A few questions. I am going to buy new fishy!

[geckoqueen]

I just set up my 5 gallon fish tank. I use pure water from the store. I also have a filter going right now. The water is a little bubbly. I added Aqua-safe, which removes chlorine, chloramine. It came with the starter set up aquarium kit for 30 dollars. I do not have the fish yet. I will get tomorrow. I only clean tank with a damp wet cloth. I know never to use soap, or chemicals.

I know to change the filter once a month and the lady at the pet store said to change the water once a month as well, but only take 20 percent of the water out.

The temp is fine. It's 78 degrees and the lady at the the pet store said that is fine.
How hot can the tank be.. and how cold before there is a problem?

I also have light that came with the kit, for on top of the tank. When is it best to leave the light on?
At night, or during the day?

Anyway, is gravel best, or is it better with no gravel? Right now I have no gravel and nothing to clean the tank with. I think I better get one of them hose things. Lady at pet store said I could use a cup and scoop out the water. This is my first fish, so I don't know, that is why I am asking.

Also, I read to place the fish in it's bag of water, from the store, on top of the water, in the fish tank for about 15 minutes, then place fish into the tank? Is this all I need to do?

Anyway, can I pump the water out with the fish in the tank, and how do I fill the tank up? Right now the filter is going, but if I pour some pure water in from the store, then it won't be filtered, next time I change the water. How long do I keep fish out of the tank, after I change the water?

The lady told me to take 20 percent of the water out. I have a 5 gallon tank. I am dumb in math, how much is that? Is that a little water, or half the tank full of water?

What fish do best in this kind of setting? I wanted a beta, but how about a gold fish, but yea I know i can't put them together. I don't know what fish I want to get yet.

Anyway, now I have 2 pet hamsters and tomorrow a pet fish!

 

[M_surinamensis]

I just set up my 5 gallon fish tank.

That is very small and severely limits what you could potentially keep in there.

I use pure water from the store.

Waste of money, one way or the other. If your tap water cannot be easily treated in such a manner as to make it acceptable for the species of fish you're trying to keep, you're better off buying a small RO unit and fixing it yourself than spending fourteen dollars for a gallon of water.

I also have a filter going right now. The water is a little bubbly. I added Aqua-safe, which removes chlorine, chloramine. It came with the starter set up aquarium kit for 30 dollars. I do not have the fish yet. I will get tomorrow.

Tanks should be cycled for longer than twenty four hours before adding fish.

I know to change the filter once a month and the lady at the pet store said to change the water once a month as well, but only take 20 percent of the water out.

Changing filter media and changing water should be regarded as variables rather than absolutes. The need to do both of them changes depending on the health of the biological filter bed, the type of filtration, the species and physical mass of the fish being kept, the feeding frequency and volume, the presence or absence of live plants (or live rock), the temperature, the water chemistry, the presence or absence of any foreign contaminants and the various chemical treatments and alterations that have been made by the owner.

The temp is fine. It's 78 degrees and the lady at the the pet store said that is fine.
How hot can the tank be.. and how cold before there is a problem?

Depends on the species being kept in it.

I also have light that came with the kit, for on top of the tank. When is it best to leave the light on?
At night, or during the day?

Depends on the species being kept in it and the goal of the person keeping it. Management of the photoperiod can produce a number of varied effects.

Anyway, is gravel best, or is it better with no gravel?

Generally, gravel is best. It provides a large surface area for the bacteria bed associated with the nitrogen cycle to form on. In rare instances when it is known that the volume of waste will be substantially more than can be handled, it is sometimes best to leave the tank substrate free and move into large volume physical and chemical filtration options.

Right now I have no gravel

Useless cycling time then. Do not start counting until gravel is present.

and nothing to clean the tank with. I think I better get one of them hose things. Lady at pet store said I could use a cup and scoop out the water.

Scooping does very little, since it would not remove solid waste.

Anyway, can I pump the water out with the fish in the tank

Using the gravity fed siphon of a "Gravel Vacuum," yes- provided you do not go chasing the fish with it and watch what you are doing.

and how do I fill the tank up?

Slowly by pouring water into it or by using a siphon and a thin hose given the volume of the tank. Temperature matters.

Right now the filter is going, but if I pour some pure water in from the store, then it won't be filtered, next time I change the water. How long do I keep fish out of the tank, after I change the water?

You need to buy several books.

The lady told me to take 20 percent of the water out. I have a 5 gallon tank. I am dumb in math, how much is that? Is that a little water, or half the tank full of water?

And now I am pretty sure you are trolling.

What fish do best in this kind of setting? I wanted a beta, but how about a gold fish, but yea I know i can't put them together. I don't know what fish I want to get yet.

Not goldfish. Not in five gallons of warm water.

 

[geckoqueen]

That is very small and severely limits what you could potentially keep in there.




Waste of money, one way or the other. If your tap water cannot be easily treated in such a manner as to make it acceptable for the species of fish you're trying to keep, you're better off buying a small RO unit and fixing it yourself than spending fourteen dollars for a gallon of water.




Tanks should be cycled for longer than twenty four hours before adding fish.



Changing filter media and changing water should be regarded as variables rather than absolutes. The need to do both of them changes depending on the health of the biological filter bed, the type of filtration, the species and physical mass of the fish being kept, the feeding frequency and volume, the presence or absence of live plants (or live rock), the temperature, the water chemistry, the presence or absence of any foreign contaminants and the various chemical treatments and alterations that have been made by the owner.



Depends on the species being kept in it.



Depends on the species being kept in it and the goal of the person keeping it. Management of the photoperiod can produce a number of varied effects.



Generally, gravel is best. It provides a large surface area for the bacteria bed associated with the nitrogen cycle to form on. In rare instances when it is known that the volume of waste will be substantially more than can be handled, it is sometimes best to leave the tank substrate free and move into large volume physical and chemical filtration options.



Useless cycling time then. Do not start counting until gravel is present.




Scooping does very little, since it would not remove solid waste.




Using the gravity fed siphon of a "Gravel Vacuum," yes- provided you do not go chasing the fish with it and watch what you are doing.



Slowly by pouring water into it or by using a siphon and a thin hose given the volume of the tank. Temperature matters.




You need to buy several books.



And now I am pretty sure you are trolling.



Not goldfish. Not in five gallons of warm water.

I asked a few pet stores and for a betta fish they said I don't need a filter
but I have one. They guy said I could get betta now and the fish would be fine, but no I don't have the fish now.

Also, I have noticed today since I got the tank the temp is not staying constant and I have the tank in the coolest room of my apartment. It went from 78, now to 84 degrees. Can I buy a water cooler?
I have all my windows open with my fans going. As far as my water I am not sure if it has led in it, so I have to use pure water from the store, it's not that expensive. I bought 5 jugs of water for 5 dollars.

The guy at the pet store said, just saying what he told me, that I can wash the gravel with water, and I can stick into the tank now if I wanted to. It won't hurt the fish, that what he said, for a betta fish.

I still don't know if I should leave fish in the tank when I clean, then add the water with the conditoner, then pour in the tank. I'll have to ask tomorrow when I go look at the fish and I really need something to cool the water. I am not sure how to keep the water temps stable at the moment. Does cycling the tank have anything to do with the temps as the filter is on?

As far as books I have the internet and I am learning more each time I go to a fish web site. But yea I have a lot to learn still. I'm starting with a simple fish, right now. As I am a fish noobie.