and a Tetra Heater. I also have a Indonesian Reef Cavern Ornament and some plastic plants. Here a picture of the reef..which you can see in the picture:

Did I get good quality products, food, ect.? The tank is glass, so it is harder to take a picture! It contains 10 Gallons RO water and like 10 gallons tap. It has 1/4 the amount reccomened of Cycle, the full amount of NovAqua, and an AquaLand brand Chlorine Neutralizer. I made the gravel myself! I mean, I mixed 5 lb. bags of: 2 Purple, Red, and Black.
20 Gallon (USA) Long, 30 L x 12 H x 12 W with metal tank stand
Note: Yes, I looked again and the dimensions said 12" not 15...
12TH!

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

Everything is going OK. The store by my mom's work didn't have 100% Ammonia. Bio-Spira isn't for a fishless cycle anyway. I will stop using NovAqua until the fish are in...and not so sure about the Cycle. But, my temperature spiked up to 100 this morning. Heater went onto low and the lights went off. I came from my Birthday party and it was at 90...but still to high!!! Is my thermometer wrong? Or is it the heater? Could it be something IN the water? When I take the thermometer out for 30 seconds, it shows room temp. and the heater is now OFF. It says so and even the light is off and bubbles aren't coming out. It is very weird. It was about 45F outside in the morning and then about 70 in the afternoon and late morning, dropped to like 63 then up to the current 73. So, it is not the weather and the house is cool too. It is weird...

I had a underwater birthday cake. It was sprayed blue, with frosting seaweed, bubbles, and plants. The border was yellow and blue. I also added tropical fish candles. I had a huge, see-through mylar balloon that had a foil large Saltwater Angelfish balloon, a foil small clownfish balloon, and another common saltwater fish balloon, that was yellow with blue stripes and had a short pointed nose, floating inside it. I also had a royal blue, aqua blue, and sky blue latex balloons in the bouquet. I had it at a bowling alley.

 

[SkiFletch]

Sounds like either the heater's thermostat is malfunctioning or you have it set too high. What type of heater is it? Can you describe it or give a name/model #?

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

Sounds like either the heater's thermostat is malfunctioning or you have it set too high. What type of heater is it? Can you describe it or give a name/model #?

[snapback]926519[/snapback]​

It went down to 77 or so. But, the heater is off and the lights are too.
It is a Tetra Whisper Heater 20 gal. I also have a Tetra Whisper Filter 20 gal. which is working nicely.
Tetra Whisper Heaters
I am not sure why it is doing this.

 

[SkiFletch]

When you plug the heater in does the orange heating light come on right away? If so, try turning the big knob on the top of the heater in the counterclockwise direction until the light goes off. Then, turn it very very slowly clockwise until just before when the light comes on if the tank is still at 77. if thelight comes back on, just turn it off. that should be a setting for about 75f.

if no amount of turning the knob in the counterclockwise direction turns the light off then the heater must be defective and should be replaced (hopefully under warranty

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

When you plug the heater in does the orange heating light come on right away? If so, try turning the big knob on the top of the heater in the counterclockwise direction until the light goes off. Then, turn it very very slowly clockwise until just before when the light comes on if the tank is still at 77. if thelight comes back on, just turn it off. that should be a setting for about 75f.

if no amount of turning the knob in the counterclockwise direction turns the light off then the heater must be defective and should be replaced (hopefully under warranty

I am just keeping it off for the summer. It is at 80F now, without heater.

Edit: I meant fall and summer. (October 7th, 2005 - 09:54 PM)

 

[SkiFletch]

that'll work too where in the US are you that its still 80f?

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

that'll work too where in the US are you that its still 80f?

Not weather, the water. But, it is 82F out right now at 10:30 pm! I am in MN. Which is weird...it should be colder.

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

The heater went back on today. The high was 52 F! 43 F outside and the tank is 75 F.

 

[nino]

i would get those future cory cats of yours some sinking shrimp pellets. i had algae wafers for mine but they never seemed very interested. they love the shrimp pellets though- and so do my greedy betta girls!

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

i would get those future cory cats of yours some sinking shrimp pellets. i had algae wafers for mine but they never seemed very interested. they love the shrimp pellets though- and so do my greedy betta girls!

That's good! Because, I got brine shrimp cubes also. I am not sure if they will sink if I cut them though. The Daphnia is gone to soon to sink.
I added 2 Zebras to the tank to make 6, yesterday! They are having fun swimming around with there new school!

 

[fishygurl]

Ok just a random question.. If you are getting freshwater fish...why do you have fake coral in your tank??

 

[nino]

Ok just a random question.. If you are getting freshwater fish...why do you have fake coral in your tank??

i know it's not my question to answer, but why not? everyone has different tastes in decorating their tanks and as long as it is fake it is ok for a freshwater set-up.

 

[fishygurl]

good point i guess....

 

[FreshwaterFishie]

I use the fake coral as a hide-away...not coral. I use it because it has 4 large holes for them to swim through and a large hiding space inside. It is also pretty and fits in the corner. I guess the fish don't really care. It isn't like it is real though. It is like saying why have a sunken ship if there aren't any in lakes or rivers? The zoom through it and "suprise attack" eachother from the holes above. I guess it doesn't matter what it looks like if they like it.