got my setup and got it going

[sergo]

well i got my setup and got it up and running. i think i did ok on it. it is a top fin 55 gal starter kit that i got from a local person on ebay for $125. all i did to it was add another power filter and the air pump (check sig). i picked up 2 50lb bags of pea gravel (only used about 1 1/4 bags), 1 bag of larger river gravel (used half of it) and a few large stones for $50. the damn stones were half of the cost. i picked up a stand from "wallyworld", nothing fancy just functional and cheap. i got it all going, conditioned my water and took same baseline sample reading. tap ph was 8.4. let the tank run for a few hours and it was 7.8 and has stayed there (24 hours). i guess that's ok but i don't really know. got 2 of my bettas acclimatizied and put them in (man are they happy now). i did do some aquascaping today and just want to know when can i expect my cloudy water to clear up. in the dark with the tank lights on it's kind of like looking at the sky and can see the cloudiness moving. it seems to be coming from the filters. both filters are one notch above low. any suggestions? btw i haven't even thought about what fish will be going in. i just want to get throught the cycling phase without incident.

[blue fin]

Honestly, the best bet is to cycle without fish, so you don't risk the fish while cycling. If you don't have a good test kit get one for your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc... how deep is the substrate....2" is recommended, did all the rock come from the LFS or did you get some of it at a home improvement store? If so it is best to let it soak for a day or so in clean water to make sure it wont negatively affect your tank water. If you do plan to use the fish to cycle the tank ( as I did ) keep a close eye on the tests and do water changes as needed to keep the ammonia and nitrites down to a safe level for your fish

Good Luck and Congradulations on your new tank!!

[jeffs99dime]

Honestly, the best bet is to cycle without fish, so you don't risk the fish while cycling. If you don't have a good test kit get one for your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc... how deep is the substrate....2" is recommended, did all the rock come from the LFS or did you get some of it at a home improvement store? If so it is best to let it soak for a day or so in clean water to make sure it wont negatively affect your tank water. If you do plan to use the fish to cycle the tank ( as I did ) keep a close eye on the tests and do water changes as needed to keep the ammonia and nitrites down to a safe level for your fish

Good Luck and Congradulations on your new tank!!

i agree completely 100% with bluefin-- fishless cycling IS the way to go AND it's really the only humane way! good luck too!

[sergo]

i do have a test kit that tests for ph, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. all read 0 currently. the gravel varies in depth but is no less than 2" and it came from a local hardware store. i did however rinse it very well with hot water before puting it in the tank. i am a little confused though. i was under the impression that if you are running a plated tank as i am that there pretty much won't be a cycle. now i don't have a heavily planted tank but there are a few plants it. i am sure NOT going to run out and start throwing fish in it though. i do plan on monitoring the tank anyway but am i misguided on the planted tank cycling?

[Sin]

my gravel / pebble stones came from homedepot....my total price was about 6 bucks to cover my 125 gallon tank...local pet shops will sell you the same stuff for about 50 bucks or more! ...if you do the cycle process with fish your best bet is very hardy fish like giant danios or pacus ...but the best way is the fishless way...

[blue fin]

If you intend to have a planted tank the variables change somewhat but I am not as familiar with a planted tank as I do not have one myself. Keep a close eye on your water conditions and make sure there are no major changes to the ammonia and nitrites. If you are going to plant the tank, I would recommend doing so soon as it will help balance the tank. I believe Reptileguy uses planted tanks and may have some recommendations if you have not purchased your plants yet.

[sergo]

the tank is planted as of today check sig for details. i do plan on monitoring the water conditions but all that i have read thus far indicates there may not be a lot of change in it. this may take a lot longer and i'm in no hurry, hell i have no idea what's going in it when i feel that it is time. btw, you guys are fast at replying. thanks alot.

[blue fin]

Most of us on the site will reply once we see the post, it all depends who's online as to who responds the quickest.. lots of knowledgeable people on this site... good luck with your tank, I don't think you have much to worry about but I would monitor the water for a couple of weeks before introducing any additional fish.

[Sin]

sergo..i said the best way is the fishless way only because i found out about it from this forumn....had i known before i would have done it....but i used red belly pacus and giant danios....i made sure they were not stressed and once i was complete with my cycle i found good homes for the giant danios and my pacus have been living the good life with me in the tank.....and they will continue to live the good life weather they are with me or with someone else...i will make sure of that....just do right by your fish and i promice they will do right by you...and get used to this forumn it is by far the best one out there :ezpi_wink1:

[sergo]

thanks for the help! i've got the tank up and running which was the biggest thing. i'm in hurry at all now and i firmly believe the bettas will be fine. they have seen harder times in a 2 gal stagnant glass vase with some ivy hanging out it. they are in fishy heaven and they're not even dead. i'm sure i will have some q's are the process goes along and believe me i won't hesitate to ask either. like now, when can i expect this cloudy water to clear up?

[blue fin]

is is cloudy without any green, if so I would give the filter a chance to work, it could be from the substrate, you did say you just set this up right? after a week or two you could get a bacteria cloud while the tank cycles but I'm not sure if that happens with a planted tank as often. If I am assuming right that you just set this up in the last day or so it can take up to 5 days for the water to clear but again, it really depends on the reason... just be patient and keep testing....

[sergo]

yea it's 2 days old and i was jacking around with the rocks tonight putting in plants. should i leave both filters at one notch below low? it seems to keep the turbulence low and i think the bettas kind of like it like that. or should i crank them up a notch or two?
edit:
no green yet, just cloudy.

[blue fin]

with only two fish you don't need tons of filtration but if you want the water to clear you need to move the water through the filters, if you don't mind waiting and you think the betta's prefer the filters on low it's not likely going to hurt to leave them like it is now....

[sergo]

:thumb: 10-4. thanks again. it's time to kill the lights and call it a day.

[kimmers318]

Good luck trying to keep 2 bettas in the same tank, that usually ends in disaster.
Other than that, the cloudiness should be starting to clear up for you since it doesn't sound like anything is wrong with the water or tank.

[Lady Hobbs]

You can also get cloudiness from your gravel if it wasn't rinsed well before putting it in the tank.

Your betta's are better off being in a vase (separate vases) for now while you cycle that tank. They will not survive ammonia levels at all. Please read Tips for newbies in Announcements.

[sergo]

Good luck trying to keep 2 bettas in the same tank, that usually ends in disaster.
Other than that, the cloudiness should be starting to clear up for you since it doesn't sound like anything is wrong with the water or tank.i have a male and female betta in the tank. that won't be a problem will it?

[jeffs99dime]

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
--this is the link to the free aquarium e-book. invaluable info that i highly recommend downloading

[sergo]

You can also get cloudiness from your gravel if it wasn't rinsed well before putting it in the tank.

Your betta's are better off being in a vase (separate vases) for now while you cycle that tank. They will not survive ammonia levels at all. Please read Tips for newbies in Announcements.so you're saying that the stagnant water in a 2 gal vase that sits around for a couple of weeks and only gets topped off with maybe a cup full is not is better than a 55 gal tank tank with 2 power filters and a dozen plants from an established tank (LFS). is this really worse for the bettas? i would have thought the vase was a WAY worse environment. please give details.

[sergo]

[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
--this is the link to the free aquarium e-book. invaluable info that i highly recommend downloadingi'm at work and it's blocked. will check it out this evening.

[Lady Hobbs]

so you're saying that the stagnant water in a 2 gal vase that sits around for a couple of weeks and only gets topped off with maybe a cup full is not is better than a 55 gal tank tank with 2 power filters and a dozen plants from an established tank (LFS). is this really worse for the bettas? i would have thought the vase was a WAY worse environment. please give details.

No, I'm saying that Betta's are very prone to disease and illness and that they would do better in a vase until your tank is cycled. They will not be able to tolerate the ammonia levels at all. When keeping them in a vase, that water needs to be changed as well and not allowed to go "stagnet."

You can do a fishless cycle in about 10 days just by adding pure ammonia or better yet, buy some bio-spira and cycle the tank even faster.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time here. I'm just saying that Betta's are not a fish that's used for cycling a tank.

[Abbeys_Mom]

Hobbs is giving sound advice. Things maybe fine with the bettas now, but soon the ammonia is going to spike and your fish will suffer. Some fish can handled it, but bettas are not one of those fish. Put them in a bowl or vase till your tank is cycled.

[sergo]

No, I'm saying that Betta's are very prone to disease and illness and that they would do better in a vase until your tank is cycled. They will not be able to tolerate the ammonia levels at all. When keeping them in a vase, that water needs to be changed as well and not allowed to go "stagnet."

You can do a fishless cycle in about 10 days just by adding pure ammonia or better yet, buy some bio-spira and cycle the tank even faster.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time here. I'm just saying that Betta's are not a fish that's used for cycling a tank.i don't think your giving me a hard time. i asked a serious question and you gave me a serious answer, thanks you. i've kept bettas the same way for 5 years and have only lost 2 (granted it wasn't the best of care and definitely not the worst). 1 was to old age and another jumped out of the vase. i guess i just can't understand how the tank can be worse than those vases i have kept them in.

[bettaboy691]

good cycle fish to add after a few weeks of leaving the tank to just run are livebeares or tetras,bettas are not good first fish.if your keeping a male and female together, provide lots of plants(real or fake) and lots of hiding places,also watch other fish when you add them to make sure bettas and them can live together, you dont want your bettas fins to be ripped nor your new fish beaten to death.

[sergo]

good cycle fish to add after a few weeks of leaving the tank to just run are livebeares or tetras,bettas are not good first fish.if your keeping a male and female together, provide lots of plants(real or fake) and lots of hiding places,also watch other fish when you add them to make sure bettas and them can live together, you dont want your bettas fins to be ripped nor your new fish beaten to death.there are plenty of places for them to hide. it will be a while before any other fish go in the tank. i have no idea what i want or what i can put in there. thanks for the advice.

[sergo]

well i went home for lunch to let my muts out and decided to take some water samples. ph 7.8 still, 0 of the other 3. it's been said that they (bettas) can not tolerate ammonia (despite being kept in small vases and such) so at what point should i be extremely concerned? also i have this opaque film on the surface of the water. it seems to be in the surface tension of the water as i cannot mix it into the water to get filtered. you can see it when looking from the bottom to the top at the right angle in the light. anyone have any ideas what it is or how to handle it?