My First Tank! (with Pics)

[Darkwynd]

After months (and months) of researching, lurking, asking questions, and changing my mind, I finally took the dive and got a modest 20 gallon setup.

Thanks to everyone that's helped me out the last few days, I couldn't have done it without you! Well, I probably could have, but I'd have lost a lot more sleep.


Ground Zero for the great aquarium build! I always find it affirming to record what I started with. Oh, and you can see my son and one of my dogs off to the side.


And, 3 hours later, we have an aquarium. Would have been faster, but I was making note of how much water I really put in (approx. 17.5 gallons, btw) and the biggest container I could find to go from sink to tank was 3 quarts. Note to self: buy 5 gal bucket!


A much better picture without the flash (well, it's blurry, but I think it's better). Not sure what kind of bulb that is that came with my PetSmart hood (it's not marked), but I'm surprised at how good it looks. I was kind of worried about what julii corys would look like against the blue and black gravel, but I think it'll be okay, particularly after I replace the bulb with a 50/50.

So there it is, let me know what y'all think. No fish yet, I may go snag some corys tomorrow and I plan to look for a bristlenose or two this weekend.

Update #1 - 08/25
There are five spotted corys in the tank now, added this evening. They seem to be adjusting well, I think, they're poking around in the gravel and checking out the tank. The two bigger ones keep swimming up to the top and then diving back down over and over, occasionally they get the smaller ones to follow. Though they may have just started doing that after I turned the living room light on, they seem to have calmed down now that it's been on for a few minutes. So much to learn...

I was planning on getting some leopard corys (Petco had them labeled as juliis, but I don't think so). They weren't looking too hot, though; they weren't nearly as active as the spotted ones (as in: barely moving) and their barbels looked eroded. The spotted may not be as "pretty", but they've got character. I'll take some pics after they've settled some more and I turn the light on.

Still hoping to get a bristlenose or two this weekend. Anyone know who has them toward the West wide of town?

[geoff_tropheus]

I would go and get a background for it. I would also wait a few days before adding but just a couple fish. When you do get them, feed very very lightly for about 2 weeks. Then you can add a couple more fish.

You are going to have to be careful, because a newly setup aquarium is not quite ready for fishes. Without getting overy technical, you have got to get a Nitrogen cycle going. There are somethings you can do. You can go to a petstore and get a product called Bio-Spira and it will have the tank ready for fish overnight. Otherwise you are going to have to take it slow and only add like 2 fish at first, then a week or so later another fish or two, and so forth.

Me personally, I would go to like Fish Ranch and get some Bio-Spira. I think even City Pets also has this product.

Even with the Bio-Spira I would still take it easy on the feedings and get a test-strip kit that will test for Ammonia, and one that will also test for Nitrite and Nitrate.

These are all three very important water parameters that you need to watch very closely in a new aquarium, because all three are toxic to your fish, but once your aquarium is established bacteria wise, they will be in proper balance and the fish will be fine.

Best of Luck with your new aquarium!!

[geoff_tropheus]

oops I see the others took care of you in the other thread. You did your homework, good job.

Hmmm.. in a small tank like this I would try to get a smaller heater or a under substrate heater. Just thinking about the future "look" of your aquairum.

A small tank like this, I would suggest one because your home AC will keep this tank cooler than most tropical fish like, so I think it a good idea to have one for sure.

Looks Good!

[Zulaab]

Just thinking about the future "look" of your aquairum.

Looks Good!

The future is the tank goes in his kids room and Daddy goes and gets a 4ft'r ot 6ft'r

hehe :)

Jesper

[Darkwynd]

Yeah, Jesper and Mzungu have been coaching me, and Jesper's hooking me up with some filter media to kick start my cycle.

I was thinking about a smaller heater, but decided to go with the 100 because we let our house get pretty cold in the winter, we're cheap like that. On the flip side, the other nine months of the year it should barely have to work because our house never gets below 77.

I do need to play around with the heater's position, though; I just kind of stuck it there for now, almost forgot to put it in at all tonight. I may get an extension for the filter intake, too, in which case I'll move the filter a little to the right and the heater to the left, more behind the plants. Is it better for the filter intake to be closer to the bottom? I would assume so, but...

P.S. No fair, Jesper's reading my mind!

[FrontosaurusRex]

I think i read somewhere that you wanted to put Cory cats in your tank, i can tell you from experience, Cory Cats can not filter those large pebbles. They eat by filtering the sand through their gills and keeping the "good stuff". Anyway, tank looks cool. I remember thats exactly how it started for me and then i ended up with 5 tanks in my house. Now i only keep my 125g tank running.

[Mzungu]

All right! Glad it's up and running. :)

[Complexity]

On the flip side, the other nine months of the year it should barely have to work because our house never gets below 77.

I recommend that you remove (or at least unplug) the heater completely during those days when the house temperature does not go below 77°. Heaters are known for malfunctioning, literally cooking the water and the fish inside. The less you use the heater, the less risk you take.

Somewhere I read that you wanted larger buckets. Skip the buckets completely and get a python-style water changer. You will be ever so thankful that you did. I personally favor the Aqueon brand. It's usually cheaper than the Python brand and works better. Pick up a brass faucet adapter.

Here are pictures of the Aqueon water changers and the brass faucet adapter so you'll have some idea of what to look for.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&resnum=0&q=aqueon%20water%20changer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

http://afishybusiness.com/images/PYT06984-2[1].jpg

You can mix the Python brand brass faucet adapter with the Aqueon brand water changer.

I think i read somewhere that you wanted to put Cory cats in your tank, i can tell you from experience, Cory Cats can not filter those large pebbles. They eat by filtering the sand through their gills and keeping the "good stuff".

I've never heard of this, and I have had (and currently have pygmy) cories in tanks without sand. I know tons of people with cories in planted tanks where sand is almost never used. It is my understanding that they root around the substrate for food. The biggest problem is when the substrate has sharp edges. I don't believe they are sand sifters.

[wesleydnunder]

Cories will do fine with that substrate.

Mark

[Darkwynd]

Updated in original post.

Jesper, I couldn't fit both the media bags in my filter, so I put the one you gave me in the filter and hung my new one by the output so the water runs over it.

How long does one usually wait to feed after introducing fish? I've read some advice that says to wait a couple days, that they aren't interested in food until then. The corys keep poking around in the gravel; I don't know if they are looking for food or just poking around 'cause that's what they do.

[Zulaab]

The filter is seeded pretty well right now. You can go get the cories immediatly with a BN or two.. then in another week you will be ready for the next batch of fish. Then two weeks from now the last batch of fish.

The bacteria is there in the stuff I gave you for your sponge (which is below) and the other bag to start "attracting" bacteria to.

Yeah sorry about that. I forgot that you might have space for both.
I hope the water flow is good in your filter.. the AC50 should do you VERY well in the tank now :)

Keep smiling :)
Jesper

PS if the water in the next two or three days after adding fish suddenly turns "white" this is okie.. this is the bacteria multiplying. (this is the part you want to see but not have to many fish in the tank while it happens the first time. The seeded material should assist in turning your tank clear again with in a day or two.)

[Complexity]

How long does one usually wait to feed after introducing fish? I've read some advice that says to wait a couple days, that they aren't interested in food until then. The corys keep poking around in the gravel; I don't know if they are looking for food or just poking around 'cause that's what they do.

I generally feed new fish anywhere between a few hours after introducing them to the tank to the next day, depending on how stressed they appear to be (waiting a bit longer for more stressed fish). If they are too stressed for food, I turn off the light and keep the tank quiet.

However, I have only rarely seen a fish too stressed to eat, and that's only because they are too afraid of their new surroundings to feel safe to venture out to eat. I have never seen this behavior with cories. They seem to be happy-go-lucky fish that will adjust to a new tank very easily.