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Hello
I want to get a 9 gallon tank and will be cycling with Zebra Danio. My problem is I have been researching a lot and getting many different answers, then I found this wedsite and it is wonderful. I am getting my tank today but I many questions! First of all if I use tap water how should it be treated(I have heard so many answers, I am now confused)... should I use a water purifier or Chlorine remover ect. Please help.
Thanks
I can't wait for the answers

Congrats on the new tank, and welcome to FP
If you haven't already gotten the new tank, just know that bigger is always better. a 20 gallon would open you up to far more possibilities than a 9 gallon.
Zebra danios may be one of the best choices for cycling a tank, but theyre a bit too active for a 9 gallon, IMO. Unless you have another tank to stick them in after the cycle, I'd consider something like Platies or White Clouds instead.
And to answer your question, you can usually get a general water conditioner that will do the job for you, such as Tetra Aquasafe. It'll do everything from neutralizing chlorine to enhancing the slime coats of your fish. Just be sure that you dont get one that will neutralize ammonia, such as Kordon's Amquel, as this will throw off the cycle.

Here are some points:

- 20G better
- skip the danio, 10-20G is too small for an extra fish. Instead, get some clear pure ammonia (tea spoon) or just pee in the tank (not sure how much never tried it) if you absolutely can't find ammonia. to test if it is pure ammonia, shake it. If it foams it is no good. I got mine from walmart, Don't inhale it or get in your eyes.
- change water bi-weekly 20-50% especially if you overfeed
- I only feed once a day. if you go away for 5 days or less, feeding not required
- age water change water (4.5 Gallon mop bucket for example) at least two days, add boiling water before you use it to match the temp of the tank exactly, add 1 mg of Prime water conditioner and 1 tbs salt to the bucket, stir. Some say skip the salt.
- test kits: ph, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.
- if your tap water is 8.6 ph, then that is what you want to keep your tank at, don't try to change it you will be sorry, stock fish to match the ph of your tap, that said, fish can adjust to new ph's but it takes a long time, it is the main killer of new fish I think
- fish pee out ammonia, the filter bacteria change it into nitrite, and then to nitrate. only nitrate is not deadly.
- no soap for anything, wash with clorine or salt or ammonia or that purple stuff for new plants
- if you use anti-biotics like tea tree extract then the process of evolution will lead you to have bad germs, beware.
- plants are good
- if you get green algae on the glass, kiss your lucky star, let it be on the sides and back, if you remove it, something evil might take over instead, and you will wish for green glass algae
- when not doing a water change, but just topping up the tank to replace evaporation, add no salt --this is like rain for them, they will breed, pop-out babies, and swim around happily. The rule is: never add salt water unless removed salted water first, or it will build up.
- an underwater Fluval filter is nice and quiet compared to a noisy waterfall, and work just as good
- take it slow or you will have problems, don't buy 20 fish all at one time
- don't replace your filter sponge ever, just squeeze it out, into the dirty water after a water change. Then remove and clean the impeller with a q-tip or something, and put it back together and voila
- you need a gravel-vac/suction hose. use it to clean your gravel while sucking out water during water changes
- get an extra heater for when yours breaks down and the store is closed
- easy on the food, did I mention that?
- for your tiny tank (10-20G) do not get a pleco that grows to 10 inches!
- tiger barbs only go with tiger barbs; only one dwarf gouramies per tank; ottos die easy, cardinals are fragile, fancy guppies are weak compared to plain (feeder) guppies (you can get 3 plains, wait a while till you have 50, add a fancy male and watch his traits spread type of thing)
- 6 egg-layden ghost shrimp is a good buy, and the babies will be used to your tank and live over a year, they need java moss or place to hide
- think SMALL fish for 10-20G tank, no rainbow fish of any kind: too big and fast, no loaches, no silver dollars, no discus, 10 gallons per goldfish who are not tropical but cold water
- you can get little bags and use charcoal if you want even clearer water, but after two weeks it MUST be removed from the filter
- a new tank will be cloudy, and it takes many weeks to go away, don't try to fix it, it ain't broken

First off congrats on your tank...... if 9 gal tank is what you want than good. they are correct that a bigger tank is better, but better because it easier to maintain and you can get more fish in the tank, flat out. First thing you need to with any size tank is get a test complete freshwater test kit and not the dip strip very unreliable. Test your water to see what you have comming out of the tap, find out your Ph, if it city water than the closer you are to treatment plant the higher you Ph is, if your using well water you my already have nitrates and other readings in the water from leaching of the water into the water table. really look carefull if you in a farming area. After you know what your starting with in the way of water than you know what you need to do to it. If the Ph is were you want it for the fish you are housing, (do the research on the fish) than you will know what to get. Most cases you will just need to to dechor. the water. In my case I have to dechlor. and buff the water down, so I use seachems nutral buffer. Also check with waht you LSF store does to treat there water.. after all you will be getting the fish from them. As far as cycleing the tank in a 9 gal i would recommend the fishless cycle, if you do use fish to cycle than use that kit and test the water daily and when the nitrates get to high do a 10% WC.... if done right no fish will be lost. Most people just forget until they see dead fish and then they change the water. Do not vac the gravel, and if you have a friend with a tank see if you can get a stip of his out filter floss and put it in the your filter on you clean floss this will seed the tank. Without any seeding it should take 6 weeks to cycle the tank completely, but if you seed it I've cycled in 2 weeks.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Hi Meloismine

How is it all going so far?

The type of product you need to use depends very much on your water and the style of tank you keep. Most times a simple, no frills dechlorinator is all you need.

What sort of fish were you going to add to the tank?



For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Yeah how's it going? I'm right there with you starting up a tank.

Saint Paul, Minnesota USA 20g Freshwater Started June 10th 2008
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