Just started a 20g freshwater tank

[Kemmett19]

just put fish in yesterday after a day of letting the tank settle. Then last night my idiot friend dumped a whole bunch of food in. I cleaned most of it out off the gravel but now the tank is all cloudy. any input? Is it from the food or is it normal.

 

[barterking85]

It is from the food do a water change soon and keep doing it every day because your tank is probably not cycled after 1 day google aquarium cycle or search for the thread here I don't have the link handy

 

[Kemmett19]

If I do a water change is it going to hurt my tank at all since its so new and hasn't cycled yet. Also will changing the water remove all the bacteria that are in there

 

[barterking85]

No not at all the bacteria lives in your filter mostly you will or should do a 25-40% water change daily until you show nitrates otherwise the ammonia (fish pee and poop) will poison your fish

 

[Kemmett19]

I was told not to do any water changes for the first month while the yank went through its cycle. So now I'm confused

 

[jlk]

You will need to test your water daily & do water changes as needed until your tank is cycled. This may mean daily or twice daily big water changes to keep your ammonia & nitrites under control (less than .25ppm) & to keep your fish healthy. Your bacteria mainly live on the surfaces of items (filter, substrate, decorations etc) so water changes will not hurt your cycle. Just make sure you are using a water conditioner dosed to the size of your tank & you are matching the temp of the new water to your tank water. Do you have an API/other test kit for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, ph?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I was told not to do any water changes for the first month while the yank went through its cycle. So now I'm confused

Water changes will help keep your fish safe. Not doing them will result in high ammonia and nitrite levels that could burn, disfigure or kill your fish. Water changes WILL NOT hinder the cycle.
I will post a link for you it includes information on how to safely cycle a tank with fish.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/guide-to-starting-a-freshwater-aquarium-186089.html
Here you go!

 

[joejeff]

A lot of old school or misinformed people say water changes effect cycle. But they are nesseccary if ur doin fish in cycle.

 

[joejeff]

If u have a friends w an established tank see if he can give u some media from his filter to seed urs. Amd don't listen to the filter box and throw filters out every month. Clean them in tank enter. and keep them.until they fall apart. And when that day comes run new media w old media to seed new media before throwing precious established media out.

 

[joejeff]

Clean them in tank water... Not tank enter... Sry.

 

[Kemmett19]

No I don't. Guy at the pet store said it wasn't really nessisary. Was that bad info. Should I pick one up.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

No I don't. Guy at the pet store said it wasn't really nessisary. Was that bad info. Should I pick one up.

It would be a good idea to get one because you need to keep an eye on the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate during the cycle. Did you read the links? Any questions?

 

[Kemmett19]

I read a lot if Hungary and done a lot of research over the last few days. Again I set this tank up two days ago. Put fish in yesterday. I vacumed it twice today. Last time was about an hour ago. Water is looking a hundred times better then it was after my friend dumped all that food in yesterday. Now. I thought that all those levels were supposed to spike naturally then level back out after 4 to 6 weeks. Is that wrong. Should I be watching these levels and artificially controlling them some how?

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I read a lot if Hungary and done a lot of research over the last few days. Again I set this tank up two days ago. Put fish in yesterday. I vacumed it twice today. Last time was about an hour ago. Water is looking a hundred times better then it was after my friend dumped all that food in yesterday. Now. I thought that all those levels were supposed to spike naturally then level back out after 4 to 6 weeks. Is that wrong. Should I be watching these levels and artificially controlling them some how?

Yes you should be watching them because if they get too high they could burn your fishes gills, deform them or kill them. The way you control the levels is through large frequent water changes. The water changes wont effect the cycle but will protect your fish.

 

[joejeff]

The lvls will.cycle out. But since there are live fish in there u.need to use Pwc to keep water liveable.

 

[Kemmett19]

So then what like a 50% water change daily then? And do that for how long?

 

[joejeff]

Doesn't have to ne fifty. Could be twenty five. Depending on lvls. Goes a lot quicker if u get ur hands on seeded media and keep it wet till ot gets to filter. But doin w o that can take be as much as six weeks. Two min I would say. Don't add anymore fish till its done though. But seeding can make it instant depending.on load vs how.much u get.

 

[Kemmett19]

I only have 4 small community fish in there now

 

[joejeff]

Ok. Well still need to be doing frequent Pwc for now.