# Making sure I'm doing this right...first tank



## CmdrSlack (Oct 12, 2010)

So I'm hoping that this is the right subforum for this post. 

I have a 10 gal tank. I let it run for 24 hours before adding fish. (The clerk at PetSmart told me that was fine and I could just load it up with all manner of fish after that. I then found a LFS that seemed more credible.) Obviously, all of my levels were at zero when the guy at my LFS tested my tank water. I added three fish: two guppies and a damio. 

I'm realizing now that it may have been better to do a fishless cycle, but this is what happens when you have a 4 1/2 year-old and build up expectations before doing research. She does understand that these fish might die, but she also understands that some fish just don't live that long, no matter what you do. 

So here's where I'm stuck. I am going to go grab the API testing kit that everyone seems to use. That's great for checking water levels. My concern now is how and when to add live plants. 

I didn't realize that I might want something other than gravel for my substrate. I could just go grab another 10 gal setup and start building a new home for the existing fish, then start that tank over once the new tank is done cycling. 

The issue is really twofold: budget and the kid. I'm realizing that I would rather do something really fun for a second tank (nanoreef, perhaps) but I need to build up to that as my impression is that a saltwater coral/living rock/tropicals, &c. tank will be rather expensive. I also want to keep this reasonable until I know how responsible she's going to be about caring for the fish.

So here's my questions.

1. How often should I test the water going forward? Daily? Weekly?

2. My plan is to feed every other day, about two largeish flakes that are crushed up.

3. When should I add live plants? I assume some might thrive even with just gravel on the bottom of the tank?

4. I know plants will require a different bulb than the one currently in my hood. Any suggested brands? We're a pretty green household, so anything that is energy-efficient would be nice. 

5. Assuming my three fish don't make it, do I need to nuke the tank from orbit and start over? Can I then try to get the tank cycled with their contributions? (Obviously this is a less-than-great option, but a reality)

6. My plan is to add new fish in 2 or 3 weeks, then a bottom-feeder of some sort in about a month.

7. The guy at my LFS told me I wouldn't need to do a water change (unless levels get crazy) until about one month in. Is that about right?

8. Anything else I should consider?


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## nevets_eural (Oct 1, 2010)

hey im pretty new myself but have some pretty good info.....
yes youre fish will more than likely die.. depending on what kind they are.. there are a number of hardy ones out there but more than likely its something pretty that your daughter liked, Right?
1. water test... i do maybe 2 everyweek since my 55gallon is fairly new only 1 month so my biofilter has not fully developed with all the beneficial bacteria yet, so with a 10 gallon there is less space for all the waste to disperse in so i would say 2 gallon water change every few days if you want youre fish to live.
2. feeding- just feed the flake food 1 or 2 times a day a small pinch for 3 small fish should be enough
3. plants- as far as i know add your plants whenever. but a small tank with the frequent water changes might move them around so you would have to reposition them but thats not to bad is it, some fish species will mess with the plants, eat them or uproot them so just whatever u want in there they wont hurt anything
4. Bulb- ???? i have a few plants with the bulb that came with the tank so use at ur own risk i guess
5. dead fish to cycle- thats how i cycled my tank. your tank will not start the cycle process without ammonia in it, thats what starts all the good bacteria growing in your tank. if your fish do die then i would probably just leave it running for a few weeks, not sure on how long for a 10 gallon though, and no water changes, since they are for taking excess ammonia and nitrite out of the tank, thats what you want in there for the beneficial bacteria to grow, deadly for fish in high amounts but hey if your fish are already dead......
6. new fish- if all of them die then i would wait a little bit for the cycle to set in then water change 30% and test the water and ask the LFS for some more hardy species just in case the cycle is not through witch it wont be fully but maybe enough to get by with regular W C
7. water changes- yeah ur LFS guy is a dumb ***, if you just put fish in a brand new tank they will die with out water changes, fish poop in the tank and make ammonia, if YOU dont take out ammonia then they die cuz your tank and filter are not cycled yet (have the good bacteria that eats ammonia and nitrite)


Not an expert on all this stuff, just repeating what ppl have told me but hope it helps


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## CmdrSlack (Oct 12, 2010)

Actually, I picked the fish for hardyness (guppies and damios). 

If my daughter had her way, we'd be trying this new tank with a clownfish ($25) and a fish that looks like Dorie from Finding Nemo (forget the name, but $45).


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## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*You can add live plants right away. It will aid in sucking up the toxins in the tank. I suggest fast growing plants like Anarcharis (Elodea). 

If you are cycling with fish, you just need to do partial water changes once every 3 days. You dont need to test it that often. You only test it to see where you are in the cycle. 

If your fish dont make it, dont start over because the beneficial bacteria that you are trying to grow are in the tank and you need them to continue on cycling. 

Basically just do partial water changes every 3 days until your tank is cycled. You test every now and then to see where your cycle is at. 

You can use the CFL pigtail 6500K spectrum that they sell at Lowes. They sell 4 of those bulbs for only $9-$11 depending on the watts you want, either 13w or 23w bulbs. *


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Low light and very low light plants will be okay with the light that came with your tank.


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## CmdrSlack (Oct 12, 2010)

I think I finally had a non-zero ammonia reading tonight (color was somewhere between 0ppm and 0.25 ppm although closer to 0), and the pH fell a tad. 

Looks like I'll be grabbing a gravel vacuum and a couple of plants tomorrow. That'll be roughly four days with fish (two now, minus the over-stressed guppy) and hopefully time for a partial water change. I'm thinking 25% unless water testing indicates a major ammonia spike.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Just stay on top of it. Looks like you got control of it.


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## CmdrSlack (Oct 12, 2010)

So after about five or so weeks, I'm finally seeing a cycled (almost) tank. I added some hornwort in week 4. The plants helped bring my persistent 1ppm ammonia levels down to somewhere between .25 and .5 ppm. 

Now I'm looking at .25-.5ppm ammonia, .25-.5ppm nitrIte, and between 5-10ppm nitrate.

We only lost two guppies along the way, and now have a happy tank with two mollies, three zebra danio and a red-tailed shark. This week, we're going to add two more danio and a black molly to the tank. Then we'll have a full load.

In the meantime, I've set up a modified beaslbob build in a 29 gal rectangular tank. New fish go in tomorrow as well. Odds are that I'll eventually move all of my fish from the 10 gal to the new tank, then use the cycled 10 gal for less social fish. 

Any opinions on fish that are semi-aggressive? I've been debating between cherry barbs and angels.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I think it would be a mistake to add anymore at this point. Wait until the cycle is finished. Adding more now will just throw your values off even more. When you see your ammonia zero out and then your nitrites start to go down, then and only then are you close to being cycled.

Any fish you add right now will risk them all.


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