New Aquarium Set Up

[unfamous]

thats what killed the fish and raised the ammonia so high

 

[Clselby]

and will the amonia build up like this always?

 

[Hrafnkel]

You'll need to do it whenever any of your levels get to high. (Ammonia, Nitrite, or Nitrate)

 

[Clselby]

So do i just fill up a bucket with like 1 1/2 to 3 gallons and treat it and pour it in? Do i have to let is sit for a while or what?And how often will i have to do this?

 

[Clselby]

what is considered high for the type of fish we got, we are going to stay tropical.

 

[Hrafnkel]

Ideally, nitrate should be less than 20ppm I believe. Ammonia and nitrite should read zero, but likely won't until your tank is completely cycled.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

A cycled tank is 0 Ammonia and Nitites, and Nitrates between 5 and 30. When it reaches 30, do a water change. Anything higher can harm your fish. This is true for all freshwater fish (not sure about saltwater).

 

[LazySlacker]

If you don't change the water when ammonia levels get too high, they will die soon. Water changes are a necessity in aquarium keeping, especially during the initial cycle. A proper water change consists of pouring in water that has been sitting for a while (48 hours at least) and has been treated for pH and hardness and whatever else is wrong with your regular tap water. Perhaps for chloramine, too. The sitting out for 48 hours allows whatever chlorine that is in the water to dissolve out of the water, and for the temperature of the water to stabilize.

You should never do a more than 25% water change, and that should only be done in an emergency. I'd recommend a 10%-15% water change as often as necessary.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

This may seem like alot of information all at once, but the cycling stage is the most important. Here are a few easy steps to doing water changes:
1) Siphon out about 3 gal of water into a 5 gal bucket (don't touch the gravel or filter during the entire cycling process unless you get build up)
2) Dump out the water and rinse out the bucket with regular tap water (NO soap or additives).
3) Fill the bucket with about 3 gal of water.
4) Pour dechlorinator into the bucket and stir.
5) Immediately dump the water into the tank. An easy way to do this without kicking up gunk in the water is to put a clean (never soaped) plate into the tank and pour the water onto it. Make sure that it is an aquarium only plate. This will deflect the water and won't kick up the crud.

Water does not have to sit out overnight before adding to the tank. That is what the dechlorinator is for. It makes the water instantly safe to use in fish tanks.

I hope this helps.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Never treat your water for pH or hardness unless you have outrageous levels. Most people (I'd say 90% of people) do not have issues with this. Chances are that you don't. When you start messing with these levels, you are going to cause pH swings and the tank will crash. Not a good idea. Fish will adapt to whatever levels you have unless they are unreasonably low or high. But again, most people do not have this issue.

I do weekly 25% to 30% water changes and have never had any ill effects. I always gravel vac and siphon out the water, then Python the new water into the tank. As it is filling I add the dechlor. We have chloramines in our city water and this has never been a problem. We have yet to loss a fish.

 

[dieanna]

Clselby... Once the bacteria are established, the ammonia level will stay at 0. The water changes will just help keep the ammonia in check so it won't kill your fish while the bacteria establishes in the tank. I made the same mistake you did in starting a tank a few months ago. I was having a lot of problems with the levels for a very long time. I started using Cycle and everything seemed to normalize real fast. I had to do water changes almost everyday, but now everything is okay. I don't know how true this is but, from what I observed, it seemed like the high ammonia levels actually hindered the growth of the bacteria. It didn't actually start going down until I did some massive, emergency water changes. Luckily I didn't lose any fish ::whew:: Keep the levels down and should work out. Good luck.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

That is absolutely true dieanna. High ammonia levels will stall the cycle, extending the time. When cycling with fish, try to keep the level around 1 or 2 ppm. Do not let the level get above 2. If it does, do an emergency water change of about 25%.

 

[Clselby]

well i just did the water change. How long wil it take for the fish to starting acting normally?

 

[Clselby]

so how long do you think it will take to build up the bactiera?

 

[dieanna]

This should help. It explains the nitrogen cycle pretty well.
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm

 

[Criptos]

Here is a great article that will explain the whole Nitrogen Cycle!

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=21

It takes any where from 4weeks to 8 weeks for the cycle to completely finish. You just have to be Diligant in water changes and check the Ammonia, Nitrite , and Nitrate levels.

 

[Clselby]

How often should i check lvls?

 

[Criptos]

Well Cycling check everyday

 

[dieanna]

I'm not an expert, but before my tank established, I was checking ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates everyday. I wanted to keep my tank in check and was really determined to get the problem solved. Once it corrected itself, I started checking once a week. I'd say at first, at least every other day.

 

[Clselby]

Well guys time to go to bed, thanks alot and i will try to pst here how things are goin. U guys have been great help.