What is the safest way to set up a new Aquarium?

Question

I'm about to get a 46 gallon aquairum to transfer my orandas and buy two more. I know that it's important to let the beneficial bacteria settle in the gravel so the water gets balanced chemically wise. What is the best method to do it? I have seen a liquid containing bacteria which after two weeks settles the water, but dont't know if it really works. I lost some fish when I first set up my ten gallon one, and wouldn't like to loose my orandas, which I have had for years now.

Ok, so if can I put a betta in the tank to help me out. That is, to provide waste for the bacteria to trive on?

To JS- I have two orandas.

Answer 1

If you want to quick cycle the tank you can do it using old filter media or gravel from your existing tank.

First, set up the tank and decorations however you want. Then use media from your old filter in your new filter. Also, you can take a handful of gravel from your old aquarium, put it in some pantyhose (if it's a different color, otherwise don't bother), and use these to seed your tank with good bacteria. You can also use some old water from the existing tank when you do a water change. Some people say there is enough bacteria at this point to be safe for your fish, but if you want to be extra safe you can do a fishless cycle.

To do a fishless cycle, you add pure ammonia (no surfactants, etc) until you get a reading of about 5ppm. After a few days (since you transferred bacteria) you should see a drop in ammonia and a nitrite spike. After your nitrite spike (both ammonia and nitrite are zero) do a large water change (about 80%) and your tank should be good to add fish. The only commercial cycling products that work decently are Bio-Spira (very hard to find) and Stability. If you have a heater, turning up the temp to about 90 degrees F will help speed up bacterial growth. If you turn up the heat add an airstone. Good luck.

Answer 2

How many orandas do you have? A tank that size should support about four with regular weekly water changes.

If you can go ahead and get the filter now, run it on your established tank for a couple of weeks. That will allow the beneficial bacteria to build up on the media.

When you set your new tank up, get the water temp matched to their current tank.

Move your fish, being sure to acclimate them carefully. Take your time. Adding new tank water to a bucket containing the fish in their old tank water, a little bit every ten or fifteen minutes for a couple of hours until the bucket contains at least half new water is a good way.

Transfer the new filter, the old filter that is on your ten gallon tank, a couple handfuls of gravel, and whatever ornaments you can. This is if you are moving all the fish out of the ten gallon, If there will still be fish in there, then obviously you'll have to leave the filter on the ten, but you can transfer the ornaments and some of the gravel over. Leave them there for a couple of weeks, then you can put them back in the ten.

IMPORTANT: Orandas produce a lot of waste, as you know. It takes time to build up the tank's capacity to handle it. Just leave the fish you already have in the tank for at least a month or so, to make sure you won't have fish loss from new tank syndrome. Then add just one fish every couple of weeks until you are at capacity, which for a 46 gallon would be three or four orandas. I have a 55 with four goldies and six white cloud mountain minnows and two dojo loaches. I have to change forty percent of the water at least once a week to keep the nitrate readings down. (Do you test your water? You really should, it helps you keep a handle on tank maintenance.)

Answer 3

You will have to wait for the Nitrogen cycle to finish before fully stocking your aquarium. Even then, do it slowly to avoid an ammonia spike. You can speed it along by using some of the water from your existing aquarium and the bacteria containing liquid to help, but there is no magic, instant fix. You can cycle with a couple smallish fish. I did that with my 55 gal and the two angels I had at the time, they were fine in there to cycle, but I used the liquid and their old water. Never had a problem.

Good luck and give it the few weeks it takes to let it cycle before adding any other fish.

Answer 4

Transfer as much used filter media as you can to the new filter. The bacteria settles in the filter media, not the gravel. Don't buy the liquid "cycle" product. Biospira works though. The thing with this bacteria is that if not in a functioning tank with a food source (ammonia) and oxygen, it dies quickly. Biospira is refridgerated so the bacteria lives for a short period without these requirements. If you buy it, get it home and in the tank before it warms up. I think you will be ok with the used filter media only.

Answer 5

I would have to agree with a few who have posted already and say "No." There are different reasons for this: 1) The rocks from the ocean may contain various minerals and salts on them that can drastically alter the pH and water conditions in your tank. This would be disasterous if you were setting up a tank for SA tetras or such; 2) The ocean contains LOTS of critters, which contain LOTS of fungus, bacterias, and parasites. Now, in an open system like the ocean, these things are dealt with through the dynamics of the ocean's ecosystem. In your tank, they can erupt and ultimately destroy fishy life. These fungi, bacteria, and parasites could be living on those rocks, just ready to infect your tank. 3) Gravel can be bought in various "natural" looking forms... so there's no need to worry about sterilizing and treating your own rocks at home!

Answer 6

Try sterilizing the gravel in a separate tank, after that the gravel should be decent enough to use in the tank. Try it with a gold fish and a bottom feeder to start and see how it works out for the first couple of days then add the others. If it works then do the same with any decorations for the tank. Hope it works for ya.

Answer 7

New tanks need to kill germs and bacterias. I got this instruction from a fish farm owner. First apply a layer of aquarium salt to the entire interior of the tank and allow it to soak for a day. The next day, pour in water (with the salt still in it) to fully fill the tank. Add additional salt to the water. Turn On your circulation pump and allow it to run for a day. Remove the entire salt water the next day. Now the tank is ready for your usual setup.

Answer 8

most set ups come with basic instructions follow them &u should be ok if not get a good fish book they usuall have a section on aquarium set up & care it will also help u when u need other info on fish or just go to the web type in aquarium & check out the many different sites on the subject

Answer 9

umm i have some advice 4 u. when u bye ur new fish b4 u just let them swim in there new tank, when u take them home in the bag open it up and then close it agian and then place the bag in the tank so they get some what used to the tank and about 10min, later let them out of the bag

Answer 10

one step at a time....place your arrangements in your aquarium than put your water in very slow so not to upset things to much...than wate until water temperature is at the right temp. Than get a kit to check your pH balance and what ever you need to check to make sure the water is safe.......you can get a lot out of a aquarium book..or ask someone you can trust at a good pet store..