Newbie

[KFav93]

Hi everyone. I just got a 20 gallon tank on Saturday and I've been treating the water. My tap water is terrible. According to the results I have gotten even after I conditioned the water. My ph is high and I Even tried aquasafe ph Balance and nothing. So I now have a piece of driftwood soaking and I plan on boiling it later. Now if anyone notices anything I'm doing wrong please correct me. I'm really getting into this hobby and I don't want any of my creatures to die! Some questions I have is, when I do a water change, how often would you recommend doing it? Also, may I use spring water? And should I treat the spring water before I put it in?

Sent from my SM-G920V using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Autumnsky]

Research.

Do not be too concerned if you naturally have a higher pH in your tap water and then tank water.

You may need to select fish which are better suited to higher pH. Many fish are raised in higher than exected levels than recommended from wild fish.

It is better to not use any additives which are not essentially necessary. Like pH balance, it is very stressful for fish to have fluctuations, whch happen more often when using those types of chemical products. Do not worry about your pH right now.

Start out by reading a bunch of articles - the one in my signature covers a large chunk of a great start for your new tank adventure.

Do you have any fish right now?

Water changing questions, etc. will be dependant on your answer for that question.

You can tie a rock to the DW to keep it down where you want. The tanins in the DW will make your water turn a yellow to brown tint and if you won't be able to stand that color then boil it. Otherwise the tanins in the water are good for fish.

Treat all water before putting it in. To be safe.

Having a liquid test kit is necessary.

Learn about the nitrogen cycle which is included in my signature link article.

You need to change water as the test kit indicates water parameters exceed safe levels for fish.

After a tank is cycled, it can depend on fish stocking in the tank and if you tend to over feed. [Try not to do that especially at the beginning especially.]

Here is an additional article for cycling the tank with fish in the tank option.
Fish-in Cycling: Step over into the dark side - Aquarium Advice

The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling - Aquarium Advice

More articles are available with useful info too.

The more you learn, the less chances of killing the aquatic tank inhabitants! Accidents and mistakes are made by experienced keepers as well as newbies.

 

[Ashenwelt]

Also, if you want you can do what I do and use a Brita pitcher with Filter to treat your water before you drop in your prime. Clears out big particles, heavy metals and some chlorine. You still use prime though.

But there are many ways to lower pH. The real question should be - what do you want to keep? An example is that if I had a really high base pH, I would keep African cichlids. Most love high pH.

Before we figure out how to fix your water... what do you wanna keep or raise?

 

[KFav93]

I was thinking of one rainbow shark and some Mollys to start. And experiment with some snails and bottom feeders.

My driftwood I boiled for an hour yesterday and almost 3 hours today. And I've been soaking it in between and it's still leaking tannins. I am just using driftwood to help lower my ph. I'm familiar with the nitrogen cycle I read up on it. My water is back to clear now though. Should I still wait? Also, for water changes I plan on using spring water because I have access to that. Any suggestions on what to use to treat it?

 

[KFav93]

Also, I have no fish currently. And when I do start stocking, I was only going to do a few at a time

 

[Fresh2o]

What makes you say your tap water is terrible? What tests were performed and what were the results? Unless it is very bad, I would use your local tap water. If using spring water for water changes, plan on going through 5-7 gallons or more per week.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[KFav93]

The lady that I spoke to at the pet store said that my water is really bad for not having any fish in it. I think she said it was the nitrate

 

[stevenht]

Be careful with multiple mollies. Reproduction is a problem and some mollies can be aggressive. They're like male bettas, you really don't know what to expect with their temperament.

I have a albino BN pleco, loaches, mystery snail, and red cherry shrimp for bottom feeders in my 20

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Ashenwelt]

I was thinking of one rainbow shark and some Mollys to start. And experiment with some snails and bottom feeders.

My driftwood I boiled for an hour yesterday and almost 3 hours today. And I've been soaking it in between and it's still leaking tannins. I am just using driftwood to help lower my ph. I'm familiar with the nitrogen cycle I read up on it. My water is back to clear now though. Should I still wait? Also, for water changes I plan on using spring water because I have access to that. Any suggestions on what to use to treat it?

Remember you can use purigen to clear some tanins... but they can be good for fish. I would only boil to cause it to not float.

 

[Fresh2o]

The lady that I spoke to at the pet store said that my water is really bad for not having any fish in it. I think she said it was the nitrate

That's unfortunate that she provided you with a watered down and incomplete analysis of your water. I wonder if the LFS gets their water from the same source?
If you really want to understand the quality of your water and be able to monitor it whenever you need to, I suggest getting your own test kit. API Freshwater Master test kit is highly recommended. It will allow you to get measurements of pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You can test your tap water and your tank water (which is important in the cycling process). And read up on the nitrogen cycle. In this case, a "fish-in" instead of a "fishless" cycle. Knowing the parameters of the tank will help determine the amount of water than needs to be changed to maintain a healthy environment. It will also let you know if the current filtration and water change schedule is sufficient.
Your approach of adding a few fish first is cautious and appropriate. Your choice of stocking is another matter. The tank might be too small for the rainbow shark and mollies generate a good amount of waste (and breed readily as previously mentioned).
If you cannot obtain your own test kit or prefer the LFS to do the testing, request actual numbers for the parameters and not just "It's okay" or "it's bad".


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[plantnoob]

Agree with the posts here. I live in Houston where the tap water has a pH of 7.8. I was told that my fish would not survive unless I mixed RO water. False. I told the guy to keep his knowledge to himself. 6 months later, I have not lost a single fish. Make sure you take care of the parameters you can control: ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. As for the rest, most fishes (except ones with very specific water requirements) will adapt.

As for your stocking, a rainbow shark is not suitable for 20 gal. I would loom for the adult sizes and then decide if they are suitable for your tank. Also, you can use aqadvisor.com to sense check your stocking.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Autumnsky]

The tap water has nitrates or your tank water?

Red Tail Shark /RTS (and Rainbow Sharks) need very large size tanks say 4' min. long with numerous pathways for swimming around and patroling the lower 1/3rd to 1/2 of the tank. I had a 7+ year old RTS which was about 6.5 inches long! She was raised in a 210G tank. In my 72G and it was barely enough patrolling room. They love swimming and keeping tabs on their territory. They need room.

 

[KFav93]

That's unfortunate that she provided you with a watered down and incomplete analysis of your water. I wonder if the LFS gets their water from the same source?
If you really want to understand the quality of your water and be able to monitor it whenever you need to, I suggest getting your own test kit. API Freshwater Master test kit is highly recommended. It will allow you to get measurements of pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You can test your tap water and your tank water (which is important in the cycling process). And read up on the nitrogen cycle. In this case, a "fish-in" instead of a "fishless" cycle. Knowing the parameters of the tank will help determine the amount of water than needs to be changed to maintain a healthy environment. It will also let you know if the current filtration and water change schedule is sufficient.
Your approach of adding a few fish first is cautious and appropriate. Your choice of stocking is another matter. The tank might be too small for the rainbow shark and mollies generate a good amount of waste (and breed readily as previously mentioned).
If you cannot obtain your own test kit or prefer the LFS to do the testing, request actual numbers for the parameters and not just "It's okay" or "it's bad".


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

She did test my water and gave me a proper analysis. I just didn't go in depth with it here. And I do have a test kit that tests nitrates, nitrites, hardness, alkalinity, chlorine and pH. I was told one rainbow shark is okay as long as I don't plan on overcrowding my tank, which I don't.

 

[KFav93]

Remember you can use purigen to clear some tanins... but they can be good for fish. I would only boil to cause it to not float.

I know I just don't want my water to turn brown. I want a clear tank. I'm thinking of putting it in and just dealing with it through water changes

 

[Autumnsky]

I was told one rainbow shark is okay as long as I don't plan on overcrowding my tank, which I don't.

Not everyone has taken care of this particular creature, the person may be well meaning and just repeating what they were told.

If you have decided on this as a fish you want - you would need a bigger tank.

Here is a good basic resource for getting an idea of stocking your tank. You put in the type of fish and it helps give you some suggestions.

AqAdvisor - Intelligent Freshwater Tropical Fish Aquarium Stocking Calculator and Aquarium Tank/Filter Advisor

There are numerous reasons to follow suggested guidelines for tank sizes.

Some suggestions are able to be bent, by doing additional pwc, meticulous husbandry, lots of additional filtration capacity, careful feeding, etc. But you will never be able to give a fish like that the proper space for growing up in a 20G and he will be stunted which is unhealthy for the fish, and is known to lead to a shorter lifespan and tendency for illness.

To be honest MOST fish are not kept with that required attention to detail for best practices, and bending the rules.

Most people here just want to see the fish have the best life possible.

When fish are kept well; good conditions, feeding, environment they thrive in, tankmates they can coexist with, etc. - you will have less struggle with disease, fighting - they will be healthy and strong - less stress and a happier experience for you AND the fish. Win, win!

I am glad you are checking in to finding out what the fish for your tank need to provide you with an enjoyable experience in fish keeping and them a good responsible home.

Fish keeping is exciting and there are so many awesome choices of fish available.

You have the power to make decisions for your tank and fish keeping experience. Learning and research helps fish enthusiasts make the best decisions for a tank and stocking, care and feeding, etc.

By not paying attention to /understanding the size tank it needs, you will have even more aggression due to the shark not being able to do what it would naturally which is cruise around it's territory and keep unwanted fish away. All the fish in a 20G tank would be in his territory and he would want to keep them away, all would be in danger of harrassment.

An easy solution is to PLAN a tank size FOR the type of fish you want to keep. Get a bigger tank if you want to keep a RTS. Select a different type of fish if you don't want to get a bigger tank. There are so many choices. The RTS will not be able to live an enjoyable life or long life in a 20G.

Some DW gives off tannins coloring the water for months. As mentioned pwc or chemical ie Purigen or carbon. Purigen makes my water look great in the tanks it is in. Some people do not want the chemical reaction of Purigen binding things in the water.

 

[JenniMarie]

I use natural spring water in my tanks. It's a lot easier than tap water.