Aquariums (Fresh water or Salt water)

[torndevil]

Hey all, I have recently set up a fresh water aquarium. It's a 20 gallon tank and has a good 20 gal filter for it as well. I have about 15 or so non aggressive fish. Not very large so the space is not confined. I have had the water tested and all chemicals and nutrients are good as well.

I'm just curious to look for tips on how to help with up keep on it and keeping my fish healthy. Also how many times a day should I feed them: once or twice? I ask this because I am hearing various answers and dont want to over feed them for obvious reasons.

Just thought I would ask the local aquarium enthusiasts for a how to kinda lesson lol. Thanks for the help!

[oh6s]

Heres something with a little info: http://www.fishlore.com/

[Scrappy]

Feed em once a day, and do a partial water change once a week to keep things good. Probably about 20% a week should do it. If you don't have a gravel vac, pick one up.

Good luck and enjoy

[torndevil]

Cool man I'll do some reading. Also any other recommendations, let me know what you guys think who have them.

[Scrappy]

Cool man I'll do some reading. Also any other recommendations, let me know what you guys think who have them.

Pick up some test kits, just to be on the safe side. This way you can check to see if things are going downhill.

[torndevil]

Yeah I have had the water tested every few days and I'm gonig tomorrow cause I need a bottom feeder. I'll take the water to get tested again. I only ahd to add a few drops of ph down and aquel+(sp?)

[rawSx]

What kind of fish do you have?

[Smalls]

sign up with tetracare.com.


they put out email reminds for you to do water changes and whatnot....

they were really helpful for me when I setup my tank

20 gal...6 serpae tetras, 3 hi-fin black tetras and 2 black mystery snails

[oh6s]

Smalls you got girlie fish! :laughing: Get some African Cichlids, there a pretty damn cool for fresh water fish.

[Smalls]

Smalls you got girlie fish! :laughing: Get some African Cichlids, there a pretty damn cool for fresh water fish.

they're too big and too agressive for my tank...

im trying for peaceful...i dont want to have to go net fishing every few days :D

[torndevil]

I like those candy parrot fish but they seem to be too aggressive.

[General Tso]

i had a cichlid, it was pretty damn cool...

i wanna get a saltwater tank setup, i know they are expensive...and i dont really have the money right now...but one of my girlfriends sisters friends works at a saltwater shop here in birmingham. and could get me things cheaper and help me out if i had any problems...

anybody with saltwater tanks?

[pandjpudge]

I think 15 fish is a bit much for a 20 gallon. I wouldn't recommend adding anymore...but it can be done with the right number of waterchages. You don't need to lower PH unless you're taking take care of some picky fish. If anything that could stress the fish out going from a whatever PH at the fish store to your tank.

If you're looking at bottem feeders aka a clean up crew look no further than Cory Cats!

[Smalls]

I think 15 fish is a bit much for a 20 gallon. I wouldn't recommend adding anymore...but it can be done with the right number of waterchages. You don't need to lower PH unless you're taking take care of some picky fish. If anything that could stress the fish out going from a whatever PH at the fish store to your tank.

If you're looking at bottem feeders aka a clean up crew look no further than Cory Cats!

isn't the ratio 1 inch of fish per gallon?

and you have to take what they could grow to be, not what they are when you buy them :)

[oh6s]

they're too big and too agressive for my tank...

im trying for peaceful...i dont want to have to go net fishing every few days :D

I hear ya! They are aggressive little shits. I am looking at getting into the fish game again in the near future. I want a 150 gallon and some more cichlids. I had a 75 before and had to pull the rocks quite often to throw off the dominant male. That was a pita but I did enjoy them over all.

[pandjpudge]

I've heard that 1 inch per gallon is a good rule of thumb but I also read its better to go by 1 inch per surface area or something like that?

[Smalls]

I hear ya! They are aggressive little shits. I am looking at getting into the fish game again in the near future. I want a 150 gallon and some more cichlids. I had a 75 before and had to pull the rocks quite often to throw off the dominant male. That was a pita but I did enjoy them over all.

lol @ edit reason.

here's my tank. I've had it since nov...gone through some ups and downs with fish..but i've finally got a good balance...the 6 serpae tetras have been with me for 4+ months...the snails for about a month or 2 and the hi fin tetras are from last week.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q58/SUSmalls/Pictures/b5123d29.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q58/SUSmalls/Pictures/98f2e082.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q58/SUSmalls/Pictures/8f3d8ca6.jpg

and that tetra website and the people at petco were/are extremely helpful. extremely.

[General Tso]

nice

[Smalls]

nice

gracias.

they love playing in that bubble wall in the back...they take turns. its funny

[oh6s]

lol @ edit reason.

here's my tank. I've had it since nov...gone through some ups and downs with fish..but i've finally got a good balance...the 6 serpae tetras have been with me for 4+ months...the snails for about a month or 2 and the hi fin tetras are from last week.

and that tetra website and the people at petco were/are extremely helpful. extremely.

Your tanks set up nice.

I have to find someone locally that carries cichlids and knows them well. I just can't bring myself to do the mail order thing. But it may be what I have to do. I can only imagine what they will cost now. Maybe I don't want to do this all over again! :laughing:

I remember buying a juvenile Victorian male back in 1993ish that ran me $35.00. Took him home, acclimated him and inside of a week he was a floater courtesy of a supposedly “docile” OB Pseudotropheus zebra. Even after that zebra killed everything I had he lived on forever. I stopped the filter flow and let him sit in stagnant water for over two weeks with no food and still he was in there fighting with his shadow.

I finally flushed him. :rotfl:

[pandjpudge]

Hey smalls..I would watch those black widow tetras they are known as tailnippers and my experience with them have been negative.

[Smalls]

Hey smalls..I would watch those black widow tetras they are known as tailnippers and my experience with them have been negative.

from what i've read online and from being told by the guy at petco, they are only aggressive if they are cramped for space..and then only to each other. so far it looks like all is well in tankville, my house.

[General Tso]

My House, My Rules

[Smalls]

My House, My Rules

:rotfl: that's a harvey keitel quote isn't it?

[pandjpudge]

Here are some useful places for info for my fellow fish keepers.
aquatic-hobbyist.com and for those trying to go the more natural look in their aquariums plantgeek.net.
Here is one my tanks for example
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f37/pandjpudge/IMG_1845.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f37/pandjpudge/IMG_1841.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f37/pandjpudge/IMG_1838.jpg

[torndevil]

Damn I'm diggin that. I'll take a pic of the fake aquarium objects and what not lol. I like your setup. How many fish and types do you have in there?

[jonboy0517]

my mom bought some red devils DONT BUY THIS FISH!!

we had a 3 foot silver arowana best fish imo

[torndevil]

I saw a red devil that SOB tried to eat my finger. Thing was huge. Those arowana goe for 70 bucks as a baby here. Only 6 inches long but it'll get many feet long.

[pandjpudge]

When that picture was taken I had 2-3 guppies (bred them) 2 cory cats which can be seen swimming and 40ish shrimp. Before the current set up I had the funky aquarium rocks but I scraped it after a big Ick outbreak and started clean.

[oh6s]

my mom bought some red devils DONT BUY THIS FISH!!

we had a 3 foot silver arowana best fish imo

Stay away from South American Cichlids in general. Nasty nasty bastards. Arowana's are really cool. Pics?

[torndevil]

In for Arowana pics.

[pandjpudge]

asian arowana > south american arowana http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_arowana

[torndevil]

Some pics of my tank, Don't laugh it's a beginner setup, Thought it looked cool lol.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0742.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0763.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0757.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0755.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0762.jpg

[General Tso]

serious.

cichlids are mean and will attack almost ANYTHING

[General Tso]

nice tank dude

[Smalls]

Some pics of my tank, Don't laugh it's a beginner setup, Thought it looked cool lol.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0742.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0744.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0763.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0760.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0755.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0757.jpg

i changed your img tags to urls....

can you resize those smaller and then re-post them up as img tags? thanks

[torndevil]

i changed your img tags to urls....

can you resize those smaller and then re-post them up as img tags? thanks

Oh u sob. I was all excited and u shot it down. Haha. Can I just leave them as URLs then?

[Smalls]

Oh u sob. I was all excited and u shot it down. Haha. Can I just leave them as URLs then?

certainly.

but if you want to do them as images, 800x600 is good :D

its a good tank though...looks like ya got plenty of room for more

[torndevil]

It is good isnt it, If photofucket wasn't so gay. Let me retry lol.

[pandjpudge]

Everything looks good to me! But next time I would stay away from genetically altered fish and fish that have been dyed. That pink zebra danio I believe is one of them, just watch it carefully for any signs of weakness/stress before it causes an Ick out break and wipe out the community.

[torndevil]

Hmm I resized them to 800x600 on photbucket. Did it work?

[torndevil]

Everything looks good to me! But next time I would stay away from genetically altered fish and fish that have been dyed. That pink zebra danio I believe is one of them, just watch it carefully for any signs of weakness/stress before it causes an Ick out break and wipe out the community.

Yeah I asked about those, I didnt want the dyed fish because they lose color, but these "biochemically engineered" zebra danio seemed to be pretty hardy. My GF made me get them lol.

[oh6s]

Okay..... I've had enough. I need to start gettting a shopping list together for a new tank. Thanks Fuckers! :rolleyes: The wife is gonna love this!

Me: Hey babe.

Wife: What?

Me: I think I need to go spend some bucks on a big tank and a bunch of fish.

Wife: Okay. How much do you think that will run?

Me: I dunno.

Wife: You have to have some idea. 500? 1000?

Me: Ummmm yeah sumn like that.

Wife: Is it going to be more than that?

Me: (my face turns red and I start to smile cause I can't lie) yeah it may be "a bit" more.

Wife: Come here for a minute sweetheart......... :stfu:

Me: Thanks babe I knew you would understand!

[torndevil]

Lol so the end of ur story is ur gonna sneak out tomorrow and buy a tank and bring it home with out her knowing lol.

[Smalls]

Okay..... I've had enough. I need to start gettting a shopping list together for a new tank. Thanks Fuckers! :rolleyes: The wife is gonna love this!


i think everything for my tank has cost me <$250 since nov......

[pandjpudge]

Then order your supplies on-line to save some cash?

[torndevil]

I have a good question, My tank came with a 20 gallon power filter as seen. Would it be beneficial to move up to a 20-40 gallon whisper or 30 gallon power filter instead of the one I have?

[oh6s]

Lol so the end of ur story is ur gonna sneak out tomorrow and buy a tank and bring it home with out her knowing lol.
That would be easy right now. She's in Iraq. I am paying off bills now so when she gets back I'll tackle it then.

i think everything for my tank has cost me <$250 since nov......
Rub it in why don't ya.

[Smalls]

That would be easy right now. She's in Iraq. I am paying off bills now so when she gets back I'll tackle it then.


Rub it in why don't ya.

im just sayin'. you dont have to spend a lot to have a good setup.

[oh6s]

I have a good question, My tank came with a 20 gallon power filter as seen. Would it be beneficial to move up to a 20-40 gallon whisper or 30 gallon power filter instead of the one I have?


You can filter too much if that makes sense. You can take out some of the things the fish need to stay healthy if you "over filter". I'd say stick with that you have.

[oh6s]

im just sayin'. you dont have to spend a lot to have a good setup.

I know. I'm just hard headed and set in my ways. Got my mind set on that big tank.

[pandjpudge]

I have a good question, My tank came with a 20 gallon power filter as seen. Would it be beneficial to move up to a 20-40 gallon whisper or 30 gallon power filter instead of the one I have?

I think its good enough because you don't have any fish that make a mess like a goldfish. Basically itll just move more water around..your danios would love it because they are fish that love fast current:weeeeeeeeee: but not sure about the others

[boba]

Your tanks set up nice.

I have to find someone locally that carries cichlids and knows them well. I just can't bring myself to do the mail order thing

I've had no problems with ordering fish online. try c i c h l i d - f o r u m . com, under the reviews section. or try a q u a b i d .com

i bought my 20 ps demasoni from a local breeder on a q u a b i d. even barring, beautiful coloring, and cheap, compared to 19.99+ at a local fish store.

[torndevil]

Sounds good, It works fine for now. I will be picknig up a raphael catfish tomoworrow for my bottom feeder requirement I set. I love catfish!


Oh and Pics of Arowana ASAP.

[Smalls]

I know. I'm just hard headed and set in my ways. Got my mind set on that big tank.

lol..so did i.

as someone told me..start small so you can figure out what to do and what not to do.....

it's less expensive to fuck up a small tank then a big one ;)

[Smalls]

asian arowana > south american arowana http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_arowana


Oh and Pics of Arowana ASAP.

they were posted...sorta :D

[oh6s]

I've had no problems with ordering fish online. try c i c h l i d - f o r u m . com, under the reviews section. or try a q u a b i d .com

i bought my 20 ps demasoni from a local breeder on a q u a b i d. even barring, beautiful coloring, and cheap, compared to 19.99+ at a local fish store.

HELL YEAH! That's what I wanna hear! Thanks! +rep to you.

[torndevil]

Post more pictures of your tanks guys. I'm interested in seeing your setups.

[jonboy0517]

Stay away from South American Cichlids in general. Nasty nasty bastards. Arowana's are really cool. Pics?

yea i might have a coupe if i can find it but unfortunately it jumped out of the tank 75 gal couple months ago and died.. my dad was pissed:(

we were going to buy a blue arowana but my mom wanted colorful fish for a party we hosted in may.

[jonboy0517]

i tried to find them but i think they got deleted.. hope to get another one soon

[The Mack]

Hey all, I have recently set up a fresh water aquarium. It's a 20 gallon tank and has a good 20 gal filter for it as well. I have about 15 or so non aggressive fish. Not very large so the space is not confined. I have had the water tested and all chemicals and nutrients are good as well.

I'm just curious to look for tips on how to help with up keep on it and keeping my fish healthy. Also how many times a day should I feed them: once or twice? I ask this because I am hearing various answers and dont want to over feed them for obvious reasons.

Just thought I would ask the local aquarium enthusiasts for a how to kinda lesson lol. Thanks for the help!

feed em once a day, skip a day or so here and there.
You're better off missing a day then over feeding, extra food is what causes the problems in a fish tank.

[torndevil]

feed em once a day, skip a day or so here and there.
You're better off missing a day then over feeding, extra food is what causes the problems in a fish tank.

Very good to know thanks Mack :thumbsup:

[pandjpudge]

Here is my other tank..please excuse the emptyness its still under-construction.
Specs:
46 Gallon Bowfront
subtrate: pool filter sand
filter: Rena Filstar XP 3 Canister
lighting: Coralife 36in with two 96 watt bulbs (6700K) on timers to come on at seperate times
heating: one 250 watt Visi-Therm Stealth Heater
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f37/pandjpudge/Bowfront/IMG_2820.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f37/pandjpudge/Bowfront/IMG_2823.jpg

[DC5 Gettr]

Feed em once a day, and do a partial water change once a week to keep things good. Probably about 20% a week should do it. If you don't have a gravel vac, pick one up.

Good luck and enjoy

^^pretty much all u gotta worry about. ive had a 55g tank with a 18" oscar for about 6 years now and thats the daily routine

[The Mack]

I have had my tank since the fall, I've changed the water twice. My water is clear, fish are healthy & there are no problems in my tank. I don't totally agree with changing the water every week. You just re-start the cycle when you do that.

[boba]

I have had my tank since the fall, I've changed the water twice. My water is clear, fish are healthy & there are no problems in my tank. I don't totally agree with changing the water every week. You just re-start the cycle when you do that.

the only time you'll restart the cycle process is if you get rid of the beneficial bacteria that is all over your tank, on your filter and bio-media. since you haven't changed your water since the fall, i suggest you go buy an aquarium pharmaceutical test kit and test your water. Even with only a few fish, i bet your ammonia and nitrates are way up there. Most fish are pretty hardy and from the outside, you'd think they are fine, but they're not. :)

[The Mack]

the only time you'll restart the cycle process is if you get rid of the beneficial bacteria that is all over your tank, on your filter and bio-media. since you haven't changed your water since the fall, i suggest you go buy an aquarium pharmaceutical test kit and test your water. Even with only a few fish, i bet your ammonia and nitrates are way up there. Most fish are pretty hardy and from the outside, you'd think they are fine, but they're not. :)

I bet I've already got all the testing equipment.
I also bet that my tank is fine in the state it's in.

You help to re-start the cycle if you clean the tank and move the rocks, which is where most of the bacteria is in a tank. 20% water change every week is nuts, at least no sooner then every 6 weeks.

[pandjpudge]

I do at least 50% on my 20 gallon weekly and I have no problems at all. As long as you don't clean your filter media at the same time as the water change you should be ok. I did that even before my tank was converted to a planted one.

[jonboy0517]

update i bought another silver arowana today he is like 2 inches.. and i got him for $40 its a late fathers day present for my dad since his old one died..

i gave away 2 of the bad red devils to my cousin and kept 3 in our smaller tank..

[torndevil]

I would like to see your arowana if u get pics. I think they are very neat but i'm too worried to get one and have it croak on me.

[jonboy0517]

well i didnt really take pics of the old one which was 2 1/2 feet long.. but i can take picks of the new baby one its not even 2 inches long lol..

i never liked fish but for some reason this fish caught alot of attention..when it died i really did miss it a bit

arowanas eats alot.. large goldfish.. crickets.. frogs.. and even small mice..

the only thing is it hard to find other fish to get along with the fish because it gets to big and it will eat anything smaller than him..il try to get pics of the new fish soon..

[torndevil]

I just upgraded my filter to a larger one because I needed more filtration for my tank. Now it does 200 gals/hour and is def working better. My concerns are that my aguarium water is now very foggy and I had done a 25% water change because my aquarium was gonig through it's first month cycle process. The chemicals seem to be mostly in balance aside from the amonia which I have been taking care of this week.

My question is, what else would cause foggy water out of no where if my water conditions are good?

[The Mack]

old food being moved around.

there are some drops you can get, helps clear the water. I have some.

[torndevil]

What is the name of the drops? I'll ahve to pick some up tomorrow. And do they work well without harm to the fish?

[The Mack]

They work fine. There are a few different kinds of drops you can get, brand wise.

[jayzon831]

Okay..... I've had enough. I need to start gettting a shopping list together for a new tank. Thanks Fuckers! :rolleyes: The wife is gonna love this!

Me: Hey babe.

Wife: What?

Me: I think I need to go spend some bucks on a big tank and a bunch of fish.

Wife: Okay. How much do you think that will run?

Me: I dunno.

Wife: You have to have some idea. 500? 1000?

Me: Ummmm yeah sumn like that.

Wife: Is it going to be more than that?

Me: (my face turns red and I start to smile cause I can't lie) yeah it may be "a bit" more.

Wife: Come here for a minute sweetheart......... :stfu:

Me: Thanks babe I knew you would understand!


More than 1000 bucks for fish and a tank setup? Geezus, what kinda fish and size tank are you planning to buy?

[The Mack]

well, a 135 gallon tank can run you around $500, plus if he plans to do saltwater, it's not cheap. It's not hard to hit $1000 w/ the tank, filters, lights, rocks, fish, food, etc.

[blingtegra]

have you guys used Bio-spira to cycle a new tank?

[pandjpudge]

I haven't personally used it but I heard it works. I would just cycle the tank the old fashion way.

[boba]

have you guys used Bio-spira to cycle a new tank?

it works wonders man, as long as you get a batch that is new. i've heard of people getting bad batches. takes about a few days with the fish and you'll instantly cycle. I've used it to cycle all my tanks and add the fish right away.

[torndevil]

Anyone put aquarium salt in there freshwater tanks? I've heard it helps release minerals and is very beneficial to the fish.

[pandjpudge]

Anyone put aquarium salt in there freshwater tanks? I've heard it helps release minerals and is very beneficial to the fish.

I used them on sick fish in salt baths but for normal use I haven't found the need to add salt to the water.

[The Mack]

a little bit helps them calm down i believe.

[Smalls]

can we get a more exact measurement or ratio for that "little bit"?

:laughing:

[The Mack]

no, depends on your tank & fish I believe. instructions are on the back.

[Smalls]

ok, i didn't know if there was any sort of "mother's measurement" that works well.

[The Mack]

dunno, never used it.

[torndevil]

Many people I've talked to say it's very beneficial to the fish. I was wondering if any of you used it lol. I guess I'll be the guinea pig.

[onebad]

Feed em once a day, and do a partial water change once a week to keep things good. Probably about 20% a week should do it. If you don't have a gravel vac, pick one up.

Good luck and enjoy

bullshit, that's completely unneccessary. I have two 20 gallon tanks and i haven't changed the water in the top tank in months. It's crystal clear, PH is fine, etc. If you have a 20 gallon tank, i'd recommend a filter for a 20-40 gallon tank. that's what I use and it works like a charm. I tend to feed my fish about 2-3x daily, as much food as they can eat in a couple mins. I have crayfish too so they eat the flakes as well. Just keep the water temp in the mid 70's and keep an eye on your filters ability to flow water. If it stops flowin or starts overflowing outta the inlet, you need a replacement filter. I use the Aquatech 20-40 gal filters and they work better than anything else I've tried. They sell them at walmart and it runs about $30 for the filter and $5 for 3 replacement filters.

[The Mack]

bullshit, that's completely unneccessary. I have two 20 gallon tanks and i haven't changed the water in the top tank in months. It's crystal clear, PH is fine, etc. If you have a 20 gallon tank, i'd recommend a filter for a 20-40 gallon tank. that's what I use and it works like a charm. I tend to feed my fish about 2-3x daily, as much food as they can eat in a couple mins. I have crayfish too so they eat the flakes as well. Just keep the water temp in the mid 70's and keep an eye on your filters ability to flow water. If it stops flowin or starts overflowing outta the inlet, you need a replacement filter. I use the Aquatech 20-40 gal filters and they work better than anything else I've tried. They sell them at walmart and it runs about $30 for the filter and $5 for 3 replacement filters.
Yeah, I don't clean my tank weekly. I need to clean it now though cause my mother fed them a little too much.

[The Mack]

Many people I've talked to say it's very beneficial to the fish. I was wondering if any of you used it lol. I guess I'll be the guinea pig.

No, it is very beneficial to them. You're not the first to use it. I personally haven't though.




In other news, my 135 gallon tank will be here mid july.
Gonna go saltwater, but not for awhile. I gotta pick up all the supplies.

$170 for a 135 gallon tank, I couldn't pass it up

[torndevil]

Alright, here's the skinny on my aquarium. I had an outbreak of amonia that pretty much bombshelled in there over the last few days. It has killed a bunch of bacteria making my water cloudy. So today I went out and bought this "Cycle" product that expedites the cycle phases of the tank and unleashes mass colonies of beneficial bacteria. I bought ammo pellets and I bought aquarium salt too. Well I'll give it a few days to go through it's process and have the water checked again. I hope all will be well lol.

[fattyrsx]

just go saltwater. salt > fresh

[torndevil]

Not moneywise it's not lol.

[onebad]

Alright, here's the skinny on my aquarium. I had an outbreak of amonia that pretty much bombshelled in there over the last few days. It has killed a bunch of bacteria making my water cloudy. So today I went out and bought this "Cycle" product that expedites the cycle phases of the tank and unleashes mass colonies of beneficial bacteria. I bought ammo pellets and I bought aquarium salt too. Well I'll give it a few days to go through it's process and have the water checked again. I hope all will be well lol.

i had an ammonia problem in my tanks as well but it's from decaying fish matter. My crayfish like to kill shit, then let it sit. Lets just say it fucking STINKS. I got some shit to treat it and it was back to normal in a day or two.

[blingtegra]

it works wonders man, as long as you get a batch that is new. i've heard of people getting bad batches. takes about a few days with the fish and you'll instantly cycle. I've used it to cycle all my tanks and add the fish right away.
where did you order yours from?

[pandjpudge]

Alright, here's the skinny on my aquarium. I had an outbreak of amonia that pretty much bombshelled in there over the last few days. It has killed a bunch of bacteria making my water cloudy. So today I went out and bought this "Cycle" product that expedites the cycle phases of the tank and unleashes mass colonies of beneficial bacteria. I bought ammo pellets and I bought aquarium salt too. Well I'll give it a few days to go through it's process and have the water checked again. I hope all will be well lol.

did you use your old filter media when you switched filters? if you didn't that should explain the spike. water change + filter cleaning/changing usually not a good idea to do at the same time.

[torndevil]

did you use your old filter media when you switched filters? if you didn't that should explain the spike. water change + filter cleaning/changing usually not a good idea to do at the same time.

It actually spiked before both lol. So I then did a 25% change

Helped a bit. Then did the bigger filter because my smaller one wasnt performing enough. But I hope to have it back into chemical balance shortly.

[The Mack]

just go saltwater. salt > fresh

for the average hobbyist saltwater is more time consuming along with more money. Not recommended for someone who just wants a few fish.

[boba]

where did you order yours from?

I buy them from my local fish store. or online. you could try http://www.aquariumplants.com/Bio_Spira_s/47.htm

[boba]

Alright, here's the skinny on my aquarium. I had an outbreak of amonia that pretty much bombshelled in there over the last few days. It has killed a bunch of bacteria making my water cloudy. So today I went out and bought this "Cycle" product that expedites the cycle phases of the tank and unleashes mass colonies of beneficial bacteria. I bought ammo pellets and I bought aquarium salt too. Well I'll give it a few days to go through it's process and have the water checked again. I hope all will be well lol.

i've never used hagen's cycle, but i heard it doesn't work. bio-spira is your best bet or just get some gravel/sand or old filter media from an established/cycled tank and put it into the tank. aquarium salt won't solve your ammonia spike. i'd just do 25% water changes daily until the ammonia levels are 0ppm.

[boba]

In other news, my 135 gallon tank will be here mid july.
Gonna go saltwater, but not for awhile. I gotta pick up all the supplies.

$170 for a 135 gallon tank, I couldn't pass it up

have you tried tanganyika cichlids? man if i could get a 125g+, I'd go with cyph. frontosas. These bad boys get huge and look badass.

http://www.crlca.com/fishsite/Nangu%20Frontosa.jpg

[chrisfjr83]

I currently have a 20g tank with just some mollie, guppies, and plaites. I love to see little babies swimming around in there every day. I also jsut got done helping out my brother-in-law set up his 46g bowfront that I got him for a wedding gift. And getting his two iridescent shark moved over and getting him and oscar. His two sharks where around 8 to 12 inches.

But back to my tank. I have had the tank set up for like two or three months and have had a little problem with it but is good know. I was taking and doing a 25% water change every week and it has fixed all of my problems. I also have a 30- 60 wisper filter that I use in my tank since I have a 20 fish in there to make sure that I get good filtration but not too much filtration. I also use aqurimum salt in my tank and saw in improvement in the water quailty. Just don't use too much.

I am going to start another tank here in the next few months that I am going to try and construct my self. I am planning on making in the following size 72"x26"x20"(LxHxD). I am unsure of the exact steps that I am going to take as to filtraion as of know and all the other stuff that goes along with seting up a new tank. I can't decide if I am going to use plexiglass or get glass or if I am going to do a combination of the two. Such as the bottom and back in plexiglass and the front and sides in glass. The only reason that I my do it like this is that the plexiglass is harder to see through. I have consider also making a smaller tank to filter all the water through that has either sand or charcoal in to pump everything through. I have lots of ideas and not sure which rout that I am going to be taking until the time that I start.

I know that the fish that I am going to have in the tank are going to be of all different types. From non-aggressive to aggressive. I know that the non-aggressive my not live long and unless that they are very smart and learn to hide and know when to come out and play and eat. I am also going to have lots of live vegation growing in the tank for the fish to eat and hind in as well as some rock formations.

If anyone has any ideas as to what I should start out doing and any pointers as to what I should do; please fill free to give me your input.

[The Mack]

aggressive fish will eat the non aggressive fish if they can get them in their mouth. I'd be careful building your own tank, that much water is A LOT of pressure.

a tank like that size would weigh close to 1000lbs

[chrisfjr83]

Yes I know Mack. I have thought of all the different things such as weight and all other variables.

[pandjpudge]

Building a tank is do-able. I'm in the process of building a small tank myself out of acrylic. In your case you'll need a hand or two to help out.

I think it would be easier if you picked the fish you plan on keeping and build the tank around them. Also what is the budget? Stocking plants for a tank that big isn't cheap and since it's a custom tank you're gonna have to go custom on the lighting or get 2 36" or go metal halid. I'll be glad to assist!

[torndevil]

Guys, One of the fish in my aquarium has a wound lol. One of the small sob's bit off one of my molly's tail fin. A little portion of the fin is missing and the molly can't swim well. He is laying on the bottom but is still breathing and all. Do fish fins regenerate or is there a way to lay him to rest peacefully lol? I just don't want the little guy to suffer.

[The Mack]

i can't think of a peaceful way, other then down the toilet?

[pandjpudge]

Fins do regenerate as long as the damage isn't too bad but the fish needs a place to rest and heal. If not prepare to grab a net and flush it!

[torndevil]

Fins do regenerate as long as the damage isn't too bad but the fish needs a place to rest and heal. If not prepare to grab a net and flush it!

The net is ready captain!

Lol poor thing. I'll give him another day and if he isn't doing well still. Bye bye friend. I just don't want it to suffer. If it's eating when I feed them tomorrow morn I'll let him be. If not I'll have to introduce him to the porcelin god.

[pandjpudge]

I bet it was the Black skirt tetra that did it!

[torndevil]

Oh Could be. I thought it was one of those friggin "glo fish" danios. Either way one of those sob's knipped off his fin. It was my fav molly too. Biggest one, dalmation and an orange dot on his head. Poor guy. I don't think his tail fin will regen. It kinda looks frayed...

[pandjpudge]

danios are way too peaceful...watch the tetras they can be mini piranhas. I hated those fish that is why I blacklisted them from my tanks.

[torndevil]

Lol the description of the black skirt tetra kills me... Known as the Black Widow or Black Skirt Tetra, this popular member of the tetra family is an excellent choice for a community tank. They are peaceful, hardy, and easy to care for.
Pic: http://freshaquarium.about.com/library/graphics/fw0124sm.jpg

[The Mack]

i had no problems with my tetra's. they're not aggressive

[pandjpudge]

Yeah most sites say that but usually there is a warning do not keep with fish with long tails because they can be fin nippers. They can do some damage..imagine what they can do to a long fin betta

[torndevil]

Nipping SOB's!

[pandjpudge]

http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/tet-bwid.htm

good place for fish info!

[blingtegra]

My bro has two old Eclipse2 hoods like the one below. each hood requires a mech/chem filter (the blue one) and a bio filter (wheel) and a pump. these parts cost $50+ for each hood.
Would it be better to just buy a $150 canister filter and just use the hood for lighting?
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/6949/eclipsehoodlo3.jpg

[boba]

My bro has two old Eclipse2 hoods like the one below. each hood requires a mech/chem filter (the blue one) and a bio filter (wheel) and a pump. these parts cost $50+ for each hood.
Would it be better to just buy a $150 canister filter and just use the hood for lighting?
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/6949/eclipsehoodlo3.jpg

i'm pretty sure others could chime in on what they prefer, but from my experience, i don't like bio-wheels. they tend to stick after a while, sometimes even after you clean off the algae on the ends. aquaclear hang-on-back filters are great, but they've recently upped their prices tremendously. you could buy a rena filstar xp3 cannister for less than 150

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3602&N=2004+22777

[pandjpudge]

I run both Aquaclears and Rena's filstar X3 on different tanks. I love them they are great for the price. You really don't have to buy replacement filter stuff..just buy filter floss and put it in there. Its really cheap and sold in bulk. basically a DIY filter replacement.

As for biowheels I don't like them either for the same reasons and they aren't good for planted tanks like mine.

[boba]

I run both Aquaclears and Rena's filstar X3 on different tanks. I love them they are great for the price. You really don't have to buy replacement filter stuff..just buy filter floss and put it in there. Its really cheap and sold in bulk. basically a DIY filter replacement.

As for biowheels I don't like them either for the same reasons and they aren't good for planted tanks like mine.

do you use iron and co2 injection for your plants? i'm kind of leaning towards making my oranda tank a planted tank.

[pandjpudge]

As of right now I don't...but I'm working on it for my 46 Bowfront tank. If you plan on growing plants that hood/light combo won't really cut it for most plants, unless you retrofit. Most people will say about 3 watts/gallon will grow just about anything.

[jayzon831]

Guys, One of the fish in my aquarium has a wound lol. One of the small sob's bit off one of my molly's tail fin. A little portion of the fin is missing and the molly can't swim well. He is laying on the bottom but is still breathing and all. Do fish fins regenerate or is there a way to lay him to rest peacefully lol? I just don't want the little guy to suffer.

I think it should be fine if its just a small nip. Give it a few days. If you're tank is optimal, it'll be up and swimming around again.

[torndevil]

I think it should be fine if its just a small nip. Give it a few days. If you're tank is optimal, it'll be up and swimming around again.

Sadly enough he passed away this morning. I think it went into shock and was pretty much paralyzed. Thos piranah sob's prob ate it!

I think the freshwater puffer fish are awesome but... I hear they are very very aggressive and can only be kept alone?

[tz29]

all my fish suddenly died 2 weeks ago and i got my water tested and they said it was normal .. and i would always do 20% water changes bi-weekly ( 5 gal tank w/ 3 fish) but a few days later i got a letter from the water company saying there were harmful contaminants to people in the water :noes: so now i am afraid to buy anymore fish

[pandjpudge]

Sadly enough he passed away this morning. I think it went into shock and was pretty much paralyzed. Thos piranah sob's prob ate it!

I think the freshwater puffer fish are awesome but... I hear they are very very aggressive and can only be kept alone?

Yeah also I read that they are picky eaters (snails) and actually need brackish water.

[jayzon831]

all my fish suddenly died 2 weeks ago and i got my water tested and they said it was normal .. and i would always do 20% water changes bi-weekly ( 5 gal tank w/ 3 fish) but a few days later i got a letter from the water company saying there were harmful contaminants to people in the water :noes: so now i am afraid to buy anymore fish

Why afraid to buy fish? The water company should've cleared it up by now, so everything should be fine now. If you're tired of fishes, you can always get a firebellied toad, turtle, etc. for your tank. Don't get African Dwarf Frogs though....... boring as shit. Funny, but boring.

[tz29]

yeah i think i may get some tomorrow on my day off .. where do you all get your fish from .. i've always bought my at petsmart so when they die i return them and get my money back :laughing:

[torndevil]

yeah i think i may get some tomorrow on my day off .. where do you all get your fish from .. i've always bought my at petsmart so when they die i return them and get my money back :laughing:

Me too lol. But honestly. My fish fromt here have outlived all my fish from an acutal aquarium place lol. That's sad.

[tz29]

sometimes its hit or miss .. does petco have a different selection?

[torndevil]

I use petsmart and petsupermarket.

[Smalls]

i started with petco so i've just stuck with them......works out ok for me.

[tz29]

hmm i have all 3 within like 10 miles of each other so i will try pet supermarket next

[torndevil]

I was actually surprised at how well the employees at pet supermarket knew their fish. They were very helpful and got me in the right direction. My tank is pretty much back to normal and the foggy water has all gone away. Few more weeks and I can get my raphael catfish I've wanted.

[teggei2]

heh. this thread makes me want to start up my tank again. I've had oscars before..they lasted for a year but died on me. i was always lazy cleaning the tank and changing the water but now i don't mind doing it again.

when u guys change the water do you solutionize the new water before placing it in the tank or do you just put the water in and add chemicals to the whole tank?

[pandjpudge]

I get my fish from petsmart and pet co though the workers don't really know too much.

Anyone kept rainbowfish?

[pandjpudge]

heh. this thread makes me want to start up my tank again. I've had oscars before..they lasted for a year but died on me. i was always lazy cleaning the tank and changing the water but now i don't mind doing it again.

when u guys change the water do you solutionize the new water before placing it in the tank or do you just put the water in and add chemicals to the whole tank?

I do it when I fill up my bucket

[torndevil]

heh. this thread makes me want to start up my tank again. I've had oscars before..they lasted for a year but died on me. i was always lazy cleaning the tank and changing the water but now i don't mind doing it again.

when u guys change the water do you solutionize the new water before placing it in the tank or do you just put the water in and add chemicals to the whole tank?

I actually set up my exchange water bucket like 2-3 hours before the change to let the water come to room temp and I put the conditioner in it and let it sit before I add to the tank. That way it's all set up and I take out 25% and put the 25% right back in with fresh water.

[tz29]

I went to pet supermarket today but there really wasn't much of a selection there ... i think i am sticking to petsmart

[pandjpudge]

yall florida people have to have a bunch of local stores to check out. I don't have much of anything here in Louisiana, so I have to order most of my supplies/plants on line.

[torndevil]

Alrighty, Amonia situation is back or hasn't gone away lol. This is my last attempt to fix it. I will be using Amquel+ for 5 days every other day. I'm going to remove the filter cartridge and let the water run freely so the amquel runs without dissolution through the filter for 4-5 days without cartride. I was told this tip by the guy at the store and he told me the cartridge is taking the amquel out and reducing it's effects on my amonia problem. Any input would be greatly appreciated. And I've been doing 25% water changes weekly which are not helping but only remove more bacteria than necessary...

[pandjpudge]

I've never heard that before and that's what I use for my water changes. I'm guessing you have carbon which could filter it out, but I've read carbon only lasts for a few days:dontknow: ? I think the problem was that you added too many fish too soon.

[torndevil]

I've never heard that before and that's what I use for my water changes. I'm guessing you have carbon which could filter it out, but I've read carbon only lasts for a few days:dontknow: ? I think the problem was that you added too many fish too soon.

Yes I know for a fact that's my problem lol. Unfortuneately I didn't buy the fish all myself my gf and what not "surprised" me with more fish the first few days and I ended up with a large veriety too soon lol. So now I'm trying to get the water balanced and get rid of the ammonia. I'm praying this will work. Amquel is one of the best things to get rid of that so I need to pick up more amquel since I'm out:firemad: My fish seem very happy though and I havent lost any in the last couple weeks.

[torndevil]

I don't think that there will be a problem taking the cartridge out for a few days do you panjpudge?

[pandjpudge]

Yeah it's a good product, been using it for awhile actually. If you have some other friend with an well estiblished tank ask them if you can run a sponge filter in there for awhile and then throw it in yours to help kick start your bateria colony again.

[pandjpudge]

What kind of filter do you have again?

[torndevil]

I'm using cycle and stress zyme full of bacteria colonies to help so I'll up the doses after my amquel treatments...

[torndevil]

What kind of filter do you have again?

I'm using a topfin/whisper powerfilter. I picked up a larger filter for 40 gallon tank because the one it came with sucked. This one does a much much better job and the water flows/filters at 200 gallons per hour which is perfect for my 20 gal.

[pandjpudge]

Oh ok I wouldn't because that's where the bacteria should be, your carbon should be pretty much useless by now. So you should be good with just leaving it in. Next time you run to the petstore see if they have hagen aquaclear sponge/ foam filters (a couple of bucks) then cut the foam to fit the intake of the filter in the sponge. that way you have a pre-filter/bacteria colony always

[torndevil]

Well I can't go wrong with taking the cartirdge out because The amquel didn't do much before with it in. I would imagine I'm using it right lol. I put the right amount in and just put it right into the water and not the filter.

[blingtegra]

i'm pretty sure others could chime in on what they prefer, but from my experience, i don't like bio-wheels. they tend to stick after a while, sometimes even after you clean off the algae on the ends. aquaclear hang-on-back filters are great, but they've recently upped their prices tremendously. you could buy a rena filstar xp3 cannister for less than 150

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=3602&N=2004+22777
i just bought the XP3 for $90 w/ free shipping from big al's (http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp17290/si1380030/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalsrenafilstarxp3canisterfilte r) :thumbsup:

[pandjpudge]

Hmm I'm out of ideas now...good luck with the tank and keep us posted

[boba]

i just bought the XP3 for $90 w/ free shipping from big al's (http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp17290/si1380030/cl0/aquariumpharmaceuticalsrenafilstarxp3canisterfilte r) :thumbsup:

that's a freakin' steal man! also for future reference, if you have a local petsmart, they price-match against their online website.

[boba]

get a filter from an established tank and put it into your tank. or biospira (don't do water changes for a few days if you use biospira, otherwise the water changes will just remove the floating colonies before it gets to settle). i'd also do a 25% water change daily until you get 0ppm ammonia. good luck man. i don't know why you'd want to remove your filter cartridge because it's housing the beneficial bacteria. these guys will convert your ammonia to nitrites, then more bacteria will convert the nitrites into nitrates.

[torndevil]

Well the reason for removing the filter cartridge is because it's stopping the amqel to work to it's fullest. It's in a sense dilluting it and if I were to just take it out and let it run for a few days without the filter the amqel has nowhere else to go but in the water.

One more question? It's regualr to ahve to add water weekly from evaporation? My tank evaporates I'd say almost half an inch of water weekly.

[pandjpudge]

Since you do water changes just add more to the tank to make up for the evaporated water. For me I lose about an inch or more being an open air tank so I take 50% of that water then fill up from there

[torndevil]

Hey guys, I was just searching around the net, What is in your opinion the best place to get solid credible help/knowledge on freshwater aquariums. Like a forum or website of some sort. I wasn't able to find a really good one. I know that you guys know em!

[Smalls]

http://tetrafish.com/

[The Mack]

What do you need?
There are a few photo sites I know for aquariums.

I'd suggest you go to a independent store, not a big chain, and talk to someone there.

[torndevil]

Well just general knowledge on diffrent fish and how they react to one another. Tetra site is alright I use that one. Just curious of another solid one or two.

[The Mack]

I'll see if I can get a hold of my sales rep today and ask her if she knows of any. She's pretty knowledgeable with the fish stuff.

[blingtegra]

so i'm in my 4th week of cycling a new tank. just did a 25% water change - ammonia and nitrate levels are 0, but the nitrite level is still at .50ppm :confused:

[boostedg35]

i have a nice cichlid tank.. IHO its the best freshwater cause you can get some amazing colored chichlids one of my fish had some babies

[The Mack]

I have changed my water twice since I got the tank, at least 6-8 months ago. I'm due for another though, sometime this week. If it aint broke don't fix it.

[pandjpudge]

Check this forum out torndevil: http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/phpBB2/index.php

I do agree with asking and supporting the local fish store. They are good for all kinds of information compared to the big change.

For colorful fish besides cichlids...I would get some of these. http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=886

edit: for keeping freshwater plants go to plantgeek.net

[torndevil]

May I ask how the hell do you order fish on the internet? Like how would they be shipped and everything? Lol is it humane haha?

[The Mack]

ship overnight in a container.

[pandjpudge]

They basically do the same as if you were buying fish locally. Double bag it with a shot of air put it in a box with newspaper/styrofoam and overnight it. How else do you think fish get to your local stores?

[torndevil]

Hmm so it would be no difference at all to order one online today and have it shipped to my house tomorrow? I don't think I would do that, what if the box is slapped all around and the fish arrive dead>? Anyone experience buying fish online?

[pandjpudge]

Well most places offer some kind of garantee that they will arrive alive if not they will refund it. Some places put some kind of sticker on the box with warnings like don't put in cold/heat, live animals,etc. I haven't bought fish on-line but I have bought shrimp off aqua-bid.com and they arrived alive and well. As long as they don't sit in the bag for too long they'll be ok. There are average people like you and me sending live fish,plants and coral all the time.

[blk type-s]

i have an either 45 or 55 gallon tank (cant remember which one), anyway i was thinking about getting tiger oscars... now i know that i should be ok with one, but i really dont want just one. do you think that my tank is too small for 2 oscars?

[Stitch]

Smalls you got girlie fish! :laughing: Get some African Cichlids, there a pretty damn cool for fresh water fish.
dont they use brackish water?

[pandjpudge]

i have an either 45 or 55 gallon tank (cant remember which one), anyway i was thinking about getting tiger oscars... now i know that i should be ok with one, but i really dont want just one. do you think that my tank is too small for 2 oscars?

Oscars get way too big for that size tank and they produce mass amounts of waste. A big filtration system and a large tank is a most for those fish.

[blk type-s]

Oscars get way too big for that size tank and they produce mass amounts of waste. A big filtration system and a large tank is a most for those fish.

fair enough... i figured it would be pushing it...


thanks, man :thumbsup:

[boba]

so i'm in my 4th week of cycling a new tank. just did a 25% water change - ammonia and nitrate levels are 0, but the nitrite level is still at .50ppm :confused:

ammonia and nitrite should be 0ppm. nitrates should be around 20-40ppm, the lower the better. you're probably not cycled yet.

[Smalls]

hey guys, what temp do you keep your freshwater/tropical tanks at?

mine's has always been hovering between 80-86. it's never been a problem, i just want to make sure it's not too warm...

[The Mack]

No, 78-86 is average and fine Adam.
Mine is usually 82-83.

OP, my sales rep said she doesn't know of any sites, she mainly reads books on the stuff. So maybe a night at barnes and noble to read up??? :dontknow:

[Smalls]

cool. thanks!

[The Mack]

I almost feel sorry for my fish as dirty as the water is. Maybe tomorrow night. I should have time to clean it.

I got my 145 gallon tank in as well, it's 6' long. When I open a new store I'm going to have it there with me. Permanent fixture. Saltwater most likely.

[Smalls]

i've been doing the 'no clean only refill evaporated' routine since the last time we discussed it (what, march/april) and my water is still crystal clear.

I had some one over the other week and she actually said, "no way! there's water in there!?!?" hahaha

[bags]

i wanna see pics

[The Mack]

i've been doing the 'no clean only refill evaporated' routine since the last time we discussed it (what, march/april) and my water is still crystal clear.

I had some one over the other week and she actually said, "no way! there's water in there!?!?" hahaha
Yeah, I've added water 13 days ago before I left for vacation. But mom has fed them too much and the food is collecting on the rocks/plants. Time to do an overhaul. Gonna throw away all the plants I have. I'm excited about the bigger tank, can't wait.

Course, it's gonna cost me a lot to get everything going.


i wanna see pics

Of what?

[bags]

Yeah, I've added water 13 days ago before I left for vacation. But mom has fed them too much and the food is collecting on the rocks/plants. Time to do an overhaul. Gonna throw away all the plants I have. I'm excited about the bigger tank, can't wait.

Course, it's gonna cost me a lot to get everything going.




Of what?

pretty fishies

[The Mack]

Also, Adam, when you cycle the water you dirty it more then it is cause everything starts floating around. I skip feeding a day or two a week, and just give the algae eaters one chip every few days.

I did have one die though.

[The Mack]

pretty fishies

btw, the stros logo on your avatar is crooked.

[bags]

so is the team in general.

[Smalls]

Also, Adam, when you cycle the water you dirty it more then it is cause everything starts floating around. I skip feeding a day or two a week, and just give the algae eaters one chip every few days.

I did have one die though.

yeah i do the same. i've also begin feeding in a few small brine shrimp every wed & sat. only like 1 or 2 though.

[bags]

damn - this all sounds like WAAAAY to much upkeep

dead cat in the corner of the living room ftw.

[The Mack]

I'm gonna order some frozen food. It's more natural food for them. more so then flakes or pellets.

I will def have frozen when I setup the bigger tank as well.

[The Mack]

damn - this all sounds like WAAAAY to much upkeep

dead cat in the corner of the living room ftw.
it's not that bad. plus, cat watching the fish trying to eat them is ftw

[Smalls]

i wanna see pics

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q58/SUSmalls/Pictures/DSC00234Medium.jpg

20 gal tank. Egyptian theme (of course). no living plants.

6 Serpae Tetras
3 Hi Fin Black Tail Tetras (Black Widow Tetras)
2 White Mollys
1 Pleco

[bags]

it's not that bad. plus, cat watching the fish trying to eat them is ftw
yea - i guess that would be kinda fun to watch.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q58/SUSmalls/Pictures/DSC00234Medium.jpg

20 gal tank. Egyptian theme (of course). no living plants.

6 Serpae Tetras
3 Hi Fin Black Tail Tetras (Black Widow Tetras)
2 White Mollys
1 Pleco

dood. nice.

[The Mack]

I wish I had the big tank setup. Now that my tank is at home i'll take some pictures of it when I clean it and it gets back to normal.

[Smalls]

yea - i guess that would be kinda fun to watch.



dood. nice.
thanks frand!
I wish I had the big tank setup. Now that my tank is at home i'll take some pictures of it when I clean it and it gets back to normal.

yeah, my tank is basically maxed out now. which is cool by me.

[bags]

that's kinda trippy watching fish 'fly' around the Sphinx lol

[The Mack]

you could still put another 5-6 fish in there, going by the 1" of fish for every gallon of water rule.

[bags]

are there such thing as aquarium habitable freshwater eel?

[Smalls]

that's kinda trippy watching fish 'fly' around the Sphinx lol
i used to have 2 black mollys in there and i could never find the fuckers cause they blend in with the gravel bed....even now its hard to find the pleco depending on where he is. lol
you could still put another 5-6 fish in there, going by the 1" of fish for every gallon of water rule.

yeah i guess, but the pleco will get big and the widows are a bit big now, so i dont want to push it.

i would like to get a frog in there but i heard they're a PITA to maintain.

[The Mack]

yeah, frog has to have a place to get out of the water doesn't it?? like a rock to lay on or somethign

[bags]

damn. frogs? that would be sick. fucking FROGS YO

[Smalls]

yeah, frog has to have a place to get out of the water doesn't it?? like a rock to lay on or somethign

nope. the frogs you can get from petco just come to surface every so often. they don't need a permanent resting area out of the water...

[The Mack]

ah nice. what do they eat then?

[Smalls]

iirc, blood worms

[torndevil]

I saw the coolest thing at the pet shop the other day. A fucking Asian mudskipper. Those things are amazing!

[blingtegra]

whoa

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/2406/09podborka54aj6.jpg

[torndevil]

hahaha, Now that's how you clean a tank!

[fastlax16]

not sure if anyone else posted this but www.wetwebmedia.com is a really good resource for just about anything aquarium related.

[torndevil]

My Ammonia is beginning to decline and the nitrate's or nitrites whichever is read on a red scale is spiking a lot. I think My system is just finishing it's cycling process. Been running for about 2.5 months. I might go have the water checked again tonight or tomorrow. I heard a 50% water change for unbalanced chemicals, ie. high ammonia will go down and stay down a lot witha 50 % water change. Can anyone verify this is the best way to take care of the problem if my tank has in fact finished cycling?

[fastlax16]

it shouldnt take 2.5 months for your tank to cycle...water changes help but you dont want to be doing 50% regularly to control the ammonia. if your ammonia isnt staying low you dont have enough nitrifying bacteria in your tank, and or, your tank is overcrowded or doenst have proper filtration. i've used a product called cycle to keep everything in balance. works pretty well i've used it on my fresh and saltwater tanks in the past. http://thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/214950/product.web

[torndevil]

I've used cycle as well. My tank shouldnt be over crowded. I have 12 smaller fish in it. 20 gal with a 40 gal whisper filter on it.

[fastlax16]

have you cleaned the gravel since you set it up? and not to thread jack but since it seems like alot of fish ppl are reading this thread someone buy my 125 gallon tank http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread.php?t=494902

[torndevil]

Yeah def. I actually just cleaned the gravel 2 nights ago. Gravel vacs are amazing lol. SO much stuff is hidden down there. I donno what's causing my spikes. I have ample filtration. Not overcrowded and I feed once a day and make sure not too much is given. I have noticed my ammonia has gone down by about half in the last week or so. But a few days ago I had my water checked and the nitrates I think is was were spiked really high.

[torndevil]

So I Just did a 40% water change and sucked up a bunch of stuff in the gravel. I was reading something that the thickness of gravel can have various affects on tanks? My gravel is about an inch thick where I though it should be?

This is what it looks like right now. Only change I've made is put on a 40 gal filter because the 20 gal one wasn't doing much.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0896.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0922.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v518/torndevil/100_0939.jpg

I don't see any problem areas? Maybe someone can give some advice?

[fastlax16]

the deeper the gravel the more area for bacteria to live which will convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. when you clean the gravel and remove alot of water u remove alot of the bacteria which is why they say dont clean the gravel while cycling. people also run successful tanks with no gravel but heavy filtration. your tank doenst have much else for it to grow in besides the gravel and the filter. i recomend adding a piece of drift wood or porous rock. do you have any sort of media in the filter(carbon, sponge, etc)

[torndevil]

Whisper filter with carbon filled bio bag cartridges.

[fastlax16]

id say add a piece of 2 of driftwood to give more surface area for bacteria to grow on and the fake saltwater decor in fw tank is ftl lol. if you keep having problems keeping the tank in balance tho email the guys at wetwebmedia.com. i've been keeping fish for over 12 years and they've helped me figure alot of tough stuff out. they usually respond really fast as well

[The Mack]

I've used cycle as well. My tank shouldnt be over crowded. I have 12 smaller fish in it. 20 gal with a 40 gal whisper filter on it.

1" of fish for every gallon of tank water.
keep in mind gravel takes up around a gallon, at least in my tank.

[The Mack]

Yeah def. I actually just cleaned the gravel 2 nights ago. Gravel vacs are amazing lol. SO much stuff is hidden down there. I donno what's causing my spikes. I have ample filtration. Not overcrowded and I feed once a day and make sure not too much is given. I have noticed my ammonia has gone down by about half in the last week or so. But a few days ago I had my water checked and the nitrates I think is was were spiked really high.

Feed every three days, skip a day.

[torndevil]

Yes, Maybe next thing to try is skipping a feeding day. It can't hurt them.

[The Mack]

No it won't hurt, it's recommended that you do as well.

[seth812]

are you leaving the filter alone?

[torndevil]

Yep havent touched it since about 3 weeks ago when I changed the cartridge.

[pandjpudge]

Before I had My Hagan I didn't change my cartridge at all, I just cleaned with old water from the aquarium and replaced back. You might want to try adding http://www.bigalsonline.com/BigAlsUS/ctl3684/cp18409/si1379007/cl0/aquaclear30150foamfiltervalue3pack on the filter's intake as a pre-filter and a place for your bacteria stay. That way you have a constant colony and not dependent to the cartridge. It's a cheap version of a sponge filter that people run on bare tanks like one would see at a local petstore.

[torndevil]

The sponge goes on the intake? Where about exactly? In the tube itself? Refer to my pics above.

[pandjpudge]

Yup basically you cut a hole in the middle of the sponge big enough to slip the over the intake. Here is what it'll look like to help you visualize taken from my tank.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f37/pandjpudge/IMG_2956.jpg

[torndevil]

Oh I gotcha. Does this interfere with filtration/sucking and does this need to be replaced ever or how often? One more thing, WHat about the debris that the actual tube sucks up to the filter? No debris will get through or be sucked up thus leaving it in the tank?

[pandjpudge]

It doesn't interfere with flow unless clogged with debis, you can look at the water flow and tell it needs to be rinsed out. But in your case I don't see it happening too often because you don't have dead leaves floating around like me. You don't have to replace it at all unless its falling apart. I had mine on for a good while and haven't changed it yet. Now if anything gets past the sponge I have filterfloss to keep it from going back into the tank or in your case you would have the cartridge. It's a "2 stage" filtration system if you want to call it that and gives a chance for left over to be eaten since it won't get sucked up instantly.

[torndevil]

I def am going to look into that. Maybe stop by petsmart or something and pick up a sponge if they have em there. I think I have come to the conclusions of why my tank is outa whack. I clean it very good. Did a 50% water change and I can smell the amonia back in the water. I don't think my nitrifying bacteria wer able to be built up to their full potential to begin with so my tank is outa whack in that sense. The bacteria in there aren't in abundance to break down the amonia and nitrites. It's not over crowded by any means and the ample filatration and cleaning I've been doing. So it's the bacteria that havent built up yet unfortuneately. I need to try to figure out what to do.

[The Mack]

maybe you're cleaning it too much. 50% is a lot.

[The Mack]

when i clean mine, i clean it, put new water in, add a few drops of this solution that clears the water, with in 2 days it's back to being crystal clear.

[torndevil]

That's the thing The water is perfect visually. Just smells like ammonia and reads high obviously. I'm not going to change the water for atleast a month. I need to try and build up enough bacteria to take on the bio load of the fish. I have a gut feeling it's because my bacteria are not built up. Because, yes a 50% water change is crazy, but that's what it takes to take down such high levels of toxins. Obviousl;y something in the cycle isnt there if it shoots right back up to the high levels after a drastic change like that. Immah have to look for sme bio-spira locally or pick up more cycle. Amquel+ take no affect at all on my tank lol.

[fastlax16]

you should stop the water changes til it balances out on its own. you'll lose fish but its the price you pay for stocking the tank fairly heavily before its cycled. if you know someone else with an already cycled tank see if they will give you some of their gravel/decor/filter media.

[The Mack]

Personally, I'd go talk to a independent store.

[torndevil]

I am not touching the water for a while. Immah try and leave it for a month. Adding my weekly stress coat but I will not be doing anymore water changes for a while. I'll prob look into the sponge that pandjpudge has suggested. When u add fishto an aquarium, what do you add with the fish chemical whise? I'm def not playing on adding anymore but in the future when/if the water balances I want to add one. The bioload increases obviously, and does the tank adjust by itself?

[torndevil]

Personally, I'd go talk to a independent store.

I have been lol. For 2 months. All the money i'm spending on chemicals and bacteria additives have done nothing. I thinkt he tank has to do it itself at this point.

[The Mack]

Well yeah.
The water clear stuff is the only stuff I have or use.

I should test my water, prolly fail. Gonna clean it one of these nights.

[fastlax16]

I am not touching the water for a while. Immah try and leave it for a month. Adding my weekly stress coat but I will not be doing anymore water changes for a while. I'll prob look into the sponge that pandjpudge has suggested. When u add fishto an aquarium, what do you add with the fish chemical whise? I'm def not playing on adding anymore but in the future when/if the water balances I want to add one. The bioload increases obviously, and does the tank adjust by itself?

If you slowly add fish one at a time they have less of an impact on the bioload in the tank so it can balance itself out faster vs adding multiple fish and having it spike. this is another reason larger tanks are easier to maintain once they are cycled it takes more to throw them out of whack.

[The Mack]

since youre tank isnt large, id only add one or two at a time.

[torndevil]

since youre tank isnt large, id only add one or two at a time.

Lol I've wanted a raphael catfish so bad. But can't get the little guy because of the bad conditions. I've contemplated getting a 5-10 gal just so I could get one lol. I think I'm gonna worry about this 20 gal right now. The next tank I get will be a 55gal+ prob a bowfront.

[The Mack]

lol i need to setup that big tank i have.
no real place to do it yet though. gonna wait till i open my store.

or maybe when I move into a new house.

[torndevil]

Nice, what kind of store?

[The Mack]

pet store. no live animals though, retail store.

It's a huge tank, I dunno if I wanna deal with it @ the house.

[Stitch]

what would cause high alkalinity?? I've always had a problem of the water being acidic, now its at 7.8 on the ph scale.

[The Mack]

I can't really find anything.

[fastlax16]

what would cause high alkalinity?? I've always had a problem of the water being acidic, now its at 7.8 on the ph scale.

if you have coral or shells in the tank it will begin to dissolve into the water and raise the ph

[boostedg35]

ok ill show you guys mine..

i keep it minimal.. i have a nice cichlid tank. its different now.. got more rocks.. and one of the fish had babies :)

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/paranormalg35/tankblurry.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/paranormalg35/goodfishy.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/paranormalg35/DSC_0115.jpg

[fastlax16]

nice peacock

[torndevil]

Well today I have not fed my little guys. I managed to kill/shock my poor dalmation molly to death from my 50% water change the other day. I turned down the water/suction flow on my intake tube so it wasn't full force and the smell has almost completely dissolved. I donno if it's from not feeding or if the ammonia smell is acutally getting fully absorbed by the carbon now with less water flow? I'm going to go to the pet store and have my water checked and prob pick up a sponge to act as a prefilter and hopefully help accumulate bacteria. I've noticed every fish store has sponges of some sort on the intake tube.

[seth812]

i was having difficulty cycling my tank at first. i just bought some cycling additive and it worked well.