# "New" Tank



## Ajreoandoeka (Aug 11, 2005)

Finally, I have a bigger tank to work with than my little 5 gallon! It's used, but it's a close friend's old tank, and he assures me it doesn't leak (he had finsh in it until about a year ago, and water was in it until about a week ago).

It's a 29 gallon "standard" shaped tank...Just a rectangle...no funny corner designs or anything like that (though I'd have loved something like that). It came with the filter, a whisper 20-40, as well as replacement filters and carbon. Lots of decorations came with it, so I won't have to worry about that. No gravel though, so I'll have to invest in some. Some various chemicals...I'm not remembering at the moment what they are, but I'll check later. A bubble wand also came with it, so I'm going to have to read up on their proper use and placement. He tells me it also has a heater. I did not see it when I looked at the stuff in the tank, but it most likely is down underneath the other stuff. I am unsure of whether it came with a hood/light, I'll have to look closer when I get back to it. Additionally, there was a gravel vaccuum and a large container of tropical fish flakes.

I believe that's everything it came with...if there's more I'll let you know. So here are my questions: Is there anything else I majorly need? I plan on investing in a stand, and I really need to get some testing supplies, but they are extremely expensive (at least in this area) I was wondering if there is any natural/cheaper way to do it?

Also (this is a more longterm question)...I'd like to move my 2 dwarf gouramis out of the 5g (and get a couple more of them) and add some other compatable fish. "General Ug" will definitly be moving to the big tank because he will inevitably outgrow the 5g and I don't want to be cruel to him. So anyways, my question is, once the tank is ready for the move, should I do anything special to help them adjust? I assume just dropping them into the other tank wouldn't be a good idea....

Sorry for such a long post and to ask so many questions....just wanted to make sure I'm doing stuff right.


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

General Ug is going to either outgrow the 29g or become stunted. Common plecos get huge.

There are no "natural" ways of testing water. Test kits are vital. Get the ones with liquid and vials, not the test strips. You can order them online much cheaper than LFS/LPS charge.

The only chemical you need in a non-planted tank should be a good declorinator that removes chlorine and chloramines. I highly recommend Prime. There are others as well but, usage-wise, its the cheapest.


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## Ajreoandoeka (Aug 11, 2005)

Hmm...not sure what I'm going to do about the General Ug problem. He's still relatively small right now, so at least the 5 to the 29 will be an upgrade for him. I'll have to try and work something else out. 

I'll have to look around online for some good test kit sites with liquid/vials...any suggestions?

Will look next time I'm at the store for "Prime". 

Thanks for the help, Boxermom


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

This is the kit that many recommend: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4454&N=2004+113074

Drs. F&S is also having a sale on Prime, as well as a ton of other things. They're a great company, too.


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2006)

I also recommend the AP Master kit. Big Al's has it cheaper though...at the moment....click.

I also agree that General Ug will outgrow the 29g. He should get around 12 inches when full grown, if not stunted. Stunting is not a good thing. The fish's insides keep growing while the outside of their body stops....he may die before his time if this happens. I'd try to find someone with atleast a 55g tank...maybe even 75-100g tank where he will be much more comfortable.

You can build a stand yourself, usually for cheaper than you can buy one. If you know what you are doing or know someone who is good at building stuff, THIS SITE has some good plans for stands. I would make it atleast 2 inches wider and longer than needed...maybe even more.

Do you plan to plant the tank? If so, I would go ahead and get a Compact Fluorescent fixture for the tank. If you don't plan to plant it, then a regular fluorescent fixture will work. You can just get the light and get a glass top, instead of buying a full hood (which can be expensive).

I'm surprised your dwarf gouramis are getting along in a 5g. I normally wouldn't recommend keeping 2 together. I had 2 that tore each other up until the weak one died. I don't think I'd add anymore.

Do you plan to add any tetras? You could have 2 schools of tetras in the tank, plus some small bottom feeders.


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## book_em_danio (Jun 12, 2006)

Petsmart.com is very cheap. If you have a local Petsmart, they aren't so cheap, but they will match any printed Petsmart.com page price.
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441776772&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030068&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1152815966959&itemNo=0&In=Fish&N=2030068&Ne=2


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## Ajreoandoeka (Aug 11, 2005)

Here's a little bit of an update. In addition to what I mentioned above, I did find the heater when I looked this afternoon, so it has that. It also has a hood with a fluorescent bulb (sorry I know nothing about what power it is or anything...just that when I turned it on it definitly looked fluorescent. Chemicals included are Tetra AquaSafe, Wardley Ich Away, Crystal Clear, and Mardel Copper Safe. Oh, and also there is some Aquarium Salt, I'm assuming to be used for treating Ich if necessary. I do NOT plan on having a salt water tank at this point in my life.

JustOneMore20/Kristin: I'm not planning on planting the tank with live plants....maybe at a later date, but not at this point. I really wanted to get a school of glassfish for the tank, but it seems like they are impossible to find...ESPECIALLY the unpainted (which of course are the ones I want after my experience with the injected tetras.) So I'll probably end up with a school of some type of tetras. I also plan on having cories (how many would be adequate for the size of the tank???). Other than that, I'm open for suggestions on anything else, just please don't suggest any extremely strange fish, the selection here as far as fish goes is pretty poor. I will probably end up buying a stand because the only person I know who could build me one is extremely busy right now.

Boxermom and Book_em_Danio: Thank you for the sites for the test kits, those are much cheaper than the prices here, for just the kits and for many other supplies.


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2006)

Ajreoandoeka told me before that she can't get rid of the plec as I offered to take it and put it in my 55g but she said it's her boyfriends fish and he likes it. 

Congrats on the upgrade Ajreoandoeka!


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## Puffer Pita (Jun 16, 2006)

Durbkat said:


> Ajreoandoeka told me before that she can't get rid of the plec as I offered to take it and put it in my 55g but she said it's her boyfriends fish and he likes it.


I just don't understand that at all. Ajreoandoeka, have you explained to him that its going to be VERY badly stunted? I personally think its rather cruel to do that to a fish, especially when one KNOWS that's what they are doing.  Its one thing to do it out of ignorance, its another to do it out of selfishness, which is basically what it amounts to. Please try to convince your boyfriend that keeping it is going to deform it (that's not a maybe, that's a definitely) and cause its death long before it should. He really needs to be rehomed. Even a 55 is too small but its far better than his current situation.


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## Guest (Jul 13, 2006)

I even offered to hold onto it in my 55g till she got a 55g or bigger but gave the same response.


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## judya (Jan 23, 2005)

Keep the pleco for awhile. By the time he gets bigger you'll be ready for a bigger tank anyway.

How to set up the new 29 and move the fish. Put the 29 on the stand where it will stay. Put the new filter, heater, etc. in it but don't plug in yet. UNPLUG everything in the 5 gal. Catch the gouramies and catfish and put into a small clean container - bucket? with some of the water from the 5. You can throw in a plastic plant they can hide under. Then move everything from the 5 to the 29 -all the water, filters, gravel (if you're going to use the same kind), decorations, etc. Add any additional gravel, decorations, and get it decorated the way you want it. Even if the filter and decorations will be different later, you want to move it all now to keep the biological filter going. 

Fill the 29 up about 80% of the way with warm water at about the same temperature as before. Start up the BOTH old and new filters, new heater, etc. Check the temp and adjust. Once you know the 29 is ready to go, heated, then you gradually add water from the 29 to the bucket. This will get the fish acclimated to the new water that will be in the 29. Do this over several hours. Then you can move the fish to their new home. It will likely be cloudy from stuff that came from the gravel, but the filters will clear it.

Run both filters for at least a couple weeks, longer if you can. After that you can move the 5 filter back to its original tank and set the 5 back up if you want.

I would recommend using the 5 as a quarantine tank for awhile as you buy new fish for the 29. Quarantine them a couple weeks so you don't bring in disease. Once you're happy with the fish in the 29 (and still only add them gradually) then you can set the 5 back up as a second tank.


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## Ajreoandoeka (Aug 11, 2005)

Thanks for the advice, judya, that's exactly the type of thing I was looking for. You hit the nail right on the head with my future plans for the 5g....quarantine and then once the 29g is how I want it, reset up the 5g. Thank you for explaining step by step, I'm sure it doesn't seem necessary, but I like to know exactly what to do.

To those concerned about the pleco: I will work on the situation to the best of my ability...can't make any gaurantees I'll change his mind, but I will try my hardest. I completely understand what you are saying about stunting the growth, and I don't want it to happen to him.

Thank you all for your help!!


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## judya (Jan 23, 2005)

A few additional pointers - The bucket for the fish should be a fish only bucket - not a "household" bucket that seems to be clean. The water into the 29 needs to be dechlorinated as or before you put it in. Wouldn't want any chlorine to kill the good bacteria. You can do regular water changes after you move the fish into the 29, but don't do a gravel vacuum for awhile. Keep as much good bacteria in there as possible. A possible fish holder on a temporary basis is an large (empty) bottled water jug, you can cut the top off and use it like a bucket.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2006)

judya said:


> Keep the pleco for awhile. By the time he gets bigger you'll be ready for a bigger tank anyway.
> 
> How to set up the new 29 and move the fish. Put the 29 on the stand where it will stay. Put the new filter, heater, etc. in it but don't plug in yet. UNPLUG everything in the 5 gal. Catch the gouramies and catfish and put into a small clean container - bucket? with some of the water from the 5. You can throw in a plastic plant they can hide under. Then move everything from the 5 to the 29 -all the water, filters, gravel (if you're going to use the same kind), decorations, etc. Add any additional gravel, decorations, and get it decorated the way you want it. Even if the filter and decorations will be different later, you want to move it all now to keep the biological filter going.
> 
> ...


I have a quicker way that what judya said,
After you fill the 29g up with water (fill up 100% of the way) put the heater and filter in, turn the filter on, wait 15 minutes then turn the heater on. After the heater has heated the tank up to 78F add the filter from the 5g and turn it on and put the decorations and gravel in the 29g. Bag the fish (in ziplock bags or something similar) in one or two bags depending on how large the bags are and how large the pleco is (I'd put the pleco in its own bag) also fill the bags up by scooping the water out from the 5g. Net the fish into the bags and set the bags in the 29g and wait 10 minutes then open the bag(s) and scoop some water from the 29g and add it to the bag(s), wait 5 minutes and then take a net and scoop the fish out and put them in the tank. I'd also recommend keeping the light off for the first two days of them being in there as it seems to reduce stress and makes them come out from hiding more than if you added them and turned the light on. Then on the 3rd day of them being in there turn the light on and wait a few minutes and feed them (don't feed them while the light is off or they will think the tank is safer when the lights are off then when they are on and will hide or refuse the eat when the light is on and you try to feed them). Trust me I fed my fish with the light off when I first started keeping fish and they refused to eat while the light was on and would hide when I turned the light on.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2006)

I'll recommend some common schoolers, but remember the selection isn't the same for all areas, so some I mention may not be common in your area. If that makes sense.

Lemon tetras
Harlequin rasboras
Glowlights
Black neons
Neons

Those are very abundant in my area...may not be the same in yours though.

I'd stay away from Serpaes, Buenos aires, and black widow tetras as the first two are definite fin nippers and the 3rd if an iffy fin nipper. They wouldn't be very nice to your gouramis.

I'd go browse your LFS and see what type of schoolers are available to ya. Thats really the best thing to do.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2006)

Oh I'd add those fish before you add the gouramis as they are territorial and won't really tolerate new fish, well mine didn't and they terroized my black widow tetras when I had them in my long 20g.


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## judya (Jan 23, 2005)

The reason I recommended moving everything from the 5 is that the good bacteria are on every surface of a tank and decorations, not just in the filter. The filter just tends to have a concentration of them - one reason is because biowheels and filter pads and other media have a lot of surface area, air and water movement. But I figure the more bacteria moved the better. If you only move the filter you lose all the rest of the bacteria.


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## Guest (Jul 14, 2006)

I know, thats what we both said. lol


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## Ajreoandoeka (Aug 11, 2005)

Thank you all for your advice. The only thing I definitly won't move is the gravel...the decorations and the filter I should be able to move in temporarily, but I'll eventually want to put them back. I assume that will be safe to do once the tank has been set up for a good long while and has built it's own good bacteria. 

Durbkat-Thanks for the advice on adding the other fish before the gouramis, I would've made a huge mistake because I WAS planning on putting the dwarf gouramis in the new tank first....

I've been really busy lately, but when I get a chance I'll go to the LFS with my little notebook and write down a list of the schooling fish that I like and then make my decision on which ones to get from there. I really wanted unpainted
glassfish, but it's hard enough (maybe this is a good thing?) finding the painted ones around here. So I guess I'll have to go with tetras or something. I'll see next time I'm at the LFS.

To all others, thanks for the advice, too


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