Almost ready for 30g set-up, need advice!

[godjilla]

Hello again! I went shopping today and bought some things for my 32 gallon long FW tank.

I only have a Wal-mart (crappy fish section) and two locally owned pet stores. Unfortunately this means that I do not have a wide selection of fish supplies in the county.

I took pictures to show of the new supplies, but I will list them too:
- 3 small water lettuce
- a bunch of java fern
- FloraPride made by TetraPlant
- 5lbs/2.27kg bag of Aqua Terra natural white sand
- AquaTech power filter 30-60gal + extra cartridges
- GEOsystem large driftwood (fake, for now)

I already own and use:
- AquaPlus tap water conditioner
- Wardley Essentials Goldfish Flakes
- Nutrafin basix Staple Food Tablets
- Tetra Bloodworms (freeze-dried)
- large python siphon
- large bag of playsand
- extra decorations, etc.

The only thing I can think of that is missing is my plexiglass lid that is being cut for me within the next few days. I do not have an aquarium light, so I was going to put it beside a window and under a ceiling light. I may use a small desklamp too.

I will be using this for a Large Fantail Goldfish, a Shubunkin goldfish, and a Dojo Loach. Wal-mart only had one Dojo Loach left, and I was tempted to buy him but I didn't want to put another fish in the current tank until I get the new one set-up. The plants are in with my fish right now.

I've never used sand before, is there a certain way I should put it in?
Should I tie the fern or just let it sit around?
Are there other alternative food options besides flakes and plants? I've heard people mention cucumber.
Should I let the new tank cycle for a while before I introduce my fish?
Is there anything else I should look into buying?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Blown 346]

I would wait and let the tank cycle before you add fish... The plants will help the cycle along.

There are other foods you can use beside flakes and what you have. The frozen mysis shrimp, sinking pellets made by spectrum. Lettuce, cucumber,zucchini can also be used. Dont let it sit in the tank too long or will foul the water and start to rot. Microwave the cucmber and zucchini in a bowl with some water to soften it up and get it to sink.

For the sand, rinse it and rinse it, until the water is clear. I use a 5 gallon bucket. Pour in some sand say a quarter full and fill the bucket up half way. Take your hand and move the sand around. Once the water is clear or close to it, you can add it. I use a large cup, scoup the sand up and slowly place the sup int hetank if it already has water in it and slowly pour the sand out of the cup.


You can plant the plants once the sand is in. If they dont have alot of root structure you can let them float until the roots are long enough to where the plants will stay planted.
A good site I use is Liveaquaria.com They have tons of fish , plants anything you need.

I would also invest in a shop light or something of the like, or the plants wont do to well.

 

[FasterShrimpo]

Get rid of the aquatech filter, they are pieces of junk and go with the aquaclear or a cascade.

Also make sure you clean the sand as much as possible, you don't want to destroy the impeller of the filter once you establish it. The tank should cycle before you add any fish to it, to avoid any deaths. Also their are more than just flakes and pellets, for your goldfish you could toss in a couple goldfish pellets or an algae wafer. And the java fern, once you put it into the substrate cover it with a rock if you don't want it to grow, or tie it to the wood with the roots in the substrate with some string.

 

[godjilla]

THanks for your inputs! I got anxious and set it up. haha

I made sure everything was safe and clean before I started. I used the garden hose because it was the easiest thing, and added the conditioner and fertilizer afterwards.

It's cycling right now, and I will leave it until tomorrow night when I get off work. It looks a bit empty but this is all I have for now. The java fern is tied to rocks and the driftwood.

Scaping is an entirely new idea to me, so I decided to go with a "beach" theme. The sand and wood represents the beach, and the rocks represent the ocean. Cheesy?

 

[Blown 346]

I hope you let the water reach room temperature for the plants before you placed them in. They can go into shock from the drastic temperature change.

 

[Chrisinator]

I hope you let the water reach room temperature for the plants before you placed them in. They can go into shock from the drastic temperature change.

Plants are affected by drastic temp changes too?

 

[JamieB]

Do you have heater in there? nice beach theme!

 

[godjilla]

Well, it didn't quite get to room temperature before I put the plants in. I just moved them from one cold tank to another. I wasn't aware they could go in shock.

Thanks JamieB And nope, no heater. I just keep goldfish and loaches for now!

 

[Blown 346]

If the plants were in another cold tank there isnt any concern. I was thinking the plants were new and were put into cold water.