sfrance

Hello All -
My name is Sarah, and I am a total NEWB. (This is your cue to go "Hi, Sarah!", BTW! :P)

Anyway, yesterday I got my first fish tank, a lovely 16-gallon bow front glass aquarium. I spent a few hours trying to get everything set up and functioning, got the filter working, the heater, light, put in conditioners for the water, etc. I do not currently have any fish in the tank, mostly because I want to make sure I have everything established properly for them to thrive, but would like to have a few healthy community fish in the near future.

So, here's where I'm standing according to the test kit I am using (which is the Quick Dip 6-in-1 test strips by Jungle Lab Company):

nitrate: 0 PPM
nitrite: 0 ppm
Total Hardness (GH): 300 ppm (Very hard)
chlorine: 0 ppm
Total alkalinity (KH): 300 ppm
pH: Between 7.4 - 8.4 (Alkaline)

I am hopelessly lost in several ways:
A) Understanding exactly what this means for being able to put fish in the tank and when.
B) How to deal with the hard water issue and pH levels.
C) How to discuss any of this with some intelligence after reading a large chunk of the forum posts and information on other websites for the past week. I feel completely out of my league!
D) What I need to do from here.

A little more about my tank setup:
I used tap water to fill the tank, leaving the recommended 1" of space at the top according to the setup instructions for the aquarium. I have head about using part distilled or reverse-osmosis water, which I am willing to do if it is the right thing to make my future fish happy.

I treated the water using Wardley's 3-in-1 7.0 pH Water Conditioner and Top Fin Bacteria Supplement.

The water is clear, after going through a brief (white) cloudy period.

The temperature is a stable 76 degrees Fahrenheit.

I have a Aqueon Power Filter for a 20-gallon tank, included with the aquarium.

I used aquarium gravel for the bottom, with a small sculpture (I think it's resin?) and a few plastic plants for interest. I have also purchased a piece of Mopani Wood (an African hard wood?), which is not currently in the aquarium as the tag recommended that it was soaked for several days prior to being placed in the aquarium, which I am doing, as it is supposed to reduce pH levels (is this what I need to do anyway?).

So, I'm lost and in a world unknown to me (minus the goldfish my parents took care of when I was 7). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Basically, I have my heart set on getting a bristlenose pleco (I love them! So cool!), and want to make sure that I can make things right before I go running out to bring home some fish (I would also greatly appreciate advice on other friendly community fish to go with it!). I'm hoping to get really into having aquariums, since my eyes have been lighting up over the large (55-90 gallon) ones that my friends keep...and finally decided that I'd start with the largest tank I could accommodate for now, with dreams of larger setups dancing for later.

Thank you in advance for dealing with my (probably fairly stupid) questions!

Sarah.

Edit for a PS - I am also happy to and able to provide pictures of the tank setup if needed. Thanks again!

Shawnie

Hi sarah..welcome to fishlore!!

heres a great link for you to read READ FIRST: Freshwater Beginner Important Topics it has a ton of info that will help you

any questions you ask are always welcome and its how we all got started no question is stupid

MaddieLynn

Do you know about the nitrogen cycle? If not, read about it here:

http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

There's not alot you can do about your pH. driftwood can soften your water, but it will leak tannins too, which will make your water brown.

sfrance

Hi Shawnie -
Thanks for the welcome! I've read the posts (all of them) on the Read First topics for beginners, but I'm still bewildered, which is why I posted here. I think my very, very poor grasp of basic organic chemistry and biology that I obtained in high school is finally here to bite me!

I guess I'm reading, but the information as it relates to what I am supposed to do is not making sense...numbers just start swimming in my head and I kind of lose sight of how to continue. I just want to do right by the fish I get, and I'm hoping that I can learn how for my specific setup as much as possible.

Thanks again -
Sarah.

agabr123

hi sarah!

i'd look into getting an API freshwater master test kit, although it's more expensive initially, you'll get a LOT more tests out of it and it's much more accurate than the strips.

did they give you an ammonia tester? that's the really important one, honestly. and the pH tester that you gave, what's the closest reading you can get?

here are some links on the nitrogen cycle, your levels look fine now because there isn't a source of ammonia in your tank for the bacteria to develop, but these links will help explain that to you, if you have questions after you read this don't hesitate to ask
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm
http://www.fishlore.com/Articles/TheNitrogenCycle.htm

that's going to depend on your pH, if it's at 7.4 then that should be perfectly fine for almost any fish that you'd get (fine for a BN pleco ), but if it's 8.4 then you may want to look into lowering it with a piece of driftwood (releases tannins which naturally lower the pH). you don't want to use chemicals because in that case a stable pH is much easier on your fish than one that is chemically altered and inconsistent.

dont worry this info can all be pretty hard to digest at first, but eventually it will all come together for you

work on getting through your cycle by adding a bit of fish food every day, adding a piece of raw shrimp, or adding pure ammonia (can be found at ACE hardware, should only have ammonia and water, no surfactants, and if you shake it it shouldn't bubble or fizz)


no need for the distilled water as long as you have a good conditioner such as prime or stress coat +, tap water actually has minerals and such in it that are good for FW fish.

i'm not very familiar with these products, but i can tell you that you probably want to ditch the pH altering chemicals and the bacteria supplement, the pH for reasons above and the bacterial one because you'll have to add it every single day for the entire life of the tank. the bacteria included in that product is terrestrial and will drown, so you need to replenish it, and it will also compete with the natural bacteria in the tank so your tank won't ever cycle.

no worries there could have been a bacterial bloom at first which is why it was cloudy

you'll probably want to raise that to 78-80 if your heater is adjustable.

yep, the driftwood will help lower your pH. soaking it is good but if you don't want to do that for a week then you can either boil it for an hour or so or put it in the oven for a couple hours

here are some stocking ideas, but you can definitely fit a BN pleco in your tank, and some small schooling fish such as tetras, rasboras, etc (16 gallon isn't listed, but you can compare the 10 and 20 and then ask questions about whatever you need)
Work In Progress: Freshwater Community Stocking List

your questions aren't stupid! we were all beginners once

sfrance

Hi MaddieLynn -
I've read about the nitrogen cycle, and had it explained to me (even with visual aids!) by a kind soul at our local aquarium store, and I think I understand it (at least in theory). Unfortunately, my brain and this sort of information do not always work all that well together - I'm great at "textbook knowledge", but when it comes to the practical sense of actually "doing", I feel completely lost.

I'm unsure about if this process is completely established with the nitrate/nitrite levels being at 0 ppm (that is what the end result is supposed to be, right?). I have added the bacteria supplement that is supposed to "kick start" the nitrogen cycle... I guess what I really want to ask is if my test kit is adequate, or should I get one for ammonia as well?

Thanks,
Sarah.

agabr123

the end result is some level of nitrAte (5-20ppm), 0ppm ammonia and nitrite. basically, different kinds of bacteria will begin to grow and colonize in your tank, bacteria that first convert ammonia (from fish waste and leftover food) into nitrIte, then more bacteria grows to convert the nitrIte into nitrAte (which is far less toxic to fish than either ammonia or nitrIte). you keep the nitrAtes under control with weekly water changes

Lucy

Hi Sarah welcome to Fish Lore
Congrats on your first tank. How exciting! Shawnie gave you a good link to get started.
The best advice right now is to read up on the nitrogen cycle.
Be patient as it can take up to a month (some times longer) to properly cycle a tank and make it safe for fish.
Be wary of advice from fish stores.
Be wary of any product that claims to quick cycle a tank. They can really set you back. Not only money wise, but time wise. That includes the Wardleys you've used.
Tetra Safe Start is the only additive I've heard members have had any luck with.
Look into a liquid test kit. Much more accurate and less costly than the strips in the long run.

Don't hesitate to ask questions and remember, we all started out as newbies so ask away!
The members have a wide range of experience and are always happy to help.

Edit: Wow, everyone types so fast! lol

Shawnie

totally understandable...I can give a few specific suggestions

the test strips might be something to exchange if you can for a liquid master api test kit..the test strips give more false readings and are not reliable for the most part...

how are you cycling the tank?

fish can be added when you have a 0 ammonia and nitrite and under 20 nitrate reading...again i will stress the importance of the liquid master test kit for accuracy...most test strips dont even have an ammonia reading on them and im going to assume yours doesnt as it wasnt posted in your original thread...ammonia is important to the cycle process...

you dont need to worry about ph levels as most fish will adjust to a stable ph more than a higher or lower...proper acclimation is most important and will help them adjust to your paticular level...

I would crank up the heater to an 86 degrees because the warmer temps will cycle the tank faster...(and you are fishless)

anymore questions, are always welcomed as we have some great members with a ton of knowledge

Red1313

Hey Welcome everyone has some great info for you!
don't worry about you're pH. Mine sits around the same as you're (8.6 in some tanks even) and my KH and GH are so high it would take a bulldozer to move it. Unless you're looking into really fragile or exotic fish then I wouldn't worry about it.
Welcome to fishlore we're here to help.

Jonah

Hi Sarah nothing to add to the advice above

But Welcome

sfrance

That sounds good - I will pick one up tonight after I'm done with work.


The closest reading on the pH is 8.4 according to my vision (since I'm looking at it and comparing it to a color chart). I do not have an ammonia tester - does the kit you mentioned above include that one? Otherwise, I will pick one up separately.


I've been able to get this down in theory, but in practice I'm still feeling lost. It's kind of the difference between preparing for a chemistry test (all theory, no practice) and actually doing an experiment (which is practice based on theory) - I'm just starting to "get" that second part - guess it's good I have no fish to worry about yet!

This was really helpful - the test kit we had recommended adding chemicals, which is why we picked them up in the first place. I've got the driftwood, so I'll use that instead and see where things end up.

I just added some fish food - thanks! Should I be adding ammonia or anything else too, or will just the fish food work? How long should I expect this process to take?

We have a bottle of Stress Coat +...should I add this now, or shortly before we actually put fish in the tank?

Wow, I had no idea on any of this - thanks! I will discontinue using the "bottled bacteria" and try the fish food method of cycling you mentioned earlier instead.

Done.

Very helpful - thank you!

I will be looking into this - thanks for the link!

I'm incredibly grateful for all your help in getting me started - it is really appreciated. I will take your suggestions and get to work!

Thanks again (and again and again!) -
Sarah.

sfrance

Hi Lucy -
Thank you for the welcome and the information. I am curious though - since I've already added the Wardley's product, do I need to change out the water and start fresh, or is there a way to just go from where I am at? Or, conversely, would it be alright to add the Tetra Safe Start after a few days?

I'll be picking up a liquid test kit later after work tonight, and hopefully that should help me to get some better accuracy on where things are at.

Thanks again -
Sarah.

sfrance

Alright, I picked up an API Master Test Kit on my way home from work tonight...and just did all of the tests. Here's what I came up with (besides a lovely feeling that I was attempting to pass organic chemistry!):

Ammonia: 0.25 - 0.50 ppm (it was really hard for me to distinguish between the two shades of green I was looking at, it seemed to be right between them both)

Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 0 ppm
pH: 8.0

I've cranked up the heater and it's now sitting around 83 degrees Fahrenheit.

After much confusion and non-helpful chemical additives, I am now trying to cycle the tank using the fish food method. For the record, none of the "big box" pet store (PetSmart, PetCo) around me carry the Tetra Safe Start, I asked.

Is there anything more I need to be doing? If I've already tried several chemical additives to the water, do I need to cycle the water out or start over with fresh water, or can I go from where I'm at now and see where things end up?

All I wanted was to have a couple of fishy friends, I had no idea how hard this would be! I just hope I can get it all right so I can be good to my future fish...

Thanks again to everyone who has offered their advice and helpful links, explanations, and more...I really do appreciate it!

Sarah.

Lucy

Looks like the tank is just starting to cycle. Leave it do it's thing.

Hitman84

As a fellow newby I feel your pain on this. Had gone to almost 7 pet and aquarium shops in my area and no one had it. So finally ordered it online with two day delivery Went to a couple more today afterwork and came across a gorgeous half moon beta, had to have him. Went to one more local aquairum shop a friend mentioned and of course...they had the safestart.
As an irish italian the one thing I lack is patience, so even with an order placed online I bought the bottle so I could get my new buddy out of his little bowl cup. so, with an extra bottle on the way ( >.> for no reason now) my tank is up and the betta is getting himself acclimated and destressing after fun in a cup and the transfer.

agabr123

yep it includes ammonia as you've found out 8.4 is a bit high but adding the driftwood will help a lot.

just the fish food is fine, it will break down into ammonia which is what you need for the bacteria to establish. the cycle can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks, sometimes shorter sometimes longer. i wish i could give you a more definitive time frame, but it's really unpredictable.

add it to the new water every time you do a water change. you shouldn't do any water changes during the cycle since there are no fish in there, because you'll remove the ammonia needed for the bacteria to establish

you're welcome