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12-20-2012, 08:19 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Washington State
Posts: 23
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Newbie Beginner
Hi I'm from the Pacific NW. I just started to put together a 20 gallon long aquarium. The first fish I have in there is a female betta. I just added three dalmation mollies (2-females, 1-male) yesterday.
I'm glad to be here and ready to learn new ideas to maintain and enjoy this aquarium.
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12-20-2012, 08:57 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SD
Posts: 404
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Hi, flip! Welcome to the FF! Is this your first aquarium? Be careful...it can become an addiction, fast!  Jusk ask some of the members...
__________________
20 gal; well planted
2 angelfish
4 cherrybarbs
5 cardinal tetras
1 dwarf gourami
3 oto catfish
1 bristlenose pleco
1 crown tail betta
2 rasboras
1 cory cat
a few shrimp
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12-20-2012, 09:02 AM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Washington State
Posts: 23
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Originally Posted by C. King
Hi, flip! Welcome to the FF! Is this your first aquarium? Be careful...it can become an addiction, fast! Jusk ask some of the members... |
Hi C. King,
Yes it is I am already planning to get a few more fish in the coming weeks!
Thanks,
Flip
__________________
20 Gallon Long
- 1 - Female Betta
- 3 - Dalmatian Mollies (1-Male, 2-Females)
- 5 - Silver Tip Tetras
- 3 - Dalmatian Molly Fry
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12-20-2012, 09:05 AM
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#4
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Washington State
Posts: 23
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Youtube video of my fish
__________________
20 Gallon Long
- 1 - Female Betta
- 3 - Dalmatian Mollies (1-Male, 2-Females)
- 5 - Silver Tip Tetras
- 3 - Dalmatian Molly Fry
Last edited by flip dskript; 12-20-2012 at 01:40 PM.
Reason: post video
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12-20-2012, 09:25 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SD
Posts: 404
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Nice! But before adding more fish, be sure it has cycled properly--don't want any ammonia spikes!
__________________
20 gal; well planted
2 angelfish
4 cherrybarbs
5 cardinal tetras
1 dwarf gourami
3 oto catfish
1 bristlenose pleco
1 crown tail betta
2 rasboras
1 cory cat
a few shrimp
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12-20-2012, 09:27 AM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Washington State
Posts: 23
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Originally Posted by C. King
Nice! But before adding more fish, be sure it has cycled properly--don't want any ammonia spikes!
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Ok, so what is a proper 'cycle'?
__________________
20 Gallon Long
- 1 - Female Betta
- 3 - Dalmatian Mollies (1-Male, 2-Females)
- 5 - Silver Tip Tetras
- 3 - Dalmatian Molly Fry
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12-20-2012, 09:49 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SD
Posts: 404
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When you first set up a tank, you wait a few weeks, testing the water for ammonia, ph, nitrites, nitrates. At first, nitrites will be very high--those are fish killers. But as the water matures,good bacteria grows that change the nitrites into nitrates (more acceptable to fish within certain levels). When these stay the same for a while, you have a cycled tank. With a new tank, it is important to add fish gradually, testing the water to be sure the new fish waste, etc., don't overwhelm the good bacteria and drive up the nitrites. This may take a week or so per new fish. Later, as the tank matures and grows a good stock of bacteria, it wont be so touchy. Also, never change out the filter material, without keeping some of the old floss or bioballs to retain the bacteria, or you could accidentally cause your tank to cycle again. So many beginners, not knowing this, get excited and overwhelm their tanks. These are the people who, sadly, will tell me they tried fishtanks, just can't quite succeed, because its too hard to keep the fish alive.
__________________
20 gal; well planted
2 angelfish
4 cherrybarbs
5 cardinal tetras
1 dwarf gourami
3 oto catfish
1 bristlenose pleco
1 crown tail betta
2 rasboras
1 cory cat
a few shrimp
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12-20-2012, 09:51 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: SD
Posts: 404
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oh, and you can jumpstart your nitrogen cycle, by borrowing some used filter material from a friend with a tank, and add it to your filter.
__________________
20 gal; well planted
2 angelfish
4 cherrybarbs
5 cardinal tetras
1 dwarf gourami
3 oto catfish
1 bristlenose pleco
1 crown tail betta
2 rasboras
1 cory cat
a few shrimp
Last edited by C. King; 12-20-2012 at 09:53 AM.
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12-20-2012, 11:38 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Surrey England
Posts: 549
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welcome to ff and welcome to the world of looking after you new best friends 
__________________
1 Albino Red Oscar
1 Red Tail Black Shark
1 Bristlenose Plec
1 Mega Clown Plec
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