Starting Up Your New Aquarium by Dolphin Pet Village
START UP PROCEDURE:
Any aquarium should be allowed to run 12 to 24 hours before fish are introduced to insure that there in no equipment failure and the temperature is holding steady to where you set your heaters thermostat. IF USING TAP WATER, ALWAYS USE CHLORAMINE REMOVER such as Amquel with Novaqua, Aqua Plus or any water conditioner that specifically says it removes Chloramines. If you are using bottles or carbon filtered water then you can use Novaqua, or Polyaqua alone. It is not necessary to use a chloramine remover unless you are using water that contains it. Letting your water sit for a period of time will not remove chloramines.
It is advisable to use a ratio of 2 to 4 fish, depending on their size, per 10 gallons of aquarium water to cycle your new aquarium. To help speed up the cycling process there are live bacterial products that can help to cycle your aquarium more quickly. DO NOT ADD MORE FISH DURING THE CYCLING PERIOD. Only testing your water will tell you if your tank has completed cycling and you can add more fish.
If you choose to use fish only, with no addition of live bacteria, and your aquarium has been in “cycling mode” for three to four weeks, test your water for the presence of ammonia and nitrites with your test kit, or bring a water sample to the store for us to test for you. If you are a beginner aquarist, it might be good for us to test the first time for you so we can explain the test results to you.
After the tests show your nitification cycle is completed is a good time to do your first water change, and a good time to catch the cycling fish if you plan to return them. Do a 25% change, but do not disturb the gravel with this change, but you can skim the gravel surface to remove any waste and uneaten food. If your tank has algae growing on the glass, wipe it down before you do the water change. If you have cycled your tank at a higher temperature than you want your tank to be for the new fish coming in, this is a good time to lower the temperature with the cycling fish out and before the new fish are in. Be sure to ALWAYS PREMIX NEW WATER WITH CHLORAMINE REMOVER BEFORE IT IS POURED INTO THE TANK.
After you’ve returned your starter fish to exchange them for your new fish, don’t stock the aquarium with more inches of fish than you cycled with initially. Keep in mind that a 2” Giant Danios may exchange in sizes for 2-3 1” fish. Let them settle in for 5 to 7 days and then you can add more fish. Don’t add large numbers as it may cause you to have an ammonia spike and make everyone sick. Add the more delicate species after the tank has been established for a couple months more, and try to refrain from adding single fish as that single fish could be the target for the present inhabitants. More than one fish diverts attention.
