What next?

[liam]

Hi,

I have done up my JBL base fert according to instructions for my 3 footer. Gravel is another 4cm tapering to the front at 2cm.

Filter is an overhead filter (dual compartment) with charcoal, cotton filter, biorings, and bio sponge.

Lighting is currently 2 X 36W PL. Prolly okay for lowlight plants for the time being.

I have filled up the tank now and added Microbe-Lite. Have added some plants and added 5 cardinals.

Questions:
1. Do I need to take the readings for pH, gH, kH, N etc now?
2. Do I start now CO2 as well? using Nutrafin
3. Will be adding more plants over the week and subsequently more tetras and shrimps. Will there be any concerns like adding too fast?
4. Anything I should take note of?

Many thanks.

[hwchoy]

overhead filter and carbon filtration is not good for plants. you lose a lot of CO2 and carbon filter will remove micronutrients.

[zmzfam]

you should test for ammonia (NH4) and nitrite (NO2). try to avoid adding new fishes until a few weeks to get your tank to cycle first. NH4 should spike first followed by NO2. A tank is considered cycled when both has dropped to zero after which there should be readings of nitrate (NO3) unless it is used up by the plants.

However, try to add fish slowly, after this process, as additional bio-loads will cause the tank to go into cycling mode, so a few fish added at a time will not cause any major new cycling.

Change the OH filter to canister or internal filter. the water flowing into the tray and the medium will be too fast and turbulent.

[liam]

Hi,

So I should really takeout the carbon then if I opt to keep the overhead filter?

So what would you recommend for internal and external filter should I consider them?

[liam]

Also, should i do the CO2 now? or perhaps later?