MizRamzi

Ok I'm starting to panic here. It's looks as if I may be the winner of 8 red crystal shrimp, 4 trapdoor snails and 6 furcata rainbows. All of which I've never kept before!
I've set up a 10g, using water/gravel from an already well cycled tank. It's been running all day. I would have done it sooner but I wasn't sure I was gonna win the bid. Now I feel like a fool!! I know the tank is small and I could put them in my 26g, but then I'd have to take out the 2 clown loachs which are the first I've ever been able to keep and am now afraid if I move em they'll die.
Now you'd think that since I've been a keeper of fish for over 25yrs I wouldn't be panicking like I am, and that I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. I did know better but went and did it anyway . Now part of me is hoping someone out bids me.
Can anyone out here pleeeeeeeease put my worries to rest?

MissMTS

Congrats, that sounds like a great tank Furcata rainbows are small, so they should be fine in a 10 gallon. I used to keep them and they are beautiful fish If you add some filter media from your cycled tank, that will help the new tank cycle even faster. Don't panic....everything will be fine.

Shawnie

I agree with kate..relax and feed the tank with a pinch of fish food until your new kids arrive!!!

MizRamzi

antiperspirant seems to be kicking in, sweat on upper lip finally drying, hands no longer shaking I'm ok I'm ok. Now to go look an see if I won the prize.stay tuned for further update....

capekate

LOL... congrats... keep us posted on your auctions!

MizRamzi

WOOT WOOT!!! I won I won!!! 8 red crystal shrimp, 4 trapdoor snails and the best of all 6 Furcata Rainbows and Water Spirit.
All for 62.00 free shipping. Plus a suprise inside
I have taken my 600 whisper powerhead sponge filter from my 75g, put it into my 10g, squeezed the heck outta it, added filter floss to the filter and wah laaaaa! Quickest cycle I've ever done. I did the same thing to my 20 brackish and it worked great.
As soon as every thing's set up ya'll can count on pic's.

MissMTS

Congrats!!! I can't wait to see pics

Amanda

Can't wait to see pics!

agabr123

congrats!

SWilkins

Congrats. You will love the shrimp too...now you will get the invert bug too! I have cheated cycling like that more than once using about 50% water from another tank and filter floss from that tank. I keep extra in them just in case I have to do a "cheat cycle". Somebody will probably slap my hand for that but sometimes ya just gotta do it and sometimes I just don't see the point in cycling with all this perfectly good cycled water and floss right at my fingertips.

MizRamzi

I just came home from the LFS and I can't believe what they are now selling. Dang if I didn't forget the name of it but like the sand substrate you buy for salt that has everything in it needed, culture/bacteria ect.ect... They now have it for fresh water too. In both sand and gravel of all sizes. I was so excited yet kind of bumbed too. It only comes in 20lbs bags and I only needed 10lbs. I didn't get any because I'm not sure how the extra would keep after being opened. Cycling is getting easier peoples!!!
They also gave me a used 75w heater, free! So now I sit, waiting for my new shipment to come in. HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY!!!

SWilkins

You may already know this but just in case you don't. The shrimp show up better and have much darker colors if they are on a dark substrate. I learned the hard way and I am still sloooowwwly removing the light color from those tanks and replacing with black. Changing out substrate with these little buggars is hard with babies in there.

MizRamzi

I have a mix of gravel showing stones from bone to d brown. Looking at my other tanks that have white silica sand in them it looks dark. Hopefully dark enough. Right now my main concern is that the gravel is too big for plants. Which I have a few of those coming also. I usually us sand with plants. I may need to get a 10lb bag of smaller gravel to go under the larger. What ya think?

MissMTS

I use large gravel in my planted tank and all my plants have done great in it. Sand is not necessary for a planted tank

SWilkins

I use regular aquarium gravel in my planted tanks as well and they seem to do well. My cherry red shrimp are in a tank with what looks like the little pebbles you see in walkways you know the brown, tan, white..... I don't know how I am ever going to get all that gravel out and put in either dark brown or black. Now that is just my opinion but I really wish somebody had told me about their colors before I put this gravel in. Keep us posted on them. You will love them they are so much fun to watch.

MizRamzi

This info makes me feel better. Wasn't looking forward to changing the gravel. I will however need to add at least another inch or so. I was also looking at new hoods for the tank 10g and man they actually wanted 30+ bucks for a hood. I'm gonna have to break down and get one but jeeeez. The hood on it consists of 2 40w incandescent bulbs, with just little shields covering them and protecting them from the water. Makes me nervous...