Advise Required for New Starter.

[Ciprian]

Hi There,
I Just got a Fluval Vicenza 260 Fish Tank,and I would Like to make a setup init for Discus,I like to ask for your profesional opinion on how to get started? How's best to cycle the Tank?Basicly allthe way from the start,
The dimensions of the tank are as follow:
260 litre
121x46x64
Fluval 405 External Canister filter
Im Planing to add a Spray Bar as well for more oxigen(if that's a good idea)?
I like to have 5-6 discus & few Tetra Neons.+Plants
Thanks in advance for all replyes,Im so happy I have found this Website,
Thank You! :?:

[valkyrie]

Welcome Ciprian,

There is a great sticky in the (Food, Nutritian and Water chemistry section) that will give you all the info you need to do a fishless cycle.

Cheers

[Ciprian]

Thanks Valkyrie, I'm doing resarch for about 3 Days now and so far this is the best forum on the Web,
I started to get a litle confused after reading so many diferent opinions, but I'm sure here I will find all the info i need,
You Guys are owsame.
Thanks again.

[spyderpig]

Welcome Ciprian,

If you are going for planted tank I don't think you would need to add more oxigen. In nature the dissolved oxigen in the water rarely go over 20ppm(parts per million), so that is verry little! your plants should provide enough. Choose your plants carefully, take the real aquatic plants or you will end up having dead plants in your tank after 2 weeks.
As for the tetra neons, they don't do as good as the cardinals with high temperature. Some said the cardinals are very sensitive, yes to a new environment(stress with change). Once they have settled in your tank for a week, they become pretty hardy. Feed them well with frozen food, they will make your tank stunning.

[Ciprian]

Thanks Spiderpig,
Iwill take your advice,this week my tank should arive ,
I cant wait for it,and then I will have to be patient for a long while anyway, until i finish circulating the tank,
Thanks.

[ILLUSN]

I run a few planted tanks, you'll need an airstone at night (minimum), i use one 24/7. its the surface turbulance that allows gas exchange, spray bars dont really generate all that much.

if your going a planted tank cycling is easy.
DENSLEY plant the tank from the start (cover at least 70% of the tank foot print with plants) use LOTS of fast growers. let it run for a week. then add in your algae eaters, let it run for 2 weeks, add in your tetras, let it run for 2 weeks.

by then it should be safe to add your discus, if your adding 6 add them in 2 lots of 3 if possible a week apart. if not add all 6, by now your plants should be going crazy and will take up any ammonia or no2 your fish produce, also within 2 weeks (8 weeks from start up) of this your filter will be on full steam and will be more then capable of looking after your discus (and due for its first clean LOL)

[Ciprian]

Thanks Illlusn,
I will have a airstone anyway for decoration and for the good is doing, I was thinking of the spray bar only because i tought is beter for the discus to have more oxigen(I'll only have the airstone) Also, i have a tropical fish tank runing already for about one year,and I'm planing to use the wather from that as well for cycling the new tank,
What's the best way to add water from this tank to the new one, and when to addit, I can only add 20% at the time when Im doing the water change.
Will that help the cycling?I have read here on the forum that it does help.
Also i will get a Fluval FX5 canister filter instead of fluval 405, how do i setup the media init, what order? what kind?

Thanks for the advise.

[ILLUSN]

FX5 does not have a heap of media capacity, still it will be better then the 405, set it up as per instrctions on the box, i dont think you'll need any extra meach media, the sponge baskets should take care of that for you, just cram it full on Eheim substrate pro, jbl micromech or some other sintered glass media (aqua one has a cheep sintred glass noodle out now that seems to work of).

you can put the spray bar on if you like, it wont hurt the fish, not sure if it will be a flow restriction or not to the FX5.

to transfer your water, use a hose and bucket, it's hard for simple things to go wrong.