Jebo R338 40L - Setup help pls

[isuzu]

Hi All, Pls could somebody help with setup instruction for a Jebo R338. It's brand new and of course no setup info. Very confusing for a newbie to tanks. Want to use it as a cold water tank. Bringing a couple of Comets in from the outside pond which is being changed. Just dont know where to start? Also any suggestions for a couple of extra fish to go with the comets (they are around 6 to 7 cm). Have been using stress coat and stress zyme in the pond so should I keep using that in the tank once setup?

Many Thanks

[Slightly Blue Dalmation]

my first tank was a jebo r338 and wasnt much to set up like the lid and filter just slot into place, the noodles go in the filter tray at the bottom and the filter wool on top of them. What exactly do you need help with regards setting up?

[isuzu]

Many thahks for the reply, needed to know the following:

. How full do you make the tank?

. There are 2 black pipe attachements that seem to fit on the pump, one long and one short. Which do I use?

. Got the answer on the noodles.

. I assume the pipe with black setting screw cap is for controling air flow, how hard or soft does one set this flow of air?

. There is a clip on suction attachment which seems to go on the pump but it's nowhere near the glass?

. Can I use water from our benchtop filter and how long before fish from pond can be added?

. Any tips relating to this tank would great.

. What fish can one put with the 3 comets I am bringing in from the pond?

. Can I continue to use Stress Coat and Stress Zyme as I did in the pond?

Appreciate the help.

[Slightly Blue Dalmation]

yeah just keep replying in the original post then can see all of whats writen

the intake bit goes onto the long pipe that goes into the bottom of the filter, the short bit attaches to the top of the squarish bit of the pump that goes in the tank itself.

i fill mine up to the bottom of the ridge bit on the skirting on the top of the tank, otherwise it trickles and gets very irritating

[jn]

Hey there. I hope those comets are very small

If this is your first tank do you know about cycling?

I would start with only 1 fish in the tank if it's going to be a comet. You tank is going to cycle and cylcling with 3 is going to mean alot of water changes.

Personally I'm 'fishsitting' a shubunkin that's about 6cm long in a 40L tank the aqua one version of what you have so virtually identical) and I can't wait till the pond warms up so I can put him out. Comets are 'zippy' fish... they seem too cramped in a small tank and all they can do is swim in circles.

I've also got 3 babies in there, they're fine but as soon as they start to grow the need to go to a pond or a LONG tank I feel.

[isuzu]

Unfortunately the pond is being converted to a water feature, so fish have to come out. I have 3 about 5cm in length.

This tank will have to do for the time being. I am assuming that cycling is continual water changes over a period of time?

[Tsarmina]

cycling is the establishment of bacteria in your filter and tank that converts ammonia into nitrite into nitrate.

[isuzu]

Shows how much I know - how do I go about doing this. I was told to put a 1/3 of the tanks water in, from the pond where the fish are coming from?

[jn]

Cycling is the conversion of fish wastes (which are kind of toxic in the water) to harmless by products.

In a pond it's not too much of a worry because there's usually alot of water relative to the amount of fish (I had ponds before tanks and found out about cycling the hard way ie: dead fish!)

Fish produce ammonia (goldfish even more than most). This ammonia eventually gets broken down into nitrite (also toxic) by a certain type of bacteria. The nitrite depends on a different bacteria to get broken down into nitrate. Nitrate is reasonably harmless and plants feed off it or water changes keep it under control. But the bacteria needed to convert the harmful stuff to good stuff take quite a while to grow (like weeks!)

Ideally, you start off the tank with 1 goldfish. Then add others as the bacteria grows. If you can't do this there are things you can buy I think to help detoxify stuff as its cycling. Frequent (like daily) water changes can help the fish cope, a test kit might also be useful.

If you have any plants in nthe pond that you can put into the tank and/or any gravel that's in the pond or in baskets or whatever this might help heaps as they will already have some of the good bacteria on them

[jn]

is there a sponge on your pond pump? That's where alot of bacteria will be. If you could put that in your tank that would help Tie it down with some stones or something

In the tank, the bacteria will eventually live in the gravel but mainly in the filter media, in the case of your tank, those noodle things (which is why its important you never rinse them in anything other than tank water)

[michael.qian]

Comets will need a much much larger tank, ideally a pond.

5 comets at that size will make cycling quite difficult, you need very frequent water changes especially in a tank that size.

Or as suggested above you could get some filter media from the pond and put it in the tank, that will have some bacteria on it and help speed up or kick start your cycling.

[isuzu]

Have just fired up the tank, took a plant from the pond and put that in as well, plus about a third of the tank was the pond water. Just a little confused at the moment?

The long feeder pipe which attaches to the pump I presume sucks the water up through the filter. On the side of the pump is a little T section with a clear plastic pipe connected going out of the tank with a small black air control screw. Cant seem to see any bubbles coming out anywhere is this right?

[jn]

Don't worry too much about the air. it isn't essential. The water get airated pretty well in the trickle filter.

The plant will help a lot. One you buy the fish in there watch them very cloely.. watch their gills which tells you how they are breathing and watch them for swimming erratically which could me discomfort from the buildup of ammionia etc. If this happens change 50% of the water.. keep watching them. you may need to do it fairly often for several weeks.

that subunkin I mentioned, I put into a tank that has had 7 small fish in it and had been running for 9 months. I took all the fish out and replaced them with the shubunkin and 3 tiny wee baby shunkins (which are basically just a different type of goldfish) and my tank has JUST finished cycling 3 weeks later.. I had about 10 days where I was having to water change every other day.. and this was in a tank that already had some bacteria present.

[isuzu]

How do you know the tanks finished cycling? I could also find a few small rocks from the pond to put in.

[michael.qian]

get test kits, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

also a pH test kit is a good idea as well.

[michael.qian]

the pH test can wait, but definitely get ammonia and nitrite first.

[isuzu]

Just got 2 rocks and the plants little gravel basket out the pond and put that in as well. How soon can one put the fish in?

[michael.qian]

you won't know if its safe to put fish in before testing for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate first.

[jn]

The water won't get any ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate until a fish is added.

I'd add a fish straight away but only 1. Without any waste to feed on the good bacteria will start to die off. The best bet would then be to start testing the water a day or 2 after one goes in and watch for ammonia. This can take a week to show up. I don't bother testing for nitrites until after I see an ammonia reading. If you can wait till that all settles before adding another fish and so on that would be ideal. Otherwise as long as you keep testing and changing the water when the test show the levels are high or the fish look bothered you should be fine.

[jn]

Sorry.. this was a double post due to a server hangup!