Setting up a 36 gallon tank

Question
QUESTION: I just bought a 36 gallon fish tank. Previously had a 5 and 10, so have some experience, but hey we can always learn right! .. My questions:
- I forgot to wipe down and rinse out the fish tank before setting it up. I used a brush to wipe it all down with the water inside the tank, but I'm not sure if this is good enough. After a few hours most of the dust has been cleared out by the filter. What should I do?
- How long should I wait before I transfer my fish from my 10 gallon to my 36? Have looked up so many answers, such as a week to a few weeks; so I'm very confused? I waited a day on my 10 gallon because that's what I was told by workers at pet stores. Considering this is a bigger tank I'm assuming that it would take longer to cycle.
- Should I do anything else before adding the new fish?
I have 2 mollies, 4 platys, and 2 platy babies

ANSWER: Hi Alex,

It doesn't matter how dry the tank was when brought home, it's got to be thoroughly cleaned before you put your fish into it.  

There are many things that lay dormant in dry earth and debris, and reactivate once wet.

Clean the tank out.  Clean the gravel out before the transfer.

Use some of the gravel from the 10 gallon, washed thoroughly in water first, and don't boil it or use any chemicals.  That live gravel will help to nutrify the new system if used, so the cycle will go faster.

I assume you are getting a much larger filtration system, so I would try to use the same media used in the other tank, in the new tank as well, but thoroughly rinse it out, and try not to transfer dirt into the water.

Let it stand 3 days with the new, filtered water in it.  Never use tap water, please.

Once it's stood 3 days, the natural bacteria should be started and you can put the mollies and platties in.  It is going to go through a cycle, about a week down the road, to two weeks down the road, but it may not be severe due to the fact that you are using the same filtered media as before, and the same gravel.  Those live items will help jumpstart your tank.

I do, also, advise using water from your old tank during the transfer to help kickstart the process.  Perhaps, to fill the new tank, you can take out 50% of your old water and throw that into the new tank, doing a partial water change in the old as well.

That way, you are sending in live water, live gravel and live filtration...I'd not worry about a heavy cycle, but it will cycle.

To prevent ammonia rises, please add zeolyte crystals to a net in the filter somewhere.  They are priceless for absorbing ammonia.

I really hope this helps.  

Happy Holidays and happy fish-keeping.

Renee

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your advice; very informative
But I still have a couple questions:
1. I've always used tap water for the fish.  I thought I was not supposed to use any other kind.  I'm confused about this?
2. So what should I fully do with the tank before putting the fish in, due to the fact that I forgot to wipe the tank down.  I understood from what you told me that I should clean the gravel.   What percentage of water should I take out? and is there anything else I should do?

Thank you again..

Answer
Hi,

Tap water is like Roulette.  You can live in areas where it's okay, and in most areas it contains traces of things fish should not have. Not to mention, to clean out chlorine and chloramine, it has to use chemicals.  Chemicals fish are simply not used to.

If you go and get Reverse Osmosis water from a dispenser, it will be healthier for your fish and it will be guaranteed to contain none of the nasty things tap water comes with.  

No fish are in it yet, right?  Take it down.

Take the water out and dump it.  You don't know what's in it from the tank.

Take the gravel out and wash it.

Clean the tank using soap and water (Dawn works for us) and thoroughly rinse it before placing any gravel or water back into it.

I'd take out 100% of the water, replacing it.  Most stores carry the blue bottle refill stations.  Take some empty containers and fill them up there, and use that water.  It's safest for the fish.

Pet stores have to sell products to maintain money to make people who don't know better come in and get more chemicals to treat the fish they sell which carry diseases, who go to unsuspecting individuals, who get fish they don't quarantine, and they come back into the pet store to buy chemicals to help treat the infections, etc....it's the song that never ends, because this is the petstore that Jack built, lol!

Another note;

Mollies are sensative to freshwater, as it is.  They much prefer a brackish system and you will hear people say that their mollies are healthy in freshwater, but most of those have had disease after freshwater disease.  They do love salt.  Mine live in an almost saltwater atmosphere.  They have mangroves and they are treated exactly how they are where they are found in nature.  They are happiest this way...I can attest to that.  My momma Mollie is sitting around about 20 healthy young tonight. :)

Renee