New Tank

[Totenkampf]

Correct, it does take some time to colonize beneficial bacteria a few weeks minimum.

What you could do though is find someone close by and help them clean their filters and score some dirty filter padding.

+1 to dirty filter pads or even the (yuck) squeezings from some.

[Chris.d514]

Not sure yet I am getting the tank and hood from another member here and don't know yet what it has.

[eklikewhoa]

Well if you can find someone nearby once you get it going it will really be beneficial to you and your tank

[Chris.d514]

Lookslater andMnemenoi said that they should have something that I could get this weekend.

[eklikewhoa]

There you go!

I would get it from their cichlid tank or the fahaka tank since there's a good bio-load there.

[Chris.d514]

I just asked and the hood is just a standard hood. Looks like the one that came in the kit for my 14 gallon. If that helps at all.

[mnemenoi]

It does certainly give you a starting point, lighting can be complicated and there are 100 different ways to get the same effect. Without going into crazy details, spectrum can be important and that is usually on your bulb (1000-10,000K) Intensity can as well given in watts (i.e. 15watts). There are a variety of other factors, but suffice it to say you have a standard fluorescent? (it would way rock if you had incandescent...as they are easy upgrades..) Most can support low light plants and we can take it from there. You can always upgrade later, especially when someone on here is looking to get rid of an older fixture. By that time you'll have your feet wet and will have a far better understanding of what you want and why. Looking over planted tank lighting explanations can help and ask away if you don't fully grasp the reasons why. Here is a decent start for understanding

[holly.d514]

I went after work and bought the breeder net for out Zebra who is pregnant. I'm sure Chris has mention this to you. He is at school so he can't ask, but I went and put the prego in the breeder box and she seemed scared, so I took the big male and put him in there. Is this ok or should I take him out? Doesn't he have to fertilize the eggs once she lays them. I'm so lost when it comes to this. Thanks!

[mnemenoi]

I'd honestly let them be for their first run, if that is what is going on. Once you determine its a pair then you can decide what you wish to do about future breeding attempts.

[Chris.d514]

For future attempts would you place both in the box or how does that work?

[eklikewhoa]

Honestly I wouldn't have bothered trying to put them in a breeder, danios are egg scatters so unless you have mops or a patch of fine grass the eggs would get eaten and having them in a breeder won't make much difference as far fry survival.

[holly.d514]

So if they are scattered does that mean we won't have any babies bc they will eat them?

[mnemenoi]

Yes, they'll scatter eggs everywhere. Most successful breeders utilize a breeding tank with clear glass marbles all over the bottom and eventually remove the parents. It can be complicated, but it yield the best results. Otherwise simply having a densely planted tank can provide enough refuge for some fry to survive. Usually the initial few times is unsuccessful with newer parents, so I'd simply watch and see if that is what their behavior is indicating.

[holly.d514]

Hmm..I will have to talk to Chris and see about the marbles....I really want babies lol. Thanks Roy!

[Chris.d514]

So with mine and my wife's tank I have been thinking, since we have the ram and corys, of doing a south american tank. Any suggestions on what would be some good tank mates for a pair of rams and hopefully 4-5 corys?