Just got a great deal on a new tank

[Willystylee]

`Hi guys

I just bought a 55 gal from one of my buddies, and last night i cleaned everything and it's all good as new. I got a magnum hot, a dual power filter, the canopy and lights and the stand, for only 150 and everythings in great condition.

My question is, when the time comes to add the discus, how should i keep him while inbetween tanks? i'm gonna use the lava rocks etc for my new tank. Is there a specific way u guys would suggest that i contain him while hes not in a tank?

Anything else you guys would suggest?

[Hollowman]

bucket

[lpiasente]

Great find will. make sure you post some pics.

[Willystylee]

I will be sure to get some pics!

I just got done getting the tank ready, got a small layer of sand in, i filled up with water, set up my filters and heater. I added a cap full of conditioner, and am monitoring my temp. I'm gonna let it cycle till tommorrow night, then start the rest of the setup (putting rest of the deco which is mostly lava rocks and a few plastics.).

Any tips that could be of use would be appreciated!

Will

[Hollowman]

Are your filters mature?

[Willystylee]

Ummm mature... i'm not quite sure what you mean... they're in great condition, and i cleaned them both thoroughly before i put them in.

[Willystylee]

the filter isz about 6 monthes old if thats what you meant h

[Hollowman]

No, you cannot even think of buying fish or putting fish into an uncycled tank enviroment. You will kill the fish period.

When I say 'mature' filter, I mean is the filter media inside the filter an active biological colony? If not do not add fish, all the fish waste will build up as ammonia and kill them, a mature filter changes ammonia into nitrite and then converts to less toxic nitrates. Read about the Nitrogen Cycle.

DO NOT BUY OR ADD FISH before you have a cycled tank.

[Willystylee]

Ok h,

Yeah the filter cycled for about 27 hours, and the media is Aquatech 30 60 power filter and the other is a magnum H.O.T. canister filter. I did cycle.

My other question is, how can i decrease pH in my tank?

[lpiasente]

The filter needs to cycle for much longer than 27 hours or it will kill your fish. I am sure there is a thread here on cycling. You can buy ph down. It is a chemical that you add to your water before you put it in the tank.

[Willystylee]

Ok, will cycle for longer. thanks

[BigDaddyAdo]

http://www.fishforum.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=163

l\Let me know if the link doesnt work and i will email it to you.



Ado

[BigDaddyAdo]

Sorry guys. I meant to pm the link, not post it.

My bad. ;)



Ado

[Hollowman]

As I said, forget adding fish for at least 4-6 weeks. If Ado has pm'd you a link on cycling, read it very carefully.
I think, from your first post you already have fish, is this right?, you might have to some work to keep them healthy until the filters mature.
Read up on fishless cycles.

Why do you want to lower the ph?
Also, get yourself a good testing kit.

[Willystylee]

Hey h,
first off sorry to be such a trouble. I did add my pleco and cory along with the two dwarf gouramis. (not the ones that caused trouble) Still haven't added the discus yet and will continue the cycling. I think i figured out what you meant by mature... the 2 things of bio fiber in my filter still have some of the bacteria that came along with the last tank they were in...

Don't know if this helps...

I want to lower my pH because at the moment im pretty unsure of what level is... i had one of those pH alert in tank things, and it was saying my ph was about 5.8 (either that or the indicator was faulty about 3 weeks old) and the test strips i bought were saying its in the 7.5-8 range, so im a little worried i have an either to low or too high pH. Im just kinda trusting the strips more cuz they seem more accurate, but im still not sure. and i was wondering how to lower it because i already read on how to increase it (supposedly u can add a tsp of baking soda p/5 gallons, but idk, seemed kinda sketchy, (not saying im gonna try it). And so yeah now im just wondering how to increase it. I was planning to go buy a liquid test kit today because i read they're more accurate than the strips.

[Hollowman]

Liquid test kits are the wat to go, you must know the water parameters in order to keep healthy fish, whatever they are.
With ph, stability is far better than a constant fight to buffer it all the time, test it and post it up.

If you are using filter media that has come from another tank, that 'might' be mature, but again, a test will confirm this.
Your pleco might be ok now, but they are not always good tankmates as they can get a taste for discus slime, as well as fight them for food, so beware. Oh, they also poo more than any other fish I know.

[Hollowman]

Hey h,
first off sorry to be such a trouble..

It's not a trouble :wink:

[Willystylee]

ok thanks h,

i just went and got a liquid test kit and it said my pH was 7.5!! I also goot some of the api pH nuetral powder. hopefully this will solve the ph problem.

[Hollowman]

7.5 is fine, do not mess with it

[TW]

Hi Will

Great find with the tank. Have fun with it :D

If the media was completely dried out & hadn't been fed (by fish poo) for a while, then it will most likely have died off. Depends how much time passed since the filters were shut off for, as to whether they will help you.

This link explains the cycle & it's importance
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

This link explains how to do a fishless cycle
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishless_cycling.php

[TW]

Hi Will

Great find with the tank. Have fun with it :D

If the media was completely dried out & hadn't been fed (by fish poo) for a while, then it will most likely have died off. Depends how much time passed since the filters were shut off for, as to whether they will help you.

This link explains the cycle & it's importance
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

This link explains how to do a fishless cycle
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishless_cycling.php