# I soo need help ,i havent a clue!



## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

I really havent a clue what to do with freshwater tanks .
Upon discovery that i cant get the lights i want for the tank i have emptied the SW and am getting it ready for fresh water .
What is a co2 regulator ?
What is a bubble counter?
DO i need some kind of canister filter and what is it ?
My friend seems to think i can just clean it fill it and im a go ?
I dont have to cycle like with the salt water ?
Its a 30 gl and im so lost with fresh water.
Thanks
OH and i notice my friend has this dark green stuff all over her tank how would i prevent that thanks


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

> What is a co2 regulator ?
> What is a bubble counter?


It is a little early for co2 until you get the tank up cycled and running steady. The plants grow better with Co2. Good information on co2 equipment:
http://www.bestaquariumregulator.com/CO2.html#bc



> DO i need some kind of canister filter and what is it ?


Yes a canister filter or a Hang On Back (HOB) filter like* AquaClear 50 Power Filter* good for 20 - 50 U.S. Gal aquariums. Everyone has their preference when it comes to equipment like this.



> My friend seems to think i can just clean it fill it and im a go ?
> I dont have to cycle like with the salt water ?


The freshwater tank needs to be cycled. I found it is best to start off with plants and add the a few fish in about 2 weeks. The plants take up the fish wastes as nourishment and that way you are not depending entirely on the bacteria to clean wastes while cycling the tank. Also you will need gravel, sand, Eco-complete, or Flourite as a substrate for the plants.



> Its a 30 gl and im so lost with fresh water.


What type of lights and wattage are you going to use on the tank?



> Thanks


You are welcome 



> OH and i notice my friend has this dark green stuff all over her tank how would i prevent that thanks


There are ways to deal with algae. If it is on the glass then an algae scraper is needed. The type of algae needs to be determined before a remedy is considered: http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

thank you .
So today i woke to my hubby telling me my mother in law was coming to bring a freshwater tank .
Aparently she has been having problems with it and pink growing so i shall clean and scrub and set up all the equipment and test my hand for the first time in fresh water .
I am excited !
So this is an established tank with all the media so i wont need to cycle it , but i see no plants arent they needed for a freshwater tank?
thanks .
gee this is scary fresh and saltwater


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

blossom112 said:


> I am excited !


And you should be excited.  If you like gardening then you would love a planted aquarium. 
If everything is scrubbed clean then it is just like starting the nitrogen cycle all over again. Maybe clean all the gravel and aquarium then leave the filter dirty as the bacteria should still be in there. Before starting up the filter make sure the newly added aquarium water is dechlorinated as not to kill off the filter's bacteria.
The answer is yes you can have a freshwater aquarium without plants but plants are good for maintaining a healthy aquarium. They buffer a tank by using up the nitrogenous wastes, let the fish feel more at home and less stressed, and the overall natural look of the tank.
If you are interested in cycling with and starting a planted tank from scratch then this will help:
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_newtank.htm
This all hinges on the size of tank plus type and wattage of lighting. Is it still the 30 gal.?


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

The 30 gl ....we havent decided on lights yet for that . 
I was worried last night when my daughter went to bed and talked to hubby and told him there is no way we can get this thing going in the time she wants it ,so im glad my mother in law braught the 20gl today phew........
I did what you said to the 20 gl ,i dont really like the gravel blue and purple ,but she has a good filter on it which is more lol
Yes i would like to have plants in there also but not too many lol
No heater no thermoter nothing , im thinking thats why she had problems with it ,but overall the tank is perfect ,nice fancy iron stand .
The light is flor---19 watt , thats not enough for plants right ?

My friend is going to give me 3 fish im not sure what they are but i think one is a baby parrot fish , the other 2 are yellow with 2 black stripes but they are babies and orange for now .But she wants to give them to me tomorrow and i told her no i want to wait a few days and put some cycle in just in case then test for 3 to 4 days .

Thanks for your help


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

With the 19 watt fluorescent light you can grow plants in the low light category.
http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_list.php?category=1&filter_by=2
It takes around 6 to 8 weeks to normally cycle a freshwater aquarium and a lot of patience. Heater and thermometer are essential hardware for tropical fish.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

If you want plants, depending on the type, I'd switch out the substrate to a more natural looking one. Well, in any case, I'd switch to a more natural color one as it will compliment rather than out compete the plants for focus.

Also, if you're looking for a tank with only a few plants, I recommend some plants that are large and relatively slow growing (also, with your current lighting, you will only be able to keep low light plants).
If you're looking for a more full aquarium, then you may want to upgrade lights to have more access to other plants (as well as the necessary CO2 and nutrietn supplementation), but I think that might be a bit premature, since you've never done FW before.

I myself would recommend you start with lots of plants, and that is the general consensus among planted tank peoples. Also, the more plants you have the greater the 'buffer' that Calmer referred to - there are more plants to use up the nitrogenous waster (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate), but they have to be capable of using it (have a higher growth rate). Slow growers have low maintenance, but will not contribute much to quickly using up nitrogenous wastes. Fast/medium growers are what you're looking for in this case.

Overall, you'll be very satisfied with FW planted. There's nothing like a nice lush planted tank. The colors might not be as varied and bright like SW reefs, but what it lacks in vibrant colors, it more than makes up for in lush and aliveness, and the glow that planted tanks have is very relaxing.

If you're interested in plants, give me a pm. I can help you get started


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Thank you very much ........will pm you tomorrow laundry tonight .
And all this checking out freshwater i didnt really check my sw and the temp was 86 eeeeek ,so trying to cool it down now .
I was cold eariler and shut off the a/c lol.
Yes i agree with the plants and levels , with the sw its easy LR and skimmer .
I dont want a full planted tho but both tanks will have plants thats for sure.
Iwill prolly upgrade the lights but now right now ,going to get a new MH for my 20gl reef when i do that could i put the lights i have from the sw to the fw ?
they are 28 watts 50/50 , that would settle that problem if i could.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Yes, and no for the lights. It will be better that they are getting more light, but I don't know how much the blue light will help, especially since it's the red end of the spectrum that they need more. You can always get a replacement bulb for your fixture, and swap out the actinic for a full spectrum lamp. http://www.bigalsonline.ca/StoreCat...64-def-CAD-17954##0##c&query=coralife&offset=


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Is it ok to buy a used canister filter ?
I havent a clue about them but know i need one.
How often do they need to be replaced?
They are expensive eeeek.
What would you pay for a used 2215 
Which is better the 2215 or the 2026 , and why ?
Thanks
is the penguin ok or is their a better you would recommend?
thanks


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

It's a matter of personal preference; some swear by canisters for all their tanks over a certain size, while others have only HOB (hang on back) type filters, while others have a mix of the two. I myself like the Eheim classics. My 75g has two 2217, and both my 20gs have 2215s, and I have to hook up the 2213 for the 10 (soon to be a 20 long).

Canisters have the distinct advantage over HOBs in that they have a lot of space to hold media, and they do not need as much maintenance (depending on the tank they are on). Also, because the return and intake pipes are pies, they can be positioned where ever you want, where this is not an option of HOB filters.

HOB are much easier to do maintenance on but cannot hold as much media. 

You don't NEED a canister, but I would recommend one. And get one that is rated over the size of your aquarium, as it will save you maintenance, and be able to handle more wastes.

And again, some people like to run both a canister and a HOB, usually the canister for biological filtration and the HOB for mechanical filtration, but this can be avoided by getting a canister that is rated for greater than your tank.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

We plan to use both HOB and canister in my daughters tank in her room as we are looking ahead at her possibly overfeeding lol
Kids will be kids 
But the one in the living room we can watch and she wont get away with over feeding lol.
It is possible for us to get clay pots and paint them for the FW tank without poisening the tank ?
Maybe buy the pots at home depot and find a paint and baake them in the oven .We would like this to be a kid tank with many colors and pots for the plants  We are excited about this project!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Nice idea for the craft with the kids, but it probably will not work, as there is only one aquarium safe paint to my knowledge, and it is black. I am not sure if it comes in other colors, but the safety of the paint has been doubted by many.

A different option is to go to a craft center or similar place and glaze ceramic pots, and have them fire them for you. The glazes they use are generally all food safe, so you can have a nice ceramic pot for the aquarium or to use elsewhere.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

yes , their is one on danforth ave , we have been there .
I shall make appointment for us to go all next week .
I was woundering if the glaze would be ok .
Thanks for the help !!!!!
I will surprise my daughter with it next week


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Yep, if I had kids, it would be the perfect weekend thing to do


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

more questions.....
Lighting .
is this good pick?
http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA...urrentusanovaextreme302x24wt510000kfreshwater
not enough wattage per gl ? i think

For the 40 gl .
Yes i know i will need the co2 thingy and am going to look into that at the same time .
I like this one as it is black , and do you think i can just set it on the tank top ?

We like very much the canister ,and will probably get the same for the 20 gl ,would that be ok or is it overkill?

As well as this lighting for the 20 gl

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA...urrentusanovaextreme242x24wt510000kfreshwater

Do we need a higher light output for growing plants ,or is this ok?
2.4 watts per gl

How many watts per gal am i looking for in a good planted tank ?
Thanks


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Both good fixrtures from what I've heard, but keep in mind that when you get to a certain amount of light over a tank, fertilization and CO2 supplementation will be required in order to maintain healthy plant growth.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Im checking out co2 systems and which would be the easiest and best to get .
Red Sea CO2 Pro System Deluxe w/Solenoid, is this ok ?

And where do you get paintball CO2 cylinder?

Thanks


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## Shattered (Feb 13, 2008)

Just to add a different way of growing plants; have you read about the Natural planted tank?

Low-lighting, no ferts or CO2 and most time no filtration? I am trying this method soon. The best reason of all, less time with your hands in the tank or mucking around with all the equipment.

Here is a quick writeup on the Natural Planted: Natural planted Tank FAQ

-------- As for Fish ----

Not sure if anyone answered this one but the fish your friends wanted to give you may grow to be to big for your tanks.

A good tip is to always do a research before adding fish, it will save you lots of headaches in the future.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Today we went to BA and got 3 guppies for my daughter (she is happy)
And she got 4 dwarf frogs lol
i got a clown pleco (just a starter)
and the strangest looking thing banjo cat
Really not a good selection for peacefull fish there.
But i think this is enough to keep her happy for now .
Not sure how long the frogs will last tho ,only 1 has come up for air so far.


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Make sure you give the pleco some wood to chew on, and prepared for a lot of 'saw dust'  They are in the panaque family, and they eat wood as part of their diet. It's best to have some in there to chew on, and you have lots of it!

Watch out for the banjo cat. It may make a snack of some of the smaller fish you might get. Also, they are famous for disappearing into the substrate for a long time. You may never see it again, but it's probably not dead 

As for guppies, fun to watch and a great starter fish, I'm sure she'll love seeing them grow up and have lots and lots and lots and lots of babies. Maybe you'll want to keep the Banjo with them


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Not an ideal pleco but he is my practice one .
But i have thaught a lot about the pleco and came to the conclusion if i can keep SW then the pluco should be a peice of cake !!!!!
I actually like the banjo (cheap but unusual) and he is out and about now with lights out.
We have decided to keep the guppies in the 5 gl as julie wants that as a tank too,but will seperate the male if they breed too much as it shortens their life.
may stick 2 frogs in there too.
I havent fully decided yet about the fish my friend gave me yet but with 2 5 gl a 20 gl and the 40gl she has room lol
So far everyone is getting along!
We were thinking on getting a beta but my friend said dont it will die ,but she wants one of them too so we will see.
Yip lots of wood ........ready for lots pleco's lol


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

Well vacation time save the deals for me  see you in 2 weeks!
D


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

ameekplec. said:


> It's a matter of personal preference; some swear by canisters for all their tanks over a certain size, while others have only HOB (hang on back) type filters, while others have a mix of the two. I myself like the Eheim classics. My 75g has two 2217, and both my 20gs have 2215s, and I have to hook up the 2213 for the 10 (soon to be a 20 long).
> 
> Canisters have the distinct advantage over HOBs in that they have a lot of space to hold media, and they do not need as much maintenance (depending on the tank they are on). Also, because the return and intake pipes are pies, they can be positioned where ever you want, where this is not an option of HOB filters.
> 
> ...


I know you like it that way, but I think 2215 in 20Gal is *way* overkill, especially when they are *super heavily* planted 

I found maintenance of 2215 too costly - impeller and shaft set is $45+ !!

On the other hand 2213's impeller and shaft set is only(!) ~$26


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

On the contrary, I find the 2215 to be quite adequate for the planted tank, as it creates good movement. Also, I have modified the spray bars to be a larger diameter hole, so the pressure that the water is flowing out with is greatly reduced, without sacrificing flow rate.
Also, in terms of maintenance, it may be more for parts/media, but the convenience of having a much larger filter is well worth it. Besides, impellers need replacing very infrequently (years apart), so it's really not that big of a deal.


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