New 45 gallon high freshwater setup

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dba4life

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 30, 2013
8
0
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Youngsville, NC
Hi

I am not new to the hobby, but it has been forever since I have setup a new tank. Just want to run this setup and plan by the very knowledgeable folks here.

I setup a 45g high. Freshwater community. My LFS recommended that using seachem stability and then I can add fish right away while it cycles and I did that today. I am researching tonight and I have found that many do not think this product works and recommend seachem prime.

The new setup is a 45g high, marineland 350 hang on the side filter and a single airstone. Temp is 81.

So this is what I have done: I setup the tank and filled it today. I also have a 75g that has been existing forever and has an XP3 canister. I took one of the foam pads that had been in there forever, about 10 biostars that have been in for 3+ years and the floss pad that has been in there for a month and put all those into the marineland filter that is on the new tank. I then put in the correct dosage of the stability product. I ensured that water temp was OK and ph was 6.8. So I picked up 4 lemon tetras and 2 clown loaches at the store this evening. They seem to be very much thriving in the tank tonight.

So what should I do next. Did I take enough of the old filter media to get the biological element going? Keep adding stability every day as per the instructions? Or get prime and use that instead.

I also do not know much about cycling. As I said, have not setup a new tank in a very long time. What should I be looking for to happen next to the water? What should I be testing for outside of ammonia and ph? Also at what point do I know it is OK to add more fish?

Thanks for any advice. A few picts of the setup should follow. I put the tank above the fireplace (It has been tested to hold the weight). The pict of the lemons includes a reflection (there are only 4).

photo.JPG

Tank2.JPG

Lemons.JPG
 
Are any of the fish messing with them? When I had shrimp they would drop the eggs whenever a fish messed with them or they got scared by something. When I wanted them to breed I would move them. I finally added dwarf hair grass because I love the way it looks and it's super easy they would be hidden almost anywhere they went and they stopped dropping the eggs.


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Haha whoops lol I posted in the wrong thread sorry. You put in enough media from your other tank. You might see a bacteria bloom in the next 24-48 hours just keep testing. If you see ammonia over .25 do a water change. That happened with the tank I just set up it started about 15 hours later and was gone when I got up the next morning. What a few more weeks before you add more fish to let the bacteria catch up. You need tests for nitrite, ammonia, nitrates, ph. Tank is beautiful btw
 
Tangs26 said:
Haha whoops lol I posted in the wrong thread sorry. You put in enough media from your other tank. You might see a bacteria bloom in the next 24-48 hours just keep testing. If you see ammonia over .25 do a water change. That happened with the tank I just set up it started about 15 hours later and was gone when I got up the next morning. What a few more weeks before you add more fish to let the bacteria catch up. You need tests for nitrite, ammonia, nitrates, ph. Tank is beautiful btw
Click to expand...

Thanks. After some research on the forum I learned my "old school" test strips are not considered all that accurate....and they have to be expired anyway. So I will be grabbing that API complete test kit this afternoon so I can stay up with the nitrite, ammonia, ph and nitrates through this cycling process. Been keeping tanks for so long, yet cannot believe how little I knew about new tank setup. Thanks for all the help.
 
Thanks all. No nitrite, nitrate or ammonia readings yet. Testing daily. Still putting the Stabilize in daily. PH has moved around a bit more then I like but seems to be settling in around 6.8. The Lemons seem extremely happy. The clowns have gone much more recluse versus when I put them in. I guess that is to be expected with them, but even with the bluemoonlight they are choosing to stay hidden.
 
local fish stores usually tell you to use stability but it really doesn't work for putting bacteria in there you if you want to do that you can just use Quick Start from API, the only reason why they tell you that is because they give them money. Prime is another good one but that's only for water conditioners it's really good because it protect from slime coat and all the chlorines inside the water and also helps with ammonia and it detoxifies it. the best way to quickly start up your tank is to put about 5 gallons of an existing paint water into that tank so there's five gallons of full bacteria. that's what I do but if you want to put fish in right then and there and go ahead and use Quick Start. putting the five gallons in it only takes about two days and its pretty much already extended wished correctly. just trying to help a fellow. :D good luck

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Joey822 said:
local fish stores usually tell you to use stability but it really doesn't work for putting bacteria in there you if you want to do that you can just use Quick Start from API, the only reason why they tell you that is because they give them money. Prime is another good one but that's only for water conditioners it's really good because it protect from slime coat and all the chlorines inside the water and also helps with ammonia and it detoxifies it. the best way to quickly start up your tank is to put about 5 gallons of an existing paint water into that tank so there's five gallons of full bacteria. that's what I do but if you want to put fish in right then and there and go ahead and use Quick Start. putting the five gallons in it only takes about two days and its pretty much already extended wished correctly. just trying to help a fellow. :D good luck

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Click to expand...

Thanks for the info Joey. I should have taken some water from my 75 to get this one started. That is a good idea.

Things still going fine with the setup. Nitrates, Nitrites and Ammonia are zero. Ph is holding a bit more steady now around 6.8-7. Fish, especially the Lemons, seem very happy. Did some tweaking of the decor and added a blue LED light at the bottom to try and illuminate the driftwood a bit more. Effect at night with the moonlights is very cool. Effect during the day with the regular LED lights is OK, but not natural at all. It does make it look like I have some sort of creature in the driftwood though. Check it out.

tank.JPG
 
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