[Barbels]

I have been enjoying AquaDen for a little over a year now. A nice lady over there mentioned this forum and it sounded like a nice place to visit. I've been peeking in for a couple days and would enjoy being a member here.

Actually, I guess I'm not even quite a newbie yet. Although I have been compiling my hardware and whatever knowledge I can for about a year and a half now.

I am still a little intimidated, but I feel quite a bit more secure since I've had some time to learn some things from fine places like this before I actually jump in.

Things were ready to come together this spring when I dropped half of my Versa-Top lid and it broke all over the place.
I have been waiting for ages and ages for my lfs to get in my new top(that is starting to get real old).
The tank is a 75 gallon Oceanic. The lid he ordered is also Oceanic, not Versa-Top.

I finally realized that I can get a Versa-Top thru DrsF&S but now I think I'd much rather have the Oceanic because it might(?) fit better on the same tank. So now I have the dilema of waiting till the end of time for the Oceanic lid or get a Versa-Top right now fromDrsF&S.

Anyway, hopefully I will be starting up my very own planted tank
soon(?) and I would appreciate your help along the way.

I apologize for the mini-series.
Oh yeah, hello.
Sue

 

[Barbels]

Thank you so much for the hospitality, guys. I really do appreciate it.

WOW! HI, Jan!
Jan, the Eheim regulator's outlet looks like about 1/16", but now I'm wondering if Eheim even used standard sizing. Of course the reactor&tubing is good old 1/8".
I've decided I'd much rather have everything the same size rather than mess with a coupling I can't even find.

DrsF&S said they will be glad to do an exchange for the regulator they carry(its outlet is good old 1/8", too). Plus it's $50.00 cheaper than the Eheim, so I'll also have a little scratch to play with to boot!

Anyway, thanks again for the nice hospitality! This really is a very groovy place.
Sue

 

[Barbels]

Wow Ken, that might be a darned good idea. I would much prefer the idea of having a lid. But dang, I could certainly get this thing finally started and fishlessly cycled and planted and, and, and...
Then I could get the lid later.

I can't wait. By golly, I believe I shall try it.
The fish I hope to have eventually are some cardinals, and a bristlenose and gobs of cories, would love to have one Betta and maybe a few pencilfish; that's about it.

Most of those would have to wait, but wouldn't the bottom dwellers be okay?

Thanks so much. I shall have sweet dreams tonight fer sure!
Sue

 

[Barbels]

Sue, (I had no idea that was your real name...)

teehee :lol:

If you already have an established tank running, and since you're going to be planting this tank, you could certainly skip the fishless cycling and just seed your bacteria from established material and add a few fish at a time.

Ooooh, ooooh, that sounds so wonderful! Where can I learn more about this?? I kinda knew I could seed using good stuff from an established tank but I thought I still needed to do the ammonia thing.
Thank you so much.

 

[Barbels]

Man oh man, I am so blasted excited about this seeding thing.
The only existing tanks I have is my little 5 gallon tank which houses my Betta. It uses an AquaClear mini and has some floating Anacharis. The other tank is my son's 10 gallon. It too uses an AquaClear and has floating Anacharis.
The new tank will use an Eheim canister.

I thought I might take the old sponges out of the AC's and float them and a buncha Anacharis in the new tank. Also, I filled a nylon knee-hi with the Substrat pro/bio balls and placed them in the 10 gallon. It looks just like a knee-hi plum full of Cocoa Puffs cereal (yummm). I figure they will be nice & ready when I put them in the canister.

So do I run the new tank for a few days with the donor bacteria before putting in the first fish?
Do I keep testing for ammonia, then nitrites and then nitrates before putting in the first fish?
Will the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates run their cycle the way they do when you cycle with household ammonia, or does it pretty much go straight to a healthy level of Nitrate?

Thank you bunches and bunches and bunches and...