Wolfgang's First Aquarium Adventure

[Slaphppy7]

Is it a digital thermometer? If so, and it's it has the calibrate feature, it's easy to do, and to check for accuracy.

[Wolfgang]

Yes it's digital. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good digital thermometer? I'm just going to buy a new one.

[The Cichlid Keeper]

Thank you very much for all of the great advice so far!! I read the fish-less cycling post and it's very thorough!! I have some follow-up questions...

1. For the fish-less cycling, I add the ammonia and prime to the water and let the filter and heater run for however long it takes to get the readings to 0 (for nitrites and ammonia, right?) BEFORE I add the plants? but I'm struggling with this comment.... "You should began to very soon see nitrites, perhaps after only dosing the tank once or twice. When that happens, now only add ammonia of one/half of your original dose when you started. Ammonia is only redosed when previous dose has dropped to 0 and only one time a day." Only one time a day, for how many days?? And then it says to do a "large" water change to bring the nitrates down to under 20, what's a large water change?
2. I'm looking at this Python maintenance system and have a question... My tank will be in my living room... I know this comes with a 25 foot hose, so the only way to use it would be to attach it to the faucet to drain the water as well as fill it? When I'm doing my weekly 25% water change, do I need to add prime everytime I do a water change? And how much of it if so?

Edit: I have not purchased anything yet. There will be no impulse buying from me until I have done all of my research and it looks like I have come to the right place for that!! :)

I'm confused here. Are you buying another tank? This thread has been on here so long it's hard to tell. Sounds like you're discussing filtration- correct?

[Wolfgang]

I already have a tank. Not buying another.

[Slaphppy7]

I have one similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Commer...156716&sr=8-10

[Wolfgang]

Thanks. The one I have now looks very similar to that one. I'm just going to buy a new one before my next WC, just to be safe.

[Wolfgang]

What's a good number for cardinal tetra in a 40B tank? 20?? Never bought them before but I'd like to get some!!

[Slaphppy7]

Thanks. The one I have now looks very similar to that one. I'm just going to buy a new one before my next WC, just to be safe.

If the one you have can be calibrated, no need to buy a new one

[Slaphppy7]

What's a good number for cardinal tetra in a 40B tank? 20?? Never bought them before but I'd like to get some!!

Remind me again of current stocking and filtration....can you get them locally?

[Wolfgang]

So I just did a "test" of my current thermometer by placing it into my tank and it showed 78 degrees exactly which is what my tank is at. That should be a good test, yeah? Could it be my thermostat in my tank that might be bad? I've had it since day one almost 4 years ago. Could it be a huge change in my tap water?? I'm still trying to figure out the cause of my mass exodus.

Current filtration: 2x AC70's
Current stock after my huge loss:

2 Colombian tetra
1 green neon tetra (poor fella)
1 SAE
4 dwarf chain loaches
7 sterbai corys
5 bamboo shrimp
Unknown number of assassin snails
Unknown number of RCS and blue shrimp

My plan is to get the following:
20 green neon tetra, 20 cardinal tetra, 4 Colombian tetra, 1 SAE, 1 green dragon BNP, 8 zebra otos, maybe a few more bamboo shrimp.

In my mass exodus I lost:
All of my rummynose, 11 green neons, 2 Colombians, 2 dwarf chain loaches, 1 SAE :(