Hello everyone!
My name is Jacob. I am a high school senior in a small town in Alabama. The only LFS's i know of are Wal-mart, Petsmart, and Pet Co.
The past several weeks, i have been heavily researching how to set up and run a quality freshwater aquarium. I have had tanks when i was younger, to different (usually low) levels of success. Needless to say, i have learned a TON!! I kinda feel bad about how those fish i had were living! but never again!! not on my watch, haha! :nono:
Yesterday I finally broke down and bought a aquarium kit from Wal-mart and most of the supplies I will need. :clap:
I started a journal to keep things somewhat scientific, and to help me keep track of changes and things of that nature.
Budget being an issue, it will be a week or two before i get fish, which I had sort of planned.
list of supplies
aquarium kit- filter (bio media, charcoal secondary filter), hood with 2 incandescant 15W bulbs, 10g tank.
Start Right
Start zyme
10 pounds of small size gravel for substrate
"digital thermometer" (the stick on tank kind. definitely NOT digital. haha!)
4 dwarf lily bulbs
1 terra cotta pot (i think i finger painted it in kindergarden. for use as a hiding spot)
1 marble dolphin sculpture my sister bought in cancun in 2002 ish
I have tried to do everything by the directions. Youll see on the journal I added 2 tbsp of table salt. Since iodine is very close to chlorine, the water conditioners I used SHOULD take any iodine away especially by the time i get fish.
10/29
6:15 PM--- 10 #/ gravel +9.5 G H20
6:25 --- 1 TSP Start Right
6:27 --- Start Zyme
6:34 --- Placed 4 Dwarf Lily’s, dolphin, pot.
7:15 --- 2 TBSP table salt.
7:30 --- water temp: 85*
8:20 --- WT 84*
10:30 ---- WT 83*
10/30
9:45 AM--- WT 81* turned hood lights on
11:30 --- WT 82*
things to buy:
Heater
air pump and accessories
t5 bulbs?
water test kits
REAL digital thermometer
questions:
Since I don't have fish yet, when should I change my water?
Do I NEED t5 bulbs for my lilys to grow? (assuming they do...they WERE free. lol)
How will the marble dolphin and terra cotta pot affect the water's chemical structure?
THE FUTURE OF MY TANK:
I will buy/make a few more hiding spots... the tank seems bare.
If i need a heater, i am thinking about the Hydor Hydrokable..... any ideas/pointers? I like that it is pretty much invisible and will distribute heat evenly.
I plan on getting the whisper 20 air pump, mainly because i want to do a full bubble wall on the back wall, or maybe a bubble hose. BUT, I am open to other ideas and suggestions.
Maybe some kind of bottom carpet plant, like 2 or 3 palm sized patches.
FISH!!!!
I'm thinking a pleco( required )
7 (ish) zebra danios, or neon tetras/ equivalant.... I have been successful with tetras, but I want to experiment. Would tetras and danios school together?
and a few- maybe 2- Blue gourami. male and female(possible more than one female.)
again, I am open to ANY AND ALL suggestions, criticism, feedback, and questions... I don't mind explaining why i did(n't do) something. This is a learning process for me and my goal is to be like a sponge and soak it all up!!!
I will post pictures in just a minute!!
My name is Jacob. I am a high school senior in a small town in Alabama. The only LFS's i know of are Wal-mart, Petsmart, and Pet Co.
The past several weeks, i have been heavily researching how to set up and run a quality freshwater aquarium. I have had tanks when i was younger, to different (usually low) levels of success. Needless to say, i have learned a TON!! I kinda feel bad about how those fish i had were living! but never again!! not on my watch, haha! :nono:
Yesterday I finally broke down and bought a aquarium kit from Wal-mart and most of the supplies I will need. :clap:
I started a journal to keep things somewhat scientific, and to help me keep track of changes and things of that nature.
Budget being an issue, it will be a week or two before i get fish, which I had sort of planned.
list of supplies
aquarium kit- filter (bio media, charcoal secondary filter), hood with 2 incandescant 15W bulbs, 10g tank.
Start Right
Start zyme
10 pounds of small size gravel for substrate
"digital thermometer" (the stick on tank kind. definitely NOT digital. haha!)
4 dwarf lily bulbs
1 terra cotta pot (i think i finger painted it in kindergarden. for use as a hiding spot)
1 marble dolphin sculpture my sister bought in cancun in 2002 ish
I have tried to do everything by the directions. Youll see on the journal I added 2 tbsp of table salt. Since iodine is very close to chlorine, the water conditioners I used SHOULD take any iodine away especially by the time i get fish.
10/29
6:15 PM--- 10 #/ gravel +9.5 G H20
6:25 --- 1 TSP Start Right
6:27 --- Start Zyme
6:34 --- Placed 4 Dwarf Lily’s, dolphin, pot.
7:15 --- 2 TBSP table salt.
7:30 --- water temp: 85*
8:20 --- WT 84*
10:30 ---- WT 83*
10/30
9:45 AM--- WT 81* turned hood lights on
11:30 --- WT 82*
things to buy:
Heater
air pump and accessories
t5 bulbs?
water test kits
REAL digital thermometer
questions:
Since I don't have fish yet, when should I change my water?
Do I NEED t5 bulbs for my lilys to grow? (assuming they do...they WERE free. lol)
How will the marble dolphin and terra cotta pot affect the water's chemical structure?
THE FUTURE OF MY TANK:
I will buy/make a few more hiding spots... the tank seems bare.
If i need a heater, i am thinking about the Hydor Hydrokable..... any ideas/pointers? I like that it is pretty much invisible and will distribute heat evenly.
I plan on getting the whisper 20 air pump, mainly because i want to do a full bubble wall on the back wall, or maybe a bubble hose. BUT, I am open to other ideas and suggestions.
Maybe some kind of bottom carpet plant, like 2 or 3 palm sized patches.
FISH!!!!
I'm thinking a pleco( required )
7 (ish) zebra danios, or neon tetras/ equivalant.... I have been successful with tetras, but I want to experiment. Would tetras and danios school together?
and a few- maybe 2- Blue gourami. male and female(possible more than one female.)
again, I am open to ANY AND ALL suggestions, criticism, feedback, and questions... I don't mind explaining why i did(n't do) something. This is a learning process for me and my goal is to be like a sponge and soak it all up!!!
I will post pictures in just a minute!!