Beginner questions

Python, non-enthusiasts ... I love my python. You can get around slow drainage by attaching the thing to the outdoor hose. Actually, I have to because none of the addapters fit any of the fixtures in my house. I take the screen out and hang mine out the window ... the neighbors think I'm nuts ... but I think they're just nosey.

Don't buy scrubbers, cleaners, medicine, chemicals any of that stuff unless you have a specific reason to. Some of that stuff actually has a shelf life and will expire before you use it. More than likely, you'll have whatever it is you need to clean your tank laying around your house someplace already.

As far as fish ... depending on the LFS, you can get them to order you what you want. PetSmart, PetCo ... they won't do it because all their fish go to a central location first, then get sent out to the stores, but little round the corner shops normally will. They may charge you a little more for the fish, but if it's something you really want it's worth it. Or, you can buy fish online. I've never done this and I've heard mixed opinions on this. Or, you can ask around here. Or, you can do like I do and drive to the next town.
 
Oh, and I totally forgot to say that I'm of the camp that doesn't believe in fishless cycling. Feeders work fine, but if you have an idea of what fish you want to have, pick the hardiest of those and start with that. I've started and restarted a lot of tanks over the years and I don't think you get as complete a cycle going fishless. I always see two spikes when I cycle - one when I add the first fish and one once they've cycled and I add a few more. This holds true even if I cycle with ammonia first. I'll still get an ammonia spike with the first fish and then again when I add a few more.

After a second spike, I've never seen ammonia unless there was something up with the tank - like the time I had a fish die in one of the decorations. It was a tall mountain like thing and the fish got stuck way up at the top. We looked for him for days, even checking inside the mountain thing, but he was stuck good. The ammonia problem went away as soon as we removed the mess.

That's just my opinion.
 
Hi, I don't know where upstate you are but if you are wihin driving distance of Tonowanda ( near Buffalo) you are in luck. there is a terrific LFS there called
The Fish Place. It is worth quite a drive.
1) looks adequate. Not necessary.
2) again, not necessary a regular syphon operated gravel vacuum is fine.
3)4)5) I imagine Kas knows what he is talking about.
6) Now I seem to be in the minority here. But melafix IS the one "medication" I keep around. Perhaps I am comfortable with it because i have used herbal tratments for years and years. It Is also the only 'medication' I have experience with and I have always had positive results.
The risk of keeping it around' just in case, I suppose, would be a temptation to over use it. I do NOT recomend throwing it in with out a specific appropriate reason to do so.
Clean water should be a constant state of a tank, not a 'treatment' and it does indeed prevent most problems. of course cleanER water should be the first thing to try when any problem does show up.
I am currently using heat and salt for the first time to treat ICH. many people recomend salt for many things, but from what i have read, I see no point in using it for anything but ICH.

RE lights. I used the compact flourescents on my tenG. I Think it was RTR, who explained that the '50 watts of light" measurement isnt relevant to fishtanks beCause, when people talk about watts /gallon, they are talking about watts in a flourescent bulb, not comparable wattage incandescent bulb. In other words, the compact flourescent would be providing you with approximately one watt per gallon. NOT too bright by any measure. I had low light plants survive at that level.
I use a sponge similar to the one you linked in my whisper HOB filter. I tore apart a supplied filter and used a rubber band to put the sponge onto the frame. i also use some quilting batting for additional mechanical filtration, sort of like the white outside of the whisper filters. Replacing monthly is not a good idea IMO.
RE the water fall effect: the fish MIGHT have a preference, watch to see. other than that it is up to you as far as I know.
 
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jaylin said:
Oh, and I totally forgot to say that I'm of the camp that doesn't believe in fishless cycling. Feeders work fine, but if you have an idea of what fish you want to have, pick the hardiest of those and start with that. I've started and restarted a lot of tanks over the years and I don't think you get as complete a cycle going fishless. I always see two spikes when I cycle - one when I add the first fish and one once they've cycled and I add a few more. This holds true even if I cycle with ammonia first. I'll still get an ammonia spike with the first fish and then again when I add a few more.
Click to expand...

Fishless cycling produces a fully complete cycle. If you dose with 4ppm ammonia and see the cycle through to completion, there should be no ammonia spike when finally adding all your fish. The bacterial colony will be more than adequate to handle the bioload.
 
Hannas Papa-we're doing a very similar thing at my house.:)
I just started cycling a 10 gallon with a Whisper filter for the first time. I inherited the tank, and I'll no doubt need a bigger one if I'm successful in keeping the two small goldfish alive that I also inherited. Actually a girlfriend of my teenage son gave them to him as a present. :o I couldn't leave their care to him and watch them die, which they surely would have in a week or two given his schedule and prioritities. They're living in a 3 gallon Eclipse now - doing ok because we change a third of the water daily, but I'm anxious to get them into the bigger tank next month.
We're using the dead shrimp method of cycling that I read about because I couldn't find amonia either - I'm in southern cal and the stores I normally shop don't carry it.( I think that ACE hardward carries it, though, we just don't have one close by.) I hope the shrimp experiment works out. We're on day 3 and the water truned cloudy today with an ammonia reading of 1ppm. I used a sponge filter only in the box for these few days, but I put the carbon in today, thinking it might be better to have both in. I plan to remove the carbon after the tank cycles, but keep the little envelope that holds the carbon and fill it with another sponge or those little balls you're thinking of using. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought with a rotting shrimp, the carbon filtering along witht the sponge might be a good combo. Thoughts on this, anyone?
If anyone reading this has had any experience with this method (shrimp) I'd love to hear about it. I was wondering how long to keep the shrimp in the tank. Do I need to keep it in until the nitrites are gone, or just until the ammonia is gone?
Also, I use the little syphon vacuum on the little tank that's basically a piece of clear plastic hose with a plastic head. It works great - don't see the need for any more power than it naturally produces. If anything, it takes the water out faster than I would like.
 
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mishi8 said:
Fishless cycling produces a fully complete cycle. If you dose with 4ppm ammonia and see the cycle through to completion, there should be no ammonia spike when finally adding all your fish. The bacterial colony will be more than adequate to handle the bioload.
Click to expand...

So I've been told. It's never worked that way for me and I've have very few casualties cycling with fish. I'm not telling anyone they should cycle with fish. All I'm saying is that I've had better luck cycling with fish. ;)
 
I'd be interested in hearing about this as well...

sands said:
We're using the dead shrimp method of cycling that I read about because I couldn't find amonia either - I'm in southern cal and the stores I normally shop don't carry it.( I think that ACE hardward carries it, though, we just don't have one close by.) I hope the shrimp experiment works out. We're on day 3 and the water truned cloudy today with an ammonia reading of 1ppm. I used a sponge filter only in the box for these few days, but I put the carbon in today, thinking it might be better to have both in. I plan to remove the carbon after the tank cycles, but keep the little envelope that holds the carbon and fill it with another sponge or those little balls you're thinking of using. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought with a rotting shrimp, the carbon filtering along witht the sponge might be a good combo. Thoughts on this, anyone?
Click to expand...
 
Thoughts on using shrimp, or thoughts on adding carbon?

The shrimp will certainly work in terms of producing of ammonia. It will also create a really nasty odor...But you can remove the remains once you've hit about 4ppm ammonia. I'd would also plan on siphoning the area where the shrimp sat when you go to do the final water change to reduce nitrates.

In terms of carbon--eh. Shouldn't hurt the system. But, the bacteria will begin colonizing the carbon, so you'd be removing them when you pull the carbon out later, and for now, that's not really what you need. The carbon may help reduce the odor--a good thing--so my advice would be to keep the carbon in there, but plan on swapping it out for fresh every 2-3 days to prevent it from being colonized by the beneficial bacteria.
 
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Thanks for the advice, oriongirl. After I put the carbon in, the cloudiness cleared up the next day. Ammonia still at 1ppm - no smell so far. I will exchange the carbon out so that the bacteria will settle in the sponge and the carbon holder and other things instead of the carbon itself. I didn't realize that the carbon would be a place the bacteria would find habitable.
So you think if I remove the shrimp after the ammonia hits 4ppm the bacteria will
continue to grow?
 
I am a bit confused... I have a Whisper HOB power filter and it uses the loose carbon bits you buy in the big canister. So you take the carbon out and discard along WITH the filter envelop pad thing? Or do you just replace the old carbon for new carbon and put it in the same old filter bag?
 
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