Water In The Tank... Now What?

Ok, so this is my first tank. It's a 55 gallon. I got some pea gravel from Lowes, washed it super good and added it a few inches deep then filled up the tank from the garden hose.

I ordered a new filter (tetra whisper), 300w heater, air pump and 48" bubble wall for looks, a huge fake stump and a bunch of plants. All that should be in tomorrow.

I also have quickstart. I know I need a test kit but should I get the API tap water conditioner or API stress coat to treat the tap water?

So, I guess the first step is to use the conditioner? Once that's done, I should use a test kit to make sure nothing is looking crazy? Then I can add the quickstart, give it a day or two, test the water than add a couple fish?

I've researched and researched and watched a billion videos but every single one has a different method or opinion which adds to my frustrations of not getting clear answers. It makes this process seem extremely difficult if not impossible!

 

Yes, definitely condition the water. As for quickstart, I don't know how efficient it is for the nitrogen cycle.
But are you intending to do a fishless cycle or fish-in cycle?

 

I'd skip the bottled bacteria, and I like Prime as a water conditioner. If you're patient enough to give it around 4-5 weeks, I'd suggest this fishless cycle. I recently did my 55 gallon this way, and the tank is super healthy.

 

I had no ideas what I was doing with my tank when I first started. I used API QuickStart and cycled with 5 Zebra Danios. My tank was fully cycled in about 4 weeks.

 

I'd like to do a cycle with fish. Can anyone give me a suggestion on a test kit? I found the strips and then there's a big box with different droppers and stuff. Not sure which type I should get. Should I test the water before and or after adding the quick start?

I had no ideas what I was doing with my tank when I first started. I used API QuickStart and cycled with 5 Zebra Danios. My tank was fully cycled in about 4 weeks.

How long after adding the quick start did you add the fish?

 

Now what you should do while your Aquarium is cycling is research what sort of Fish you want in there. Once you know what fish you want then you can research compatibility, needs, temperament, community tank, species tank, ect.. Once you do and after your Aquarium is cycled you can add them in 3-5 (Except for schooling fish, at them first and all the school) at a time (I know you want them all, we all do. DO NOT impulse buy its a massive mistake). I wouldn't do a fish-cycle as it is very cruel and your sentencing said fish to a nearly certain demise, I assume it would be like living in a vat of poison which you can't get out of. 4-5 weeks may seem like a long time, but if you research at least one fish a day it will be worth it as you will know what they need and can easily keep them alive for their entire natural life (The goal is always to if they die, they die of old age and have a nice and comfortable life. At least for me). You having your first Aquarium as a 55 Gallon is perfect, as it gives you a larger safety net than say a 5 Gallon. I'd recommend very hardy and interesting fish for your first Aquarium (Unless you live with someone or have someone you can easily call if you need immediate help who can do everything you don't know how to do). I would also stay with very peaceful fish such as Livebearers such as guppies, swordtails, platies, mollies, small schooling fish such as Tetras, and hardy scaleless fish such as Loaches. If you have any questions don't be afraid to ask, too much is too little. Good luck!

 

I'd like to do a cycle with fish. Can anyone give me a suggestion on a test kit? I found the strips and then there's a big box with different droppers and stuff. Not sure which type I should get. Should I test the water before and or after adding the quick start?



How long after adding the quick start did you add the fish?

The to-go test kit that I'm sure a majority of people use here is the API Freshwater Test Kit. The strips are very inaccurate. The kit with the droppers will give you more accurate results which is important. Especially when you're cycling with fish because it can lead to casualties if the parameters are not monitored close enough.
I was trying to save money so I got the strips but I ended up wasting more money. Just get the kit and it will last you a while anyway.

 

Now what you should do while your Aquarium is cycling is research what sort of Fish you want in there. Once you know what fish you want then you can research compatibility, needs, temperament, community tank, species tank, ect.. Once you do and after your Aquarium is cycled you can add them in 3-5 (Except for schooling fish, at them first and all the school) at a time (I know you want them all, we all do. k!

So, if I do a fishless cycle (or fish cycle for that matter) how do I know when the tank is cycled? When the ammonia and nitrite are at zero on the test kit? If I added the quick start with no fish, would that have no effect on those levels?

 

So, if I do a fishless cycle (or fish cycle for that matter) how do I know when the tank is cycled? When the ammonia and nitrite are at zero on the test kit? If I added the quick start with no fish, would that have no effect on those levels?

There are some visual effects such as the water being very cloudy, this is a sign it is cycling. Put some fish food flakes in there to start it up and continue testing the water once a week or so, you'll see a ammonia spike then a nitrite spike then a nitrate spike, when the nitrate and everything is down and at a steady level then it is cycled. Adding the Quick start would increase the process by adding in a lot of the beneficial bacteria, but it won't be instant (Wait maybe 3-4 days as it will increase your cycle by a ton). When your Filter arrives make sure you put it in as soon as possible because that is where most of your beneficial bacteria will grow. If the filter isn't cycled the Aquarium isn't cycled. Same with the sand bed (Or gravel), I'd add the quick start when you get it in there, it will be lots faster.

 

Thanks for the info. How much fish food should I put in? Any type will work?

 

The Quick Start doesn't need fish in there and I've never done a cycle with fish nor will I ever so I'm not the best for info on that matter. Honestly I dislike cycling a Aquarium with Fish because from my point of view it is very cruel and inhumane as it will more than likely give the fish a shortened life span, stress the fish out to the point of him/her dying, and even if your fish does survive what will the consequences be? Now those all may be entirely wrong but I'm quite sure I am right with a few of that there, if you overfeed (I know we all want our fish to eat but they only need say 2-3 flakes of food per fish, they can survive for weeks without food and in the wild most fish go more with less). I say Flakes because what else are you going to feed him? I feed mine a base of the Flakes then every couple or so days I feed them Frozen Brine Shrimp or Frozen Blood Worms (Most of which are going to my Peacock Eel) you should give them a balanced diet, think of them as tiny people or small, 1-2 inch dogs or cats living in a glass box who get a better life than out in nature. That is what I do as most of my fish have a ton of personality (mainly my swordtails, who will sometimes follow my finger as I'm guiding them to where I'm going to be dropping food and my Female Swordtail and both my Australian Rainbows mimic my KuhlI Loach as he's crazily swimming up and down the side of the glass).

Thanks for the info. How much fish food should I put in? Any type will work?

Any type of food will work, most on the bottle will say that for cycling a Aquarium you should add a few flakes. You don't need very many just enough so that when it decomposes it produces Ammonia which break down and the Nitrite will eat, and the Nitrate will eat the byproduct of Nitrite eating the Ammonia. I usually do just a pinch as you don't need much more than that.

 

I had an instant cycle when I used Tetra Safe Start. I filled my tank, got the water the right temp, dumped in a bottle of tetra safe start (tss) and put a dwarf gourami in there. Never saw any ammonia or nitrite. I saw nitrates in 2 hours. My fish are entirely fine. You do not have to put fish in when you put in the TSS, but you do have to have a source of ammonia. Either bottled ammonia or fish food.

I would get the API master freshwater test kit. Do not get test strips, they are highly inaccurate.

YOu know the tank is cycled when there is no ammonia and no nitrites and you have nitrates.

Get the test kit with tubes. It will say API freshwater master test kit. It will have 4 clear glass tubes and then 7 white bottles with different colored labels on them. Get that one.

I would suggest going to go ahead and testing the water out of your tap. That way you know your Ph, if you have ammonia or nitrates out of the tap. That can affect what fish you get.

 

I had an instant cycle when I used Tetra Safe Start. I filled my tank, got the water the right temp, dumped in a bottle of tetra safe start (tss) and put a dwarf gourami in there. Never saw any ammonia or nitrite. I saw nitrates in 2 hours. My fish are entirely fine. You do not have to put fish in when you put in the TSS, but you do have to have a source of ammonia. Either bottled ammonia or fish food.

I would get the API master freshwater test kit. Do not get test strips, they are highly inaccurate.

YOu know the tank is cycled when there is no ammonia and no nitrites and you have nitrates.

Thank you, better explanation than mine. His is more than likely going to be different as you have a 5 Gallon and he has a 55 Gallon Aquarium, so I would definitely wait a few days even after putting the Quick Start in.

Do you have the substrate in and Ornaments prewashed and in? That would have been your first step even before putting the water in.

 

So, if I do a fishless cycle (or fish cycle for that matter) how do I know when the tank is cycled? When the ammonia and nitrite are at zero on the test kit? If I added the quick start with no fish, would that have no effect on those levels?

Nitrogen cycle is simple...Fish produce waste which is known as ammonia. Nature takes over and develops a benefical bacteria (BB) to convert ammonia to nitrite. BB need surface area, oxygen, and ammonia (food source) to thrive. Hence, they develop in your filter where water is flowing over your media. Once nitrite is available, nature takes over again and develops a 2nd type of BB to convert nitrite to nitrate. That is the nitrogen cycle.

Nitrate does NOT go away on its own, so you must perform routine water changes to remove it. Ammonia and Nitrite are highly toxic to fish, while Nitrate is only toxic at higher concentrations. This is why it must be removed as it builds up.

You asked what would happen if you added quick start without fish....well nothing, because the bacteria in quick start bottle will need a food source (ammonia) to grow and thrive. This where people debate using fish or doing a fishless cycle by using pure ammonia. Simply put the choice is yours. Cycling a new tank from scratch can take anywhere from 3-6 weeks to complete. How patient are you? You just spent a decent amount of money and now you may stare at an empty tank for 6 weeks. Can you last that long?

I have done both forms of cycling. I prefer to use Seachem Prime as my dechlorinater and Seachem Stability as my "bacteria in a bottle." The choice is yours. If you can be patient and are new, I suggest fishLESS so that while the tank cycles, you can really be researching this hobby and wrapping your head around the chemistry and the types of fish you actually want to keep.

 

Thanks for the replies. I sold my tank and filter and bought a brand new one since it was on sale. Its a 60 gal with LED.
I'm starting to get some of my stuff in, got the filter today and water conditioner. For the filter, it's a Tetra HOB, so I'm guessing I just leave the little rubber connector part off of the top on the side where the filter will be? That will leave about a 1.5" or so gap if I don't connect that rubber/plastic piece.

 

Thanks for the replies. I sold my tank and filter and bought a brand new one since it was on sale. Its a 60 gal with LED.
I'm starting to get some of my stuff in, got the filter today and water conditioner. For the filter, it's a Tetra HOB, so I'm guessing I just leave the little rubber connector part off of the top on the side where the filter will be? That will leave about a 1.5" or so gap if I don't connect that rubber/plastic piece.

what size tetra HOB?

 

60. I know over filtration is best but this was $22 on Amazon so I got it for now. I'll probably buy a canister filter soon too.

 

I did not read every answer, but I have always done fish-in cycles and never lost a fish. The bacteria colonize on the media, not in the water, so during this cycling period I would do a 50% water change every other day until the water stopped becoming cloudy. Then I would keep an eye on parameters until it was cycled.

Of course I will probably get some feedback for this, but like I said I have never lost a fish doing this method.

It would be a great idea to start up the heater and filter and allow them to run for a few days before doing anything. Just to get the water proper temp and let the water turn many times over. I have used bottled bacteria, like stress zyme, but not sure of the effectiveness.

I use a canister filter on my 55 gallon, but before I purchased one I was using HOB filters. I think I prefer the canister.

 

I got the filter setup and added some fish flakes and the bacteria. As for the water conditioner, was I supposed to put the amount for chlorine and heavy metals or the amount for chloramines?

Also, I think I'll have to return this heater. It's a 300 watt but the light which shows its heating would only stay on for maybe 5 min at a time every 20 min or so last night and this morning it's not on at all. Not sure if it's cause I placed it in the corner and its heating that area and shutting off cause there's not enough water flow or if it's defective but the water is def not 80 degrees.

 

Put the heater near the output flow from your filter.

 

Also, I think I'll have to return this heater. It's a 300 watt but the light which shows its heating would only stay on for maybe 5 min at a time every 20 min or so last night and this morning it's not on at all. Not sure if it's cause I placed it in the corner and its heating that area and shutting off cause there's not enough water flow or if it's defective but the water is def not 80 degrees.

No, that isn't a problem. When I was setting my Aquarium up for the first time I thought that as well but it only heats the water when it drops down to a certain temperature. Plug it in and if the light goes on its working.

 

I'd like to do a cycle with fish. Can anyone give me a suggestion on a test kit? I found the strips and then there's a big box with different droppers and stuff. Not sure which type I should get. Should I test the water before and or after adding the quick start?



How long after adding the quick start did you add the fish?

It took about 5 weeks.