How should i make my 12 gallon eclipse aquarium ready for the fish?
May 29, 2010 by
Filed under Questions
This is a brand new aquarium and i filled it with water and gravel. The aquarium came with the conditioner, i added it already and it has been working for more that 24 hrs now. what is the next step? can i add the fish now?
Have you called your local Pet store. or one of the big chain stores.. like Pet Smart. one thought to prepare the water is to micro wave it . to redue the chemicals.
You should try and do a fishless cycle so you wouldn’t hurt the fish with the “with fish cycle”. To do a cycle, you just add fish food as the start of the ammonia and then wait for ammonia and nitrites to come down and then water changes can take out nitrates.
You should also add some plants or any decorations for your fish to feel comptable. I prefer to use live plants since it would be best for them and the fish would have so much oxygen to thrive in.
The next step is to cycle your tank. You have two options and despite what you might hear, both of them work.
You can do a fishless cycle, in which case you keep the tank empty and add ammonia yourself until it is cycled. You can use fish food, bits of shrimp or other meat, or the cleanest and quickest method, buy yourself a bottle of ammonia with no soap added to it. Research “Fishless cycling” and you’ll find a number of ways to go about it.
The second way is simply to get fish and cycle with them. The important thing about this method is that you start off with a very small number of fish, just a couple of small ones to begin, this way the ammonia levels won’t rise beyond what the fish can handle. This method can take patience too, because you won’t be adding new fish for about a month. Then you start adding fish gradually, just a couple at a time. A lot of people argue that fish are hurt using this old fashioned method, but as long as you don’t rush it, it’s still safe.
And of course, I won’t forget to tell you how to beat the cycle altogether – you just add living bacteria to your filter. Bacteria resides in the gravel and filters of any established tank, so if you can get yourself a handful of it (the fish store may help you out) then you’re all set. There are bottled bacterias, some brands which help, others which don’t do much at all, but none come close to actually adding the fresh and healthy bacteria straight from another tank.
And of course, you should have a plan for what fish you want, making sure none get to more then 3 inches fully grown (they need space to live and swim afterall). Once you do, you can decorate the tank to suit them (most small community fish suitable to this tank like plants, and bottom dwellers like caves).
never trust petco or petsmart. you need to cycle the tank.
Ghapy said everything you need to know.
The most important thing you can do is to educate yourself on the nitrogen cycle,and the biological filter.There is lots of info on the net,in the library,and from people who know about these things.
Have Fun and Good Luck!
Ghapy has answered this very well. I have always had the best of luck by adding a coulple of cupfuls of gravel from an already well estabilished tank. Read, research, and learn.
No, do not add fish now. Now you need to cycle your tank. Cycling takes time and can test your patience but it is very important to your success as a fish keeper.
Go to http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishlesscycling.html and read up on why and how to cycle your tank without killing or hurting any fish. There are also several link to other sites with information on cycling your tank.