Adding Ornaments/Real Looking Plants/Rock to my cycled tank Saturday... Need opinions

[Mantis_22]

Today I went to my LFS and looked around at the rock ornaments and artificial plants they have in the store. I came across these small oval and blac looking rocks which look good for 2$ a piece. Also Im getting a cave for the cories i'll be adding. And I will be adding a few fake plants to make it look more green. (The fake plants I got are made by seachem/tetra and were 8$ a piece! But they look and feel so real you barely can even tell, especially the breeding grass and sword.

My questions are this...

Those black oval rocks I was talking about, before I add them are there procedures other than washing dust off and such to make sure they are safe for my tank?

Also, by adding the rock cave and the sword plant and etc. Will this effect my water chemistry largly? I mean I dont want to put them in if they are going to effect my tank to a point where PH is like off the scale?. BTW all the ornaments say they will not mess with PH if added. Just the rocks say nothing?

Im mainly worried about those two questions because along time ago I fount a rock outside in a river and brought it in and then boiled it, then I droped it in my tank and it messed everything up (I think it had lime in it). Can someone help me out?

Thankies...

Mantis_22 :)

Pics of the tank are on my website listed in my sig, check it out to get an idea...:D

[NJ Devils Fan]

Other than rinsing it, you could boil it as another precaution against any bacteria. None of the things will effect anything in the tank.

[Mantis_22]

okay, im pretty sure there are more people out there who have answers and opinions? No love I see for this topic :(

[punch]

Just rinse them off, you'll be fine. If bought at the lfs then you can
be pretty sure their fish and water safe.

[NJ Devils Fan]

What are you talking about, I answered you already, hence, no one else saying anything.

[Mantis_22]

thanks for responding guys :D

[fishluvr70]

I really don't have much of a answer for you :( but I just recently changed my 55 gal. tank to rocks I got from outside. I had about 30 fish in it. I took larger rocks from outside and washed them with Dawn dish soap and rinsed in very hot water then I also put smaller rocks from outside and just rinsed them. I have not lost any fish nor has the ph or anything changed in my tank. I would say not to boil them but I guess that is my opinion :confused: I hope everything goes good just wait it out the tank will settle itself. ;) hope that helps a lil Dawn

[beviking]

Originally posted by NJ Devils Fan
What are you talking about, I answered you already, hence, no one else saying anything.

MEOW!!! Sorry, that's the first thing that came to mind. NJ has a point, many times others won't answer if they agree with what is posted already. As long as the stuff says aquaria safe (fish safe) all you need to do is rinse it off.
I (and I'm sure many others too) would say NOT to wash them with soap. Yes, as long as you rinse very well and remove all the soap it would be o.k., but any residual soap (not removed) could be a problem for your fish. If you want to check rocks (real rocks, not plastic!) you can put a little vinegar on them to see if it fizzes. If it does, minerals from the rock will dissolve into your tank over time which will alter water chemistry (generally not a good thing), if it doesn't fizz, it should be o.k.. HTH

[NJ Devils Fan]

Haha, I didn't mean to sound like a b*stard. ;)

[Mantis_22]

II added the stuff today, did a water change and switched out fish today :D I'll get pics soon..

[Mantis_22]

Okay I added the fish yesterday along with the ornaments and plants, everything is going well. I did all precautions on disease check, temperature average and such. I understood by doing this my nitrite might come back just a little. Which today I check and it has barely..

-AMMONIA- 0PPM
-NITRITE- 0.3 (or lower)
-NITRATE- 5 (Or lower)
-PH 7.3-

So all in all its not so bad. Im doing one week water changes and netting out all the excess food not eating. Also including such things as filter media, etc... Any opinions or suggestions on the matter? Its good I didnt overadd or mess up my tank this time. I did the math with fish gallon wise and with the volume count.

I used to have in this tank when it was cycled 4 cherry barbs.

Now it has 3 Cories (Small)
2 Golden Barbs (Small)
and 2 ghost shrimp

So it all adds up goody goody and im sticking with water changes weekly. Hope me the best! Later all!!!

Heres a pic too...

http://www.imahosting.com/sigs/mytanknew.jpg

[Skittyfish]

Mantiss you might want to check your kh. My water has very little buffering capacity. After a year I had a real problem with pH swings from low buffering. a bit of Crushed Coral worked wonders.

[Mantis_22]

im not worried about the PH, neverless the KH affecting it, maybe next month I'll buy some of ther buffer liquid for ph to neutralize it but im more worried about getting my nitrites to nitrates right now. By the way heres today stats

PH 7.3
AM - 0 PPM
NItrite - 5
Nitrate - .3

[Mantis_22]

Heres a update on todays stats. Im doing a water change every two days now to get the tank back stabalize...

STATS - 4/30/03
PH - 7.3
AM - 0PPM
NITRITE - Very Low (Lower than yesterday)
Nitrate - Low

When will this tank be "Cycled" back once again and be stabalized. Also once all my nitrites are gone can I go back to my once a week water changes? Do you think everything wil be back and cheezy in a week or even maybe a few days?

Also ive been changing 20% water changes instead of 15% :)

[Mantis_22]

my nitrties are almost 100% gone now that i done a cichlid switchout with the two golden barbs and shrimp :D ( yay)