Yeah, so it's a weird name, but I tend to have an impatient nature, and my 3-year-old keeps asking "Where's the fish?!?", so this project will be a lesson in patience for the both of us.

Here is the first picture of the tank:



Obviously, in my impatience to get started, I forgot to rinse the gravel. No worries, I plan to do a fishless cycle. I do have a couple of plants hanging out in bags. Hopefully they can stay there until the water clears.

I sucked out most of the water with a shop vac and added new, so it's much clearer. Hopefully it will settle soon.

Not the best start, but I'm optimistic!!

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Elly

I'll definitely be following along your tank build thread! Thanks for sharing the experience with us so we can follow along with you. Best of success with the tank.. and take lots of pics... and get your 3 year old in them also.

So here's the tank looking a little less cloudy (with DS peering in). I emptied out the water with a gravel vacuum and partly refilled and then emptied the tank a few times. I'm going to allow it to settle more before turning on the filter. I'm also ordering the aqua clear stuff online to help things along. Hopefully it will be ready for plants in the next day or so.

I went ahead and installed the heater, as I want to get the microbial activity started, and things will go faster when the water is warmer than 50 degrees.

Anyone know where one can get household ammonia? I couldn't find any at Target or the grocery store. I used to use the stuff for cleaning, so I have no idea why it's so hard to find now.

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Elly

Do you have an Ace Hardware of Walmart nearby? They have pure ammonia.
I still think you should just take out the gravel and give them a good rinse. The water still looks really cloudy.
Do you use a plate to pour your water onto?

Yeah, I have an Ace nearby. Thanks!

I wasn't using a plate. I have to hold the bucket with both hands, and I haven't grown a 3rd arm yet, not even after my son was born. ;)

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Elly

Elly,

Invest in good filter.
You can start with AquaClear 50.
Make sure you have activated carbon in chemical filtration section.

Let it run for one week, and you will see the result.

Good Luck!

Will that filter take care of fine particulates? I already have a Tetra Whisper 40i (I got the tank, hood/light, filter, and a thermometer from Craigslist), and the polyfloss type material isn't up to filtering out the fine particles that are suspended. I just ordered a flocculant, so hopefully my filter can take care of the bigger particles. I turned my filter off as it seemed to just be stirring things up.

Just looked up the Aqua Clear, and it looks really nice! Since I got my current filter for free, I hate to just trash it or sell it. Maybe I'll keep it for a while and see if I have difficulties with the water chemistry.

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Elly

if set up properly, your aquaclear HOB can get down almost to the micron level. i always suggest using a poly-fill or quilt batting in addition to the filter sponge. this fine mechanical media will help remove tiny particles from your tank.
also, you do not need carbon in your filter, at all. dont waste your time or money on it.

you are probably having circulation issues in yourt tank. because the slide (waterfall portion of your filter) is directly above the intake, it is pushing a lot of the particles away from the intake.
try putting the filter on one of the sides rather than the back, at least while it cycles.
also, the addition of a powerhead would help a lot.

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why buy, when you can DIY

I think a quick fix would be to use Seachem Purigen. That stuff is ridiculously powerful. But also expensive.

There is no such thing as an extra filter or any gear in this hobby

I speak from experience. I had similar situation, and I was able to clear with carbon ...

Any thoughts on when it's safe to put the plants in? I don't want them to die because the water is too turbid, but again, I don't want them to die since they're in bags right now....

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Elly

You can put them in right about now ;)
They will help with cycling ...
Just make sure the temp is set correct.

So here is the latest iteration. The plants on the right are real, the ones on the left are fake (they came with the tank too). DS is excited that there is something in the tank.

Does anyone know if it's alright to have a clay pot in there? I don't want it to disintegrate. I put the sword plant in the pot as it seemed to need more substrate than just gravel, so I "borrowed" some play sand from my son's sandbox and put it in the pot. (sssh! don't tell him! ;) ) I rinsed the sand well, and poured boiling water over the sand and the pot too.

Oh, and the plants are, shall we say, less than artistically arranged. I still want to put another bag of (washed!!) gravel in there, but I wanted to get the plants out of their bags and the plastic plants off my kitchen counter.

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Elly

Snails! So I've found 3 so far, and picked them out. I'm assuming I'll be overrun if I don't keep picking them out.

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Elly

Still picking snails out. In case anyone is wondering, the most humane way to dispatch of snails is to stick them in the freezer. I asked my aunt, who is a biology professor and researcher, and is an expert on invertebrate neurology.

I hope to get to the hardware store today to get some NH3 and start cycling.

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Elly

those dang snails...you can take them out by hand or get some fish that eat the snails.and in the long term, control the population.there are loaches of all species that love snails.clown loaches,kuhli loaches,dojo loaches.
but your tank isnt big enough for the clown loaches by far.
maybe the kuhli loaches...research them if you choose this path
unless you want to do it the humane way

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Celebrating 500 posts



Planted 20 gallon
2 emerald corydoras
2 gold barbs
2 cherry barbs
4 swordtails
2 platies
1 balloon mollies

I'm not opposed to dispatching them via fish predation. I guess I assumed that all loaches would get too big.

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Elly

yeah they probably do...i didnt note your tank size.and srry if i got you mad in any way

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Celebrating 500 posts



Planted 20 gallon
2 emerald corydoras
2 gold barbs
2 cherry barbs
4 swordtails
2 platies
1 balloon mollies

I'm not mad at all! I appreciate all the help I can get. I've had fish/aquaria before (as a kid, and rescuing unwanted goldfish), but this is the first time I'm putting a lot of thought into the whole process.

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Elly