Starting Over

Hey guys and girls I'm just getting back Into the whole aquarium thing and I have a question for you! I have a 20 gallon tank In my bedroom that was running for a few years with fish and about 2 years now with out fish. The water would go down and I would fill It up again and again. I finally said screw It and unplugged It and It's been sittIng for almost 2 months with water still In It. Now I wanna put some fish back In It!

So my questions are... do I strip It down and start all over or can I just clean and go!? Will the filter media still be good and alive to kick start It again!?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Welcome to the site. I believe that if it has been without fish for 2 years, you should empty the tank and scrub it. Then fill up with water, and put some water conditioner in, such as Prime. Then wait a while for a fish less cycle. Then test your water parameters every couple of days. In about a week, you can possibly add fish safely. One at a time

The beneficial bacteria will have died since they had no food source and most likely the media will have decomposed. Strip it down, clean it up good, and then do a fishless cycle.

Thats easy. Start over. 2 years is a long time for nasties to grow in that tank. Make it new again.

Welcome aboard, and welcome back to the hobby, by the way.

Thanks for the welcome and the quick responses...I better get started!

BTW I'm digging the local flavor this site has...I'll be seeing you guys around!

stierwalt3 wrote:Thanks for the welcome and the quick responses...I better get started!

BTW I'm digging the local flavor this site has...I'll be seeing you guys around!

Good to hear! The members here are the best!

I dont know why, but whenever I buy a bran new tank it takes forever to cycle, where as a used, (even without fish, food) as long as it was filled with water, seems to cycle for me much faster.

keep us posted on it... I would like to know how quick that thing picks up beneficial bacteria for ya.

sandnuka wrote:I dont know why, but whenever I buy a bran new tank it takes forever to cycle, where as a used, (even without fish, food) as long as it was filled with water, seems to cycle for me much faster.

keep us posted on it... I would like to know how quick that thing picks up beneficial bacteria for ya.

Will do!