does all of this stuff click? My brain is overloaded with information and I am trying so hard to get my tank right and keep my fish healthy but I live in constant fear that something is going to go wrong. Maybe it is because I have had some minor problems but at what point in this process will I have that moment where I think that I finally "get" the whole process. My tank is a month old and I just now have the whole cycling thing figured out but everything else still escapes me. Thank the big man upstairs for this forum because I have learned soooo much!
At what point...
- Thread starter elkhound
- Start date
Once the cycling is complete and you add your fish and all your fish have been in your tank for a week and are eating well and are not sick, then you can relax and enjoy. Not much will go wrong after you get to that point. Just keep up on your partial water changes and replace filter media when specified and all shall be well. When you feed your fish, check them all for any abnormalities, signs of sickness, etc. and if they get sick just treat it. but, if you keep a clean tank you shouldn't have to worry about sickness too much. It's ok relax if you stress about it too much than you won't be able to enjoy the hobby, just do what you know to do and relax. 
I can agree on some of the above, and disagree on some. True, relax and enjoy. If you don't enjoy it's not much of a hobby. But as for when it all clicks? Never!!! Sure you will go through periods where you will not learn anything, nor will you have the need to. But someday you'll see a fish you have to have, find out it needs some special care and have to do some research. That is not a bad thing, it's the proverbial making of the bed, while enjoying watching your fish is the sleeping in it. Some of the more lerned folks here even learn a thing or two from time to time, and come across thier share of problems they have never seen. As for living in fear of what might happen, you will what if yourself to death. Take the problems as they come. If you have the time and patience to learn about a new desease and it's treatment by all means do it. But don't stress if you don't know everythin because you never will....
Don't worry, I know how you feel! It gets better! I had various blooms for about 5 months until I got everything balanced. I also up graded my tank size to accomodate 2 tanks of fauna, to make less work. Having a larger tank is totally easier to maintain, IMO. But that is just an aside.
My advice is to keep record of what you do in the tank- feedings, adding fish, water changes and conditions. Then you don't have to keep it all in your head. Also down the road you may wonder why something happened or what something was like and you can just look in the book and have the answer. After a few months, you don't need the book any more. Also you probably won't have to pay so much attention to the tank. Your conditions will be stable and you'll start enjoying it!
Not saying that you have a few months to wait, but you could. Point is that it all settles down and the hobby is a lot more rewarding.
My advice is to keep record of what you do in the tank- feedings, adding fish, water changes and conditions. Then you don't have to keep it all in your head. Also down the road you may wonder why something happened or what something was like and you can just look in the book and have the answer. After a few months, you don't need the book any more. Also you probably won't have to pay so much attention to the tank. Your conditions will be stable and you'll start enjoying it!
Not saying that you have a few months to wait, but you could. Point is that it all settles down and the hobby is a lot more rewarding.