Forums / General Forums / Beginner's Discussion / New to the Hobby... Welcome! :) / Latest Posts

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:09:16 GMT

You want to test for certain items before adding chemicals (additives or supplements) to correct their levels.

The most commons one people test for and use additives is calcium and alkalinity and then use some type of 2 part supplement (like B ionic or C balance) to balance their levels.

pH should also be monitored, many times if your calcium and alkalinity are in balance your pH will also be fine.

Magnesium and strontium are two other popular supplements, but I would highly suggest testing their levels before adding any supplements to increase their levels.

Water changes are also a great way to keep things in balance. Many salt manufacturers will add all of these trace elements to their salts, so if you do weekly or every other week water changes you will find many of these levels stay right where you want them.

Feel free to PM me if you have any question or you can also start a new thread if you have any other questions about additives and/or supplements or what ever other questions you might have. Any of the members here would be more than happy to help answer the questions for you.

HTH,

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

M1CH43L — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:17:12 GMT

is it what u call chemicals? coz i recalled my friend told me that i needed a series of chemicals to put in the aquarium every week,is it true? if yes, what kind,more details plz. coz i lost contact w/ my friend n couldn't ask him what kind,just remembered he said that he spent 200 bucks a year for those.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:36:09 GMT

For a reef tank you should be testing ammonia, nitrite (both of these you can basically stop testing after a few months), nitrate, phosphate, pH (I actually prefer a monitor for this instead of a test kit), calcium, alkalinity, salt levels and temperature. Magnesium is another one that should be considered for testing as it can have a direct impact on pH and calcium levels in the tank. Strontium is one that some people test for and others don't, I was never a big tester of this.

If using the repair kit didn't work, there isn't too much else we can do to repair them. Have you tried calling the manufacturer to see if they would be willing to repair it for you? (1-800-255-4527 M-F 7-4 CST).

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

M1CH43L — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:49:07 GMT

I've check on the options u gave me, n i do prefer the Salifert, n i might be ordering it, thanks,(alkalinity,amonia,phosphate,calcium,nitrate,is it rite?)n FYI, i already buy repair kit for super luft pump be4 i've this problem, so still looking 4 help how can i get this pump get fixed? marinedepot customer care (Daniel S,been lot of help to me), suggest me to rinse the pump w/ warm water n dry it n let it be dried till couple days n check is it working or not?n still not working....

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:04:30 GMT

For test kits I tend to prefer the Salifert line of kits, but they aren't the cheapest and they don't have a package deal that includes everything.

From there, one of the less expensive but still fairly accurate test kits are the ones made by API or the Aquarium Systems kits.

Here is an article on Reef Tank Water Testing that might help out some also.

You can buy a repair kit for your pump so you can repair it yourself.

HTH,

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

M1CH43L — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:21:47 GMT

Thanks, Keith...really good to have u n the experts around,

I don't have any testing kits,only hydrometer,ph tester,that's all. Could u plz gimme suggestion of test kit packages that worth w/ cost n quality,so i can order it. Thanks. n i appreciate all the links,but sometimes it's pretty difficult to understand the word or the point of what they talk about in the forum due to my lack of knowledge n english vocabularies. n can u plz let me know where i can service my colarlife super luft pump,it's out of order(hope it's ok i post it here)

William

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:11:28 GMT

M1CH43L (7/21/2008)

Thanks 4 ur reply,

Actually i already collect tea or coffee color,still waiting 4 dry foams...

"wet skimmate" is tea colored (very light in color) and "dry skimmate" is dark, coffee colored (very dark colored). Both types of skimmate are still liquid, but "dry skimmate" is usually a little thicker but still very liquid.

M1CH43L (7/21/2008)

n i wanna know how u decide that the liverocks is being 100% cured?

Testing your water. You should have zero ammonia, zero nitrites and you want to keep your nitrates low. All your other levels (pH, salt, temp, calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, etc...) should also be in their "ideal" ranges.

M1CH43L (7/21/2008)

Plz...coz i can't help to wait to buy anemones or corals,hehe300x...

Anemones are fairly difficult to keep, I would wait until the tank is at least 6 months after cycling before trying one. Here is an article on anemones that might help some.

M1CH43L (7/21/2008)

what i need to built a refugium,do i need one?

Do you have a sump underneath your tank? Depending on the size of the tank and if it has an overflow you can go with a refugium under the tank or look at one of the hang on the back refugiums. Here is an article on refugiums that has some useful information.

M1CH43L (7/21/2008)

n usually how long it takes to quarantine?

While it will depend on the method of QT, normally 1-2 months. You can look through Kelly's (Puffer Queen's) forum for lots of great information.

HTH,

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

M1CH43L — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:16:57 GMT

Thanks 4 ur reply,

Actually i already collect tea or coffee color,still waiting 4 dry foams...n i wanna know how u decide that the liverocks is being 100% cured?Plz...coz i can't help to wait to buy anemones or corals,hehe300x...

what i need to built a refugium,do i need one?n usually how long it takes to quarantine?

Hi to all moderators,Greeting 2 u all...

Thanks,

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:17:00 GMT

Generally during the curing process people keep the lights off to help reduce algae outbreaks.

For the skimmer you would like to collect tea to coffee colored skimmate, if the collection cup is just collecting clear liquid I would raise it up some. Normally during the curing/cycling process the skimmer will pull out more than normal amounts of skimmate.

HTH

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

M1CH43L — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:46:23 GMT

Thanks so much 4 ur reply, Keith

I just upgrade my lighting to 48" Current USA Sundial T5. n I just got a AquaC Remora Pro HOB. So when i have a curing process going on, should i turn my lighting on, if Yes, how long it should be /day? n actually i got a little confuse of how to use the Protein Skimmer, for now, should i raise the o ring to the upper of the collection cup or lower it? coz when i lower the cup(raise o ring in the cup),it produce lots of bubble n make my cup full so easily w/ buble turn to water. so i raise my cup then it seems to work properly, is it rite to do so?

Thanks, William ...

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:39:17 GMT

Hi William,

Welcome to the Marine Depot Forums

M1CH43L (7/13/2008)

Thanks 4 ur warm welcome,Anthony

My name is william,i'm a newbie in this world altough i've it 6years ago altough didn't work out like i want it to be(i mean it's failed).n lz excuse for my bad english coz i'm an asian n still learning english. So, i just bought salt water fish tank(60 Gal) n planning to have a reef tank(fish n coral,am i say it rite?). so right now i already have liverocks in my cycled tank for 1 week already w:

1. Penguin 350 Power Filter 1 unit,

2. Koralia 3 power head 2 units,

3. Stealh heater,

4. Deep six hydrometer,

5. Floating thermometer,

6. Colarlife 50/50(natural daylight 6000K,actinic 03 blue) fluorescent 30 watt,36 inch,

7. Colarlife Super Luft Pump SL-65,

8. Air conditoner,

9. Ph tester,

that's what i got now,so i'm thinking to got couple more equipments,n i'm open to suggestions which my friend already to give me couple more links to what i need n i can got it from marinedepot,but still i'm looking forward for help....

n what's the meaning of sump? hehehehe

n when is my best time to add cleaner crew?

last but not least,thanks to u all n concerns....

The lighting you have isn't suitable for (bright enough) for a reef tank. You would need to upgrade your lighting to something that is much more powerful. What are the dimensions of your tank?

Take a look at this article about items needed for a reef tank, it should help some.

A sump is basically a tank (vat that hold water) beneath your main tank. Water gravity feeds via an overflow box from the main tank down to the sump where it can be filtered (using a protein skimmer for example), heated (with a heater) or chilled with a chiller and then pumped back up to the main tank.

Clean up crews generally are best added once your liverock has fully cured and your tank has cycled and you start to see some algae growth. Every tank is a little different, so it may be a matter of 2-3 months or 6-8 months before you add them.

HTH

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

M1CH43L — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 02:34:52 GMT

Thanks 4 ur warm welcome,Anthony

1. Penguin 350 Power Filter 1 unit,

2. Koralia 3 power head 2 units,

3. Stealh heater,

4. Deep six hydrometer,

5. Floating thermometer,

6. Colarlife 50/50(natural daylight 6000K,actinic 03 blue) fluorescent 30 watt,36 inch,

7. Colarlife Super Luft Pump SL-65,

8. Air conditoner,

9. Ph tester,

n what's the meaning of sump? hehehehe

n when is my best time to add cleaner crew?

last but not least,thanks to u all n concerns....

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:51:57 GMT

vic30 (6/16/2008)

It has a skimmer and outtake hose. Is the skimmer suppose to have a "U" shape piece that carries the water from the skimmer box that stays inside to the box on the outside and the hose from this box goes down to the filtration system. The guy that I brought this from said that if the power goes out, the skimmer will start leaking. Is this true? Please help me!!!

Does it have an actual skimmer, or just an overflow box with a skimmer box inside the tank?

Yes the U tube will bring water from the tank to the back overflow box where it will flow down to the wet/dry tank.

Most overflow boxes should stop flowing once the water reaches a certain level when the power goes out. As long as you don't overfill the wet/dry filter it should not overflow. I would suggest simulating a power outage so you can change anything that might need to be fixed if there is a problem.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

vic30 — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:22:00 GMT

I brought this used. This aquarium is going to be fish only saltwater aquarium, in which it already has three different kinds of damselfishes. I have learn that the filtration system is wet/dry and it has the blue balls inside of it. It has a skimmer and outtake hose. Is the skimmer suppose to have a "U" shape piece that carries the water from the skimmer box that stays inside to the box on the outside and the hose from this box goes down to the filtration system. The guy that I brought this from said that if the power goes out, the skimmer will start leaking. Is this true? Please help me!!!

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:44:40 GMT

Hi Vic,

Welcome to the Marine Depot Forums.

I can't tell from the picture itself what it may include. Once you get the tank home, take some pictures and post them on here and we can try to help you out.

Are you going to set it up as a reef tank or a fish only saltwater tank?

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

vic30 — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:43:33 GMT

I have just brought my first saltwater aquarium. It is a 75 gallon made by perfecto mfg with stand and matching hood. Here is a picture that I find

No, this is not the same one. It is a picture of the one that looks like the one I have. Does anyone know what kind of fitration comes with this kit? I brought this off one of my friends for a cheap price. I have been researching about this product and the fitration system that comes with this, but no luck.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:24:16 GMT

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the Marine Depot Forums.

Is the noise coming from the bulkheads in the overflow? If you are getting a siphoning/slurping/gurgling noise then yes adding more bulkheads might help out some. You could also do a google search for stockman standpipes or durso standpipes and these modifications are suppose to help quite down the overflow noises.

I also found using an elbow fitting in the bulkhead in the overflow that drains to the sump can help out quite a bit also. The elbow allows the water to slide down the tubing while letting the air escape the tube. The trapped air is usually what causes the excessive noise.

HTH,

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

mwilbur1084 — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:33:13 GMT

New Reef Tank Set Up

I am setting up a 125 reef show tank with a 125 gal sump in the basement and am having some trouble with the return noise. As you can see from the photo I cut a 1/4 slot across the entire back off the plastic frame on the show tank and glued an overflow box on the back of the tank that has two 1" drains straight down to the sump 10 feet below in the basement I have plumbed two returns to pump the water back up to the tank. The problem is that when I crank up both of the Iwaki MD40RLXT Pumps the syphon noise is very very loud. I can slow the return water flow with ball valves adding head pressure on the pumps and stop the noise but at a severely limited water flow. I am guessing maybe half of the 1200 gph I was targeting. I am considering adding two more 1" drains to reduce the drain noise but am not sure if this will help.

Any suggestions would be very welcome

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:36:05 GMT

It sounds like diatoms, fairly normal for a new tank. Here is a good thread that talks about a tanks maturation (http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic23945-9-1.aspx). I think that will help out some also.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

PPowless — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:03:07 GMT

Well it definately has more of a browny/goldy colour than red, if that helps?

Also, my fish are trying to eat it, lol.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 21:00:02 GMT

Hi Paige,

Welcome to the Marine Depot Forums.

I have linked a couple of articles about equipment needed and starting up a tank below for you. I think they can help out quite a bit.

http://kb.marinedepot.com/article.aspx?id=10251 (fish only tank, no corals)

http://kb.marinedepot.com/article.aspx?id=10252 (reef tank)

http://kb.marinedepot.com/article.aspx?id=10253 (fish only tank)

http://kb.marinedepot.com/article.aspx?id=10420

The orange algae I am guess is a cyanobacteria or diatoms. Cyanobacteria usually has more of a red appearance, diatoms usually more of a golden or brown color. Depending on which one is showing up we can help you figure out what to do for them.

Here is an article on quarantine methods that might also help out some (http://kb.marinedepot.com/article.aspx?id=10162&cNode=4O3V2M).

HTH

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

PPowless — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:30:40 GMT

P.S. - I'm reading a lot about QT'ing your fish, could someone please explain the proper procedures?

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

PPowless — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:26:35 GMT

Hello there. I'm normally very good with computers, but this site is confusing me like crazy! So I'm sorry if I'm posting this in the wrong place. I've recently (as in 2 weeks ago) started up a salt water aquarium. It's small, but everything seemed to be going quite well until a day or two ago. I've got 2 damsels and 1 red legged crab. I've also got some dead coral rock that I bought from my local fish store. I know that tanks are very unstable for their first few weeks, but I was wondering if anyone could tell me about this mysterious new orange algae that has popped up all over my rocks and crushed coral at the bottom.
Thanks a lot!

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

@ntony !eonardo — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:07:07 GMT

Than you Tom. In this forum, I learn and practice my English skill. I think its better if I talk with natives hehehhe.....
I have "some tanks"

1. FOWLR (in progress, no fish. I plan to have some triggers and lionfish heheh...)
2. Mushroom and LPS
3. Arowana (freshwater)
4. Betta (my bro)
5. Freshwater lobster (my Bro)
6. "Mas Koki" I dont know the English name...hehehe.....
The family of koi, but the body is so fat, small, and he has "hat" on his head

"Some tanks" yeah........

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

Noctiluca — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:58:28 GMT

Welcome to MD forum Antony. I'm sure you will find it not only informative but fun and interesting. If you can give us some more info about your involvement in the hobby. Do you have a tank now? Salt or fresh? If you are just setting up a new tank this forum can be a great source of info and resources. Hope you enjoy the forum and again welcome.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

@ntony !eonardo — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:24:25 GMT

Hi...Im a new member. My name Antony LEOnardo, from Indonesia. Nice to meet you all.....
Hopefully, we can share together.

Sincerely,

edited 10/26 argi

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 05:29:43 GMT

jc vickers (10/9/2007)

great to be here

i finally feel a little bit more comfortable about getting answers and suggestions on random concerns and other minor to major problems.

I read books and articals and still i cant figure out how my RITTERI ANEMONE turned into a quiee mess in one night after havin it for two weeks prier. Water temp , lighting , and chemastrey seemed on point. My false clowns are now lost. So my real question is will my clown false be affective with no coverage and does this just randomly happen or is this quite common.

thanks for your time

THE NEW GUY! JC VICKERS

8 MONTHS AND RUNNIN

Hi JC Vickers,

Welcome to the Marine Depot Forums.

I think you will find this to be a very friendly forum, so do not hesitate to ask any question no matter what level you think the question may be.

Now on to your questions. First about your anemone. Unfortunately Ritteri anemones are not the hardiest of anemones. In this article (http://kb.marinedepot.com/article.aspx?id=10444&cNode=4O3V2M) it is listed under "More difficult and to be attempted by experienced hobbyists" and on Anthony Calfo's Anemones and Clownfishes An Illustrated Guide he lists them as "The least appropriate anemone for causual use. Poor sustainability, poor survivability/shipping".

Your clownfish will be fine. Many clownfish have lived their entire lives without a host and have done fine. They will also host in other organisms that are not anemones. I have had clowns host in clams, hammer corals and brain corals. They will find a host if they really need one.

Can you tell us a little about your tank (size, lighting, equipment, water movement, etc..)?

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

jcv — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:04:08 GMT

great to be here

i finally feel a little bit more comfortable about getting answers and suggestions on random concerns and other minor to major problems.

thanks for your time

THE NEW GUY! JC VICKERS

8 MONTHS AND RUNNIN

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 17:26:39 GMT

Hi Blitz,

Welcome to the Marine Depot Forums. I got your PM today and replied. Let me know if you have any other questions and I will certainly try to help out.

Keith

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

Blitz — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 09:39:47 GMT

Hello

I am new to the Forms and would like to introduce myself

I am 40 Years Old, and Live in Connecticut USA.

I am Married, Have a 12 Year old Miniature Pincher, and a 55 Gallon Freshwater aquarium that many of the fish are over 4 years old in.

I have had aquariums since I was 10 years old, and have recently finished up my honey-do list and now I am going to put in a new Reef tank in my freshly refinished basement. I have been out of the saltwater area for many years now and I am amazed at how much it has changed especially in the areas of Lighting and suppliments.

I have purchased a new All-Glass 54 Gallon corner bowfront reef ready (with overflow) tank and stand.

I will be setting it up as a reef but, I am working out all the other details with regards to lighting and such, after I decide what types of corals as such I want to add to it.

I just want to mention I have been reading these forums for several weeks now, and really enjoy the knowledge that is shared, among the users and all the knowledge I have gained.

I am sure I will be asking your help in the up coming future.
Thanks

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:17:29 GMT

Hi OceanFire,

Welcome to the Marine Depot Forums.

YES...please research, research and research some more. Trial and error when dealing with live animals is never good.

Marine Depot has an educational section with lot of great articles that can help (http://www.marinedepot.com/md_educationcenter.html).

Ask questions on the forum here and also check out the sticky threads at the top of most of the experts forums for lots of great information also.

Again welcome to the forums and ask away with any questions you have.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

OceanFire — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:27:26 GMT

Greetings all, Hello, Hey, Hiya, Wassup,

Been in the freshwater aquarium hobby together with my husband for more than the past month now, and he is SOOOOoooo eager to start a saltwater aquarium! He wants it all: corals, colorful fish, bubbles, the works. I keep telling him, "SLOW down, and educate yourself first; we don't want to get all our information just as we go along and wing it like we did with our first four setups."

He says, "How hard can it be? Get some saltwater, live rock, and a filter, and throw in a fish. If it lives, then great, if it croaks, then it's our mistake, so we figure out what we did wrong and do better next time."

HELP

Links! Books! ANYTHING good that you guys can reccomend for me to get him to SIT DOWN and LEARN would help! PLEASE!

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

jordan2 — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 22:31:14 GMT

There is live rock in the tank, a trigger fish which would be difficult to catch, and the cowfish would need his own tank if moved out. I learned this to my cost. My first fish shopping purchases consisted of the cowfish and 4 other fish which were found dead in the QT next morning. Apparently the cowfish had released his toxin. The big tank would seem to have enough water to dilute the toxin if he becomes frightened. He's a great personality fish, though!

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 05:03:01 GMT

stevejnr (4/11/2007)

Hi, I just thought I would introduce myself as I'm new to the site. My name is Steve and I'm from the UK. I have just set up a 25G Nano and sump and my Live Rock has been in around a week. I hope you guys can help me identify whats growing on my rocks from time to time and look forward to speaking to you in the future.

Cheers,

Steve

Hi Steve,

Welcome to the Marine Depot Forums. Ask away and we will see what we can do for you.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

stevejnr — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 10:52:13 GMT

Cheers,

Steve

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 03:28:43 GMT

Hi Bart,

Starting with the filters, if you want to upgrade the filters down the line then I would get two of the 50's for the tank. The 50's are rated for tanks up to 50 gallons but IMO I feel they are best for tanks around 30 gallons. You can probably just use a single one, but it certainly doesn't hurt to over filter the tank. Also these filters have flow controls on them so you can slow down the flow if it is too fast for the tank. I think these are one of the best hang on the back (HOB) filters available. I just put one on my in-laws 29 gallon tank (replacing a 12 year old Whisper filter).

For the fish, remember that if a fish can fit another one in its mouth it usually will. Although the Bala sharks are available in a smaller size, they will grow (12-14" if I remember correctly). A neon tetra will be no match for them. It might work at a smaller size, but just be careful as they get bigger. Also both of these fish are not hardy (not a good starter fish) and shouldn't be added until the tank is at least 2-4 months old. There are many other types of tetra's that will do well for you though such as Black phantom tetras (one of my fav's), serpae tetras (although can sometimes become a little aggressive as they get larger, best kept in schools of 4-8) and glolite tetras. Other good starters are Harlequin Rasboras (another one of my fav's) and danio's like zebra's or leopard's.

The dwarf african frogs are quite neat, but you need to make sure food is getting to the bottom for them. They will sometimes eat flake foods, but will also need meaty type foods like frozen blood worms. Also remember these guys will also eat anything that will fit in their mouth, so small fish may become a meal for them. There are a few different types of shrimp available but unfortunately I am not real familiar with them.

As far as heaters go I have used many different brands and currently use the Hydor Theo heaters (http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_heaters_hydor_theo.asp?CartId=) and have found them to be very reliable. Hagen, Marineland and Jager also make very good heaters.

Let me know if any of this doesn't make any sense or if you have any further questions and I will try to help out.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

Tenplaya — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 22:06:55 GMT

Sorry for the terrible spelling in my last message, I am going to be Buying a 55 to 75 gallon tank later on in a year or two so im wondering if i should just by two hagen 70 filters or two Hagen 50 filters for the tank. I was told those are the best filters by some friends butif you have a better suggestion that would be good. I dont want to much movement in the tank so tha the fish can't swim around normally without struggling which im worried that two filters on the back may create.

Bart

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

Tenplaya — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 18:47:07 GMT

I am going to be having a little bit of this and a little bit of that...i thouht maybe some bala sharks, maybe neon tetras, or maybe some shrimp or frogs down at the bottom but im not sure on this yet. I also am wondering who makes the best heaters for tanks...i dont want to wake up one morning to see my entire tanked shocked by the heater. Also, is it ok to have two hagen filters on the back...i dont want it to be to rough for them and on that line should i get 50 or a 70 filter...i am going to be upgrading to a 55 or 65 gallon tank later on hopefully so i dont want to have to bye two new filters if i dont jave to.

Thanks,
Bart

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

argi — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 11:32:29 GMT

For plants, you can put them in right away. The tank does not have to cycle for the plants to be in there. As far as the fish go, it will depend on what type you are planning on getting. Are you looking at getting a little of this and a little of that or trying to focus in on one type of fish (like tetra or livebearers)? There are many types of hardy fish that would go well with starting out the tank. For your size tank, I would recommend starting with 4-8 small fish. Let the tank go for at least 4 weeks with just these guys. If after 4 weeks there is no detectable amount of ammonia or nitrite, you can slowly start adding more fish maybe 4-8 small fish every 2-4 weeks. Go slow and be patient with the tank and things will go much easier for you. Find a local fish store that you trust and let them know you need some good hardy starter fish for your tank and they should be able to show you some good ones.

You can also look at some of the biological boosters (such as Hagen's Cycle) to help seed the tank with beneficial bacteria.

Live plants will require more intense lighting, so you will want to take this into account when purchasing a light fixture for your tank.

RE: New to the Hobby... Welcome!

Tenplaya — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:38:46 GMT

Thank you for the warm welcome everyone,

I was thinking of doing a freshwater tank for my first tank because this tank is going to be in my house at college so I dont have much money to spend on protein skimmers and that sort of stuff. I am also looking to grow some live plants in this tank along with the fish. I also am wondering the easiest way to cycle the tank in terms of which fish are best for cycling or when to plants in.

Thanks