# used aquarium questions



## DocHoliday (May 29, 2011)

i found a 55gl aquarium and stand,gravel,fake plants,watere filter,and air pump on cl for $150.the guy said it has no leaks and he'll keep it filled for example tomorrow when i pick it up..
this raises a some questions.

1how do i sanitize the tank 10/90 bleach to water mix?
2could i use the used filter,gravel,plants and decor if so how do i sanitize em?


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Ask about disease. Assure you will buy either way, but ask what happened to his fish. How long has it been dry? All the way dry kills a bunch of stuff. 

I have used used stuff w/o washing, esp. if you take the fish. But i have also trashed my own gravel, run decor through the dishwasher and bleached tanks and filters when I've had a disease.


----------



## DocHoliday (May 29, 2011)

thanks buddy i hope you dont feel betrayed,i just wanted to see if there is anyone that answers on here besides you and hansolo.
i dont think its been dry,he just moved his fish and is leaving half the water in the tank.he also said i could take the fish that were in it,then i told him it was for a convict and he said it wouldnt be a good mix,in the pic he had lots of lil fish in it.hes also selling a 30gl hexagon that has 2angelfish in it.
ill ask about disease and assure id still buy.
so if this guy seems honest about no disease and such itd be safe to use it all with out an ocd cleaning,filter,gravel and all?


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

It doesn't hurt to rinse stuff. Gunk, poo, dead algae, uneaten food, all will slowly rot and pollute the tank. But a nice dirty filter and gravel could be answer to your 'cycling' issues. Hopefully, it will kick in a have the tank back to 'cycled' in a couple days. IMO, getting cycled from an established filter is worth the risk of disease. A single tank that has been set up for months with no sickness is way safer than anything live from a store.

I wish a few more people would weigh in. Esp. about the fish swimming oddly. I really don't know what to tell you. Can you post a cell phone vid?


----------



## DocHoliday (May 29, 2011)

seriously emc7,it would be nice to have others $0.02. everyother site im registered to for reptiles and inverts has tons of people that are trying to help. i think they should call this site Emc7.hahaha

when i get the tank to day ill do a good hot water rinse on the aquarium itself.scrape anything that looks gross in the aquarium and on the visual side of the powerfilter and other decor but i wont go ocd on the filter,plants and gravel..

ill try to get a video to put up.thats a lil hard though,hel "hang"out with just me looking in his aquarium but as soon as i bring a camera or anybody or anything next to his tank that doesnt look like his food he hides.

heres a pic i managed to get of him yesterday.dont worry those blinds are kept shut so the sunlight doesnt effect his water temps and i have a hardback book behind his background to prevent any warmth that might travel through.








ill still try to get a vid.

that tilt he has is always there its not just the angle or how he was at that moment.


----------



## DocHoliday (May 29, 2011)

hmmmm.so today hes doing alot better since i took the wheat out of his diet.i didnt have peas but i had green beans.i warmed em up in the micro,squeezed the beans out,squeezed the skin off the actual bean,split em in half then cut em in half..it appears hes getting better and less tilty twitchy..

do you think i should fishless cycle the new tank and keep an eye on doc in his 10gl or move altogether after the temps and ph balance out?


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I would just move him and all his filters over (in addition to the new tank's filters). He's not doing so well in the 10. Try a different food or even fast him a few days. Ammonia is evil.

However, I'm a bit torn. Moving the 10's filters could move your problems if they are full of 'the wrong bacteria' and fish-less cycle in the big tank might fix it. Maybe watch the new tank for 2 days. If its going to bounce back from the move it should go to 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites fairly quickly.

Letting a big tank sit empty for weeks while you have fish in small tanks, though, has never made any sense to me.


----------



## DocHoliday (May 29, 2011)

alright ill set up the tank and watch the water for a few days. meanwhile ill keep up with the 10. oh i talked to the store that sold me the nitromax (Oceans Floor).they assured me they use nitromax in all there tanks to jumpstart the cycling but agreed the 10gl is the problem.Docs ammonia output is rediculous for a 10 and i should do a fishless cycle and add Doc when he gets better to withstand the stress of the "big"change. i agree with you on it not making sense on having a big tank empty for a few weeks while i have a fish in a small tank.not to mention the small tank isnt even established.


----------



## chronoboy (Jan 17, 2011)

you can try a fish cycle, by throwing some goldfish in there with some tetrastart to jump start the cycle? I have done this and within a week my water levels are pretty stable, i still get a spike here and their but nothing a minor water change cant fix.


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

if he's gonna fish cycle, he should do it with the fish he has. It can't be any worse than in the 10. 

Don't cycle with 'feeder fish'. They are even more likely to bring home a disease than other store fish. Usually I say go fishless or use the hardiest of your stocklist and go slow.

i say try the big tank without the nitromax. I'm not impressed with your results to date. 

The 10's 'cycle' seems stuck and I hope the used tank will just 'mini-cycle' and go. But i don't know.


----------



## chronoboy (Jan 17, 2011)

i use feeder goldfish to cycle only cause my buddies goldfish are always popping out babies and he is always giving them away to the petstore, so I just snagg a few whenever I need them, he seems to keep healthy fish so i have no problems with putting them in my tank, but i would never use ones from like wal-mart or somthing.


----------



## DocHoliday (May 29, 2011)

thanks chrono for joining us.
well the guy i just got the tank from had it up and running when i went in there.his fish were in there. i got everything for 150 except his 100 gallon power filter which is another 50.but ill be back for it next week.the filter it came with was a 75gl,air pump with backstop thingy,gravel plants decor,stand,the whole works.he also gave me some other fish he thought would work with a convict in a 55gl.he used to breed fish and is familiar with convicts.he said i might want another tank when i do get another convict and their gonna breed cause i might wake up with everything torn up.everything is tip top shape,i dont even have to clean the top.he selling all his fish stuff because hes moving to hawaii and cant take em with him.


----------



## DocHoliday (May 29, 2011)

im starting the tank off with a pleco.
the tank came with a gourami,some tetra,and two lil scum suckers.look like little gold fish plecos.he said his glass fish and angel fish would just be demolished with my convict and kept them.
do those fish seem like good tankmates for a convict?


----------



## DocHoliday (May 29, 2011)

to be exact the air pump is a tetra whisper and filter is a marineland penguin biowheel.
i did get the glass fish it was the dwarf gourami he kept,angelfish and some others. 
the gourami i got is a blue gourami.ill get the specific names later today as he said if i have any questions or need help or anything call him. he loved these fish and glad they came to a good home.i told him of the convicts problem and he said hes probably just stressed from all the water changes ive been doing to keep up the 10gls parameters,or he developed some kind of uti or something from this convicts previous owner or hes grown while in my care more and is finally feeling claustrophobic,or all that combined. he said the convict will benefit greatly from getting him into the 55gl soon and also gave me some freshwater salt to aid.
sound good?
is there a problem with putting in so many fish into new water where the good bacteria is established in it?will those bacteria live through the journey home(15min drive without water)?
there was 17 healthy fish total in the tank before i brought it home.


----------



## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Yes, the bacteria will survive 15 minutes out of water. Heck, they'd survive 15 hours out of water.


----------



## DocHoliday (May 29, 2011)

sweet!
the tank came with bacteria!
now for the addition of the seemingly ailed convict?


----------

