Beginner questions

Hannys_Papa

Hannys_Papa

AC Members
Aug 31, 2005
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Upstate NY
I just recently got into the aquarium hobby and asked a question about how to clean a used tank on this messageboard and wanted to say i really appreciated the quick and friendly answers and now am back with more questions. After reading several 100s of threads and repeatedly coming across people emphasizing its ok to ask... well... this post might be a bit longer but i hope it'll be ok. Please excuse it if a few of my questions seem really naive :-)

1) The tank i got has a hood meant for 2 incandecent lights. They get pretty hot and i thought about replacing them with just 1 mini flourescent lamps like this.
Question is - with a 10Gal tank and a 10W bulb putting out about "50W of light" - is that going to be too bright ? I cant seem to find any with less light output.

2) Connected to 1) if i have a tank with fake plants and FW fish - should i get the lamp in the link above or one of the 50/50 corallife. I read a lot about lighting and algea growth - which i want to keep as low as possible. Whats the best type for that ?

3) The fake plants i have have the little cups on the bottom that have to be held down with gravel. I read that thats not the greatest solution - plants get pulled out of the gravel too easily when doing gravel vacuuming. Is there any DIY idea of how to modify them (fill the cups in with something heavy) that eliminates that problem but is safe to use inside a fish tank.

4) I have a whisper filter that i got with the 10G tank. After reading and learning about the cycle/ bacteria i am wondering how bad the impact of replacing the filterbag every X weeks is. Do the bacteria in the rest of the tank/ filter keep the tank going or do i risk a setback every time. Should i modify the whisper filter by adding a piece of foam in the filter/ filterbag or a bag with porous "balls" (or whatever that stuff is called) and move it over from an old filterbag to the new when its time for a change? Are there any good ideas or proven methods for mods for these smaller filters ?

5) Does it matter if the water that runs out of the filter "falls" into the water like a waterfall (splashing noise) or just runs into it (basically no noise). It kinda goes hand in hand with the question of where the water level in the tank should be - all the way up or 1-2 inches below the top.

6) I want to do a fishless cycle by adding ammonia. Everyone says it can be found at walmart - i looked everywhere - no success (asking anyone that works there - forget it. They point you to windex w/ ammonia.) What part of walmart should it be in. Where else can i find some pure ammonia if our walmart doesnt carry it.

7) Beside the 10G i got a hold of a 5G acrylic that i thought about making home to a betta. Now the problem is i know it was cleaned with "Mr Clean" - from what i read a big no no to do in fishtanks. I rinsed it for probably 2 hours but i guess i am not sure if i want to put a fish in it. If i filled it with water and install a filter with a bag full of activated carbon and let it run for several weeks would the carbon be able to filter any leftover chemicals out of the water ? What exactly is carbon good for ?
Either way if anyone thinks its best not to risk it then i'll just get rid of the tank. I am still curious though on what exactly the carbon can filter out of (any) water.

8) The lady at the LFS is very friendly and tries to be helpful but doesnt ask much of the questions that a "good" fish store would ask before selling you something (which i can understand to a certain point - we all need to make a living and i dont think the fish business is going to well in my area). She also seems to be a lot into the "if the water isnt right add some of this and that - everything can be taken care of with chemicals" - approach. The more i read the more i come to believe the less chemicals the better.
Now the actual question is - is there a certain place where i might be able to find out about fish clubs (or anyone into this hobby that could help me with beginner problems) etc in my specific area ? I googled for hours without sucess.

Somehow i thought i had a few more questions but now i dont remember them anymore. :-( I guess some have to do with what fish i'll be able to have within the given water parameters in our area. pH is relatively high +-7.4, soft water (or so the guy from the water department says). But seeing that i still have several weeks of cycling ahead this isnt so pressing right now....

Either way thanks in advance for reading through my lengthy post (i am a moderator in a very busy technology forum and know some people dont like long posts), possibly providing me with a few answers and apologies for my grammar/ spelling - english is not my native language. Thanks
 
Hannys_Papa said:
I just recently got into the aquarium hobby and asked a question about how to clean a used tank on this messageboard and wanted to say i really appreciated the quick and friendly answers and now am back with more questions. After reading several 100s of threads and repeatedly coming across people emphasizing its ok to ask... well... this post might be a bit longer but i hope it'll be ok. Please excuse it if a few of my questions seem really naive :-)

1) The tank i got has a hood meant for 2 incandecent lights. They get pretty hot and i thought about replacing them with just 1 mini flourescent lamps like this.
Question is - with a 10Gal tank and a 10W bulb putting out about "50W of light" - is that going to be too bright ? I cant seem to find any with less light output.

They should be fine.

2) Connected to 1) if i have a tank with fake plants and FW fish - should i get the lamp in the link above or one of the 50/50 corallife. I read a lot about lighting and algea growth - which i want to keep as low as possible. Whats the best type for that ?

Algae will not grow unless you have a high nitrate load. Keep the nitrates down and the algae will be down, also dont put your tank in the sun.

3) The fake plants i have have the little cups on the bottom that have to be held down with gravel. I read that thats not the greatest solution - plants get pulled out of the gravel too easily when doing gravel vacuuming. Is there any DIY idea of how to modify them (fill the cups in with something heavy) that eliminates that problem but is safe to use inside a fish tank.

I use live plants, but if you be careful around them, they should not pull out, I used to use them when I was a kid.

4) I have a whisper filter that i got with the 10G tank. After reading and learning about the cycle/ bacteria i am wondering how bad the impact of replacing the filterbag every X weeks is. Do the bacteria in the rest of the tank/ filter keep the tank going or do i risk a setback every time. Should i modify the whisper filter by adding a piece of foam in the filter/ filterbag or a bag with porous "balls" (or whatever that stuff is called) and move it over from an old filterbag to the new when its time for a change? Are there any good ideas or proven methods for mods for these smaller filters ?

The Filter frame and the filter will hold on to some of the benificial bacteria.

5) Does it matter if the water that runs out of the filter "falls" into the water like a waterfall (splashing noise) or just runs into it (basically no noise). It kinda goes hand in hand with the question of where the water level in the tank should be - all the way up or 1-2 inches below the top.

The water fall will create movement which is ok, but your pump will have to work harder to lift the water. Full to the rim looks nice and you dont get a scaley line at the water level.

6) I want to do a fishless cycle by adding ammonia. Everyone says it can be found at walmart - i looked everywhere - no success (asking anyone that works there - forget it. They point you to windex w/ ammonia.) What part of walmart should it be in. Where else can i find some pure ammonia if our walmart doesnt carry it.

I set up my aquarium by adding feeder fish for a month. They poop, and get things going in a natural way.

7) Beside the 10G i got a hold of a 5G acrylic that i thought about making home to a betta. Now the problem is i know it was cleaned with "Mr Clean" - from what i read a big no no to do in fishtanks. I rinsed it for probably 2 hours but i guess i am not sure if i want to put a fish in it. If i filled it with water and install a filter with a bag full of activated carbon and let it run for several weeks would the carbon be able to filter any leftover chemicals out of the water ? What exactly is carbon good for ?
Either way if anyone thinks its best not to risk it then i'll just get rid of the tank. I am still curious though on what exactly the carbon can filter out of (any) water.

The carbon will clarify the water and remove any pollutants. Again a few feeder fish would help the cycle in that tank as well.

8) The lady at the LFS is very friendly and tries to be helpful but doesnt ask much of the questions that a "good" fish store would ask before selling you something (which i can understand to a certain point - we all need to make a living and i dont think the fish business is going to well in my area). She also seems to be a lot into the "if the water isnt right add some of this and that - everything can be taken care of with chemicals" - approach. The more i read the more i come to believe the less chemicals the better.
Now the actual question is - is there a certain place where i might be able to find out about fish clubs (or anyone into this hobby that could help me with beginner problems) etc in my specific area ? I googled for hours without sucess.

The feeders are the best way to cycle your aquarium.


Somehow i thought i had a few more questions but now i dont remember them anymore. :-( I guess some have to do with what fish i'll be able to have within the given water parameters in our area. pH is relatively high +-7.4, soft water (or so the guy from the water department says). But seeing that i still have several weeks of cycling ahead this isnt so pressing right now....

Either way thanks in advance for reading through my lengthy post (i am a moderator in a very busy technology forum and know some people dont like long posts), possibly providing me with a few answers and apologies for my grammar/ spelling - english is not my native language. Thanks
Click to expand...

Posts are always welcome here, and no post is a stupid one or a stupid question. Glad to give you my advice and good luck with your new aquariums.
 
On lighting, check what is the appropriate bulb for the hood wattage wise, and get something low light. A fixture that fits the hood...that 50/50 one, is for a 5g probably, i used to have one, and probably won't even fit the fixure in the hood. though I don't know what you have. You don't need high light and are tempting algae. Algae blooms are horrible and require a lot to fix, best to be proactive there.

You could probably weight the plant down with that lead suff they wrap around plants in the fish store, if yours have that. or put bigger rocks around it, that is how I anchor my plants root. But honestly, it is really probably easier to stick you hand in and push it back into the gravel. It, your hand, will already be wet anyway!!

I would recomend not using the carbon, and putting a sponge (fluval sponge from that brands filter, should fit well, and can be cut if it doesn't). If you do use the carbon, every 2 months you should change it, so that chemicals it removed don't leach/leech back into the tank. If you use the fluval sponge all you have to do is rinse it out every month or so and return that same sponge to the holder. Bacteria stays in place. If you start with new filtration media, you won't have bacteria on it...there should be enough in the rest of hte tank to manage, but I have never taken the chance.

Don't do all the cleaning at once!! change filters one week, vacuum REALLY well another, wash decor another, that will limit your bacteria probs.

I fill my tank right to the black plastic, so you can't see the water line. water trickle is good, it aerates the water so fish can breath and is recommended.

As for the acrylic tank, if you are still concerned, was it with bleach and rinse it well. But if it is squeaky clean to touch and you can't smell the product, and like you said you rinsed it for 2 hours, you should be fine. I used to wash my goldfish bowl weekly with soap and water, with no knowlege of what was going on, and the fish lived for a few years. So i think you've been appropriately careful.

I have heard others use biospira to cycle, you might want to do that instead of ammonia. i have no concept of it though.

You are right to through caution to adding a lot of chemicals. If you have city chlorinated tap, you need to condition it, but otherwise, most water problems can be fixed with a water change.

PS I think this site beats any fish club, you get very quick responses and ppl take the time to reply to the most naive questions...though there shouldn't be fear in th level of question, the only stupid one is the one you didn't ask...you are taking the time to educate yourself...and you've done it before you had the fish! KUDOS!
 
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Hannys_Papa said:
4) I have a whisper filter that i got with the 10G tank. After reading and learning about the cycle/ bacteria i am wondering how bad the impact of replacing the filterbag every X weeks is. Do the bacteria in the rest of the tank/ filter keep the tank going or do i risk a setback every time. Should i modify the whisper filter by adding a piece of foam in the filter/ filterbag or a bag with porous "balls" (or whatever that stuff is called) and move it over from an old filterbag to the new when its time for a change? Are there any good ideas or proven methods for mods for these smaller filters ?
Click to expand...

You can simply rinse your filter media in old tank water. That will remove the solid waste, but keep the bacterial colony intact. You shouldn't need to change the filter very often at all.

6) I want to do a fishless cycle by adding ammonia. Everyone says it can be found at walmart - i looked everywhere - no success (asking anyone that works there - forget it. They point you to windex w/ ammonia.) What part of walmart should it be in. Where else can i find some pure ammonia if our walmart doesnt carry it.
Click to expand...

It depends on where you live. Walmart around here (Alberta) carries Goldex ammonia. I used it for my fishless cycle. You can also check at major grocers. Safeway also has house brand ammonia...just be careful to choose the bottle with no soaps or perfumes...look for only ammonia & water (chelating agents are okay too.)

8) The lady at the LFS is very friendly and tries to be helpful but doesnt ask much of the questions that a "good" fish store would ask before selling you something (which i can understand to a certain point - we all need to make a living and i dont think the fish business is going to well in my area). She also seems to be a lot into the "if the water isnt right add some of this and that - everything can be taken care of with chemicals" - approach. The more i read the more i come to believe the less chemicals the better.
Now the actual question is - is there a certain place where i might be able to find out about fish clubs (or anyone into this hobby that could help me with beginner problems) etc in my specific area ? I googled for hours without sucess.
Click to expand...

Where do you live? There are many clubs for aquarists across North America. If you're in Canada try looking here first: The Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs.

Somehow i thought i had a few more questions but now i dont remember them anymore. :-( I guess some have to do with what fish i'll be able to have within the given water parameters in our area. pH is relatively high +-7.4, soft water (or so the guy from the water department says). But seeing that i still have several weeks of cycling ahead this isnt so pressing right now....
Click to expand...

pH 7.4 is fine for most fish. The key is to have a stable pH. Start with fishless cycling, and testing your water, and see what your levels are. Fishless is a great way to go! No fish are harmed in the process, and once the cycling is done, you should be able to add a full load of fish. Take the time to really research what type of fish you want in your tank. :)
 
Well, I'll answer what I can ;) !!
For the fake plants, you could buy aquarium safe adhesive and glue some gravel to them, it might help keep them down. Or, you could just replace them. I got so sick of having to re-arrange my tank everytime I did a gravel vac. I have since replaced my fake plants with ones that have heavy, gravel looking bottoms so that they stay down on their own and blend in with the tank. OR, you could buy rocks with holes in the middle and thread the plant through the hole, I have a few plastic plants with plastic bases that I really liked and keep them in place that way. I use what is called rainbow rock at my LFS, I think I actually bought it at Petco.

Using the ceramic balls would be a great idea. I'm not sure about the exact setup of the filter you have, but all I use in my filters (and many other people on here do too) is sponges that you rinse out in tank water with every water change. They do not need to be replaced. Carbon is really not necessary to use all the time, plus it can get expensive to buy those filter refills all the time!! At the very least, don't replace all your filter components at once, stagger them so that something always has bacteria while the other is being replaced.

I like to have my water level so that it is very quiet, but still splashes a little for surface agitation, but there is no "right" way.

See if you can't find/order biospira. It can be expensive, but will cycle your tank in no time!! Or try hardware stores for the amonia, I've heard that finding the stuff without additives can be tricky. And I back you up on the fishless decision. I unknowingly did a fishy cycle a while back and it is a pain to constantly do water changes to keep the fish alive and healthy! I wouldn't recommend "feeder" fish. Regardless of what they are, they still suffer when subjected to poor water quality.

A ph of 7.4 is fine, there would be no need to alter that, you just might want to take a little more time acclimating the fish to your tank in case there is a difference so that they have a little more time to adjust. In most cases, chemicals (even to treat disease) do more harm than good. The only thing I add to my tank is a good dechlorinator!

By the way, do you know what kind of fish you would like to get for your tank? You sound very eager to do everything correctly, but getting inappropriate fish is one of the biggest beginner mistakes. I have a 180g tank now to pay for my "mistake" :laugh: (I bought bala sharks!!)
 
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well, I won't be able to answer all of your questions but hopefully I can help some. First of all, I would not have guessed that english is a second language for you. Okay, about the filter, I don't have a whisper I have a tetra aqua-tech (which is from wal-mart) and it takes disposable filters. I personally change mine once a month because I also have an undergravel filter(UGF) and I use that as my biological filtration. I fill my tanks up to bottom of the trim at the top of the tank so my hang on back (HOB) filters usually are pretty quiet until some of my water starts to evaporate. Oh, I did get ammonia at Wal-Mart in the cleaners section. It said "ammonia" in big letters. Don't know why everyone has a hard time finding it b/c it's such a basic cleaner. You'd think they'd have it everywhere. Maybe try a home improvement store or a dollar store. You can cycle with fish if you want but I think it's better to go fishless. You can also try to find bio-spira and use that instead of the ammonia. No actual cycling necessary. When I vacuum my gravel, I always end up pulling my plants up (plastic) I just put them back when I'm finished. Not sure about the Mr. Clean, probably just rinse it over and over really well. I hope I was some help and I'm sure you'll get more good advice.
 
1) & 2) Replacing the incandescents with the CF will be just dandy. you can use that light with no problems--the increased lighting would allow you to keep real plants if you want to give them a try, but even without live plants, you will be able to manage algae through a) controlled feedings--make sure you don't overfeed. and b) Water changes to remove the excess nutrients. I run something similar in a planted 5, and the algae has never gotten out of control in that tank. These bulbs also run much cooler, so it will reduce the heat problems you've noticed. The 50/50 would work as well, but it gives you a much bluer appearance to the tank.

3) You can use superglue to fill those little cups with rocks that will stay in place.

4) That will work, or you can just cut any filter sponge to fit inside the compartment.

5) Not really. Some current at the surface is needed to encourage gas exchange, but the amount created if the water is even with the lip of the filter is normally adequate. Overstocking will change this!

6) Check a pharmacy, Biglots, or Walgreens.

7) A total rinsing will be adequate. Test by rubbing the surface--if it still feels soapy, it's not well enough rinsed. Carbon removes a variety of dissolved compounds, bothorganic and inorganic. However, it has a limited useful life. The more it's adsorbing, the shorter time it will work.

8) Some locations don't have clubs. I live in one of them, you may as well. Fortunately, the internet allows us to interact. :)
 
Thanks

First i would like to thank everyone who replied for their comprehensive and very helpful answers. Again i am impressed with the ammount of friendly and useful advice i received in such a short time. Awesome...

I cant believe i didnt think of "glueing" some gravel to the bottom of the plants and make them stay down. Duh... lol I will either do that or try the "hole in rock" solution - if i can find any suitable rocks.

Now before i go on i would like to mention that even though i havent even set up my 10G i am already "planning" for a bigger setup (~30G) a few months down the road. Thats why what might sound "cheap" (modifying filters, plants) right now is basically just my way of staying within a tight budget and saving money for the bigger tank but then getting the right products from the beginning using my by then collected experience and all your highly appreciated help and suggestions.

I think to modify the whisper filter i will use this or this or a combination of both for added (and more stabil) biological filtration. Hope it'll work.

Unfortunalety BioSpera seems impossible to find in my area so i'll have to stick with the slower fishless ammonia cycle - but its ok i am patient.

I will also "treat" the 5G "soap tank" with a nice big filter bag full of carbon - and let it run for a few weeks - then throw the carbon and filter out and start over - hopefully that will take care of any soap that might've been left and could endanger the wellbeing of a betta.

To answer a question that was brought up - i live in upstate NY. I havent found any aquarium clubs nearby - some are 50+ miles away and with the current gas prices i guess i have to stick with getting my information from you. Considering the quality of advice i feel i am in good hands.

Now the only thing i have to figure out is where to get fish - the LFS is extremely limited when it comes to choice.

When it comes to fish - like i said i am still very uncertain. But i really want to make sure to only add very few and small fish - i really dont want to overstock or end up having to buy bigger tanks (even though as said in the beginning that might happen anyways) because i bought the wrong fish.

Now i hope that you could give me some opinions on a few "products":

1) Fairly cheap algea scrubber - adequate ?

2) Battery gravel cleaner

3) 50W heater for the 10G that shuts off when not completely covered by water - good idea?

4) 25W heat for the 5G acrylic - would it work ? Or better a different design/ lower wattage ?

5) basically an option to 4) better ?

6) Read about this product often in connection with sick fish. Worth having some at hand ?

If i make an online order from big Als - should i get several different medications for the most common disease ahead of time to "have incase sh*t happens" ? They are a lot cheaper there than locally...

Many thanks again for all your help.
 
I dont have time to read the other posts but I can help you with the equipment.

1) Ya that's a good one. A sponge and your arm is even better.

2) Not really needed. Its best to use a normal one and a bucket ( http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19131;category_id=2001;pcid1=3347;pcid2= ). Or even better; a Python that gets rid of the bucket: http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=19123;category_id=2001;pcid1=3347;pcid2=

3) Kinda "cheep" and isn't the best one. One of the best ones is this: http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=30601;category_id=1733;pcid1=3231;pcid2=

4) This will be perfect: http://www.bigalsonline.com/catalog/product.xml?product_id=28857;category_id=1733;pcid1=3231;pcid2=

5) Some people have luck with Hydro, some dont.

6) I would not advise you to keep meds on hand, They can expire and be no good when you really need them. In the end, its expensive.
 
I would suggest checking out ebay and local ads in the meantime to keep your eye out for a bigger tank, you can get great deals if you catch someone who just really wants to get rid of a tank.

Try www.drsfostersmith.com for stuff also. I've ordered from them.
I bought a small heater for a 2.5 gallon tank. It looks like a tiny heating pad that sticks to the glass. I do however like the idea of a heater that turns off when not submerged. I have a friend who has broken 2 by doing water changes and forgetting to unplug the heater first.

A special algae scrubber is not really necessary, but if you don't get a fish tank one, be very careful what you put in the tank. Someone on here had a whole tank die on them b/c they used a kitchen sponge, not realizing it had antibacterial and other agents in it.

I personally didn't like the python I ordered, between the angle between the sink and my tank, and the weak water pressure, it was way too slow. I like the good old fashioned gravity tpye ones. Plus, if you look into it, I think you can make a very cheap DIY one with tubing and something attached to the end to sift through the gravel.

I have melafix, but I never use it. It seems like a large water change is just as good melafix. And salt is the only "med" I would buy just in case. It can clear up alot and is much more gentle on the fish than many of the meds are. Check out the ich and salt articles in the article section at the top of the page.

Also, keep in mind a larger tank can be much easier to maintain than a smaller one. Water changes are easier, temp. doesn't have to be exact b/c the amount of water replaced is smaller in relation to the rest of the tank, it takes longer for toxins to build up, you have more fish choice, less aggression b/c everyone has more room, etc. So, while you will learn alot with the smaller tank, IMO a larger tanks is easier to care for
 
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