Just got an AQUARIUM !!!!

hey guys i just got a 90 gallon aquairum with the following:


heat lamp w/ bulb - new
fluorescent shoplight fixture - new
1xUVB bulb - new
1xplant gro bulb
terrarium water feature (fountain) - new
calcium supplement - new
Emperor 400 bio wheel HOB filter
slate
wood decor

k now i bought this from somebody and it came with all those stuff... I have never had my own Aquarium and I dont understand much about it, like how much Ph is right or what not... can someone please help me and educate me on some things and the right fish to get ???

salt water ?? normal water ?? there are all these factors on the net, and I just need someone to tell me in plain english wat to do and help me through the steps ... =) thanxxxxxxxxxxxxx guyssssssssss

 

Congrats on the buy! my advice for you is to start out with freshwater until you have the hang of it, chances are you will experience "old tank syndrome" which wouldn't be ideal if you have a salt water due to the upkeep of them which turns out to be quite expensive with salt, foods and the fish. Start out with some simple fish, go to your local fish store and get a tester kit, they have ones that pretty much have all the testers you could possibly need, as for levels they come with charts that show you the ideal levels you want them at. Start out by filling the fish tank and letting it cycle for a few weeks, check the levels with those testers periodically to make sure its all right. With your filter being new your tanks going to experience something called an bacterial bloom, you'll notice the water getting a white kind of foggy appearance thats just the good bacteria forming and growing in the tank. Once you have all your levels correct start out with something small, live bearers are great for learning how to take care of them, an example would be platties, they are easy to find. These are kinda small for a 90 gallon but again you wanna have experience before moving onto the bigger ones. Once you have more of an idea of what you are doing i would advise you move onto Cichlids. Cichlids come in large varieties and are a bit more aggressive but would be great for a 90 gallon freshwater. Hope i helped a little =]

 

I'd recommend you start with fresh water fish, too. I've always had good luck using zebra danios to cycle my aquariums. They're a lot more forgiving than live bearers.

Don't add bottom dwellers until you've cycled the tank, and everything has settled down. And add fish slowly. Don't go out and buy a whole bunch at once. Take your time and learn how to balance things out. You'll lose fewer fish that way.

And don't trust the advice you get at most fish stores, either. Get a couple of good books on keeping a healthy aquarium. I've heard too many horror stories about what the kid at the local fish store told people. Like it's alright to keep goldfish in a bowl.

 

Most of that stuff is for terrariums (ie keping lizards/amphibians), and are totally unnecessary for fish. And if they came with the tank, it makes me wonder if it's actually a terrarium and not an aquarium. It would be REALLY bad if you filled a terrarium up with water because they are made with thinner glass and cannot withstand the pressure of all that water. How thick is the glass?

DO NOT put water in it yet. You could end up with 90 gallons of water on the floor and a busted tank.

-Chelle

 

And for the record, I'd like to correct this:

Simply filling the tank and letting it run w/o fish for 2 weeks (2 days, 2 months, whatever) will accomplish absolutely nothing. The tank will NOT cycle that way. To cycle (ie acquire colonies of beneficial bacteria in the filter), there HAS to be an ammonia source for the bacteria to feed on. Yes, you can add fish as an ammonia source, but you will be subjecting them to harmful/deadly levels of ammonia & nitrIte while the tank cycles. You will kill a bunch of fish or at the very least cause irreparable damage to their gills. And in the end, the tank will only be able to support THOSE fish. Add any more fish and the tank will go through another cycle and you'll hurt the fish even more. A MUCH better ammonia source is just that, pure ammonia. It's easier, faster, and no fish will be harmed/killed.

You can read more about the nitrogen cycle and how to properly cycle a tank here:
http://flippersandfins.net/Cycling.htm

-Chelle

 

mayhemgirly, it is a really big tank you have there. Have you started keeping anything already in it? With all those new gears, it was as if you bought it from the pet store. And you have many bulbs there. Fountain, calcium supplement and slate? Can the decor wood sink in the water? Did you ask the seller what the tank is for? If you want to start an aquarium then some of the things there may not be necessary and you have to buy a few more things.

Anyway, like you, if I get such a tank I will want to set up an aquarium instead of keeping other critters. I prefer freshwater because it is a lot easier. Besides zebra danios that Shineillusion recommends, Black or White Skirt Tetra is another good choice to put in a totally new tank. Hmm...Overall it is hard to talk about setting up a new tank in a short time. You need some articles. Chelle has provided you with a decent link about tank cycling.

 

See if this article on starting a freshwater aquarium helps.
http://www.tipskey.com/petting/freshwat ... _guide.htm

 

This is an even better method of preparing a tank for fish:
http://flippersandfins.net/CyclingFishless.htm

-Chelle