New tank

Howsit everyone, I am very new to fish tanks and am absolutely finding my way.

I have 2 existing tanks in my house. My son has a 2ft tank with a pleci- um something to eat algae, 2 goldfish, and a siamese fighter.

My daughters have a 1 foot tank with Guppies, neon tertra and 3 other fish I cannot remember the name.

My wife and I then decided to start a 1225 x 450 x 450mm tank. A friend of ours gave us a tank with his old powerhead,air pump and heater. It was previously used as a marine tank. I boiled and rinsed the gravel, cleaned the inside and outside of the tank itself with clean water. I then put the gravel into the tank and added water and anti-chlor.

My problem is as follows, the water after 2 days is still not clear. I bought a filter for the powerhead, and bought a second powerhead filter (1000l/hr) to make sure I have enough filters.

My question is really have I left anything out, what do I still need, should I be concerned about the water?

 

Hey end welcome Richard

First I think the pleco is going to need warmer water that that of the goldfish. And neons should be in a school of at least 6 and a bigger tank..
As for your bigger tank i would rather go and buy pool filter sand for the substrate. its R80 for 50kg at builders.
And your tank would have to cycle for a while week or more. the cloudiness will go away. here is a thread on how to do the cycle.
http://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/showthread.php?t=245&highlight=cycle+solex

And don't worry we all make mistakes. People here will teach you allot.

 

Thanks a million, so should I take the gravel out then? How big a tank will the Neons need?

 

alot of other people use gravel franna,why should he take it out? He did boil it and i am hoping richard thoroughly rinsed the gravel..

sorry,my bad franna,you said that YOU would rather use a fine substrate..

 

Well I need all the advice I can get. I am nervous about the gravel, I did rinse it thoroughly. The water is murky though.

 

Im just scared that there's too much salt in the gravel because it was used in a marine aquarium . don't know if boiling would take that out.
There is a formula for fish/space but i can't remember it.
2 litre per cm of fish (excluding the caudal fin) or something

 

if boiled for a long enough period then i am sure the salt would be eliminated..as for the murkyness you could try nutrafin to clear the water but i think your tank has an ammonia spike,initial stage of the cycle and should clear up..how long have you had the filters on for?

 

I am also worried about the whole salt thing. The other tanks were very easy to set up, this one is stressing me out.

First filter went in yesterday, and the new one this evening....

I boiled the stones for a good 45min or so???? Got scared they might explode or something LOL.

 

i have seen tanks with sea sand,the people boiled the sand thoroughly and rinsed it thoroughly,the fish look very healthy..but if you are stressing about it richard then i would remove it as franna suggested

 

I will give it a couple of days... I am not going to stress too much yet, I put in 3 plants so will see what unfolds only going to put fish in once it clears up.

 

Richard,

I think the sand could be the problem, but you coul also have other problems. Could you post a pic if possible? What type of sand is it? Do Marine tanks not use special gravel to buffer the water at all?

I would recommend you get silica sand (pool filter sand) from Builder's warehouse, as Franna has suggested. It's completely inert, so will not effect the chemistry of the water as all... the only downside to it is that is needs to be rinsed, rerinsed, and when you think you about done rinsing, you take a beer break, and start again!

Silica sand works great for plants to anchor their roots in, and if you follow Prof. Dirk's method on using Palm FIber Peat as a substrate UNDER the gravel, you will have many years of great fertilizer for the plants. (If you go the planted tank route.) The silica sand is also a lot finer, and will be more friendly for any bottom feeding fish you might, (and more than likely will) get.

Can you tell us what is actually IN the filter? Some people might think that 1000l/p/h for that size tank is a little too little, so make sure you don't over stock the tank.

Another thing you could try is putting Activated Charcoal into the tank's filter. This works as a great "polisher" of the water. Also put lots of filter floss into the first chamber of the tank to grab any larger pieces that float through.

I would also recommend you get a product calle Seachem Stability, or Nutrifin Cycle. Both these products contain beneficial bachteria that will populate the filter and "speed up" the cycling process.

I would also, as Franna has so perfectly put it, HIGHLY recommend you read through the thread on cycling a tank, familiarize yourself with what is happening, and if possible, get yourself a good test kit to test pH, Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. This way you can see what is happening in the water.

 

Ok well here goes.

I have 2 1000l\hr filters. One has a sponge in it which I am told is good by my LPS, and the second has a green mesh type thing and 'bio balls'.

My tank does have a seperate chamber but I have no idea what it is for.

I have put 3 live plants in the tank.

The gravel looks no different to whats in the other tanks.

 

The spare chamber might be a built in sump/bio filter. If it is then your in luck. they work very well if set up correctly. can you post a pic?

 

Ok... so now we getting somewhere.You have enough filtration going, but I would do the following to better it...

The filter with only the sponge in is acting as your mechanical filtration. Cut the sponge in half, and put filter floss in that one as well. If you can fit some ceramic rings in there as well, that will act as a bio-filter. (Biological bacteria grow on the ceramic rings)

The other filter... add floss (where the water enters.) Keep the bio-balls as these are also for biological filtration. And put some activated charcoal in there somewhere too. That SHOULD help you out.

The empty chamber in the tank is actually for filtering. If this is set up properly, you actually will not need the 2 internal filters at all. Give us a pic, and someone can explain to you how to set it up. I've never had one like that, so the advise I give there would be dangerous

 

I hope this makes sense. There is also a pipe fitting at the bottom of this compartment leeding out the side of the tank.

 

Hmmm... ok.. that's an overflow chamber to install a sump at the bottom of your tank. Unless you want to buy a sump and set it up, you should keep the internal filters for now. Eventually you will understand how a sump works and will go that route... it is, in my opinion, the best filters!

 

Another view.

 

Is the other filter the same as the one you just posted? I think we have found the problem... just need to clarify...

 

Thanks Zoom, I will do the changes you advise, I will go on Saturday and get the extra bits and pieces. Do you know how much ceramic rings cost?

What would happen if I took half the bio balls out and filled the filter with charcoal?



Filter 2

 

Hello Richard,I am from durban and depending where you are I can make a turn and help you out..the offer is there.