When you start up a filter, always make sure it has water inside. Without the water, you can burn up your motor. Just pour a little bit of water into the filter and then plug it in.
Otherwise, that sounds great. But in the future when you are taking out water for water changes I would dechlorinate the water before you add it to the the tank as the chlorine kills the good bacteria. In this tank you are going to want a strong cycle, so you should try to keep as much of the good bacteria alive as possible.
I realized that the water dechlorinator I had was for bettas and small tanks only, so I just picked up some PRIME at PetSmart, as well as the correct inserts for my filter. Which, by the way, on the box of my filter, it says it's for 10-30 gallons yay!
It's a bit much, but just this once it won't hurt. Prime is so strong you really only need a few drops per gallon. I did the math and it's roughly .3mL needed per gallon. If you can find something that measures 1 mL that will be just fine for your 10 gal tank.
Thank you! Wow it must be powerful. The stuff I bought for my betta requires a teaspoon so I was like "Whaaaat?"
Alright, checklist time.
- All washed and decorated
- Water has been in it and sitting since 11 this morning
- Just now put in filter with filter insert (I think this filter requires a sponge to go in front of the insert - should it be okay without one for now)
- Put in Prime
Anything I'm missing? When should I put these little guys in? Also, when should I start testing the water quality?
Thanks for all your help so far, Koimaiden! Couldn't have done it without you :D
Do you have a thermometer? It's not really required since you shouldn't be heating the tank, but it's always a nice gauge to have. Also did you pick up a water testing kit?
I'm more than happy to help. Goldfish and koi are some of my main passions in life. Helping others enjoy big, healthy, long-lived fish gives me great pleasure.
Drops are the best! PH doesn't matter as much as ammonia, nitrIte, and nitrAte right now. The first two because they are toxic to fish, and the last because a spike indicates your cycle is nearing the end. It is also good to test your tap water as a baseline. That way if you get a nitrAte reading of 30ppm the first time, we'll know where it came from.
A well-cared for goldfish will easily live 15 years. You'll have those little guys with you for a long time!
I did some research on here before getting them and found that the drops worked best, so that's why I snagged them! I also learned that Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrite were the most important, so I made sure these drops tested for those!
Should I test the tank right now while it doesn't have any fish in it? Or just test my tap water? I guess with the dechlorinater in the already, it doesn't help much hahaha.
Other than that, I'm thinking of putting them in tonight. I'm so nervous and excited at the same time hahaha.
I would actually test the water straight from the tap. At least that's what I do. I don't know how that large dose of Prime would affect it.
As for when to add them, I think you'll be good to add them now (if you plan to stay up a little longer and make sure everything is okay). You're doing a fish-in cycle, so you don't have to wait for your parameters to be good. They should already be acclimated to your local water supply. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you are good to go. You can add them.
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