Tropical Fish Forum
Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => New Fishkeepers => Topic started by: Diz1 on July 16, 2014, 09:21:43 AM
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Morning all!
Well, my new tank arrived yesterday and, after much cursing and swearing, the cabinet is now set up – built by my own fair hands (so chuffed with myself, I've never done this before).
I'm now about to put the gravel in and fill it with water, and I just wanted to check that I'm doing everything in the right order:
1. Setting up tank and heating dechlorinated water for 24 hours before adding mature filter medium and 8 silver tip tetras from friend's decommissioned tank (Sue's already said this is OK).
2. Setting heater temperature to 24 degrees (eventually plan to have cory cats, cardinal tetras and possibly a pearl gourami at some point) – hope that temperature will be Ok for all these fish?
3. After 24 hours, I will collect the fish, some plants and the filter medium from friend's tank and add to new aquarium (will float fish in tank in bags and add water gradually till they're acclimatised).
4. Frequent water testing for 4 weeks before adding anything else.
Have I forgotten anything?
Also, one more question (maybe a bit of a dumb one). I would like to put a couple of terracotta flower pots in as hiding spots, but wondered if the fish might get stuck in the holes at the bottom – should I knock out the whole base of the flower pot before putting into the tank? Will it be OK to run this under water to clean before adding.
Sorry this is a bit 'War and Peace' and thanks in advance.
Diz1 :)
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some fish will try to fit threw small holes most of the time things go well ( my snakeskin,s are like escape artists the size holes they seem to go threw ) the danger with knocking he bottom out completly is to make sure to avoid now sharp edges , maybe better to try to plug the hole up.it all depends on the size of the hole.
i tend to give all my decorations a good rinse and a soak in warm hot water and a little scrub.
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The set up plan sounds fine. I think Juwel heaters now have numbers on the dial don't they? Mine just had + and - so setting the temp was a bit tricky ;D
I have a terracotta plantpot cave in my betta's tank and they are notorious for getting stuck in holes. I siliconed a small circle of plastic craft mesh over the hole (on the inside so it doesn't show too much). I used mesh just to allow water flow, you can use anything you like. I've heard of buttons being used ;D
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Thanks Chris213 and Sue,
You're all very creative!
I'm not the best at this kind of thing, so will go and get the pots, then perhaps try the mesh thing, or something else to plug them with. In the meantime I have a plastic hollow log and some plastic plants that I can add to the real ones until I can afford to buy some more real ones. Once I've done my 'Blue Peter' thing with the flower pots, I'll add them as well.
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Don't forget to use aquarium safe silicone and let it cure for 48 hours before putting it in the tank. Or use cyanoacrylate superglue (read the tube ;D )
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Thanks Sue,
I've taken a note of that. One more question, if you don't mind.
My 55 litre was much easier to handle in terms of water, gravel etc. quantities. I'm now washing the gravel substrate. Does the 'washing' water have to be as clean as the tap water before you put the gravel in the tank? I can't get it to go completely clear. ???
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If the wash water is very cloudy, obviously the tank will be cloudy too. The white pad should collect some of this cloudiness but it will mean changing it often till the cloudiness has gone. Get a roll of filter wool and cut that to shape.
Or continue washing I'm afraid :-\
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OK, thanks! Back to the washing then :-\
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I found washing very tedious, but the more you wash it the less cloudy the water will be and it will clear quicker for your fish to move in! Mine took a few days to clear, so I wished I washed it a bit better but at that point I couldn't do more than sit and wait.
Exciting times! Looking forward to seeing some pictures! :P
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Thanks Pawel,
Now finished washing the gravel and filled the tank. It does look pretty clear, so I'm glad I carried on washing.
I'm really pleased with the look of it – it's a white one because it sits in my office and goes better with the decor – and it looks really nice. I'll have the 8 silver tips for a while before adding any more, but I'm having a great time looking at all the different species and deciding what I'll go for next. :D
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Hi everyone,
My new juwel rio 180 is now filled with water and heating up pretty nicely. I've just checked that the lights are working and wondered if I'd got the lid the right way round. The way I have it, the little handle for the folding flap is at the front of the aquarium and the lighting cable is threaded through the gap in the back of the tank on the opposite end to the filter/heater unit. This means that the light cable runs underneath the lid for a few inches before it exits the tank through the gap in the back. Is that right? Is the cable safe like this, or is there a danger that it'll get wet from condensation and cause problems?
Any advice appreciated, thanks ???
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It should be fine.... it's been designed with water and condensation in mind (you hope!).
And also..... you've been around long enough to know the rules.... piccies please! :isay:
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Phew! Thanks Colin.
Fish going in tomorrow. Will post piccies then but prepare yourself - it might be an anti-gravity tank (gravel on top), I'm very well known for being rubbish at this sort of thing! ;D
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Quick update – tank up and running and fish are in. Only slight hiccup was that I was persuaded to rehome 2 male platies as well. Bearing in mind what people have said about possible fighting, I'll keep an eye open and find a new home for one or both of them if I have any trouble. The tank they came from was 60cm, so hoping they're really going to enjoy living in a bigger tank.
Everyone seems fairly happy – no hiding fish at all.
Lights are off and no feed tonight. Will turn on lights tomorrow and try to post a couple of piccies.
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That's good news. With a big tank and lots of 'things' to break up lines of sight then the platies could well settle nicely.