Some background...
I was given a really nice 29g tank, stand, filter, heater and some gravel. Altogether a great setup for a beginner in the hobby, I'd say. The friend who gave it to me (who is actually my ex-husband... but thats a story for a my "I'm a Redneck Gurl" blog) has been keeping fish for about 12 years. We started with some Pirahna in a 20g and quickly moved them to a 55g. (Ok not we, HE... I just liked to look at the pretty fishies swimming around in the pretty water with the pretty rocks). When he tired of those he gave them to a friend and started "Africans". I assume these were Cichlids but I'm not sure. Shortly after that... well lets just say he got custody of the fish since I had not a clue what was going on in that tank outside of the yellow one chasing the blue one a lot.
Fast foward 10 years or so and the realization the fish keeper and I make better friends than... well you get it.
The Fish-Keeper and I now work together. Starting about November he began suggesting I take this 29g off his hands, singing the praises of how pretty it is all set up, how nice the stand is, how easy it is to take care of once it's established. All I can see is the $$ I remember leaving our check book back in the day.
Thanksgiving my son and drop in and take the Fish-Keeper some of my famous stuffed mushrooms and, sneaky little devil that he is, he begins his singing of praises to my 16 year old son, pointing out his 28" Arowana (sp?) now cruising lazily back and forth in his 125g, along with a couple of huge Angels and an Oscar that looks more like he belongs in a frying pan than a fishtank. He knows how to get to me. Needless to say before we leave I've agreed to take the 29g tank and my son is basking in the joy of once again getting his way.
Shortly after the Fish-Keeper sets up the 29g with water from his 125g and puts the Oscar in it, explaining to me patiently on our lunch break about the nitrogen cycle (Which he is kindly taking care of for me with the Oscar), and how he jumpstarted it with water from his own tank. I remember something about the Bio-wheel... but not much else. I soon realized I had to explain to my son why we can't go get the tank and buy fish RIGHT NOW so the kid and I together start doing some research on the net. We've actually learned quite a bit together and last night we finally got it moved over.
To save the good bacteria and not have to cycle it again we kept the old gravel and didn't rinse it, we also made sure it and the Bio-Wheel on the filter stayed wet during the move.
As I stated before it's got a nice stand, a hood and some gravel. Being the 'gotta have it my way' woman that I am, I had to hit the local Wal-Mart for some goodies. I bought some more gravel in a color that I liked and some artifical plants. I didn't like any from the pet section so I got some from the craft department. They may not look natural but neither does anything else in my tank! I have a crystal vase that I've had for years, a couple of interesting looking wine-type glasses, an old fake pearl necklace, a glass candy dish and a lot of those blue glass stones, also from the craft department at wally world.
The hood didn't have the light fixture in it but The Fish-Keeper had been using a little 12" flourescent that fit under the hood. I decided that wasn't enough light, not to mention if I want plants I have to have about 2 watts per gallon of light (I learned that in my extensive net searching!) so I invested 11 bucks in a 24". It's labeled as a "Grow light" and gives off a weird pinkish purple light instead of white. Looks pretty cool with all the glass pretties inside the tank but I'm wondering if it's safe for the fishes. I've posted at aquariumforum.com asking the experts... we'll see what they say. It also says it gives off the light of a 75w using only 18w. This would be well over my 2wpg needed for plants so I'm hoping that works. Again, waiting for the experts at aquariumforum.com to let me know on that one too!
So now I have a tank, and it looks pretty, and the light on the heater is flickering on and off, and the filter is dumping clean water laden with good bacteria back into the.... ARGH! Heater! I don't have a thermometer! *sigh* Nor do I have anything to test amonia and nitrites and trates and all those other chemical thingy's I have to keep balanced. Looks like a trip to the pet store is in my future.
Remember those dollar signs I was talking about?
