a little more help plz

[pjacobs]

Hey,
I have my new tank. It was pretty dirty. Lady i bought it from had a catfish in there for 13 years and never had a filter! This thing was caked with algae. I wiped it and rinsed it. Then i cleaned it with ammonia. I then rinsed well and cleaned with vingar. Rinsed again and capped it off with a little bleach. Then rinsed it out thoroughly. What's the next right step in getting the tank set up? right now it is cleaned, sitting empty, no water or anything on its stand.

 

[emmadavis102]

if you look online you should be able to buy something called tank clear, you use it when your tank is clean to stop it from gtting dirty. u spray it on n leave it to dry and it stops to tank from gettin dirty for about 12months. i get mine from rocket aquatics, but i think that its a UK based company

 

[ct-death]

Wow, that's a sanitized tank! Good job

As for setting up, I'm assuming tropical freshwater fish?
What size tank?

Heater (sized for tank)
Filter (HOB, Canister, etc. again sized to tank)
Substarte of choice (will you have plants? How about barbed fish?)
Lighting and Hood (again will you have plants?)

You already have ammonia it sounds like so I would start a Fishless-Cycle (make sure it the right ammonia, no purfumes, soaps, dyes or phosphates)

 

[emmadavis102]

if im cycling a new tank i like to put a few litres of water from a tank that is already establish to give it a head start, u can also buy bacteria online to get your filter started

 

[pjacobs]

by dimensions its a 37gl tank. 36x12x20. i don't have heater or filter yet. I do have the hood and light that came with the tank and stand. whats the most efficient filter and heater to use for that size?

 

[ct-death]

Benificial bacterias for cycling actually are in such a low concentration in the water colum (usualy only present if the bacterias have been stirred up) that using old tank water is not helpful in helping the establish a new tank.

A far better method would be to use the old media and/or gravel (even decorations) as the bacterias settle and grow on surfaces.

 

[Phil22]

Given it is a used tank, have you filled it up completely and let it sit to check for leaks?

 

[jm1212]

instead of old water, look for old filter media (used up carbon, sponges etc.). they hold loads of bacteria that will greatly speed up the cycle.

 

[Rbishop]

Do you have a good liquid test kit like the one API makes?

Thermometer?

Gravel vac and siphon tube?

A background for the tank?

A net?