# Aquarium restart problems



## Lissia (Sep 9, 2009)

Hi there,

I have a 20 gallon aquarium that I am just restarting again. I'm not exactly new to having an aquarium, but to be completely honest, I've had my share of problems when I've gone anywhere past fake plants and rainbow gravel LOL.

With the help of a friend, I managed to have a fairly nice set-up with some nice wood, and a lightly planted tank. Perfect. Except for after a few years, I ended up moving, the plants died, and my family tossed all things "aquarium" onto the balcony. I knew the stuff was there, but between work, school, and unpacking, I never got to setting up again.

Which brings me to my problem now. I had to get all new filters and wood. Everything else has died, minus a few surviving neons, which surprisingsinly are probably about 6 or 7 years old.

Things started off okay. I added water conditioner and gravel, and set up the filter. I'm using a Ehiem 2213, which is good for a much bigger tank. I realized there must be a small crack in one of the valves, so it has since been turned off until I get a replacement. 

But then I added the new wood. I knew it would change the water colour, which is no big problem. What I didn't expect was the smell. I mean, it's not terrible, but for a new start, I didn't think the water would smell that... fishy. I got it from a local Big Als, so I figured it would be fine. Should I have treated the wood somehow? I've purchased a bio support liquid to help get the cycle going (once I get the filter running again)... should that help the problem?

I'm not very good at this. Any help?


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## shrtmann (Feb 15, 2009)

i believe that smell has nothing to do with your wood. altho i always boil mine first before adding it ot the tank to get rid of any dirt, bacteria and get rid of the remaining tannnins in the water. Altho Big Als wood is usually already cleaned and free of bacteria and whatnot and almost all of the tannins removed.
that smell is either a dead fish decaying or just the cycle process. Sometimes it can get kind of stinky...


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Take out the driftwood for now. Until you get the filter running again, don't put it in there. Driftwood from BA does not need to be treated as I hope it's already treated (which might be the problem). All you need to do is run it against hot water for a few minutes. If you are really picky or have very expensive fish. You should just get a bucket and soak the driftwood in it for 1 week. The reason for this is because some of the driftwood from asia (maybe most) are treated with bleach. They are supposed to dissipate during shipping and sitting in the store shelf. But you never know if some might still be in the driftwood waiting to leech out and get your fish. Hence, it's safer to soak it in a bucket.
As for the smell, it's the wood rotting. All woods rot. Now you know how much the filter and water changes are doing for your tank. That's why you should take the wood out first and have the filter running for at least for a week before you put the wood back in.
You'll run into more issue later if that tank has been sitting neglected for a long time. This I don't know how to explain, but it's like a Murphys law thing. You leave it alone for a long time and nothing big happens, but once you start cleaning up and stir things up. Everything that's been building up in there will come out to get you.

Edit: I don't think you really need to cycle anything, if your tank have been sitting there filterless for so long with the neons still alive. Then that means your tank is fully cycled and the bacteria are in your gravels. You just have to run your filter and start to colonize those bacteria in your filter's media instead. I hope you didn't clean the gravels with tap water as that will surely kill off 90% of the bacteria that have been keeping your tank stable all these years. I would just run the new filter again for about 1 week before I do anything.

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## Lissia (Sep 9, 2009)

Shrtmann,

Thanks for replying so quickly. 

Actually, the fish aren't in the tank yet. I wanted to cycle it a bit before adding any (they are in a smaller temp. aquarium).

All that's in there right now is the wood, water, water conditioner, and gravel.

I did notice the dry wood had a mild smell to it when I was taking it home. I guess it's no big issue, as long as it doesn't harm anything. I thought about boiling it, but it's far too big to get in even the biggest pot I own.

Hm, it could be the gravel too. It was from the old set up, but it was washed and dried before storage, and washed again before putting it in the tank. I guess it's a possibility though.


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## Lissia (Sep 9, 2009)

Zebrapl,

Maybe that's a good idea. I'll soak it in a large bucket for a while. I'm not sure it's driftwood to be honest... it's a darker colour. I'll ask them at BA when I go back to get my valve replacement today.

I suppose I'll just do a water change to clear things up, and get the filter up and running again. Thankfully it's a new setup... I wouldn't want to do this to an established tank. 

Thanks again for the advice


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## Gypsy (Nov 14, 2009)

All the wood I've ever bought from Big Als has had to be boiled and soaked for days before the tanins have been removed to the point that I can put them in my tank. I still have one piece that, after three weeks of soaking / daily water changes was still turning the water brown. I was too scared to put it in the tank.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Mr Emoticon is saddened to hear that you would keep fish with no filter in an uncycled tank. This really is not good for your fish.
In contrast, given that you are keeping south american tetras, who live in and enjoy brown tannin stained water, the wood leaching is absolutely fine and actually benefitial to the kind of fish you have.


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