bms314
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Hello!
I have been getting conflicting/questionable information from my LFS… just looking for a second opinion : )
We have a 75 gal non planted tank that was set up on 1/10/18. 4 Cherry Barbs were put into the tank while it was cycling but I assume that still kind of counts as a fishless cycle.
Anyway…
Mid February – I think we experienced a bacteria bloom. The tank got so cloudy we could barely see the décor inside. An employee at the LFS said do one 50% water change immediately and do another 50% water change the next week so we did and no progress was made....
We went back to the store and spoke to another employee who said the large water changes were detrimental as we removed all of the bacteria and interfered with the cycling process. She said to stop all water changes for now and add Seachem Stability, following the instructions for a new tank. After a few days everything started to clear up but never got back to the crystal-clear water we had originally.
3/10 – Took a water sample in to the LFS, they said the tank was cycled and everything was reading great now. We came home with 4 German Blue Rams, 4 Gold Rams, and 4 Rosey Barbs (16 total fish, now). The employee advised us to over feed the fish 2-3 times a day so the Rams didn’t have to compete with the Barbs for food… So we did …
3/13 – 2 Gold Rams were dead and our water was starting to get cloudy again, took the dead fish and a water sample into the LFS and the levels were reading high. This employee said over feeding was a horrible idea and was the cause of the toxins in the water. Advised us to dose it with Fritz Zyme 7, and feed once every 2 days and to still not do any water changes.
3/19 – 1 more ram was dead but the head of a cherry barb was to the one side of it, and the tail was on the other side of it… So that may not have been related to water conditions.
We got a test kit and have been checking the water ourselves the past few days…
3/16
pH 8.2 PPM
Ammonia 1.0 PPM
Nitrite 0.5 PPM
Nitrate 0 PPM
3/17
pH 8.2 PPM
Ammonia 1.0 PPM
Nitrite 0.5 PPM
Nitrate 5 PPM
3/18
pH 8.2 PPM
Ammonia 1.0 PPM
Nitrite 0.5 PPM
Nitrate 5 PPM
Questions
I am confused as to what is happening with our tank right now… I thought I understood the initial cycling process, and I understand how the 50% water changes took all of the beneficial bacteria out of the tank… And I understood the overfeeding created toxins in the gravel… But after the overfeeding incident I don’t understand how adding bacteria and not doing water changes would solve that specific issue?
Should I really not be doing water any water changes…?
I assume my German Blue ram ate (or tried to eat) the Cherry Barb today… should I put the Cherry Barbs in another tank so that doesn’t happen again? While I am not overly upset about the loss of a Cherry Barb, I do really, really love the Rams.
One of the Gold Rams lost its coloration about a week ago just after bringing it home, but it is still active, eating well, and appears in good health, any Idea what could be going on with it?
I have been getting conflicting/questionable information from my LFS… just looking for a second opinion : )
We have a 75 gal non planted tank that was set up on 1/10/18. 4 Cherry Barbs were put into the tank while it was cycling but I assume that still kind of counts as a fishless cycle.
Anyway…
Mid February – I think we experienced a bacteria bloom. The tank got so cloudy we could barely see the décor inside. An employee at the LFS said do one 50% water change immediately and do another 50% water change the next week so we did and no progress was made....
We went back to the store and spoke to another employee who said the large water changes were detrimental as we removed all of the bacteria and interfered with the cycling process. She said to stop all water changes for now and add Seachem Stability, following the instructions for a new tank. After a few days everything started to clear up but never got back to the crystal-clear water we had originally.
3/10 – Took a water sample in to the LFS, they said the tank was cycled and everything was reading great now. We came home with 4 German Blue Rams, 4 Gold Rams, and 4 Rosey Barbs (16 total fish, now). The employee advised us to over feed the fish 2-3 times a day so the Rams didn’t have to compete with the Barbs for food… So we did …
3/13 – 2 Gold Rams were dead and our water was starting to get cloudy again, took the dead fish and a water sample into the LFS and the levels were reading high. This employee said over feeding was a horrible idea and was the cause of the toxins in the water. Advised us to dose it with Fritz Zyme 7, and feed once every 2 days and to still not do any water changes.
3/19 – 1 more ram was dead but the head of a cherry barb was to the one side of it, and the tail was on the other side of it… So that may not have been related to water conditions.
We got a test kit and have been checking the water ourselves the past few days…
3/16
pH 8.2 PPM
Ammonia 1.0 PPM
Nitrite 0.5 PPM
Nitrate 0 PPM
3/17
pH 8.2 PPM
Ammonia 1.0 PPM
Nitrite 0.5 PPM
Nitrate 5 PPM
3/18
pH 8.2 PPM
Ammonia 1.0 PPM
Nitrite 0.5 PPM
Nitrate 5 PPM
Questions
I am confused as to what is happening with our tank right now… I thought I understood the initial cycling process, and I understand how the 50% water changes took all of the beneficial bacteria out of the tank… And I understood the overfeeding created toxins in the gravel… But after the overfeeding incident I don’t understand how adding bacteria and not doing water changes would solve that specific issue?
Should I really not be doing water any water changes…?
I assume my German Blue ram ate (or tried to eat) the Cherry Barb today… should I put the Cherry Barbs in another tank so that doesn’t happen again? While I am not overly upset about the loss of a Cherry Barb, I do really, really love the Rams.
One of the Gold Rams lost its coloration about a week ago just after bringing it home, but it is still active, eating well, and appears in good health, any Idea what could be going on with it?