Duffbear Duffbear
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  • Posted on: 30/11/2017 18:40
Making a return to fishkeeping. #1
Hi All,

After a 10 year hiatus I am starting to keep tropical fish again.

On my first attempt I cycled the tank using pure ammonia and an API Freshwater Test Kit. This took approximately a month to complete.

The new products etc that exist now are making me consider a new method which is as follows, please critique with some constructive advice and I look forward to being part of the community once more

Day 1

Set up tank (Fluval 125ltr Roma)

Fill with dechlorinated water and aquascape.

Allow to run and filter out dust etc from initial set up changing the white filter pads every day or two.

Day 7

Check water parameters using API Freshwater Test Kit (Could someone please remind me of the acceptable parameters please?)

Add Colony tank cycle solution along with some fish.

Thereafter 25% water changes weekly and filter changes bi-monthly

This is based on advice from the LFS and also some reputable YouTuber's.

Again I am new to this again so if I am making any glaring errors then I appreciate the feedback.

Thanks
Fishlady Fishlady
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  • Posted on: 30/11/2017 19:14
Re: Making a return to fishkeeping. #2
Most of us still do a full fishless cycle as the claims made about biological additives have not been fully proven. They may have a place in cases where someone added fish whilst unaware of the need to cycle, but it is still considered safer for fish for the tank to be fishless cycled before they arrive. A guide to fishless cycling is available here: http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles ... hless-cycling-article.htm
Testing the water before any fish are in the tank is a pointless exercise as with no ammonia source present, all you have is a tank full of tap water.

Acceptable parameters once fish are in the tank are: ammonia = 0, nitrite = 0, nitrate = no more than 20 ppm above the level in your supply. Hardness and pH need to be suited to the fish you want to keep, so in reality, it's best to choose fish that suit the water you have in your taps. You'll need to test the pH of a sample of water that's been left to stand for a day or two and will need a gH and kH test kit in addition to the master test kit to test hardness. This site is very good for finding out which fish species' are going to thrive in your water: http://seriouslyfish.com/knowledge-base/
Duffbear Duffbear
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  • Posted on: 30/11/2017 21:10
Re: Making a return to fishkeeping. #3
Thanks for the reply. Very informative.

I think I'll do more research into the fishless cycle in that case as the last thing I want is to expose the fish to harmful chemicals.

Also I am thinking of using sand rather than gravel. Is it still recommended to use children's play sand as it has been thoroughly washed already and much cheaper than store bought tank sand?

Thanks again
Fishlady Fishlady
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  • Posted on: 30/11/2017 21:20
Re: Making a return to fishkeeping. #4
Play sand is a good choice and inexpensive, but does still need a lot of washing to prevent it clouding the water. Another option is pool filter sand which has a coarser grain and is ready to use with no washing needed.
Duffbear Duffbear
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  • Posted on: 1/12/2017 11:32
Re: Making a return to fishkeeping. #5
Thanks again, where can I source pool filter sand?
Fishlady Fishlady
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  • Posted on: 1/12/2017 13:55
Re: Making a return to fishkeeping. #6
If you have a hot tub or pool supplier nearby you should be able to get it there. Failing that, I always buy mine here:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Swimming-Po ... b99663:g:IrUAAOSw1BlZVQ-y
Duffbear Duffbear
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  • Posted on: 1/12/2017 16:03
Re: Making a return to fishkeeping. #7
Thank you, now I just need to figure out how many kg I need for my tank
Fishlady Fishlady
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  • Posted on: 1/12/2017 21:58
Duffbear Duffbear
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  • Posted on: 5/12/2017 17:34
Re: Making a return to fishkeeping. #9
Thanks for that although it looks very complicated

My dimensions are 50x80x35 if I calculated correctly it has 44kg of sand which seems excessive?
Fishlady Fishlady
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  • Posted on: 5/12/2017 17:51
Re: Making a return to fishkeeping. #10
The calculator defaults to inches which is why it came out so high....use the drop down to change to cms