First aquarium, forum members help?

[MoreyFan]

I bought a 20g with an Aqua Clear 30, heater, and some black tetra a few days ago on a whim. I always wanted an aquarium since I was a kid.


Now I have I read about the cycle and ordered an API test kit but am still worried about cycling with my fish.

I bought a box of Fluval biomax and was wondering if anyone would trade me a few pieces of their used and established ceramic biofilter for some of my raw biomax?

[rmalford]

Hello and welcome. Swapping for established media isn't really necessary. Just some good squeezes of established sponge media from a friend would suffice.

[mnemenoi]

Or a good aquarium shop. You can also try Cycle or Seachem's Stability. Its about the same stuff and can help cycle the tank faster, just follow the directions and you should be fine. Black tetra are pretty solid fish and can handle a bit of a tough start. Welcome aboard and glad you found us. If you list what area you are in (general location in Houston) it might help in someone realizing you are close by.

[mnemenoi]

Settings, Edit Profile, Location. Great choice in filter by the way, its one of my favs and you will not be dissappointed

[Bedlamer]

...and in the meantime frequent large water changes are your friend.

[MoreyFan]

...and in the meantime frequent large water changes are your friend.

I have been doing 2-3 gallons a day. Will that increase my cycle time? Until I get my my test kit should I keep doing that amount?

Settings, Edit Profile, Location. Great choice in filter by the way, its one of my favs and you will not be dissappointed

Thanks for the forum tip. I would really like to get some cycled media.

After I read about the importance of filters I regretted not buying the Aqua Clear 50. That is why I went and bought a box of the supposedly superior fluval biomax rings and stuffed them in the filter.

[troy tucker]

Welcome to the Box!

[morpheus]

welcome to the Box! There are a lot of good people on here willing to help out in any way.

yes water changes will increase cycle time, but IMO its better to cycle with fish in the tank. as others said, black tetras are pretty hardy fish. they can take some pretty bad conditions even if you dont do as many water changes. the cycling just takes time. even with established media. just be on the lookout if the fish start to swim awkwardly, stop eating, etc. if they are active and eating then you are fine. once you get your test kit you can better keep tabs on the chemistry, but the 2-3 gal a day (10-15%) are fine and wont hurt anything. some people do a much larger percentage. its all a matter of preference and time you have.