Hooray!

>Tank 3's stand finally arrived and have set it up, added water, heater, gravel, light and filter ($350 worth so don't tell my husband) - had to settle for a canister filter due to the shape of the tank. I am intending to run it for 3 weeks before adding fish. So here are my questions.

The Internet's a great place to keep secrets. :0

>1. Where do the "good" bacteria start from - how do they get into the tank, are they already in the water?

What a great question! (I'm still trying to figure out who turns on the light in the refrigerator. Probably the same crowd that steals one of every pair of sox.)

Interestingly enough a couple of sources skimmed just assume that they show up. I lent my copy of Stephen Spotte's book to a guy who moved to FL.

For starters see
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/9s.html
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/N/NitrogenCycle.html
http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

My guess is that those bacteria come in with the water, plants, on and in the fishes and even through the air. I'm always amazed by the array of microscopic critters which show up in aquarium waters and in greater numbers in greenwater. Take a basic microscope book out of the library, a cheap microscope, and set it on just 30x.

The thing about a tank just sitting is that there is nothing to feed those good guy bacteria. That is why a small fish or two is an important addition along with the seeded gravel, water, plastic plants (a great idea Miskairal.) and filter.

It is not unknown for aquarium mantainence service people to set up a big marine tank and seed it by relieving themselves into it. I prefer a pair of livebearers or killies or two Nemos.

Organic material is needed though. How much to add or how many fish to rotate in is both science and art - and social graces.

>Remember tank 1 where all the breeding is going on? Well it has an ug filter and a corner filter that has a sponge and charcoal in it. Will it help if I take the sponge out (replacing it with that white cotton wool type stuff for a month or so) and just sit the sponge in tank 3 with no airflow through it? I can't use gravel, as the new gravel is entirely different. There is also a plastic plant I can take from tank 2 and I will add some water from the next changes of tanks 1 and 2.

The airflow would be more useful. Otherwise the bacteria within the filter may die or decline in numbers. And it still needs some feeding.

>2. When should plants be added?

>Do plants help with the "good" bacteria build up? Do they help with the cycling of the tank? Will they live in a new tank?

Actually plants don't help that much in cycling a tank. They do offer surface for bacteria, but they also compete with them for the ammonia even before it can be converted to nitrates. Still they are useful in absorbing surges in waste material and they may add feeding surfaces and useful items via their growth.

>I've discovered that one of the 2 species of plant I took from our creek doesn't like being in fish tanks, which is a shame because it has a finer leaf. :(

Does it need more light? Is it found in the sunnier locations or nearer to the surface?

Or ...like the sword plants I used to dwarf, is it a "heavy feeder" and actually not absorbing enough ammonia though it's leaves or nutrients through the roots?

>3. Do I need the heater running while the tank is cycling?

>I'm assuming that it should be so that the right environment is provided for the right bacteria?

Yep. It will also keep that handful of guppies happy. ;)

>4. The canister filter creates a ripple on the water surface. I really, really don't want to have to add a pump and air stones as it is right beside my PC and I would go mad with the noise - is a ripple enough for the exchange of O2 and CO2 at the water surface? There is a little air tube that came with it but no instructions. The tank holds approx. 100 litres and the pump is rated at 520 litres per hour.

Surface movement is where the O2 and CO2 exchange goes on. That should be fine.

That speed is actually pretty fast, 3 or 4 times the tank contents/hour is more usual. Your guppies may not like that much current. Then you have to go net some rainbowfish. ;)

>5. Uncle Scott, 2 questions regarding comments you have made
    a) What do you use for a net soak?
    b) Potassium permanganate - what strength for soaking plants etc - what colour should the solution be? I used this a lot while nursing, for the treatment of infected scabies we used to bath kids in it. Can it be used as a medication for any fish ailments?

If the net is really in trouble, I have even dipped it in bleach. Soon after the dip it must go in the Sodium Thiosulphate. I dissolve too many nets that way. Oops!

Less expensive (both for the solution and net supply) is a super saline solution in a bowl, bucket, old tank or gallon pickle jar. (Add salt until it will not dissolve anymore.)

There are commercial solutions too. I have a sample by Jungle. It looks clear and they are't saying what is in it. I've seen another which looks/ smells like a lot of salt and Methylene blue.

The shop I recently looked into for Potassium permanganate didn't have it. Right now it is way down the list of priorities, but sometime I will hunt it down in a shop or order it on-line.

I wouldn't be surprised if someone else on Guppylog has a container of it. They could share the % mixture in the bottle and recommended dosage. (Anybody?)

When it comes to fish meds, chemists, physicians and nurses have a neat advantage. Also they should have a much better idea of what some of these medicines are supposed to do than us mere mortals. ;)

>This hobby is so so addictive! I'm almost glad Katie moved out and can't take the fish :) Another 2 years and I might be able to choose my own fish once all these have died of old age??

Of course there are always fry.

>My favourite would have to be one that is 3/4 black - he's so handsome and smart but then I like the red tails and the striped ones too but then I found a pic of a black one with a yellow dorsal and tail. Ahhh so much to choose from, maybe it's just as well I can't buy any for years. :)

The hobby can even become a vice. But it's my best vice. ;)

>Ok, that's about it until I think of more questions...
Miskairal