Ready to start and overwhelmed

[tinkerpuppet]

I'm ready to start my new 10g tank. I sterilized the tank, hood, filter with my steam cleaner. I have rinsed all the sand and put it in the tank and filled it 2/3 with tap water. I have boiled my new piece of driftwood and now have it soaking (I'm trying to remove the tannins so I don't have a tea tank). I have the filter, but need to go out tonight and get the proper media for it (I bought the tank/filter off Kijiji).

But then what? While its all great to have so much information available, I'm feeling very overwhelmed. I currently have two little 3g that are cycled, one for sure as it came already cycled, and the other has been running two months, so I'm pretty sure its cycled. My plan was to add some water from each to the new tank, and to take out a couple decorations and a few handfuls of substrate to add for seeding. Do I just start the filter running tonight and start the whole water testing, adding ammonia, etc tomorrow? Do I need it to sit for awhile first? I have some "multi-purpose aquarium water conditioner", do I need to add any of that? When should I add the driftwood?

I am in no hurry, I don't want to kill off a bunch of fish by screwing up. Plus I'm enjoying the process and learning, so I don't mind taking my time to do this right. I just never gave tanks that much thought before, never realized just what a science it all is. I always assumed you just added water and fish and voila. It wasn't until we were given the first little 3g and was told about cycling that I had any idea the involvment!

Thanks for your help!

[rich311k]

Yes start up the filter make sure it is running and the heater works well. You will need a source of ammonia to get the ball rolling. Seeding is a good idea, forget the water though that will not help.

[sheamurai]

...and filled it 2/3 with tap water. Do you have well or municipal water? It never hurts to use a water conditioner, as it does more than just remove chloramine etc, but if you have good well water that you've tested and found 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and low nitrates you don't NEED conditioner
I have the filter, but need to go out tonight and get the proper media for it (I bought the tank/filter off Kijiji).

My plan was to add some water from each to the new tank, and to take out a couple decorations and a few handfuls of substrate to add for seeding. You can add water from your other tanks if you want, but it really doesn't do much. If you can add some gravel/old filter media from these tanks then that would be best.Do I just start the filter running tonight and start the whole water testing, adding ammonia, etc tomorrow? If you have added your old media/substrate, then yes, get that filter going. The sooner you get the biomedia in it seeded the sooner you will be adding fish. Better yet, run the new filter on a cycled tank, if its not too much current for it.After you add media/substrate from your cycled tanks, then you'll want to test your water before you add any ammonia. With any luck, if you can add enough old stuff, you will only need to add enough ammonia to keep your bacteria alive til you get fish. When I seeded from a cycled tank, I never did add any ammonia, I just went ahead and added fish. Seeding from a cycled tank really speeds up the process.Do I need it to sit for awhile first? If you let it sit after adding seeded material, the bacteria will die for lack of food.I have some "multi-purpose aquarium water conditioner", do I need to add any of that? When should I add the driftwood?I would toss in your driftwood now, if it will sink.

I am in no hurry, I don't want to kill off a bunch of fish by screwing up. Plus I'm enjoying the process and learning, so I don't mind taking my time to do this right. I just never gave tanks that much thought before, never realized just what a science it all is. I always assumed you just added water and fish and voila. It wasn't until we were given the first little 3g and was told about cycling that I had any idea the involvment!

Thanks for your help!

Hope that helps!

[mac]

In short after reading your post, you have answered your questions.

From what you are doing, just keep going. For a while you will notice on your testing of your water that the parms will change, very normal in a cycling tank. Once they become stable you can then slowly add some new fish.

Back to the cycling. With a tank most people opt out of having live plants. But with some for though plants in a small tank, and live plants help to keep the tank from going bad if you skimp on a water change over a period of time. Due to the fact the plants absorb the waste produced in the tank.
This makes cycling even bette. And keeps a tank going very well.

Only real issue with plants is to check out what lighting your tank has, and add some fertilizing substrate. Though since the tank has started up you really are left with just adding fert tabs. Just as good IMO.

Once that has been done and lighting checked out or up graded, adding of most simple live plants is easy.

The last stage of all is the hardest. More so with stocking a 10g. There are not many fish that suit this tank in the fact of the fishes size and requirements of room and water quality ect. With research all that can be solved very easy.

mac

[tinkerpuppet]

Thank you all for the advice!

I have my filter and heater running now. Tomorrow I'm off to the lfs to get a water testing kit and some ammonia. I will start seeding as soon as I have more to feed the bacteria. And I do want to have a planted tank, but that will be a couple more days before I'll have the time to go pick those up.

As for stocking, there will be three males guppies and I want 6 neon tetras. Maybe a betta. I also would like some kind of algae eater. Not sure what though. I think that should be okay in a 10g. Does that sound good?

[annageckos]

Six neons and three guppies should be good for a ten gallon. You may want to skip the betta and the algea eater. The only algea eater I can think of that would work in a ten with your stocking is a nertite snail. Ottos are schooling fish and are sensitive to parameters, plus one or two will not do much. A ten is too small for a bristlenose or a school (or even single) SAE. The best thing for cleaning algea is YOU.

[Garrett]

A snail or two wouldn't hurt in the tank, though, and would help clean the tank. Plus they're cool.

[tinkerpuppet]

I do love snails! I have an apple snail in one of my little tanks, and he may be my favourite. Although he's been eating my java fern (which supposedly he shouldn't be doing, but no one has told him!). I have an assassin snail in my other little tank, but I'm usually half convinced he's dead until he's suddenly in another spot when I check in the morning. He's very unexciting. I do want live plants in the 10g, so I'm a little hesitant about getting another apple snail. Although maybe a new one would know the rule they're not supposed to destroy my live plants? Lol!

[tinkerpuppet]

Oh I bought the API Master Test Kit today! I wasn't able to get ammonia, but I'm hoping to run out tonight to pick some up. Once I have that, the games will begin!

[Rhaethe]

Would a pitbull pleco (adult size of 2 inches) be too small for a 10g? I'd been reading about those of late, and thought I might throw that one out there.

[Lady Hobbs]

You need not transfer any of the media from your other tank if you're going to do doing the fishless cycling. Nearly all the bacteria is in the filter media so that step is not necessary altho it may be somewhat helpful if you were doing a cycle with fish.

Sounds to me as you are trying to do too many unnecessary things like all that steaming and cleaning. Also, you will get a few tannins with wood that is soaked or not soaked and that will clear up in a short time with normal water changes.

[tinkerpuppet]

Good points! There is so much info out there, its easy to get swept up trying to do it all. I did need to clean the tank as it was in someones garage, my steam cleaner made easy and quick work of that. Way easier then by hand and it sanitized at the same time which is great, I'd rather start with a fresh tank. Good to know about the wood though, I won't be so fussy next time.

Not sure what you mean about not needing any other media though? Isn't the point of seeding to make the cycle happen faster? Obviously my main goal is to have the tank ready to put fish in as quickly as possible. My filter is new, there won't be any bacteria in there to start, so I'm not sure what step isn't necessary?

With my two little tanks, one has an undergravel filter and the other has a sponge filter. I don't want to remove the sponge filter from the one tank as everyone is happy in it and I don't want to disturb it, but I was planning on taking a few decorations and some gravel (I read you can put the gravel in a new nylon and put it in your new filter to help?). I also just got some new java moss that I was hoping to use to seed as well, although I may have to rinse it to get rid of the little snails (again, tmi, I'm paranoid of those little self-reproducing snails!), so I will probably end up killing any of the good bacteria in that.

Again, this is where it gets so overwhleming, there is just too much info out there. With my other hobbies, I usually start with the very basics and add to that process in the beginning if its not working. But having actual little fishy lives at stake, I feel a lot more responsible for getting it right the first time.

Thank you all for your great info and feedback. Its hearing from people like you who have been there, done that, that really helps!

[sheamurai]

If you can run the new filter in one of your cycled tanks, you would be ready for a fish or two after a couple weeks...without the bother of adding ammonia etc.

As for TMI - I'm afraid in a forum you get the same thing sometimes - a lot of advice from a lot of people, all with different ideas...

[Garrett]

You could get a mystery snail, I have three and they've not eaten anything in my tank.