"Suzie-Q" wrote in message
...
So I put my new aquarium together and filled it with water last night.
(I work nights and have Sunday and Monday nights off.) It's looking
pretty bleak with no plants. They should arrive Wednesday, according
to the shipping info on the website where I ordered them (The Pet/
Aquarium Guys). Once I get the plants in I'll start adding fish. I
suppose I should test the water first. What do I need to test for?

A good general test is gH (hardness, so if you are at an extreme, you
might want to avoid certain fish), kH (buffer, lets you know how stable
your pH will be) and pH (see if your water tends to be acidic or
alkaline). Test the water after it has aired for a day or two.

Also, I added an air pump, but that sucker is LOUD. It's a "Whisper"
air pump made for a 30-60 gallon aquarium. It's supposed to be
"Extremely Quiet." Man, if that's extremely quiet, what would loud
be?!!
Any ideas or suggestions to make it a little quieter? Should I get a
smaller air pump?

After about a week, it will break-in and be at a more representative
sound level. If it is too loud, some have adjustments which lets you
dial the power down. Then there is an assortment of techniques to
isolate them from surfaces, which dampen the mechanical vibrations (but
not the acoustic noise of the pump which is typically much lower).
Whatever you try, make sure you don't block its air intakes, or it will
overheat and expire faster. I don't use air-pumps because I can't be
bothered with their noise and maintenance, but the last ones I had were
suspended inside a cabinet in a cradle of duct tape. Seemed to work well
to isolate the noise. hth
--
www.NetMax.tk

Thanks in advance.
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)