Newbie in deep water

[Puffernewbee]

Currently you have two mollies plus 7 fry in a 1 gallon bowl and you plan on leaving them there as you cycle a 29 gallon tank.

I would recommend that you go ahead and put the fish in the 29 gallon and do a fishy cycle. They will be safer from an ammonia spike in 29 gallons than 1. Just add whatever you have in the one gallon to the 29 gallon and you will have some starter bacteria.

 

[nursie]

Hate to telly you , but I think you budget may be a little low too...just like having kids..there are always extra expenses.

I agree with the low light plant selection. You don't need the higher prices lighting, but do need around 1.5 watts per gallon. I may have missed it..but you do need a heater. It's healthier for the fish if they are not crowded...I would be careful with stocking. Trying to change the ph in your water isn't necessarily a good idea, because it then fluctuates and is harder on the fish than leaving it alone. I would say if they reproduced in the water you have, they will probably be fine. Do get a test kit so you can monitor what is really going in instead of guessing.

 

[DirkW]

Taking the Plunge on a Tank!

Well, I took the dive on a 29G tank kit, which includes a HOB filter. I also bought an UGF, a powerhead, and 25LBS of gravel. Maybe it's an overkill for a starter setup, but I want to end up with a crowded tank of healthy fish. My budget was too low, I spent about $200. And I know I'm not done.

In case you haven't noticed, I can be a little obsessive.

I bought a small power filter for the 1G. It cleared the water nicely, and the mollies seem much more at ease. I've done three 50% water changes this week, and all the levels look good. I'm keeping the mollies in the 1G for the fishless cycle and plan to keep up frequent water changes. Changing 0.5G is little effort. My PH level is 6.8 at the tap, which I think is a good thing. I add aquarium salt and let the water sit a few hours. The tank stays 68-70 degrees because the heater I bought isn't working well in such a small tank. I'm having trouble finding a heater for the 1G. I'm thinking of buying a cheap 2.5G. And maybe a third heater.

I've got to consider how to protect the fry from the water intake (thanks mykidsmylife).

I'm starting my fishless cycle with 6ppm (two tsp) pure ammonia and some starter bacteria from the tank kit (two tsp Clear Zyme, as per instructions on the bottle). I'm using both the 50W heater I bought for the 1G, plus the heater that came with the 30G to bring the heat as close to 90 degrees as I can. It seems to have topped out at about 86 degrees, and I'm considering dropping that back a little so I don't damage my heaters. As it reaches the end of the cycle, I'll slowly bring it back down to room temperature, and do an 80-90% water change. The last couple water changes I do in the 1G will be from the 30G tank.

Since I was in such a hurry to start the cycle, I didn't consider the placement of the HOB filter. I wanted to hang it on one side (it's in a corner), but once I got the hood out, I realized it doesn't work that way. It's too close to the wall to hang the filter on the back. I'll either have to move the tank when I do the big water change, modify the hood, or make my own hood. I'm leaving off the HOB filter for now. I should have all the bacteria I need in the gravel.

After researching live plants more, I'm not going to get too adventuresome until the tank is well established. Some of the low light options look interesting (thanks, phanmc). For now, I'll keep the light at 50W. I don't want to mess with CO2 yet, and plan to add plants once my nitrate levels shoot up.

 

[kveeti]

The last couple water changes I do in the 1G will be from the 30G tank.

Not a good idea. The end-result water from a fishless cycle would be high in nitrAtes. After a fishless cycle, you are supposed to do a very large water change (with treated water) before putting the fish in, because of the nitrates.

 

[Luke Jaywalker]

First--this will not be a brackish setup. None of the fish you listed are brackish.

mollies and swordtails can't be brackish?

Two more entries that should be edited:

These fish thrive in brackishwater conditions, which is a mixture of fresh and salt water.

Swordtails often live in brackish waters, which is a combination of salt and fresh water.

I've also heard that swordtails can't actually change their sex as listed in their profile.

 

[DirkW]

Not a good idea. The end-result water from a fishless cycle would be high in nitrAtes. After a fishless cycle, you are supposed to do a very large water change (with treated water) before putting the fish in, because of the nitrates.

My plan was to do the 80-90% water change in the big tank, then start using that water to change with the small tank. But maybe it will be good enough just to put them in the big tank directly.

 

[DirkW]

A couple fatalities

I hadn't been counting the fry lately since I had put some live plants floating in the 1G tank. After reading mykidsmylife's post, I pulled out the filter and poured out its' contents into a bucket. The filter had been running for about 36 hours. Five fry where in the filter. Luckily, three where still swimming. I put those back into the bowl and they seem to be doing fine.

Obviously, I can't run the filter until I figure out how to protect the fry. I'm going to have to break down and get a 2.5G tank. I've got some ideas on fabricating a net surrounding the filter intake. The netting can't be too close to the intake without trapping fry.

On a lighter note, I was talking about my latest obsession to some friends. The husband had kept an aquarium for a couple years (fancy goldfish), but moved his fish to a pond in his back yard. He offered to give me his 29G tank with all the accessories. My wife doesn't want a second tank (yet). Hopefully she'll change her mind once the first is up and running.

I know it's only been a couple days, but I'm already tired of waiting for my tank to cycle. I dumped the rest of the Clear Zyme into the tank (four tsp). By Friday, I should be able to tell if it's a placebo.

 

[Pretender]

I'm going to have to break down and get a 2.5G tank.... He offered to give me his 29G tank with all the accessories. My wife doesn't want a second tank (yet). Hopefully she'll change her mind once the first is up and running.

Uh oh. He's been bit good. My wife's bosses have what I estimate to be a 90 gallon acrylic tank with stand and wet/dry filtration. They're down to one goldfish and a pleco. My wife tells me the whole thing started when their daughter brought home the goldfish from a school fair years ago. The tank looks bad, and the fish didn't look good when I saw him this weekend. I think their business doesn't really leave the the time to adequately care for the aquarium. I said to my wife, "If they decided they didn't want it any more, I would take it." I was kind of surprised that my wife seemed agreeable to the idea! Of course, her job is "feed the fish" and mine is "water changes and everything else." There just seems to be no tactful way to tell her bosses, "You're not taking good care of that fish, why don't you give us the expensive the aquarium system?"

 

[Holly9937]

You'll definately want to get the heat up a bit higher than 69-70!! If you do get the 2.5g size tank, I have seen mini heaters for sale from one of these sites: either www.bigalsonline.com or www.drsfostersmith.com

Also, do you have plans long term for the fry once you get the larger tank going? As cruel as it sounds, you might be better off letting them get eaten, or taken by the filter. Constantly trying to save and raise them will be alot of work, plus you have to make sure you have a local store that is willing to take them, or you will overrun in no time

 

[DirkW]

Also, do you have plans long term for the fry once you get the larger tank going?

That's a very good point. The primary occupants will be schools of Mollies and Swordtails. My plan is to raise a few fry, and let the rest run wild in the big tank. My hope is that the extra fry would become food. I figured that once a year I'd pull out all the males and buy one male of each species each to keep the gene pool strong. I hope to either find a store that will take them or find good homes for them.

Any ideas on fish that would feed on the fry but otherwise be good community citizens?

Another idea is to occasionally pull out an older fish and chop it up into fish food (tossing out the head and tail). Of course, that wouldn't go over well with the females in my house. But if I did, could that cause problems in my tank?

Before someone flames me, I'd like to add that I have great affection for all living things. But my concern with animals are more for survival of species, thriving eco-systems, and minimal suffering, rather than survival of individuals.