Hello everyone,
First, let me introduce myself. My name is Christy, and I'm a rookie aquarium owner that has made numerous mistakes over the last 7 months. I've covered just about every mistake I think you can make, from trusting the people at Walmart, to over feeding & over crowding. In 7 short months, I've gone from a betta bowl, to a 1.5 gallon, to a 5 gallon, to a 14 gallon and finally a 60 gallon.
I'm hoping that the reading and research I've done using this forum and reading other online articles will finally put an end to this vicious cycle that both my fish and my bank account have suffered through.
I currently have 2 small Blood Parrots (3" & 4") and one betta fish. The BP's are in the 14 gallon tank and the betta is in the 5 gallon tank. I'm getting ready to setup a newly purchased 60 gallon tank to transfer the BP's to, but I would like some advice regarding my choices of equipment before I setup the 60 gallon for transfer.
The tank was purchased used, from a garage sale. The previous owner disassembled it a week ago to make room for a 90 gallon reef tank. I've cleaned it thoroughly using only a combination of white vinegar and baking soda and tested it to be certain it holds water and has no leaks.
I'm looking to purchase a Eheim 2017 canister filter. From what I've read that should suffice for a 60 gallon (48x21x12.5) tank. Is that a good choice or would you recommend something else?
How many airstones would you suggest for a 60 gallon tank, and what size air pump?
What about the heater? Any recommendations?
I'm considering using black moon rock as the substrate and adding plenty of slate cave structures and a few plastic plants for color. I'm having a difficult time locating the slate though. I also heard that granite is a good choice. I don't mind spending a little extra to get it right, once and for all. These BP's love to twist and turn through their current structures so I want something without any sharp edges. Where can I buy the proper slate/granite to use in the tank?
Also, I've read that securing the rock structure before adding the substrate is a good idea. How would I go about doing that in a manner that is safe for the fish?
Now, once I get all of that setup and the tank filled with water, which method of cycling would you recommend? Due to my many mistakes I'm pretty well schooled and religious about testing my water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH and doing water changes. I have used media from my 14 gallon tank but BP's will be using it until they can be rehoused in the larger more suitable tank.
Thank you for any advice you can provide. I've found the forum and the people to be extraordinarily informative. I only wish I had found found it and done my research before starting this misadventure.
Christy
First, let me introduce myself. My name is Christy, and I'm a rookie aquarium owner that has made numerous mistakes over the last 7 months. I've covered just about every mistake I think you can make, from trusting the people at Walmart, to over feeding & over crowding. In 7 short months, I've gone from a betta bowl, to a 1.5 gallon, to a 5 gallon, to a 14 gallon and finally a 60 gallon.
I'm hoping that the reading and research I've done using this forum and reading other online articles will finally put an end to this vicious cycle that both my fish and my bank account have suffered through.
I currently have 2 small Blood Parrots (3" & 4") and one betta fish. The BP's are in the 14 gallon tank and the betta is in the 5 gallon tank. I'm getting ready to setup a newly purchased 60 gallon tank to transfer the BP's to, but I would like some advice regarding my choices of equipment before I setup the 60 gallon for transfer.
The tank was purchased used, from a garage sale. The previous owner disassembled it a week ago to make room for a 90 gallon reef tank. I've cleaned it thoroughly using only a combination of white vinegar and baking soda and tested it to be certain it holds water and has no leaks.
I'm looking to purchase a Eheim 2017 canister filter. From what I've read that should suffice for a 60 gallon (48x21x12.5) tank. Is that a good choice or would you recommend something else?
How many airstones would you suggest for a 60 gallon tank, and what size air pump?
What about the heater? Any recommendations?
I'm considering using black moon rock as the substrate and adding plenty of slate cave structures and a few plastic plants for color. I'm having a difficult time locating the slate though. I also heard that granite is a good choice. I don't mind spending a little extra to get it right, once and for all. These BP's love to twist and turn through their current structures so I want something without any sharp edges. Where can I buy the proper slate/granite to use in the tank?
Also, I've read that securing the rock structure before adding the substrate is a good idea. How would I go about doing that in a manner that is safe for the fish?
Now, once I get all of that setup and the tank filled with water, which method of cycling would you recommend? Due to my many mistakes I'm pretty well schooled and religious about testing my water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH and doing water changes. I have used media from my 14 gallon tank but BP's will be using it until they can be rehoused in the larger more suitable tank.
Thank you for any advice you can provide. I've found the forum and the people to be extraordinarily informative. I only wish I had found found it and done my research before starting this misadventure.
Christy
