New Tank Questions?
libby asked:
Does the water in my new aquarium need to sit a week before I add any fish?
Does the water in my new aquarium need to sit a week before I add any fish?
What will happen if I don’t?
If I use tap and let it sit for like a day… and then add my fish it’ll be fine..
but if I buy a purifier can i add my fish right away?
Jude
November 24, 2008 - 4:29 AM
8claws
November 26, 2008 | 9:30 PMpurifiers dont cycle any fish tanks sorry.
and the water will need to sit for a few days .
acurt76
November 29, 2008 | 3:07 AMYou can add fish in 1 day if you use a conditioner but the tank has not cycled and you will probably have high fish loss . Go with cheap hearty fish like Buenes ares tetras until the tank cycles in about 3-6 weeks . Good luck and don’t get discouraged buy new tank syndrome .
belleville.belle
November 30, 2008 | 4:06 PMYour tank needs proper bacterial blooms. To achieve this, you tank needs to cycle! Run your tank WITHOUT fish, and add some cycle according to package directions.
If you put fish in it now, they will probably die because of an imbalance in ammonia or nitrate levels. When you are at the pet store buying cycle, grab some aquarium test strips as well. These will tell you when your tank is ready for new fish. Doing it all right really is worth the wait!
Chris D
December 1, 2008 | 4:41 PMlet it sit about 5 days.
John
December 4, 2008 | 3:26 AMHi Libby, you can let a new tank sit for 10 years & it still won’t be cycled-to cycle a tank you need to add ammonia & that has to come from either fish pooping or artificially added-this is called fishless cycling & is the best way to go as using live fish invariably causes stress & often death. Typically a cycle takes around 2 months.
I would strongly recommend doing a fishless cycle [first link] & follow the advice on the second link regarding adding fish. I’m assuming you are talking Goldfish but the advice for maintenance is very similar for all types so be sure to do a ton of research on your chosen type before spending a single penny.
Kylie Anne
December 6, 2008 | 5:28 PMunless you’re getting a small tank with a hardy fish like a betta, I highly suggest you cycle the tank instead of just removing the chlorines.
letting the water sit for more than a day does nothing, after a day the chlorine has dissipated, but there may be other chemical and metals in the water that will be harmful so it’s always best use conditioner to be safe. after the day of sitting out your just have water sitting there, nothing is dissipating or anything.
cycling your tank (which many people mistakenly think is letting the filter run for a few days) is actually adding ammonia to the water to build up beneficial bacteria. these bacteria get rid of the ammonia so fish aren’t poisoned. when you add fish without cycling there can be high ammonia spike which can kill the fish… read about it here: