tl:dr I have a Imagitarium Semi-Hexagonal Aquarium Kit, 6.7 GAL | Petco tank and want to get all the supplies needed to set it up, cycle it, and be ready for freshwater fish.
Longer version: I am a long-time tank enthusiast. Had tanks as a kid and had a 55 gallon tank in early adulthood that I did the whole set up for, with cycling using ammonia for a couple weeks, testing daily, with canister filter, heater, the whole nine. I moved 8 years ago and am waiting until I'm in a house to get another tank.
My mother recently bought a ~7 gallon tank (specifically Imagitarium Semi-Hexagonal 6.7 gallon tank from Petco) for my kids as a present. She said that she had a tank at home with glowfish and that she just filled it up and threw them in and they were fine. Well, she did the same for us and that didn't happen. Fish died of new tank shock within a few hours. So I'm trying to start over and do it right.
It's been a while since I cycled a tank and I'm also not sure where to start with this small one. It came with a small filter ( Imagitarium Semi-Hexagonal Aquarium Kit, 6.7 GAL | Petco for details) and a light.
Basically, I'm wondering what I would need to get and how I should go about cycling it? I'm fine doing the hard work. Is adding ammonia and testing everyday until you see the tank convert the ammonia in a reasonable time still the way to go? Do any of the 'bacteria in a bottle' things work? Heater? Do I need another filter? Also would like to have live plants if possible.
Longer version: I am a long-time tank enthusiast. Had tanks as a kid and had a 55 gallon tank in early adulthood that I did the whole set up for, with cycling using ammonia for a couple weeks, testing daily, with canister filter, heater, the whole nine. I moved 8 years ago and am waiting until I'm in a house to get another tank.
My mother recently bought a ~7 gallon tank (specifically Imagitarium Semi-Hexagonal 6.7 gallon tank from Petco) for my kids as a present. She said that she had a tank at home with glowfish and that she just filled it up and threw them in and they were fine. Well, she did the same for us and that didn't happen. Fish died of new tank shock within a few hours. So I'm trying to start over and do it right.
It's been a while since I cycled a tank and I'm also not sure where to start with this small one. It came with a small filter ( Imagitarium Semi-Hexagonal Aquarium Kit, 6.7 GAL | Petco for details) and a light.
Basically, I'm wondering what I would need to get and how I should go about cycling it? I'm fine doing the hard work. Is adding ammonia and testing everyday until you see the tank convert the ammonia in a reasonable time still the way to go? Do any of the 'bacteria in a bottle' things work? Heater? Do I need another filter? Also would like to have live plants if possible.