jmcbubbles said:
I haven' t been using the Stress Zyme at all, I only learned all about the cycle in the last couple of days, and a friend said that she used Stress Zyme and it has the bacteria and stuff already, so I thought I'd check here before buying it. So it has never been used in the water, the only product I have used is Stress Coat.
7Enigma, sorry I'm a bit confused, you recommended reduced feedings and then said if I want more fish to increase the feedings - I definitely do want more fish, I just got the tetras to start the tank off, I was planning on getting some tiger barbs this weekend, although that's obviously not happening now til the tank is sorted. So if I do want to get more, should I start increasing the feedings at this point? Or wait? If the water levels are the way they are with no Stress Zyme then surely shouldn't I start slowly increasing the feedings and monitor the levels? I've been feeding them once a day up til now. So what do you think?
OK, I just read up on Stress Coat, and I'd stop using that (what frequency and how much have you been using?). I'm wondering if the aloe vera thats in it is causing the high pH. You need a dechlorinator to remove the chlorine and chloramines that are probably present in your tap water. If you do a water change without using a dechlor prior to putting the water in the tank you will kill the beneficial bacteria and might kill the fish. I highly recommend
Prime, but many many products remove chlorine.
Sorry if my comment about the feedings and adding fish was confusing. I'll try to explain it more fully.
Your tank can only take a certain bioload (waste) at any given time. You feed more than normal, you risk increased ammonia and nitrIte levels. You add more fish, you risk increased ammonia and nitrIte levels. If you lower feeding to every other or every 3 days, you reduce the amount of ammonia and nitrIte levels*. If you remove or some of the fish die, you reduce the amount of ammonia and nitrIte levels*. Obvious right?
OK, now say you have your tetras in there and you are feeding once a day, but now you want to add your tiger barbs. You know by adding the tiger barbs you will be increasing the bioload of the tank, and it will take some time for the bacteria to grow large enough so that no ammonia and nitrIte are present in the tank. You can do this 3 ways:
1. Get tiger barbs, continue feeding normally, watch levels and do
PWC when ammonia and nitrIte get above 0.25ppm
2. Get tiger barbs, cut feeding to every other or every 3 days, watch levels and do
PWC when ammonia and nitrIte get above 0.25ppm
3. Prior to getting tiger barbs increase feedings (maybe twice a day, but ONLY what the fish can eat in a couple of minutes so that none goes to the bottom), then a day or two before getting the barbs cut back feeding to every other or every 3 days, get tiger barbs, and continue on the lessened feedings until your ammonia and nitrIte levels are undetectable. Like always, anytime the ammonia or nitrIte get above 0.25ppm, do a
PWC with fresh dechlorinated water.
Now this is my opinion, but in order of preference for both YOUR work, and for the health of the fish, I would do #3 first, with #2, then #1 as a last resort. My reasoning is that by increasing feedings before getting the barbs, you are in essence giving the bacteria a false higher bioload, so they will multiply to greater numbers than they could have sustained on just the every day feeding. Then when cutting back on feeding a day or two before you get the tiger barbs you are lessening the bioload in the tank, so that when you get the new fish you are buffered a little bit since there is more bacteria present. This way, there is less of a chance that the levels will get above 0.25ppm. They still probably will, but you will have a longer time to catch it and do a
PWC.