need help on setting up tank (newbie)

[stevieo]

i used to have a few smaller aquariums back when i was younger never really had to take care of a big tank. my parents moved into a bigger house, bought a 90 gallon tank i think it was, for the basement bar. i tried to start it up and eventually my fish died. after that i haven't touched the tank in about 3-4 years.

i want to get started again and i have a few questions for you aquarium pros (unless you guys can point me to somewhere else to ask questions) I'm gonna be going for fresh water fish, I dont think i have the knowledge or time to raise/take care of a salt water one. (Only heard that the salt water ones require more attention and time)

is it okay to have the tank near floor level? i don't have a stand for it, my parents had a cutout made into the bar for the fish tank to sit in.

there was some water left in the tank after i took out all the dead fish and cleaned it, but when i did my final rinse i didn't take out all the water. now i haev like dried up water stains around the tank. can I just use some sort of cleaner to clean it and then rinse it out a few times to be able to reuse the tank? or would it be "harmful" for the fish in the future?

i haven't done this in a while, but what kind of equipment/things would I need to keep the tank running fine/clean? and those decorations people put in (fake/real plants, rocks, little structures and such) do they have to be "aquarium" safe? or can i use any kind of rocks/decorations?

i also heard that you can't fill up the fish tank with water from the yard or use garden hoses to transfer water into the tank, is that right?

thanks guys

(i was directed to this forum from a few people on other forums.)

Edited March 27, 2009 by stevieo

[Qattarra]

Welcome back to the fishworld .

To remove any water stains (usually calcium/lime) I use a product called Neutralizer, you can buy it. You could also use vinegar and green scrubby pads. Rinse well.

If that tank hasn't held water in some time, check the silicone seals for lose areas. If there are some you may need to reseal it . If all is good, start to fill it but only a 1/3 at a time per day even so you can find out early if you have any leaks. I use a garden hose/attachment from my kitchen sink to fill my tanks. You can easily control the temp. For filters you could run two large Aquaclears such as the 70s, or a large canister. Ideally two filters is better as you get enough filtration and a built in back up if one stops. For such a big tank a heater at either end should balance your temps and again provide a backup. How warm is the basement?

Do you have plenty of light? What kinds of fish do you plan on getting? These factors will help determine if live or plastic plants are better.

A place like Burnco is great for getting rocks for your tank. Aquagiant has loads of wood but be prepared to use a pressure washer to clean it (car was is good). Playsand makes for good substrate.

I would strongly suggest using the "fishless cycle" method . This is daily stuff so if you can't do this daily I guess you'll have to stress a few fish( I recommend convicts as they are pretty tough).

You could also use dirty filter media from a good clean disease free tank filter to kick start your nitrogen cycle. If you go with live plants you can very heavily plant up your tank and add the fish too as the plants will help things along but keep a close eye on things until all is settled.

[stevieo]

Welcome back to the fishworld .

To remove any water stains (usually calcium/lime) I use a product called Neutralizer, you can buy it. You could also use vinegar and green scrubby pads. Rinse well.

If that tank hasn't held water in some time, check the silicone seals for lose areas. If there are some you may need to reseal it . If all is good, start to fill it but only a 1/3 at a time per day even so you can find out early if you have any leaks. I use a garden hose/attachment from my kitchen sink to fill my tanks. You can easily control the temp. For filters you could run two large Aquaclears such as the 70s, or a large canister. Ideally two filters is better as you get enough filtration and a built in back up if one stops. For such a big tank a heater at either end should balance your temps and again provide a backup. How warm is the basement?

Do you have plenty of light? What kinds of fish do you plan on getting? These factors will help determine if live or plastic plants are better.

A place like Burnco is great for getting rocks for your tank. Aquagiant has loads of wood but be prepared to use a pressure washer to clean it (car was is good). Playsand makes for good substrate.

I would strongly suggest using the "fishless cycle" method . This is daily stuff so if you can't do this daily I guess you'll have to stress a few fish( I recommend convicts as they are pretty tough).

You could also use dirty filter media from a good clean disease free tank filter to kick start your nitrogen cycle. If you go with live plants you can very heavily plant up your tank and add the fish too as the plants will help things along but keep a close eye on things until all is settled.

Hey Thanks for the reply.

i will do that and give it a good cleaning tonight or tomorrow. i will probably go check out some filters tomorrow, we have one right now, I dunno the brand name but its pretty big. and a heater, only one, i guess i will go pick up another one.

basement gets some light, nothing like upstairs, i only have a few windows in the basement. mm for fish i'd probably wanna start with something that has more stability i guess, just until i can really become more knowledgeable to get the more expensive fish. oh i will have time daily to check on them and feed them and all, just that im out of the house for 10 or so hours of the day so i wont be able to keep my eye on it the whole time.

burnco and aquagiant, are they in calgary?

thanks again!

[Qattarra]

Any industrial rock supply has great selection esp. with spring, all their supplies are starting to come in . I think there's a Burnco in Calgary not sure about Aquagiant.

How much lighting on the tank itself? If it's the light fixture that came with the tank you may need to upgrade if you want to keep live plants. Read through the fishless cycle process and make sure you can commit to it, it is the best way to go IMO. Safeway brand pure ammonia in the cleaning section is good for this purpose.

[Blue Ram]

Since it looks like you are in Calgary, you might want to check out the Calgary Aquarium Society auction on Sunday - see other posts here - very good auction for starting up a tank on a budget.