Gimme Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 Hi Folks, newbie Simon here... I just purchased a small Jebo tank off TradeMe to set up for my 6 year olds birthday in a few weeks time… so far so good. Tank arrived pretty dirty, so I decided to give it a good clean (here is where it gets bad)javascript:emoticon(':oops:') ... the tank, filter, tubing, noodles etc were pretty dirty so I gave them a scrub in the sink with some dishwashing liquid.... but I couldn't get the nasty gunk out of the clear plastic tube from the filter (the one with holes in it that lets water flow onto the filter-pad and noodles)... so I dropped the tube, the noodles and the plastic grill from the filter box and the small tube that pulls air into the filter (but not the tank itself) in a weak solution of Janola.... everything got a thorough rinsing in tap water afterwards... (Looking much cleaner) and I then filled the tank, reassembled the filter, tubes etc and let in run for a couple of days (to check for leaks and to make sure the filter was operational. This all seemed to work... but while purchasing various items today in a pet shop rocks, heater, chemicals etc in preparation of setting up the tank properly, I casually mentioned my 'cleaning' of my new gear.... shock horror, I was pretty much told that I had sentenced any future inhabitants to the tank to a nasty end…. So before I start trying to set up the tank to cycle, and introducing anything like a live plant or fish, I wanted to ask if I have royally stuffed up by using the dishwashing liquid and bleach, or whether I can rescue things by giving everything a major rinse out???? Any help or suggestions would we welcomed as I was dead keen to start setting the tank up (cycling etc) so it would be ready for my little girls big day. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookie Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 rinse well and leave to dry in the sunshine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme Posted August 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 Thanks Snookie, I can look my wife in the eye again! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 Bleach is often used and is fine as long as it is rinsed well and dried out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 I soak absolutely everything including the filter wool and media in bleach, rinse it well and if I can leave it to dry in the sun. No worries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme Posted August 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 Thanks Caryl... and everyone else Feeling better now! One more question before I go to empty the tank and get the rinsing/drying underway... The Tank is a Jebo R331 (21 lt?), so pretty small... and I was thinking of letting my 6 year old 'choose' her new friends from a recommend range... My guess was something like 6x Neon Tetras and maybe some sort of bottom feeder or algae type eater... Any thoughts? on the quantity / types of fish that would be hardy, colorful (she is a a 6 year old girl after all!) and suitable for beginners? Ironically my parents used to have a pet shop and I grew up with lots and lots of Oscars, Discuss and other more exotic species, but I was too young to learn much about the care and maintenance side of things and also I want to take it slowly so cost and up-keep don't ruin things Again, thanks for the feedback and any suggestions you may have regarding the above Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 sounds like you have done your reading up and have learnt about cycling etc which is good. your stocking suggestion of 6 or so neons and some bottom feeders/algae eaters sounds great, but another great fish are platys. they are very colourful, active, and easy to sex and breed. your daughter will love having her own little baby platys swimming around in the tank, all you need is a pair, and some floating plant for them to hide in (mothers hungry mouths will eat them!) Keep us updated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme Posted August 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 Thanks evilknieval69, would the 'platties' be as well as, or instead of, the others I mentioned? I know there are some measures around for the number of fish per cubic inch of water... but (maths aside, it was never my strong point) would there be an ideal number of small fish in a tank that size? I had also thought of (perhaps) a couple of coolie loaches??? (the long snake like one with the orange/ black stripes?) because of the body shape and colours.... Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxglove Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 I'd also recommend platys or guppies. You could have a bristlenose for algae cleaning but it would outgrow the tank. another alternative if the tank isn't kept too warm is to have 2 or 3 Borneo Suckers. They prefer it cooler - about 18 - 20 degrees from memory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon1990 Posted August 23, 2007 Report Share Posted August 23, 2007 Corys would be another option.Maybe the pgmy cory.They only get to 3cm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdspider Posted August 24, 2007 Report Share Posted August 24, 2007 Neon tetras aren't very hardy so beware - they have been tank bred for generations and not that much care has always gone into breeding quality stock. You could consider cardinal tetras, they are basically the same colours as neons and known to be tougher. They are a bit more expensive though. Kuhli (coolie) loaches tend to hide under the gravel and only pop out occasionally so they might not be very interesting for a 6year old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wok Posted August 24, 2007 Report Share Posted August 24, 2007 If you want to see breeding then I would recommend a pair of convicts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cichlid7 Posted August 24, 2007 Report Share Posted August 24, 2007 If you want to see breeding then I would recommend a pair of convicts they would grow bigger than the tank :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cichlid7 Posted August 24, 2007 Report Share Posted August 24, 2007 What about 6 guppies 6 neons or cardinals (cardinals would be better) and 2 croys. that would give you the 3 levels top - guppies middle - neons or cardinals bottom - corys. they would be good in that tank but it is up to you really Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted August 24, 2007 Report Share Posted August 24, 2007 Firstly I would be questioning the pet shops limitations. Secondly I think Wok is mean to recommend convicts (sorry Wok) :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markoshark Posted August 24, 2007 Report Share Posted August 24, 2007 How many hundred do you currently have wok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 thanks everyone, I like the sound of your suggestion cichlid7. I was wondering about a bristlenose as opposed to the corys, but part of that decision will be what the total bill looks like on the day:) ... I thought I might start but putting in a bottom feeder a couple of days before we 'give her' the tank and then go and get 4-6 fish (lets say tetras) that she chooses on the big day and then another 4-6 fish (say guppies or platties) a week or so latter so the ammonia levels don't go too bananas... I am now faced with the (daunting) task of working out which testing gear to buy, to be honest it was a shock how much all this stuff ends up costing! based on some discussions with a friendly shop assistant they suggested just getting the PH kit and an ammonia kit... (a mere $30 odd dollars!) is there some way to buy these tests in one pack or cheaper methods of doing the testing at all? I will keep posting progress on the tank if people are interested? let me know Cheers and thanks again for the advice so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliolli Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 you can buy a complete freshwater test kit which will test your pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and high range pH. Its called a freshwater master test kit and i bought one off trademe from a person called tank girl. Was around $45 i think instead of around $60 - $70 in the shops Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Not sure what sort of filter is on one of those tanks but what about asking someone to put it on their matured filter to start the cycle ahead of time? Plenty of Wgtonians in here. Or get some used filter media from someone when you get the fish. I would suggest 6 guppies and 4 corys for the base as it is only 21L I think you said. The guppies will swim all over the place and your daughter will like the colours. I assume you have a heaterstat? Some lfs will test the water for you so you don't have to buy kits. In fact, once the tank is up and running there is no need to do tests at all. I suggest you join one of the Wgtn clubs then you will be able to get all sorts of fish and plants from members (often for free) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme Posted August 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 ah TradeMe, of course! thanks jolliolli To answer your question Caryl, the Jebo R331 has a filter box built into the lid, drawing water up from a tube/filter head near the bottom, then it pumps the water over a sponge thing and some noodles before in flows back into the tank from above. Interesting comments about borrowing filter media etc to help get it the set up cycling. I have started this (??? i hope) but using a product called 'cycle'. I also added 3 live plants and a small amount of water from the petshop tank they came from, so I was hoping this would help with getting the cycle set up?? if this doesn't sound like enough, please let me know. I guess without some kind of testing kit I won't know if the 'cycling' is underway or not? Cheers Guys PS I live in Petone and work in central wellington if anyone does want to offer a gunky piece of filter media... in exchange for my first born failing this I will ask the petshop about the used media idea... any suggestions about the best shop to use (for fish, supplies etc) I have visited ANimates L/H, Hutt Pet centre and a little place in the mall at Wainuiomata in my travels so far... its hard to tell who is good... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim r Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 Like Caryl says, you do not need test kits it just encourages you to look for things that are not there just make sure you change some of the water regularly and do not overfeed. Keep posting progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted August 27, 2007 Report Share Posted August 27, 2007 The cycling of a new tank is a bit of a chicken and egg thing. It wont cycle untill there is some bioload in there (animals) that produce ammonia. The bacteria you need in the filter wont multiply without this as 'food'. So the simplest way is to just add a couple of fish at first. They will start eating and pooping, giving the filter bacteria some food. The most important thing is to take it slow, when you first start there are basically no bacteria, so the ammonia can build up fast and kill the fish. With just a couple of fish the ammonia shouldn't increase too fast before the bacteria in the filter multiply and begin to process it properly. Adding some media from an established filter acts as a 'seed' for your filter and speeds up the process. So now your tank is set up.. get some fish.. but only a couple. After they settle in for a few weeks, add a couple more. After a month or so the tank should be cycled and have a full population of fish. Having a test kit is good because you can monitor whats going on, but if you dont have one, just take it slow. Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gimme Posted August 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 hey folks, big day on Sat, introducing first fish! to get the cycle up and running I am going to go with a couple of fish to start things off....thanks for all the advice. the birthday is still 2 weeks away so I thought a couple of fish for a couple of weeks will mean that we are good to go for the birthday, when we will introduce another 4-6, then all going well another 4-6 a few weeks down the track. final(ish) list: 4-6 Neons or Cardinals 4-6 guppies (3m, 3female?) a small bristlenose and see how that all works out will post after the first couple are bedded in cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ianab Posted August 30, 2007 Report Share Posted August 30, 2007 Sounds sensible. With the guppys, best to have 4 fem / 2 male or similar. The males hassle the females all the time, but if there is more females it's not a problem. Or else get all males, there will be baby guppys otherwise Cheers Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 Unless you want fry, I would get all male guppies. They are more colourful and no fry to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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