Oh well, this first attempt was a total disaster and I feel bad that I didn't read more before starting my tank and I just listened to one person. My tank was completely infested with ich and all my fish died from it, I tried everything I could but the sum of every little thing that happened in there just made them too weak i guess and they couldn't stand the shock.
I disinfected my tank using very hot salt water and everything that went in contact with it, the gravel, decorations, filter, tubings, heater, nets, even my test tubes! I left everything bathe in very hot salt water for an entire afternoon so I guess the parasites are dead now, correct me if not I will do what it takes to make the next inhabitants safe.
I also purchased a small 5 gallon tank which I will use as a quarantine tank, when getting new fish before sending them into the main tank.
I started a fishless cycle today, bought some pure ammonia ( goldex household ammonia ) it is written on the label that it has no phosphates additives or perfumes in it and no foaming inside when you shake the bottle (seen that trick from a website; if it foams, it's not pure)
I've seen lots of info on websites about fishless cycling, I tried what seemed to me the most logical thing to do, I read that raising temperature to 28-30 Celsius, and setting the water at about 1-2ppm ammonia (some say higher, some say too high can kill the bacteria) will get the cycle started faster along with using a filter media from an established tank ( i put the non-carbon part of my filter sponge in an established tank and let it rest there for 2 days )
Also I was thinking about planting my main tank, should I add plants before the cycle has been established? Will they help cycling my tank? Or should I wait until the whole cycle is balanced before adding them? And should I add plants before fish, or vice versa?
Please I'd like some feedback about this, share your ideas / experiences
Thanks
I disinfected my tank using very hot salt water and everything that went in contact with it, the gravel, decorations, filter, tubings, heater, nets, even my test tubes! I left everything bathe in very hot salt water for an entire afternoon so I guess the parasites are dead now, correct me if not I will do what it takes to make the next inhabitants safe.
I also purchased a small 5 gallon tank which I will use as a quarantine tank, when getting new fish before sending them into the main tank.
I started a fishless cycle today, bought some pure ammonia ( goldex household ammonia ) it is written on the label that it has no phosphates additives or perfumes in it and no foaming inside when you shake the bottle (seen that trick from a website; if it foams, it's not pure)
I've seen lots of info on websites about fishless cycling, I tried what seemed to me the most logical thing to do, I read that raising temperature to 28-30 Celsius, and setting the water at about 1-2ppm ammonia (some say higher, some say too high can kill the bacteria) will get the cycle started faster along with using a filter media from an established tank ( i put the non-carbon part of my filter sponge in an established tank and let it rest there for 2 days )
Also I was thinking about planting my main tank, should I add plants before the cycle has been established? Will they help cycling my tank? Or should I wait until the whole cycle is balanced before adding them? And should I add plants before fish, or vice versa?
Please I'd like some feedback about this, share your ideas / experiences
Thanks
