|
That is a pretty good plan - if you want, you can stay away from live plants to start with too. Don't feel like you have to stretch yourself beyond what you're comfortable doing, and don't stress out too much; if you're the kind of person who cares enough to think about trying to do it the right way, you will probably do very well, if you persist past the usual "teething troubles" you can come across in a new fish tank. The key thing to remember is to not rush anything, read and plan first, and then don't make any big changes all at once. Don't panic when things go wrong and don't give up! We all start out the same and learn as we go. Those wall hanging things are probably only good for plants! You could probably set up a micro aquascape or terrarium or something, that could be cool. But I wouldn't put animal life of any kind in there, not even a snail.
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 12:04
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 14:08 |
|
|
STAC Goat posted:edit: I also bought one of these a year ago when I started thinking of this and now I don't even know if anything should go in it based on the size stuff I've read. Hahahah at least it's accurately depicting a fish jumping out of the thing.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 12:17
|
|
|
STAC Goat posted:edit: I also bought one of these a year ago when I started thinking of this and now I don't even know if anything should go in it based on the size stuff I've read. It's a planter. A betta could probably survive in there for a while, but he wouldn't be happy. He'd be chilly all the time unless you live in the tropics so your house is a steady 75 degrees day and night, all year round. There are some minnows that would be okay at typical room temp with no heater, but they can't survive in stagnant water with no aeration. Doing regular water changes looks like a nightmare, I suppose you could take it off the wall and tip some water out but then all the gravel and stuff would shift and be a mess.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 19:43
|
|
|
Yeah, I bought it when I knew nothing about this and now it seems obvious that it's just not an option. Whatever. It was a cheap impulse buy and to a large degree it was the first step on this journey.
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 21:08
|
|
|
STAC Goat posted:Yeah, I bought it when I knew nothing about this and now it seems obvious that it's just not an option. Whatever. It was a cheap impulse buy and to a large degree it was the first step on this journey. You didn't do anything wrong. The fuckers that market that stuff to newbies are the ones who should feel bad. (they don't)
|
|
#
?
Jan 17, 2018 22:21
|
|
|
A couple cherry shrimp would probably fare ok in that thing.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2018 05:17
|
|
|
they'll quickly turn into a few dozen and it'll still be fine.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2018 05:22
|
|
|
See also those betta planters where the plant sits on top of a tiny cup of water and you don’t have to feed the fish at all because it can just eat the roots! Pictured plant is a peace lily, all parts of the plant contain toxic irritant chemicals, bon appetit! Pictured fish has a labyrinth organ to breathe air, there is no air gap to breathe from or for oxygen exchange to replenish the water, hope you didn’t plan on breathing! I do think the hardest part when starting out keeping fish is to avoid all the bad products and terrible advice that are presented to beginners. Once you get past that and learn more for yourself, it gets easier and easier.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2018 05:25
|
|
|
See also 
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2018 05:32
|
|
|
Synthbuttrange posted:See also Come on now, that's no more absurd than the traditional 'live puppy' garnish on a Waldorf salad. 
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2018 17:11
|
|
|
Thoughts on using melafix on labyrinth fish? I have a betta who's started nipping his tail, and I was thinking about dosing the tank with a half-dose of melafix until I can get stuff for a salt bath (mostly in case of fin rot, his water is warm and clean but I'd rather be safe than sorry). I've heard that it leaves a film on the water that makes it hard for them to breath, but I've never seen it leave a film when I've used it in the past, so I'd appreciate any advice.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2018 19:12
|
|
|
I've seen a guy on YouTube lose gourami to pimafix, which is similar to melafix (just a different plant oil). There are people who swear by bettafix as well, but it's just the same as melafix but weaker as far as I know. I wouldn't use it. It doesn't belong in a fish tank, it's poisonous, and if you read the study they did proving how great melafix is, they used goldfish as their test fish - one of the most indestructible fish ever. Clean water is good enough if there is no finrot yet, and something mild like esha2000 is probably better if you have to treat wounds. If you really must use melafix you will want to aerate the water a lot, and that might be too much flow for a long finned betta in a small tank. Why do betta bite themselves anyway? What's the water flow like in his tank? I had an oxygenation disaster myself tonight in my feral guppy tank. Luckily I worked out what was going on pretty quickly and got some air stones in before they were all dead, if I'd gone to bed and not seen it I would have lost everything by morning for sure. I reckon if I'd been confused and tried water testing or even water changing, it would have wasted time and I would have lost more fish too. The issue was a combination of too much duckweed, 2/3 to 3/4 of the tank covered, then too much floating hornwort underneath that stopping guppies from getting closer to the surface. And I'd taken out the sponge filter to use in a different tank so there was less surface agitation than usual. Honestly it looked like there was enough agitation from the spray bar but this was obviously not true. Within seconds of adding the airstones the guppies perked right up and in the end I only had 21 dead fish with over 100 survivors (it's a big tank). Percentage wise not too bad, but numbers wise this is my worst fish disaster yet- definitely more casualties than when these same guppies were left out in the pond a bit too long and got too cold. I ended up putting the dead fish in a ziplock bag in the bin so they didn't stink up the place. One good thing that came of this was it flushed last crayfish out from hiding. I hadn't seen it for months and had assumed it was long dead. I was able to catch it from where it had climbed on the prefilter sponge and have returned it to the main crayfish tank. In theory a crayfish should be a predator to guppies, but in practise there are just too many guppies and the crayfish are too small and they are powerless as the guppies steal all their food.
|
|
#
?
Jan 19, 2018 21:30
|
|
|
Stoca Zola posted:I've seen a guy on YouTube lose gourami to pimafix, which is similar to melafix (just a different plant oil). There are people who swear by bettafix as well, but it's just the same as melafix but weaker as far as I know. I wouldn't use it. It doesn't belong in a fish tank, it's poisonous, and if you read the study they did proving how great melafix is, they used goldfish as their test fish - one of the most indestructible fish ever. Clean water is good enough if there is no finrot yet, and something mild like esha2000 is probably better if you have to treat wounds. If you really must use melafix you will want to aerate the water a lot, and that might be too much flow for a long finned betta in a small tank. Why do betta bite themselves anyway? What's the water flow like in his tank? Yeah, I'll probably skip the melafix. The flow in his tank is as low as I can get it, it barely moves the surface of the water (he's in a 5.5 with a HOB). I also checked the water parameters and everything looks good there, so at least I know my cycle didn't crash. Fin nipping is a big problem with halfmoons like him, since their fins can get so heavy. Stress can also make them start nipping their own fins, so it might be because I just moved recently and stressed him out. For now, I'm just keeping his water clean and warm. Who knows, maybe this was a one off? I might cover up more of his tank too, in case he can see his reflection or something. Thanks for the advice!
|
|
#
?
Jan 20, 2018 03:52
|
|
|
I think I've made my mind up to clear out all my malawi cichlids and go a different route in those tanks. Dealing with aggression issues and non-stop fry has gotten to be too annoying. I could probably make some decent $$ trying to sell them on facebook, but dealing with fish people online is such a drag. Might just take the whole bunch to a LFS for a lot less in store credit.
|
|
#
?
Jan 20, 2018 16:05
|
|
|
What kind of real estate are you looking at, a couple of 40 breeders? It's a tough decision to make, and not one I've been able to do myself yet. Always intended to offload most of my guppies after picking out the ones I liked, but don't want them to become Oscar food. The idea of planning and stocking a tank from scratch is pretty fun though, got anything in mind?
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2018 07:25
|
|
|
Right now they are spread out between a 90g, two 40 breeders and a 29g tall. I'm kind of leaning towards keeping a breeding group of demasoni in one of the 40g since my LFS is always willing to buy extra demasoni. I'm debating converting the 90g into a discus tank, but the recommended water change schedule for them is hard to swallow. Also thinking about doing a south american biotope tank, possibly with apistogramma. Too many choices!
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2018 18:59
|
|
|
Man, I read that "beginners" book I bought the other day and there's actually a point where the book insulted me directly by saying "5 gallon plastic tanks are sold to clueless people who think a smaller tank will be easier." Ouch, book. Ouch.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2018 20:17
|
|
|
Just thought I’d give a quick update on my tank. Since I blocked the light coming in from outside the tank has cleared up massively to the point it basically back to how it was when I first set it up at this place which wouldn’t have happened with the advice of the guys in this thread so thank you.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 00:43
|
|
|
STAC Goat posted:Man, I read that "beginners" book I bought the other day and there's actually a point where the book insulted me directly by saying "5 gallon plastic tanks are sold to clueless people who think a smaller tank will be easier." See we could have told you that! 
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 01:46
|
|
|
I've gradually come to get the message that my 5 gallon plastic tank is "small" and "cheap" and my fake plants are inferior to real plants and a lot of other stuff. But I'm still a beginner and it seems like a good place to start. Right now my plan is to set up the tank tonight (because I've got way too much swirling information in my head and need to start doing something tangible to make sense of it) and start "cycling" now that I've figured out basic questions like "should it be near a window" and cleared a spot. Get a fish in a month (probably a beta) or so based on what I figure out about the cycling process. If he lives maybe get some more fish a month or two later (maybe a bunch of tetras to school together or something else I figure out in the time between now and then). If they don't die maybe try shrimp or something. Then in 6 months or so if I'm having a good time, haven't killed everything, and am really into the hobby buy the 10 gallon glass tank I see on Amazon (or something similar I come across in my process) and try plants and water pumps and invertebrates and all this other stuff I'm reading about but don't really understand right now and feel a bit overwhelming. Or maybe sooner if I get the hang of it and start to realize WHY my 5 gallon is too small and want the expansion. Learning process. Hopefully the 5 gallon plastic tank serves as a fine "Baby's First Tank" and lets me learn step by step instead of trying everything at once and screwing it all up. That's been my biggest delay. I love to start projects and throw myself into them, screw up, and learn from those screwups. But I really don't want to do that with living creatures, or a ton of money. So I'll take this one slow. STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 04:50 on Jan 22, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 04:37
|
|
|
I think you’ll do well with that approach (although hopefully you are using some means to circulate and filter your water even if it’s not a water pump, air driven sponge filters are fine). Don’t get too swept up in aquarium snobbery though, there are plenty of people keeping fish in plastic Rubbermaid tubs because that’s what they can afford and that’s fine and they are quite successful with it. There is not necessarily anything wrong with “cheap”. Plenty of fish come from environments that don’t have plants growing naturally too, for many fish a pile of dead sticks and fallen leaves is all they’d have, or maybe a rocky outcrop. It depends on the fish and any of the other aesthetic stuff largely comes down to personal taste, so don’t feel like a pleb for starting out simple. For fish like betta it’s usually recommended to avoid stiff plastic plants and to get silk plants instead - not because plastic plants are ugly, but because the edges of the leaves can be sharp enough to cause damage to their delicate long fins. My reason for using plants in all my aquariums is that I live in a very dry climate, I love gardens but I’ve never been able to keep my plants alive particularly well and large scale garden maintenance is a bit beyond me. A glass box full of water keeps aquatic plants wet and alive so I have more success than I do outside. The fact that they help consume fish wastes, and provide cover for fish to hide in is a secondary bonus. Largely my fish come first though, so I don’t give the plants CO2 and I don’t use super grow lights because I don’t want to risk gassing my fish by accident and I know a lot of the fish I keep are more comfortable in dimmer lighting.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 05:34
|
|
|
The tank came with a filter. "API Superclean 10." I have no idea how good that is but I figure I start with it and figure out if I need better as I go. I figure I need to buy a heater and some other essentials like a net, probably a water testing kit, and maybe some treatment stuff. Although the tank came with 3 packs of stuff I'm supposed to add on Days 1, 14, and 28 so I'll have to examine that some more and figure out what it is. First packet says 1 stress coat, 1 quick aqua start, 1 aquarium salt/fish tonic. And says to add 1 goldfish or 2 tropical fish. 2nd says 1 stress coat, 1 ammo lock/aqua ammo detox, and 1 quick start/aqua filter activ. Says to change 25% of the water and add another goldfish or 2 tropical. 3rd says 1 stress coat, 1 quick start/aqua quick start, and 1 stress zyme/aqua filter actif. Change 25% of the water and I'm "done." It seems like the "beginner course" so I'll PROBABLY follow it but I've read a little too much that now I'm curious about what exactly I'm putting in there and the times seem a little quick for the fish from what I've read (or maybe what I've read has been conservative). I'm thinking I should "cycle" and THEN start the packs when I get a fish. I love the idea of the plants and it sounds like it would be good for the tank/fish. But like, it just feels like too much to take on all at once. The smart play feels like going one thing at a time and plants feel like something to tackle down the line. Maybe I'll feel differently if I go to pet store and talk to someone as right now i don't even know where to get plants (I mean, my local nursery? Pet store?) or what to get or really even how to plant them (I assume I'd need some kind of dirt or sand under the gravel?). But maybe I'll research it while I "cycle" and see if I can add them or try them in a different tank. Maybe I'll try one in the hanging one I have. I do think I'm gonna get some of those marimo moss balls, since they seem like a popular and simple plant starter place. And they seem like a nice aesthetic addition as well. I'll probably get them soon and add them early on before the fish as kind of a test on living things. STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 06:30 on Jan 22, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 05:56
|
|
|
The Superclean 10 looks like a standard internal filter with a replacable media pack. Is there just plain sponge in there too, or does the pack take up all the space? If there's no sponge, I think you could probably be served just as well by shoving one in there (rinsed green kitchen scourers can do) so that you have somewhere for filter bacteria to grow.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 06:15
|
|
|
lmao at this amazon review for itquote:Not sure if he's just really dirty, but this filter needs a new cartridge every ...
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 06:16
|
|
|
Synthbuttrange posted:The Superclean 10 looks like a standard internal filter with a replacable media pack. Is there just plain sponge in there too, or does the pack take up all the space? If there's no sponge, I think you could probably be served just as well by shoving one in there (rinsed green kitchen scourers can do) so that you have somewhere for filter bacteria to grow. Just a filter pack inside a plastic cavity. There's enough room in there that I could probably get like half a thin sponge in there without much trouble. So maybe I'll do that if there's a big advantage to it. The instructions seem to suggest I need to change the filter every month or so, which seems like a lot. But I looked quick on Amazon and they seem to go for like $1-2 a piece so it doesn't seem like a huge deal. Again, its a starter that was part of the gift so I figure I give it a try and learn from it. STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 06:33 on Jan 22, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 06:28
|
|
|
Well its up to you. They both should do the same thing, remove ammonia/nitrates/nitrites from your water. With the cartridges they're doing it chemically and it needs to be replaced when the chemicals are depleted and I dont see any easy way to determine this. With a sponge bacterial colony, they just eat up the chemicals as part of their process and require little maintenance other than a squeeze to keep the water flowing every month or so.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 06:32
|
|
|
Oh, ok. I think I follow now. The sponge thing does sound a tad easier and less guess work if you're right. I'll give it some thought. Thanks.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 06:34
|
|
|
What I wanted to say in my previous post but kind of forgot because I’ve said it before in this thread - there are lots of right ways to keep fish so don’t worry about finding that one true correct way. Finding the way that works best for you and your water and your fish is part of the fun of the hobby.STAC Goat posted:The tank came with a filter. "API Superclean 10." I have no idea how good that is but I figure I start with it and figure out if I need better as I go. This filter? It looks fine to me, but as the dude in the link found, it might be too strong for a betta by default. The fluval spec filter was the same, there is lots of info out there for modifications people make to get the flow how they want it. A short fin betta might do fine with no modifications. STAC Goat posted:
Stress zyme has water conditioning and chlorine removal components so that stuff is necessary. The aquastart stuff in theory contains bacteria and they’re basically telling you to do a “fish in” cycle with fish that will probably die from the process, goldfish are way too big for this tank let alone two, etc. And the fish tonic is probably some kind of hardness in case you have soft water, aquarium salt is to help the fish survive the nitrite poisoning they will get during this process. So you’re right, you don’t want to use any fish here. You could use something else as the ammonia source to feed the bacteria, and still use these products to help you get your tank cycled. You can tell when the cycle is done by measuring water chemistry but the process they suggest to use will get you to maybe half way cycled. As long as there is an ammonia source in the tank it will cycle eventually but the technique they use is pretty cruel to the fish. STAC Goat posted:I love the idea of the plants and it sounds like it would be good for the tank/fish. But like, it just feels like too much to take on all at once. The smart play feels like going one thing at a time and plants feel like something to tackle down the line. Maybe I'll feel differently if I go to pet store and talk to someone as right now i don't even know where to get plants or what to get or really even how to plant them (I assume I'd need some kind of dirt or sand under the gravel?). You could get a little pot of anubias like this  and throw it straight in, nothing further required. Marimos are cool too, there are fake ones as well as real ones and I don’t know if the difference would be that obvious since they don’t grow very fast.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 06:35
|
|
|
Stoca Zola posted:Stress zyme has water conditioning and chlorine removal components so that stuff is necessary. The aquastart stuff in theory contains bacteria and they’re basically telling you to do a “fish in” cycle with fish that will probably die from the process, goldfish are way too big for this tank let alone two, etc. And the fish tonic is probably some kind of hardness in case you have soft water, aquarium salt is to help the fish survive the nitrite poisoning they will get during this process. So you’re right, you don’t want to use any fish here. You could use something else as the ammonia source to feed the bacteria, and still use these products to help you get your tank cycled. You can tell when the cycle is done by measuring water chemistry but the process they suggest to use will get you to maybe half way cycled. As long as there is an ammonia source in the tank it will cycle eventually but the technique they use is pretty cruel to the fish. So maybe I should start the treatment right away as the "cycling" process and follow through and use a testing kit to make sure its ok in a month and add a fish? So basically just follow the directions except the adding fish parts. What would be an ammonia source? I'm reading a lot of weird stuff ranging from human pee and decaying flesh. It sounds like I can just get some in the pet store or even just basic cleaning ammonia and just find a balance with a kit? I just pulled the plastic plants I got out of their packs and they ARE kind of rough and I could see how they could hurt a fish. So I might have to give more thought to this plant thing. I have time and I guess I'll figure it out during the cycling process. STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 06:50 on Jan 22, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 06:47
|
|
|
I'm gonna go ahead and say pls don't pee in your aquarium also I've had my female betta for a few months (?) now and she seems to be doing fine with my other fish. which is good! I'm glad!  I have pothos in my aquarium (mostly floating) and it's inexpensive, grows relatively quickly, and is hard to kill. my betta seems to enjoy it too. if I had some extra money at this time, I'd send you a piece! I have it everywhere here...... snoo fucked around with this message at 07:12 on Jan 22, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 07:09
|
|
|
takes notes "Don't pee in aquarium..." An ever winding learning experience. Oh, I keep meaning to ask. Is there like a list of reliable online sources to buy stuff or does all this stuff come from local places? Fish I assume are a local thing and while I'm feeling iffy about the small local place there's a chain place at the mall I can try, even though the transport seems like a minor pain in the rear end. But like plants and invertebrates? Is this stuff just things you find where you find them or are they online purchases? edit: eh, nevermind. Just found links in the first post. I must have just forgot that in the massive consumption of information. STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 07:28 on Jan 22, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 07:24
|
|
|
I'd be wary of using cleaning product type ammonia since you never know if it's got surfactants added. There's an aquarium specific product here which costs a bit more than a bottle of cleaner I'm guessing but at least you know it isn't going to soap up your tank. For bigger tanks I think people have had success using a little piece of raw shrimp or fishmeat but the downside of that method is you can't really control how much ammonia is released and you'll get other bacteria and dissolved organics which aren't ideal and certainly not something you want stinking up a smaller tank. If I could find the link I'd paste it, I remember reading a story of a guy who couldn't get his tank to stay cycled, his ammonia levels were going out of control no matter how many water changes he did etc, eventually he caught his cat sitting on the hood of his tank and peeing into it, mystery solved.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 08:50
|
|
|
STAC Goat posted:takes notes Pee is bad because it contains only a little ammonia, and lots of other chemicals. Household ammonia can work fine, it is what I used, but you have to check that it isn't 'sudsy ammonia' or lemon scented or anything -- some people claim it's easier to find the plain ammonia in hardware stores than supermarkets. If you sniff it and it kind of makes you choke while thinking of cat ladies, that's probably the good stuff. Some folks let a bit of frozen shrimp rot in the tank and it works for them, but it can be smelly and when you go to remove the rotted shrimp it may have gone all gross and gelatinous. Then of course there is the slightly pricier option of ammonia designed for cycling, which I assume comes with useful instructions and works great. Personally I found a continuous ammonia monitor helpful when cycling a tank. https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-001001-Ammonia-Alert/dp/B000255R5G You don't want your ammonia gobbling bacteria to either starve or get poisoned, so I used an eyedropper to slowly add my ammonia source until it turned blue. Then just glance at it a couple times a day until it starts turning green/yellow, at which point I added few drops more ammonia to keep the first stage bacteria fed while the second stage bacteria developed. The problem with these static monitors is that they last up to a year, and there is no indication when it has gone bad, so it makes people nervous as a long term solution to know that the tank is safely ammonia free. Is it yellow because everything is fine, or because it is dead? No way to tell. But during the cycle you know it is working because you are deliberately adding ammonia and watching it change colour.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 09:47
|
|
|
STAC Goat posted:Oh, ok. I think I follow now. The sponge thing does sound a tad easier and less guess work if you're right. I'll give it some thought. Thanks. I can verify that using 'compressed-wood-pulp' style sponge is a bad idea. That one lasted about two weeks before completely breaking down into slime, making cleanup...unpleasant. A green, unused, chemical free scrubber or other plastic sponge is infinitely superior. Basically anything that fits well in the filter and has a large surface area to cultivate beneficial bacteria will work. I suspect the micro-organisms that grow on the surface are the majority of what keeps the water clean. They consume ammonia and excrete nitrites. Other bacteria then consume these nitrites and excrete nitrates. This is the biological filtration spoken of in the OP, as I understand it. oddIXIbbo fucked around with this message at 12:49 on Jan 22, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 12:39
|
|
|
oddIXIbbo posted:I can verify that using 'compressed-wood-pulp' style sponge is a bad idea. That one lasted about two weeks before completely breaking down into slime, making cleanup...unpleasant. That's the long and short of it. You are looking for anything with tons of surface area, so sponges/lava rocks/etc that are very porous are perfect. The beneficial bacteria colonize them, and convert ammonia to nitrite and then a second set conver that to nitrate. Have some real plants in your tank, and they use the nitrates. Helps keep your water really clean and nice. Did a huge water-change and a re-scape on my 55 yesterday. Not sure I'm happy with it. Also picked up a 20 to use as a quarantine tank, and put a bunch of my extra plants from the 55 into it. Need to do some more arranging, but its looking decent overall. I did find that I still have a horrible snail infestation, though. Going to buy more assassins to deal with that.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 15:17
|
|
|
It's 1:00am on a Tuesday and I am playing "Where is that water coming from?" I think I found where, too.  It wasn't like that earlier! I do remember tripping and putting my elbow into a glass jar that was sat against this corner earlier this evening but it didn't seem like it was hard enough to make it split like that. On the other hand that looks like a previously repaired crack that has opened up again, however I didn't see it when the tank was empty and I thought I checked it pretty closely. This is a 20gallon tall tank which is currently a guppy breeding project. Only a few guppies and I'd also put some peacock gudgeon culls in here too. Looks like I'm going to have to throw them in one of the little 5 gallons that I've just moved while I investigate whether this is repairable. Of all the tanks this could happen to this is actually the easiest to deal with. I now also have a fish tank shaped hole in my lounge room ready to receive the new tank when it arrives, which should be this week! Edit: I measured and the tank dropped 1mm in 20 mins, which would roughly work out to 13 litres leaking per day - too much of a mess if I left it until I got home from work tomorrow. 3am and the tank is now drained except for about 2 inches since I am sick of trying to catch tiny cherry shrimp. I should be able to get the rest out tomorrow, and with the water level that low the leak should be much slower due to less pressure. One of the perils of cheap second hand tanks, I guess! Stoca Zola fucked around with this message at 17:41 on Jan 22, 2018 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 15:52
|
|
|
I just want to be clear that I was never considering peeing in my tank. Or putting a dead thing in there. Seems like it should be easy to pick up some ammonia at a pet store if I can't find 100% stuff at the hardware store. Thanks for everyone's help. I'm feeling confident about setting up the tank today and starting cycling, seeing how the filter works, getting what I need, etc. I'm sure I'll be confused again soon and asking for help.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 19:19
|
|
|
STAC Goat posted:I just want to be clear that I was never considering peeing in my tank. Or putting a dead thing in there. Seems like it should be easy to pick up some ammonia at a pet store if I can't find 100% stuff at the hardware store. Ask away - 6 months ago I knew next to nothing. Its a fun hobby, and I'm glad I did a ton of research. And now I keep spending more and more money....
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2018 21:26
|
|
|
I believe somewhere earlier in this thread someone had discovered that their ammonia problem was being caused by their cat...
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 05:39
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 25, 2024 14:08 |
|
|
Had a call that my new tank and stand had arrived, everything was packed really well and arrived in good shape - except the tank, which had shattered at some point during freight. Of course shipping insurance covers it and they’ll be getting in a replacement, it just means more delays on getting the tank set up and running. The fish seem quite well in half the volume of water in their broken tank, they’ve lasted for a couple of months now and I guess a bit longer won’t hurt. First day back at work was so busy that I’m too tired to be disappointed about the tank. I’m really not surprised there was damage during shipping and I’m glad it’s someone else’s problem to chase it up and sort it out! I think the only way to have avoided it for sure would have been to order that custom acrylic tank that I was considering.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2018 15:13
|
|