PetSmart did a water test for me and said my water was hard, so they gave me some powder to soften the water a little. My peppered cory was floating at the top, but alive when I got home. Last I looked he was swimming around a little and then staying on the bottom, but being kind of still.

10/17/2014 9:45:08 PM

Don't worry about your water being hard. They are just trying to sell you stuff. I know, I worked there when I was in school. The people who don't really know shit about fish that work there will try and sell you all sorts of stuff you don't need.

Seriously, just change some water. Don't mess with the gravel right now. Your tank is still in the process of getting cycled and you need to let that good bacteria get established.

10/17/2014 10:29:04 PM

Did you add a bacterial supplement before adding fish?

eg: http://www.petsmart.com/fish/cycling-aids-bacteria/top-fin-bacteria-supplement-aquarium-cycling-water-conditioner-zid36-17717/cat-36-catid-300035

also you do know how to internet right??? http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/well-water-vs-city-water-129242.html

10/17/2014 11:22:46 PM

^I added the water conditioner, but not the bacteria one. The albino is very lively and swimming all over the place. The peppered one isn't, but it became a little more lively after I added the water softener.

[Edited on October 18, 2014 at 1:05 AM. Reason : .]

10/18/2014 12:55:15 AM

What kind of filter should I get for my new 55?

I'd prefer something where I could build my own filter media and not have to keep buying expensive cartridges...

10/18/2014 6:43:25 PM

So PetSmart has a 14 day policy that they will exchange a fish that is sick, or dies. I took mine back and got another peppered cory catfish plus a black skirt fancy fin tetra and a red minor fancy fin tetra.

10/18/2014 8:02:22 PM

Quote :

"What kind of filter should I get for my new 55? I'd prefer something where I could build my own filter media and not have to keep buying expensive cartridges..."

i'm assuming you're wanting a hang on back filter and not a canister filter? if so, i would always recommend aqua clear filters. they don't use cartridges like most other ones, so you can just fill up media bags with whatever you want and put in there.

10/19/2014 10:47:46 AM

What is the best way to feed mid swimmers? I put about 5 flakes in there and I don't think they even saw them. Now the flakes are just sitting on the bottom. The people at the store said they don't feed their fish everyday, but at some point mine will need to eat something.

10/20/2014 12:16:47 AM

^^ I'm actually leaning canister but haven't made a decision yet. Thanks for the suggestion.

10/20/2014 12:18:21 AM

^My canister filter is great! It makes some noise, but it isn't nearly as loud as the hang over the back filter that came with my set. I can actually tolerate being near the aquarium for more than a few minutes now.

10/20/2014 1:11:26 AM

Has anyone here used an acrylic aquarium (vs glass)? How was it?

10/20/2014 5:39:09 PM

Mine is glass, so I can't help you there, but I know one of the materials isn't strong enough to house Cichlids because they are powerful enough to break through it. I forget which one they said it was.

10/20/2014 10:31:37 PM

So I have a Long Fin Red Minor Tetra and a Long-Finned Skirt Tetra in my tank. That puts me at 11" according to the PetSmart site. I'm thinking about getting one more mid swimmer tetra and two Silver Hatchet Fish that are listed as top swimmers. That would put me at 19" of fish. What should I do to keep the Hatchet fish in the tank, if I buy some in a few months? They are jumpers and there are two open spots on my lid where they could jump out. Should I put a piece of plexiglass across the top, or would some sort of net be better?

10/28/2014 2:48:44 AM

Quote :

"What is the best way to feed mid swimmers?"

you can soak the flakes in water before you feed them and they will sink instead of float. just put some in a little cup or something and mix it up. then dump it in the aquarium.

or feed some frozen foods. they will do the same thing.

10/28/2014 9:43:45 AM

^^^ someone lied to you, cichlids and for that matter every fish will do fine in either glass or acrylic. Acrylic is lighter, but scratches easily.

10/28/2014 5:58:36 PM

^^I crumbled them up and then touched them after they started floating on the water which caused them to sink. The Tetras started to eat the flake crumbs then.


Also, anyone know what material I should use to prevent jumpers from getting out?

[Edited on October 28, 2014 at 11:25 PM. Reason : .]

10/28/2014 11:25:02 PM

So what is everyone's thoughts on an air pump? I have a 20 gallon aquarium with 6 fish in it. I am using a canister filter. Do I need one? Has anyone tried the aPUMP? That one is supposed to be the quietest one on the market.

11/3/2014 11:47:08 PM

WTF is the point of air pumps?

11/4/2014 9:25:40 AM

I like the pretty bubbles. But honestly with good filtration and circulation I don't think they are necessary.

But mine make bubbles out of the volcano and make the t Rex open and close his mouth.

[Edited on November 4, 2014 at 10:25 AM. Reason : .]

11/4/2014 10:24:32 AM

Yeah, air pumps are pretty pointless if you have pretty much any filtration in your tank. The surface agitation provided by the water flow is more than sufficient to keep the water well oxygenated. For most people they are just for decoration.

I'll use one when I'm drip acclimating new fish that I've purchased, but I don't really ever use one otherwise.

11/4/2014 7:05:03 PM

Gotcha thx

11/4/2014 7:38:48 PM

I guess I am good then since I have a canister filter that is for a 25 gallon tank hooked up to my 20 gallon tank. There aren't really any bubbles, but the water swirls at the top.

11/4/2014 9:55:41 PM

Just picked up a nice 50 gallon with all the accompaniments for $50...will post pics once it's set up.

11/6/2014 11:58:37 PM

^Where did you get a deal like that?

11/7/2014 8:52:32 PM

Just set it up Saturday. Forgetting about the whole "wait for it to cycle before adding too many fish" thing, and added the fish out of my 4 gallon (1 betta, 2 corys, 1 otto), and bought 4 tiny neon tetras and 2 more corys, for a total of 9 fish in an uncycled 50 gallon aquarium. I've been adding a bacterial supplement, and I'm planning on dumping the 3-4 gallons of water from my old (good, cycled, not diseased) aquarium into the new tank to help kick start the process, as well as putting the old filter media in new filter.

Seems like the thing to worry about is elevated ammonia and nitrite levels killing off fish and plants while I wait on the 2? good bacteria colonies to establish...So I'll be keeping an eye on those levels, and try to control them if they get too high. The fish in there are pretty hardy though, so I think it'll be ok. I also have the 4 gallon I can transfer fish into if they start having problem.



^ Craigslist...dude needed it gone that day.



[Edited on November 10, 2014 at 12:22 PM. Reason : ]

11/10/2014 12:11:50 PM

Once it's cycled I'll be adding a bunch more live plants and probably 25-30 more fish. Might get some weird shit too like a lobster, some shrimp and a frog once the tank is fully established. Thinking about an air bubbler to help with the cycle, and esthetics.

Currently have a hang on back Marineland Bio Wheel filter. Will change that out for a canister when I find a good deal on one. Since it's a tropical tank I'm keeping it 76-78 degrees. Might eventually ditch the hood so I can have a little more freedom with the lighting.

11/10/2014 12:21:11 PM

Pretty good reading here: http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/freshwater-beginners/14296-read-first-freshwater-beginner-important-topics.html

11/10/2014 1:25:48 PM

^That site is pissing me off. I signed up so I could post and no one has sent me the confirmation e-mail. I've requested it multiple times too.

Anyway, I'm having problems with my water. Even after a 20% change I still had extremely high nitrate levels in the tank. I put some bacteria supplement in there and a moss ball, so hopefully that helps. My fish are still swimming around fine even though the water is a little foggy.

11/10/2014 10:44:03 PM

How high are your nitrate levels? When did you last change your filter media? How old is the tank setup?

Quote :

"I've requested it multiple times too"

Check your spam folder...

11/10/2014 10:56:50 PM

Quote :

"I put some bacteria supplement in there and a moss ball"

I'm no expert but I don't think bacteria help with the elimination of nitrates.

http://www.tfhmagazine.com/freshwater/feature-articles/keeping-up-with-nitrate.htm
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/watercare/a/nitrates.htm

Any chance you overfeed your fish? http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=16+2160&aid=3401 Seems like that's pretty common.

Do you have any live plants? They can help with excess Nitrates

11/10/2014 11:02:39 PM

^I feed them every other day, or sometimes once every 3 days. I put a live moss ball in there now.

^^I have checked my inbox and junk folder everyday.

[Edited on November 10, 2014 at 11:53 PM. Reason : .]

11/10/2014 11:52:13 PM

Quote :

"How high are your nitrate levels? When did you last change your filter media?"

Also, did you read those links?

11/11/2014 3:37:34 PM

^yes. I am going to change some of the media tonight and some of the water.

11/11/2014 4:00:48 PM

So I changed the carbon bag on Tuesday and washed everything else in the filter, did a 20% water change for the second time in 6 days, added a moss ball, took a sample this morning, and had it tested tonight. It is still showing that my nitrate is at dangerous levels. The people at PetSmart who have their own personal aquariums are shocked that my fish are alive.

How long will it take the new media and moss ball to lower the nitrate levels? What should I do next?

11/13/2014 9:44:30 PM

Quote :

"How high are your nitrate levels?"

Quote :

"How old is the tank setup?"

Also Use a bacteria supplement. I recommend Stress Zyme.

11/13/2014 10:31:47 PM

How big is your tank and what exact fish do you have in there?

11/13/2014 10:32:31 PM

^20 gallon Top Fin Glass Starter Kit with a 106 Fluval 25 gallon canister filter. It's 1 month old.

1 peppered cory catfish
1 albino cory catfish
1 long-finned Black Skirt Tetra
1 Long Fin Red Minor Tetra
2 Silver Hatchet Fish

18 inches of fish, but none of them are fully grown. They seem to be fine though.

[Edited on November 13, 2014 at 10:51 PM. Reason : .]

11/13/2014 10:49:55 PM

high nitrates won't straight up kill fish. high nitrites or high ammonia will though.

test some tap water before you put it in the tank. your water might be high in nitrates before it goes in the tank.

11/14/2014 8:32:48 AM

^I had the water tested before I ever put any living organisms in it and it was fine.

11/14/2014 9:30:23 AM

Quote :

"How high are your nitrate levels? "

Just follow the advice in those link I posted. Keep doing water changes. Add some low-light live plants which will consume nitrates and reduce the need for water changes. Java Ferns in particular will thrive in low light environments.

11/14/2014 10:07:55 AM

Yeah if your water out of the tap isn't high, just keep doing water changes.

11/14/2014 6:13:10 PM

Quote :

"Once it's cycled I'll be adding a bunch more live plants and probably 25-30 more fish. Might get some weird shit too like a lobster, some shrimp and a frog once the tank is fully established. Thinking about an air bubbler to help with the cycle, and esthetics. Currently have a hang on back Marineland Bio Wheel filter. Will change that out for a canister when I find a good deal on one. Since it's a tropical tank I'm keeping it 76-78 degrees. Might eventually ditch the hood so I can have a little more freedom with the lighting."

You probably don't want 25-30 fish. The rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon of water. Cory's get to 3-4" and a lot of other breeds get to 2+ inches.

Also, if you want some weird stuff then get some Silver Hatchet Fish. They are funny shaped and the ones I have are fast as lightning. They like to jump though, so you have to keep a lid on your tank so they don't jump out. PetSmart also sells something called an Upside Down Catfish that is a mid swimmer. I'm out of room otherwise I would get one.

11/17/2014 10:18:13 PM

Update...due to bacteria supplements and utilizing old filter media, I never had any real spikes in ammonia or nitrites, despite starting out with so many fish. Tank is cycled.

Trying to get my design figured out...this is a starting point. Not too happy with it yet. (kinda cloudy cause i was just messing with it)



Fish so far:
4 corys
4 neon tetras
1 yoyo loach - added yesterday...evidently they'll eat those trumpet snails. I've only seen a few so far but don't want it to be a problem. little bastard hides all the time. impossible to find.

Moving forward, I know I'm going to add a bunch more plants. Need to figure out better design in the front of the tank. As far as animals go, I'm going to get some more oto's, maybe a snail or two, then turn my attention to more "pretty" fish. Looking for colors...

Getting this LED light bar in today to help with the plants. Taking the hood off for good. Will eventually have to add glass or something if I wanna get a lobster as it sounds like they can climb/get out. http://www.amazon.com/Finnex-FugeRay-Planted-Aquarium-Moonlights/dp/B00GH9HURE

This is the kind of lobster I'm thinking about..."electric blue"



[Edited on November 21, 2014 at 11:49 AM. Reason : ]

11/21/2014 11:47:24 AM

^cool! I'm still waiting for the store to get in Orange von rio flame Tetras. That is going to be my last addition.

11/21/2014 12:14:54 PM

https://blackfriday.com/stores/petsmart/flyers/black-friday
https://blackfriday.com/stores/petco/flyers/black-friday

11/21/2014 12:17:32 PM

^found a von at Petco tonight. I'm full

11/21/2014 8:54:09 PM

Quote :

"This is the kind of lobster I'm thinking about..."electric blue""

It's a crawfish. Also, watch out because they will eat some of your fish. Also they like to eat plants.

11/22/2014 1:53:19 PM

My newest fish finally realized he is supposed to be a middle swimmer tonight. He had been hiding behind the plants at the bottom, but my other mid swimmers are bigger. I'm full now. I have 20 inches of fish in a 20 gallon tank.

2 Silver Hatchet Fish
1 Peppered Cory Catfish
1 Albino Cory Catfish
1 Long-Finned Black Skirt Tetra
1 Long Fin Red Minor Tetra
1 Orange Von Rio Flame Tetra

11/23/2014 12:39:46 AM

Is anyone else on the http://www.fishlore.com forums? I know someone mentioned that site earlier in this thread. I post on there now under the name "New Fish in Town."

12/3/2014 1:44:12 AM

Removed that lame hood/light and am using that Finnex Planted+ LED lightbar I mentioned earlier. So far so good, makes the tank look really nice. Only downside is there isn't a way to install a timer to cycle between the daylight and moonlight. I like the look without a top...

Planted a bunch of live plants...I'm up to around 25 now...30 counting the moss. All sorts of different varieties.

Current fish:
4 Neon Tetra
4 Corys
1 Yoyo Loach
1 Betta (might move him back over to the 4 gallon again if he's a problem. For now he's good.
7 Otos - Mainly have these guys for algae control. They don't get big like plecos and can clean my plants
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=830+1162+923&pcatid=923
1 Banjo Catfish (pic below) - Kinda regret this purchase...he's super cool looking but just sits there all day...to the point where you bump him he doesn't even move. I've thought he was dead a couple times but he wasn't. I guess he's nocturnal but I haven't seen hi moving at night either.

Design-wise the tank is pretty much where I want it I think. Will start adding some mid/top swimming schools soon.






[Edited on December 3, 2014 at 10:20 AM. Reason : ^ yah i'm on there]

[Edited on December 3, 2014 at 10:21 AM. Reason : ]

12/3/2014 10:19:48 AM