New tank

[Daveunkefer]

You have to change the water frequent because fish poop and left over food and stuff turns to ammonia in your water which is poison to your fish.

Over time in your tank your filter will grow little dudes in it that turn the ammonia into nitrate. Which is still poison to the fish.

So you have to change water to keep the poisons at a low level.

So when people say to cycle your tank. Really it's all about growing little dudes to battle ammonia and nitrites so the water isn't poison.






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[Daveunkefer]

Look up API freshwater master test kit. And you can test everything. And it includes most of the information you need.


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[Zosime]

You have to change the water frequent because fish poop and left over food and stuff turns to ammonia in your water which is poison to your fish.
Over time in your tank your filter will grow little dudes in it that turn the ammonia into nitrate. Which is still poison to the fish.
So you have to change water to keep the poisons at a low level.
So when people say to cycle your tank. Really it's all about growing little dudes to battle ammonia and nitrites so the water isn't poison.
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Well i have another filter i can use that was in another aquarium for my betta a while ago would that work for the little (dudes)? Also i have a pond outside should i take some water from there and some gravel from someones tank to get the nitrate and all the other stuff?

 

[Glabe]

the dudes in your betta's filter have probably dried or starved to death. if your pond has fish or ninja turtles living in it, snag something from the pond filter.

 

[Zosime]

the dudes in your betta's filter have probably dried or starved to death. if your pond has fish or ninja turtles living in it, snag something from the pond filter.

Oh so i can just like take anything from the filter and just put it in the tank?

 

[Glabe]

precisely. but most of the dudes grow on the impellers of pumps. remove the impeller from it's housing in the pond filter, and replace the fish tank filter impeller with it. It should fit. if it doesn't, heat it up and reshape it. from there, it's smooth sailing :thm:

 

[FreshyFresh]

we need more fire and brimstone, freshyfresh!

LOL! It's not my intention to be mean. I'm relatively new to setting up and keeping tanks the 'right way' too, even though I've had them off/on for over 30yrs. I spent some hours reading up on establishing a nitrogen cycle and had at it. It was kind of fun and very rewarding in the end.

Zosime, if you can, I would seriously recommend returning the fish you have. They're not beginner fish by any means and they will likely die being in a tank that hasn't been established yet.

If you want to attempt a fish-in cycle, get a few proven to be hardy fish like zebra danios, buy a bottled "cycle starter" product and follow the instruction on the bottle. Like we keep saying over and over.... Which ever way you go will require a water parameter testing kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. An API master test kit is like $30 at Petsmart/co. Less if you mail order.

Tropical fish keeping is NOT a "wait and see what happens" hobby. Fish were never intended to bathe in a small cube of water that doesn't refresh itself.

Joel

 

[ZivaD]

LOL! It's not my intention to be mean. I'm relatively new to setting up and keeping tanks the 'right way' too, even though I've had them off/on for over 30yrs. I spent some hours reading up on establishing a nitrogen cycle and had at it. It was kind of fun and very rewarding in the end.

Zosime, if you can, I would seriously recommend returning the fish you have. They're not beginner fish by any means and they will likely die being in a tank that hasn't been established yet.

If you want to attempt a fish-in cycle, get a few proven to be hardy fish like zebra danios, buy a bottled "cycle starter" product and follow the instruction on the bottle. Like we keep saying over and over.... Which ever way you go will require a water parameter testing kit for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. An API master test kit is like $30 at Petsmart/co. Less if you mail order.

Tropical fish keeping is NOT a "wait and see what happens" hobby. Fish were never intended to bathe in a small cube of water that doesn't refresh itself.

Joel

ITA with the bolded - save yourself, and the fish, some heartache. Return these fish, take a step back and really familiarize yourself with the cycling process, different fish species and their requirements as far as tank size, care, compatibility with others, etc - cycle your tank and then start moving forward with stocking using the knowledge you gain during that time.

 

[Zosime]

Alright awesome! thanks

 

[esoepr1976]

Here is the nitrogen cycle in a nutshell:

Fish poop/waste (nitrogen)=ammonia which is very bad/poisonous for the fish. In an aquarium, it has no where to go, so the fish get sick. But, water changes can take it out to a certain extent. But most hobbyists don't want to do 100% water changes daily--especially not on big tanks. Luckily, good bacteria will come along (eventually) and turn the ammonia into nitrite.

nitrite is also very bad for the fish, but not quite as bad as ammonia. However fish still cannot tolerate any nitrite in their tank. So, even with good bacteria number one working, massive water changes are needed. But, then good bacteria number two comes along and turns the nitrite into nitrate. Nitrates are MUCH better for fish. Too many nitrates are not good, so every once in a while (weekly usually, maybe every other week if you don't have too many fish in the tank, or you have lots of live plants that are healthy and growing), you need to change some water. But, fish can live and be happy and healthy with some nitrates in the water, as long as there aren't too many. So, once a tank is cycled, it has two types of good bacteria. One turns ammonia into nitrites, and the other turns nitrites into nitrates. The responsible fish keeper then does water changes so the nitrates are not too high. A well maintained fully cycled fish tank should have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and under 40ppm nitrates (ideally under 20ppm nitrates). You can test the water and see what is in it with a test kit. The API master freshwater test kit is the most popular one around here. It is a liquid test kit, and comes with instructions on how to use it properly. It is most important to test while the tank is cycling. Then, daily testing is needed. Once the tank is established, you may find you only need to test if the fish seem sick, or every once in a while for peace of mind.

Most pet stores also offer free water testing. But, depending on the store, you get what you pay for. The big box stores usually use dip strips, which aren't as good as the liquid kits, and the person who tests your water there might not know how to interpret the test as well as one would like.

Emily