Habitat - Indoor :: Is this a good deal?

[happycamper]

Happy turtle is the main goal!

There is a small chip in one corner, but it looks clean, no fracture lines coming off it or anything. Also a section of the silicone looks a little less than perfect... It holds water though, no leaks, so I guess I am going to trust it. Kind of intimidating filling a tank that large. I will be starting the ATBA on Monday, very excited!

[VeipaCray]

Assuming you're using tap water

1. Fill it with cold tap water
2. Install your heater(s) and turn them on
3. Add some carbon to your filter and run it

The carbon will pull out the chloramine. The chlorine will either evaporate or get pulled out by the carbon.

NO WATER CONDITIONER!!

[happycamper]

I stopped using water conditioner when I bought the purigen. I wouldn't want to drink that stuff!!

I think Monday I will be buying sand, then rinsing it for ever and ever... then filling the aquarium up, then switching the filter. Maybe have sheldon and friends hang out in the 55 with no filter overnight to alow some chlorine to evaporate, but I suppose the heater should stay on the 55 until the creatures are switched over.

[VeipaCray]

Check out the "suggested new tank setup" and the optional filtration setup for new tanks here...
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=30145

Purigen is great, but it won't remove chloramines. For a new tank you'll need to add carbon for a day or so to your filter.

[sflemin2]

putting the sand in is such a pain but totally worth it

[happycamper]

I have carbon and purigen in my filter. I only bought enough purigen to fill one of the sections on one of my trays, so I fill the others with carbon, then have two trys of bio-media.

Yeah sand sucks to prepare, what a backbreaker.

I'll check out the link, thanks Veipa.

[happycamper]

I looked at that link Veipa, you are officially filter-crazy! I noticed that recently my Fluval 405 has lost some of its flow, I am worried that it's already starting to die on me. I have had it about a year... I cleaned out all of the tubing, but the output is just not the same.

[steve]

Sounds great, nice deal!

[VeipaCray]

I looked at that link Veipa, you are officially filter-crazy! I noticed that recently my Fluval 405 has lost some of its flow, I am worried that it's already starting to die on me. I have had it about a year... I cleaned out all of the tubing, but the output is just not the same.

usually the loss of flow from the fluval is the impeller. Make sure the impeller is clean and the well that it sits in is free from gunk. Also check that none of the little plastic fins on the impeller are cracked.

Somehow I became the filter guy. I figured it was just easier to refer everyone to a thread full of info than to type the same thing over and over.