# my first aquarium begins!



## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

today i went to the lfs and picked up things to start an aquarium. i know they do not compare to all your huge ass tanks and what not but its the best i can do seeing as i am poor. check my gallery out. thankey.


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## 33truballa33 (Oct 18, 2004)

hey welcome to the club.. good luck on that.. im about to start up two aquariums next month.. one for my rhom.. and one for a nice shoal of i believe 4 caribes a tern and a red belly... best of luck to u


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## 33truballa33 (Oct 18, 2004)

o yeh theres nothing in ur gallery


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

hmm gallery not work...here


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

here


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

here


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

here


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## KeemCambell (Jun 7, 2004)

how big is that tank, and welcome to the hobby







ull be spending A LOT more (to house all the p's u want) jus give it a couple months


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## Xantarc (May 25, 2004)

yea im curious on the size of that tank its looks nice cant wait till u set it up... BUT be warned once u start geting into Ps man it puts a hole in your pocket u just wanna buy everything well tahts the case for most ppl hehe but its fun and welcome !


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## joefromcanada (Apr 16, 2004)

looks good, just throw out that wisper filter and buy a emperor


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## rosal548 (Nov 1, 2003)

Xantarc said:


> yea im curious on the size of that tank its looks nice cant wait till u set it up... BUT be warned once u start geting into Ps man it puts a hole in your pocket u just wanna buy everything well tahts the case for most ppl hehe but its fun and welcome !


 what he said, once you start you cannot stop.


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## chiefkyle (May 3, 2004)

Welcome.

I see you are excited. We are excited for you as well. The fish hobby will have you spend moeny you never thought you had before.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

thanks for the kind words. yea the tank is only a 30. yea i know its small. but it looks suprisingly big to me lol.


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## 1SiKF4i (Oct 6, 2004)




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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

return everything!!!! lol order from www.bigalsonline.com

everything is much cheaper!! i would get a penguin 330 filter for a 30g and a 150w ebo jager heater

P.S- nice looking tank... you could house a small serra in there for awhile







unless you wanna do pygos and upgrade quicker


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## Phtstrat (Sep 15, 2004)

Good luck man, take a look around Tank and Equipment section to get oriented with what you should be setting it up like.


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## JAC (Jan 19, 2004)

Welcome to the hobby man, if you've got questions about setting up your tank feel free to ask, it's very important that you set it up right or you could harm your fish.


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## carisma02uk (Aug 1, 2004)

good luck and soon ul be adicted and geting more and more tanks.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

is the 100watt heater not enough watts?


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

iwantapiranha said:


> is the 100watt heater not enough watts?


 no 100w is fine for a 30g.... and i just noticed you got a visi-therm which is good quality


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## JAC (Jan 19, 2004)

shutter13 said:


> iwantapiranha said:
> 
> 
> > is the 100watt heater not enough watts?
> ...


 More than enough, I used to keep my 80gal at 82°F with a cheap 150w heater







.


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## KeemCambell (Jun 7, 2004)

nice 30g isnt a bad start, u could always get a nice serra for that bad boy, OR a small shoal,(u will need a bigger tank when they get bigger, but dont worry ull be gettin a lot more and bigger tanks the farther u fall into the hobby :nod: )


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

can i hold 2 rpb in it for a while? cause at the store they are like 2 for $25. i know you should have like a 55 to house to rpb for life but i figure it wouldn't be too bad for them for a while. my friend has 1 and it doesn't grow fast. and the store i bought the tank from said i could do a tank exchange if i ever needed a diff tank and just pay the difference or sumthin. ty


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

iwantapiranha said:


> can i hold 2 rpb in it for a while? cause at the store they are like 2 for $25. i know you should have like a 55 to house to rpb for life but i figure it wouldn't be too bad for them for a while. my friend has 1 and it doesn't grow fast. and the store i bought the tank from said i could do a tank exchange if i ever needed a diff tank and just pay the difference or sumthin. ty


 i would just get a small serra.... that way you wont have to upgrade as quickly


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

shutter13 said:


> iwantapiranha said:
> 
> 
> > can i hold 2 rpb in it for a while? cause at the store they are like 2 for $25. i know you should have like a 55 to house to rpb for life but i figure it wouldn't be too bad for them for a while. my friend has 1 and it doesn't grow fast. and the store i bought the tank from said i could do a tank exchange if i ever needed a diff tank and just pay the difference or sumthin. ty
> ...


 how do you know when they get too big for the tank????? does something happen to their behavior or what?


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Good luck with the greatest hobby in the world. Any questions on cycling a tank feel free to pm me....Jerry


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## Blitz023 (Feb 19, 2004)

get a serra first coz, pygos grow fast. I got a couple of reds dime-sized, within 4-5 months they grow up to 5 inches. you wouldnt want to upgrade that soon, plus 2 pygos in a tank is dangerous, either one wll be eaten or be beaten up heavily.


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## alan (Mar 11, 2004)

iwantapiranha said:


> thanks for the kind words. yea the tank is only a 30. yea i know its small. but it looks suprisingly big to me lol.


 how many fish are you putting in it ? any more than three and that tank will last you 2 months !!


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

iwantapiranha said:


> shutter13 said:
> 
> 
> > iwantapiranha said:
> ...


 i cant keep 2 rpbs in there for awhile? i know they might fight but theyre 2 for $25 so ima try it?


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## 1SiKF4i (Oct 6, 2004)

Go for it.... Good Luck


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

how do you know when they get too big for the tank????? does something happen to their behavior or what?


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## shutter13 (Jun 23, 2004)

iwantapiranha said:


> how do you know when they get too big for the tank????? does something happen to their behavior or what?


 not exactly.... they will just be very big for the tank and you may see that they're not as active and just chilling in one place all the time


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## Enriqo_Suavez (Mar 31, 2004)

Considering you are new to the hobby, It doesn't hurt to start small. Say with 3 (not 2!!) small pygos. But then you will have to upgrade to a bigger tank in a couple months. But at least that way you will know if you really want to stick with the hobby. That's what I would recommend.


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## KeemCambell (Jun 7, 2004)

also with 2 pygos, they will compete for food, so one will start to grow larger, it will then probably harrass the smaller one, if its already not doing that, the smaller one will be killed thru violence or outcommpeting

in whatever u choose, goodluck and welcome


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## seharebo (Jul 19, 2004)

Blitz023 said:


> get a serra first coz, pygos grow fast. I got a couple of reds dime-sized, within 4-5 months they grow up to 5 inches. you wouldnt want to upgrade that soon, plus 2 pygos in a tank is dangerous, either one wll be eaten or be beaten up heavily.


That is not always the case. My two RBPs are in great condition and they do fine. Just keep them fed. Everyone always says this, but I have ran into zero problems. I think it is a myth. Have any of you all tried having two before??? Go for two, ignore the BS.


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## Enriqo_Suavez (Mar 31, 2004)

seharebo said:


> Blitz023 said:
> 
> 
> > get a serra first coz, pygos grow fast. I got a couple of reds dime-sized, within 4-5 months they grow up to 5 inches. you wouldnt want to upgrade that soon, plus 2 pygos in a tank is dangerous, either one wll be eaten or be beaten up heavily.
> ...


 How big / How old are they? I definately ran into this problem.


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## scottyd (Oct 10, 2004)

joefromcanada said:


> looks good, just throw out that wisper filter and buy a emperor


 I have to dissaggree, Whispers are the best powerfilters there are... I have had Aquaclears, Whispers etc... Stock the Aquaclears seem to have more clear water, but modified, the WHispers are the KINGS of filters...

I have a Whisper 3, and Wisper 5, they have a large sponge in the inlet tupe... thats is how I modify them... I use bio media in between the filters in the powerfilters..
Let me tell you, I have NEVER seen anyone who has had a more crystal clear tank...
I have been using this setup for 16 years, a 55 with a Whisper 5, and 30 with a 3... the 3 finnaly started making some noise.. it's real old..
The Whisper seris powerfilters have the right inlet tube to accpet the sponge, I buy those hourglass shaped carwash sponges cheap, cut them in half, cut a whole through the center to fit snugly on the inlet tube... The most clear water you will EVER see, you can't even tell there is water in the tank.... I has has numerous African setup, with many 5-6-7 inch Africans in a 55.... no problem... NEVEr have ANY Amonia or Nitrite problems... The large size of the Wisper 5 (for a 400 gph filter) is great to pack with bio media...
I say he made a great choise..

scott


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

i set up my tank today and am currently cycling it!!! lookey lookey w/ 5 goldfish ($1.53) just about to be put in.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

next


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## chiefkyle (May 3, 2004)

iwantapiranha said:


> i set up my tank today and am currently cycling it!!! lookey lookey w/ 5 goldfish ($1.53) just about to be put in.


 I get golds for [email protected]$2. Nice tank.


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

looking good

i would put the heater down more
if its out of water it will burst


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Don't do two piranhas believe me, it will be a pain in a tank of that size. Go with one red belly, he'll be in there and happy for a long time


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

its 2 for 35$ (corrected from 25$). so i might as well try it?


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

No you shouldn't "might as well try it" because without a doubt, 100%, 0 possibility for another possible outcome they will outgrow that tank within a year. You said yourself you don't have a ton of money which is cool, but then you go on to get yourself into a situation that will result in your having to spend much more money. Keep in mind that they'll only fit in that tank maybe a year assuming you're getting babies which it appears you aren't. If you're getting a 5 inch or more piranha it won't work period. Not for a little while, not at all.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

i dont see how they will outgrow it so quickly. the tank is 3ft. at the most (wish is really rare) they can get to sumthin like 12 correct?


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## Phtstrat (Sep 15, 2004)

Get a small rhom, then you won't be upgrading for a LONG time.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

i dunno where to get a rhom in md


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## KeemCambell (Jun 7, 2004)

all i want to say is thank you for actually keepin updated on PICS,







just dont forget to update when u get ur p(s), u can get a rhom online or pretty much any serra species, u could also try the member classifieds but A LOT of people are too afraid to ship


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

iwantapiranha said:


> i dont see how they will outgrow it so quickly. the tank is 3ft. at the most (wish is really rare) they can get to sumthin like 12 correct?


 You're missing the point. They won't outgrow the tank as in "not fit within the confines of the tank" they will outgrow it as in that's not enough space for two piranhas to share without killing each other. For the last time, NO it will not work


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## blantwon (Oct 20, 2004)

i have had 2 red bellies in a 29 gallon for about six months and they have been completely happy, though i figure they only have another inch or two to grow before they get too big.


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## KrazyCrusader (Oct 26, 2004)

Hey it's great that you are getting into Paranha's too! I just started this new Hobby and I bought some of my materials. I will be going on vacation end of this week to Vega's for a week so I'm not going to start anything till I get back. I think I am going to start my cycle with a few Gold Fish like you are doing. After about 3-5 Days I will put in my plants give em a couple of days. Then put in a couple of neat Neon Tetra's or whatever and a few Plecos. After maybe another week or 2 if I'm satisfied with all the fish surviving and the water conditions along with the plants being fairly well rooted I'm going to toss a baby Rhom 1.5-2in in there with his new friends. I have a feeling as he grows he will slowly have minor disagreements with his tankmates but ohh well. I just hope that he's happy there.

I bought a Rena Filstar XP3 Canister Filter /w Rena Ceramic Rings.
55 Gallon Aquarium "All-Glass with the official All-Glass Stand
Ebo Jager 250 Watt Heater
Maxi-Jet 1200 Power Head
"Haven't bought the substrate Yet or fish or live plants, I still even need Decor







"


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

1/5 of my goldfish died. thats expected though isnt it? also, the rest most around a lot around the tank and seem restless. is that bad?


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## 204CORD (Oct 18, 2004)

man i started with 6 2-3" rbs with 30g and then i landed to this site i just smack my head and wasted my $180cad so now im just waiting for my 150g tank and its suppose to come this week and my stand is allready dont too :laugh:


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## vinniegambini (Feb 28, 2003)

Where did you end up getting your p's from?? Where did you get your tank from? Did you get a test kit for ph???


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## illnino (Mar 6, 2004)

i love visotehrm heaters, 4/5 of my tanks have one. always stay right on the dot.


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## KrazyCrusader (Oct 26, 2004)

I'm no expert but from what I read GoldFish Suck butt for cycling your tank. Most people recommend Barbs, Danios and Rasboras for cycling. Don't add too many at one time. Depending on Tank size 3 or so in the beginning and then keep adding up your fish to increase your bio-load. WHen your Amonia and Nitrates come down to zero you have enough bacteria for your current bio-load. WHen you throw your Piranha in there it will probably increase the bio-load quite a bit so your water conditions could be quirky for a bit. Might be better to throw a few more of the hardy fish in there to increase the bioload then when your Piranha meets his new friends he can tag some and then the load will even out.

KC


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## KrazyCrusader (Oct 26, 2004)

Ohh!
I forgot your Gold Fish probably died from the Amonia Poisoning. That comes from having too many fishy's too fast. The gold fish are all weird because they are all poisoned. You could do a 10% water change to keep things moving along positively or add 10 drops per gallon of tank water of AmQuel. after about a week of having your fish in there your Ammonia will be very high and you should start noticing it level off then slowly decrease. Your Nitrites should start to climb and then you will probably have your fish get all quirky again. You can do another 10% water change or add 1 teaspoon per gallon of salt. Anyway else have advice?


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## Lex (Oct 17, 2004)

isnt it 1 tbs per 5 gallons?


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

It's 1 tablespoon for the whole tank. No more than that is needed to treat/prevent nitrite poisoning.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

only that 1 goldfish has died. 4 still left and look healthy. do i still need to do anything to my tank in preparation for my rpbs? i am planning to get them this weekend.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

i got sum fake plants. whatcha think? what else should i put?


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## 33truballa33 (Oct 18, 2004)

looks nice... i might have to go with fake plants in my rhom tank cause of the fact that i dont wanna spend money on a light strip.


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## 33truballa33 (Oct 18, 2004)

as for preparing for ur rb's just make sure the water chemistry is ideal to alleviate stress on them and the risk of them croaking on you. also u may want to try dimming the lights. some people do that cuz p's dont like bright lites. i kno my rhom goes ape sh*t when the tank lights are on so i had to dim them abit. good luck with the ps tho


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## imachode (Jun 3, 2003)

maybe this is an anomoly, but a year ago i kept 2 rbp's for a frickin long time in a 20gal tank. from about 3" until they were about 5" which was 7 months or so. sometimes they chased each other around, but there were no casualties and almost no fin nips. they eventually got a bigger tank and some more friends, but they did fine.

the whole time people kept telling me that one would kill the other, but it didn't pan out like that for my pair. funny thing is eventualyl they even layed eggs.

another thing i wnated to mention, look in the classified sections (online or in print) and what not for used tanks in your area. buying used tanks and some other hardware is a great way to save money if you're on a budget.

welcome to the hobby and the board.


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## Tinkerbelle (Oct 14, 2004)

drift wood maybe?


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

how do i check if the water chemistry is ideal? also, should i do a water change before i get my ps?


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## 33truballa33 (Oct 18, 2004)

your lfs should have a test kit that you can pick up to test the ammonia level nitrite levels nitrate levels and you may want to check the pH level as well.


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## shaft (Jul 2, 2004)

Petco and Petsmart do water tests for free.


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## Phtstrat (Sep 15, 2004)

shaft said:


> Petco and Petsmart do water tests for free.


 True, but at petsmart anyways, we only do it with mediocre test strips which don't always give accurate readings. I would recommend getting liquid test kits of your own, they are far more accurate and you won't have to drive to your lfs every time you want to check your parameters.


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## killerbee (Aug 18, 2004)

yes, definately invest in a water master test kit....my kit from aquarium pharmacueticals only included nitrite, ph, amonia, kh, gh, and amonia. i had to purchase my nitrate kit seperate since it was not included. Don't buy your p's just yet, your tank probably is not cycled in the little time you have had it.

Instead purchase the test kit and test your water, and do necessary changes (on the instructions it will give you some ideas on how to fix a certain problem, or u can always ask here :nod: )

btw your tank looks alright, i don't like your color of choice for your gravel, but to each his own














oh yea, welcome to an addiction :welcome:


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## KrazyCrusader (Oct 26, 2004)

Most the the places that you look at online tell you it can take nearly a month to have your tank set up for the bioload of these type of fish. I suppose if you are willing to risk your fish toss em in







I plan on Leaving Danio's in my tank for a month before I put a $25+ Dollar fish in my tank. If I was so excited to finally have the exact fish I wanted and I waited for him and fell in love with him and then he died in a couple of days i'd probably go nuts and go on a Murderous Rampage.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

i purchased a ammonia test kit and a nitrite test kit. i am currently testing the ammonia. also i tried to buy a rafael catfish @ petco but they said i cant put in it with my goldfish and that no fish can live with goldfish. i have those goldfish to cycle. am i supposed to take them out??? i was planning to just keep em in for my ps when ready?

edit: she said that golfish produce too much ammonia or sumthin.

also i tested the ammonia and it looks to be like .25 ppm!

nitrite is 0


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## SpAzZy (Mar 30, 2004)

get some driftwood and you'll be set


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## KrazyCrusader (Oct 26, 2004)

Pet Store people don't like Gold Fish either because they are high waste producing disease bags that commonly kill all the fish in your tank. You are better off to take those Gold Fish and throw them out the window of your car when you are speeding down the freeway and get some fish that are hearty and healthy. I recommended you a couple already. Did you read up details about cycling yet? 
Read the Details about cycling from Clint. This should give you some insight to what the heck I'm talking about hee hee. I think that after reading this you will know exactly what to do. Good luck my friend

http://www.aquamaniacs.net/cyclingsafely.html


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

i read it. doin pretty much what it says except im using 4 goldfish. thanks for reply. so ur sayin i should remove golfish and replace with Barbs, Danios and Rasboras? can someone plz common on my last post more thoroughly? ty


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## KrazyCrusader (Oct 26, 2004)

I would wait till you get the P's and introduce all at once. Just make sure the Pleco is as big or bigger than the Piranha's.


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

TO REITERATE:
ammonia level yesterday=.25
nitrite=0.

Lady said nothing can live with goldfish due to ammonia and i should remove them or something.

Should remove the goldfish when i get my ps?
Can i just keep them in there and toss my ps in
Should i just remove them now?

can someone plz respond quick....


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## KrazyCrusader (Oct 26, 2004)

I would wait for an expert to respond to this one. I know that people have been successful cycling with Goldfish. WHen you first add your Piranha's they may not eat for a week. You don't want the gold fish sitting in there. You do want to keep a bio-load on the tank or else your bacteria that you do have will starve. Since you already have the Gold Fish in there you could probably leave them in there till you introduce your piranha's. Are you sure all the GoldFish are really healthy look'n?
What kind of Piranha are you going to get?

I am not looking forward to having to cycle my 75 Gallon








I might just buy some biospire LOL


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

come on experts


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## syd (Nov 6, 2004)

your tank set up look real cool. those fake plants look real as hell also. just get the piranha he will eat all the goldfish real quick.

dont put anything with it except maybe a big ass pleco or convict cichlid. this is what i have lost since i got a piranha last week

3 white skirt tetras, cherry barb, siamese algae eater, bala shark, baby parrot cichlid, zebra danio. my silver dollars are getting torn up and so is my paradise gourami. my pleco, red tail shark, and rainbow fish are all fine though


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## TripDs (Oct 11, 2004)

ty but what i need to know now is if my tank is safe to get my ps!


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