Need guidance

[cindywindy]

tsmkee,

Excellent ! You are doing the right thing by asking the important questions BEFORE you start. That puts you ahead of the game !

As for your filtration, you could easily do an AquaClear 500. IMO, AquaClears are the very best product on the market and also the most reasonably priced at www.bigalsonline.com Their prices are a fraction of that of your LFS (even AFTER shipping) and I buy everything I can there.

Second, an awesome book I recommend if you are looking for other suggestions is The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums, but David Boruchowitz. David is a pioneer in the hobby and is now the editor of Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine. He is dedicated to teaching the hobby and writes in an easy-to-understand manner.

You can read more about the process of fishless cycling at my friend Wetman's site at www.skepticalaquarist.com . It will tell you step-by-step how to go about it, and you will find loads of other information there that you can use as well. Fishless cycling is the absolute way to go, and I'm happy to hear that you are leaning in that direction !

If we can help you along the way, feel free to ask ... that's what we're here for !

 

[Tempest]

If you decide to fishless cycle, it is best not to put your plants in until after the tank cycles. The ammonia used in the cycle tends to cause a huge algae growth on the plants.

 

[tsmckee]

CindyWindy,

Thanks so much for all of your advice. I've gone to BigAl's and requested a catalog. You're right about the prices. I compared a few products for which I remembered prices at other websites....the prices were better at BigAl's. I'll definately go there when it's time to buy.

I went to the link about fishless cycling and printed some information. I'm adding that to the already 2-inch plus stack of articles I've printed off the internet. I'm going to assemble everything in a three-ring binder with clear sleeves.....my own custom-made (and cheap, I might add) book!

I plan to check into the book you recommended. I feel that you can never read to much. I even bought six books about salt-water tanks because I plan to try that too (in a few years when we've built our house).

About filters...I've read where some people have two filters for their tank. Do you think a canister (I was thinking of Eheim Pro Model 2026) and a power filter (like the Aquaclear you recommended) would be a good idea?

Thanks so much for your help. I'm really getting anxious to get my tank and set it up!!!

 

[tsmckee]

Tempest,

I was suprised to see your comment about not adding plants until after the cycling is finished. Everything I've read so far suggests that the plants help speed up the process by adding the necessary bacteria to start the cycling process. If you don't use plants, what have you used to introduce bacteria into your tank?

If I added plants at the beginning, and there was algae growth, do you think adding an algae-eating fish after cycling would get rid of it?

Thanks for your help!

 

[OrionGirl]

Adding plants in the begininng on a fishless cycle will reduce the quantity of ammonia available for the bacteria to consume--plants consume ammonia as well. Since there will be an abundance of nutrients and light, and neither the bacteria nor the plants are not yet well established, the algae can opportunistically develop. While adding an algae eating fish can help, it's usually best to prevent algae through other means. If you purchase a fish just to control a temporary problem, you then have to provide for the fish--either by encouraging algae, feeding algae tabs, etc. Preventing an algal bloom before it happens is much, much easier than controlling it after the fact.

 

[tsmckee]

OrionGirl,

If plants are added after cycling is finished, do they need to be added a little at a time like fish? Also, where do you get the bacteria to start your cycle?

Thanks!

 

[OrionGirl]

Nope, you can add lots of plants all at once and be fine. In fact, after a fishless cycle, you can add all your fish right away as well. For seeding, from a healthy tank, either the solids collected from a friends water change, some of their filter media, or a scoop of gravel will work wonderfully. Water from a water change will not help--very few bacteria are free floating. If you do not have access to these, the bacteria will develop, albeit more slowly, from the water. There are many products sold that claim to seed your tank with bacteria, but with the exception of BioSpira, a MarineLand product, these have not been proven at all effective. If you can find BioSpira, it should be refridgerated and have a definite shelf life. Following the exact instructions has proven effective for several people here, though deviating from those instructions has caused some serious problems.

 

[tsmckee]

So, all the fish can be added at once, too? I thought the chemical balance in the tank would be thrown off by adding more than a couple at a time because the bacteria would not be able to handle so much waste at once...they have to build up to it gradually.

Unfortunately, I do not know anyone with a tank. I guess I could ask my lsf for some gravel or filter material when the time comes.

By the way, OrionGirl, what are the specs for your tank? I always enjoy reading about the specs on successful tanks.

Thanks!

 

[OrionGirl]

The purpose of the fishless cycle is to build up a huge bacteria bed, much larger than the one needed to support a reasonable amount of fish. This means that there is no concern about wastes building up--the bacteria are already there and ready to work.

I have several tanks:
20 gallon, 4 gouramies (2 gold, 2 blue), 1 african frog, planted with terrarium and aquatic plants.
40 gallon, moderately planted, 4 dwarf puffers, 5 turquiose rainbows, 5 neons, 4 blue tetras, 4 cories, 3 bristlenose plecos, 1 chocolate pleco, 1 butterfly pleco, an ever increasing number of kuhli loaches, 1 weather loach, and more I can't recall.

5 gallon, 1 betta, 1 oto, 1 kuhli, 1 killie.

5 gallon, 3 dwarf gouramies, 5 kuhli loaches.

And that's just the FW fish!

 

[tsmckee]

Wow! Color me impressed! Where do you keep all of these tanks?

One of the things I like to read about in established tanks is the combination of fish that live together successfully. Some of the fish you mentioned are ones that I have flagged with Post-It notes in my books.

Thank you for clearing up the confusion about the bacteria and fishless cycling. What you said makes perfect sense to me.

What do you think about the filter question I posted a few messages ago? (The one about having two filters.) I'm still nervous about buying something wrong. I'd rather learn from other people's mistakes than kill any fish trying to learn from my own.