We never used to cycle tanks...

Heh, some of you guys are showing your age here! I'm just a youngan compared to you but even 15 years ago there was no such thing as metal corner, slate bottom, tanks or even Silent Giant air pumps. This is when I first had an aquarium. I started off with the 10 gallon aquarium with Neon Blue gravel and Incandescent lighting too. Moved to a 29Gal and then to a 55Gal. That was a huge purchase for me when I was only 15 I think. Now 10 years later I just bought another 55gal. Same price as it was back then. Hmmph...

And even back then when I first got an aquarium, Pet stores instructed you to wait about 3 days or so before you put fish in the tank. I cleaned my filters because looking at all that built up crud in there couldn't be good for the fish haha. I went through a lot of fish too come to think of it. Perhaps I shouldn't be so hung up on the fish that didn't fare so well back then as being the reason I don't get tehm again.

Thanks for the trip down you guys's memory lane! That was really cool!
 
Hey everyone! Noob here. I just got a 37 gal. tank. And since it was my first one...I had to get fish right then!! I think I let it sit for about 4 hours and went out and got some cheap tetras and danios and a frog. I know it was stupid to not let it cycle...but over 14 fish and 2 months later I have only had 2 casualties (the frog and some randome small fish that got ate).

My question is: At my house we have spring water. I of course filled my tank with that. Does anyone know what effects that has on cycling and fish?
 
Hmm yeah, my friend also didn't wait for the tank to cycle. She just got the tank & equipment & plopped them right in there. 2 years, no diseases, very overstocked & no filter changes for months later & the fish are still living & quite happy. She keeps adding to it too! :rant2: When I told her I was looking to set up & tank she asked me if i wanted some of hers!

.... I politely declined... :idea:
 
Remember the old Aqua King filters with the big moters that sat in the box? It always amazed me that the moters where open on the top. What if water splashed in there? One of my LFS still is useing a bunch of them on there tanks. The lady there says she wishes they still made them.
 
CaptnDan said:
Back when I got my first tank, people didn't cycle tanks. Things were much different then.

You bought the tank and all the decorations, gravel, and so on. The helpful person at the LFS told you to get it all set up and let the filter run for at least 24 hours before adding fish.
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The guy at PetSmart where I purchased my fish told me I had to cycle the tank for about two months.

I know for a fact that I didn't do that when I got my first tank about five years ago or so. This is a new tank that I have set up now.
 
Britt20 said:
The guy at PetSmart where I purchased my fish told me I had to cycle the tank for about two months.

I know for a fact that I didn't do that when I got my first tank about five years ago or so. This is a new tank that I have set up now.
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There are a few LFS people who actually know their stuff. It's refreshing to run into them. :)

Seems more often than not, I'm in PetSmart when I run across the educated ones.
 
I got an old slate bottom, chrome trimmed tank from my aunt. It is around a 29 or 30 gallon I think. It works ok, and my fish seem to be doing well. We have been using it for about 6-7 months. No problems except that every time that we move it it leaks for about a week. After that it is fine until we try to move it again. We are going to be purchasing a new 55 gal. sometime soon, so if anyone has any suggestions on fish let us know. It is going to be the new home for are 6 tigers barbs, 1 albino tiger barb, 1 pictus catfish (Pimelodella), 1 redtail shark, 1 snail, and 1 pleco of unknown type.
 
krobb said:
I got an old slate bottom, chrome trimmed tank from my aunt. ... every time that we move it it leaks for about a week.
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If you want to fix that, scrape all the black cement on the inside off that you can get to and clean it completely. Get a piece of glass cut to fit the bottom- you can use window glass since it will be sitting on the slate. Just make sure you can get it past the metal of the top frame. Set it in the bottom and silicone all around it and up the side joints.

Mulm and other dirt tends to plug the leaks until you move the tank again.
 
I'm realy going to show off my newby-ness by asking what "cycling" your tank means. I moved in with a pre-existing tank, gravel, ornaments, no plants. Since I come from the "balanced ratio of fish to plants" to keep a healthy aquarium, the first thing I did was buy some plants. As a youngster I was adviced to let my tank and filter run for several days before adding fish; that was the wisdom of the day.
 
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