The pet store people filled up a 5 gallon container of water and added different kinds of chemicals and bacteria. I don't think they sold me an actual product. It was kind of a homemade thing. Will letting the water sit for a month really do anything?
Pink pet fish??
- Thread starter Nataleigh
- Start date
No.
I think one of the top 10 rules is Don't Listen to your LFS (Local Fish Store).
Letting the tank sit will do nothing except age it. There has to be an ammonia source for the tank to cycle. That means fish (and their poop) or adding pure ammonia from a bottle (with NO fish in the tank) thereby doing a fishless cycle, which is obviously better for the eventual addition of fish because they won't be exposed to toxins which might harm or kill them.
I think one of the top 10 rules is Don't Listen to your LFS (Local Fish Store).
Letting the tank sit will do nothing except age it. There has to be an ammonia source for the tank to cycle. That means fish (and their poop) or adding pure ammonia from a bottle (with NO fish in the tank) thereby doing a fishless cycle, which is obviously better for the eventual addition of fish because they won't be exposed to toxins which might harm or kill them.
Standing water is only okay if something is rotting in it (ammonia source, as kveeti said)...otherwise you'd have to cycle with ammonia. I think that in this case it would be appropo to read the thread on fishless cycling as you have a clean slate with this tank at this point.
P.S. If they just gave you water and no substrate material, they didn't give you much bacteria...you want gravel from those store tanks if you want the bacteria...either that or sponge filter squeezings.
P.S. If they just gave you water and no substrate material, they didn't give you much bacteria...you want gravel from those store tanks if you want the bacteria...either that or sponge filter squeezings.
If you want to speed up your cycling a whole lot, take a bunch of gravel from a mature aquarium. Maybe you can ask a friend. Also, old filters (especially sponge filters) contains lots of good bacteria. Yum.
Sorry to hear about your fish losses. You are doing the right thing by asking questions here. You'll learn alot of useful information here, so stick around. First off, I would suggest you purchase a few good aquarium books. I personally recommend Tropical Fish Lopaedia.
Also visit The Skeptical Aquarist...a great website for both beginning and experienced aquarists, alike.
Also visit The Skeptical Aquarist...a great website for both beginning and experienced aquarists, alike.
I just saw this pink fish at liveaquaria.com. It's called a Pink Cherry Bitterling (I've never heard of them before)
They call for at least a 30 gallon tank.
They call for at least a 30 gallon tank.
Dear Nataleigh: I have four little Serpae Tetras swimming contently in my 29 gallon tank; they are a deep rose to red and look really nice when hangin' together. They are voracious feeders. I was looking for as close to red as I could find and these little guys came into my life...thanks to WallyWorld!!! There are lots of pink fish out there; you'll find them. Good luck
Sorry to hear that your fishkeeping hoppy didnt exactly get off on the right foot. The LFS you went to sounds completely cruel ....selling u a fish that requires 30 gallons, when u have a 2 gallon and making up some water solution....sounds mean and unfair to me! Well glad to see you found this site, it has helped me alot and I hope it does for you too
I dont know how much you have learned now, but a general good rule, is: 1 inch of slim bodied fish to 1 gallon of water. For a 2 gallon tank, not much can go in, but you can have a nice set up still... a single male betta(2 male betas will fight one another to thier deaths) alone or maybe sinse you have a 2 gallon you can also add a single dwarf afriacan frog.
Another good site to chack out is:
www.thekrib.com
here you want to look up the begianer faq.....well good luck,
mt_marcy!
I dont know how much you have learned now, but a general good rule, is: 1 inch of slim bodied fish to 1 gallon of water. For a 2 gallon tank, not much can go in, but you can have a nice set up still... a single male betta(2 male betas will fight one another to thier deaths) alone or maybe sinse you have a 2 gallon you can also add a single dwarf afriacan frog.
Another good site to chack out is:
www.thekrib.com
here you want to look up the begianer faq.....well good luck,
mt_marcy!
