New member / worried

[French]

Pretty sure I pulled a noob. Set up my 50 gal tanks Friday past. Used cycle for the first three days as the label says. Introduced 19 fish by Sunday. Danios, cardinals, lamp eye tetras, a blue gourami, and a red tail shark. They all seem to be doing fine but I don't know what to think of my water chemistry. Ph 6.6-6.8 ammonia 1-2 ppm nitrite 0-0.25 ppm nitrate 10-20 ppm. Hard to diferenciate between some of the colora on the color chart ( api master test kit). My water is also cloudy. Is all this normal? When should I do my first water change? Should I be concerned about my ammonia level? Thinking about getting a canister filter tomorrow or the next day. Good idea? Marineland c220. Any I advise/ comments appreciated.

 

[bshenanagins]

Pretty sure I pulled a noob. Set up my 50 gal tanks Friday past. Used cycle for the first three days as the label says. Introduced 19 fish by Sunday. Danios, cardinals, lamp eye tetras, a blue gourami, and a red tail shark. They all seem to be doing fine but I don't know what to think of my water chemistry. Ph 6.6-6.8 ammonia 1-2 ppm nitrite 0-0.25 ppm nitrate 10-20 ppm. Hard to diferenciate between some of the colora on the color chart ( api master test kit). My water is also cloudy. Is all this normal? When should I do my first water change? Should I be concerned about my ammonia level? Thinking about getting a canister filter tomorrow or the next day. Good idea? Marineland c220. Any I advise/ comments appreciated.

Oh boy lol. Well it's very clear your still cycling. Your ammonia and nitrite are at TOXIC levels so I'd make daily WC's around 20-25% otherwise your fish might possibly perish. Btw adding that many fish at once was too quick. The cloudiness is a bacterial bloom and will clear as your cycle continues. What kind of filter do you have now? And I would go with a Fluval 406, Rena XP3/4, or an Eheim.

 

[French]

I have a fluval c4 on it now.

 

[Slade]

Keep the c4 and add the marineland or fluval c360 or eheim 2215.

 

[French]

I've been reading up on the fluval canister filters. Seems like a lot of people have trouble getting them sealed and or keeping them sealed. The marineland c220 had good reviews and is a good price. Although the eheim 2234 looks like a good pic too.

 

[ashleynicole]

I have a fluvfluval 306 on my 60 gallon tank and I love it.

But yes your are cycling. You need to change at least 50 percent of the water twice a day. Also you can prime with his each water change to reduce the toxicity of the ammonia and nitrite. (Dose the whole tank for this) It only reduces toxicity for about 24 hours.

The cloudy water is due to bacterial bloom breaking down the fish waste. It will clear on its own. Do not add anything to help clear the water.

Do not add any fish until your ammonia and nitrite readings are consistently zero without water changes.

Do not throw away any filter media. When you clean the filters rinse the media in dechlorinated water.

If you can, try to return some of the fish. That is a high bioload especially for a fish in cycle. You will do best with less fish and then once your cycled you can add a few fish at a time. (1-3 each week).

 

[ashleynicole]

Also the addition of some fast growing stem plants will help speed your cycle.

 

[French]

Thanks. I don't think I can return any of the fish.

 

[Samzter]

Thanks. I don't think I can return any of the fish.

You could always check other LFS ( local fish shops) and se eif they will take them. Or put them on eBay or craiglist.

 

[French]

Update:
-Got a fluval 206 canister filter installed
-Substituted the carbon that came with it for some clear fx pro.
- guy at the fish store gave me sand from the bottom of their tanks.
-done partial water change.

Thanks for your input.

 

[johndoe]

A word about those bacteria that cycle your tank. They work to speed your cycle but do not make your tank instantly cycled (as you have experienced). I decided to see how it would work in a new marine tank. I put in the bacteria and waited a short time and added an average bio load of fish. I tested water quality twice a day and found the water quality was slower to change; but it did change. I would do a water change of 25% about every 2 days and would add more of the bacteria with each water change. I was able to stabilize water chemistry much quicker than if not using the bacteria. Until your water chemistry is stable you must consider your tank in cycling mode.

 

[mrvincent]

Pretty sure I pulled a noob. Set up my 50 gal tanks Friday past. Used cycle for the first three days as the label says. Introduced 19 fish by Sunday. Danios, cardinals, lamp eye tetras, a blue gourami, and a red tail shark. They all seem to be doing fine but I don't know what to think of my water chemistry. Ph 6.6-6.8 ammonia 1-2 ppm nitrite 0-0.25 ppm nitrate 10-20 ppm. Hard to diferenciate between some of the colora on the color chart ( api master test kit). My water is also cloudy. Is all this normal? When should I do my first water change? Should I be concerned about my ammonia level? Thinking about getting a canister filter tomorrow or the next day. Good idea? Marineland c220. Any I advise/ comments appreciated.

Hmmm look like your environement is in cycling process... white cloudy water can appear, as autotrophic bacterias multiply very fast in these condition...

I'll suggest you do often big water changes... It will solve by itself.


the product "Nutrafin Cycle" help and fasten the process of cycling, but you must wait.

1. Put water with antichlorine and cycle product.
2. After 10 days mesure ammonia and nitrites. If they both 0ppm, then your cycle is ready. If no, wait more and add more cycle to the filters.
3. Add fishs.

Never add 20 fishs to a new setup tank... Add them progressively, so cycle will adapt...

 

[ashleynicole]

the product "Nutrafin Cycle" help and fasten the process of cycling, but you must wait.

1. Put water with antichlorine and cycle product.
2. After 10 days mesure ammonia and nitrites. If they both 0ppm, then your cycle is ready. If no, wait more and add more cycle to the filters.
3. Add fishs.

Never add 20 fishs to a new setup tank... Add them progressively, so cycle will adapt...

You cant cycle a tank without an ammonia source. Waiting 10 days to add fish will do nothing. Ammonia and nitrite readings mean nothing if you are not adding an ammonia source.


Since you are already cycling with the fish your goal is to keep the fish from having permanent damage and scar tissue from ammonia and nitrite poisoning. The sand will help but some seeded filter media from an established tank would be better. Getting the material from any source has the potential to transfer pathogens.

 

[tarpon]

ask your lfs if they have any old filter media you can have to cycle your tank. just make sure it stays wet. someone gave me an old filter pad off one of their tanks and it cycled almost right away

 

[mrvincent]

You cant cycle a tank without an ammonia source. Waiting 10 days to add fish will do nothing. Ammonia and nitrite readings mean nothing if you are not adding an ammonia source.


Since you are already cycling with the fish your goal is to keep the fish from having permanent damage and scar tissue from ammonia and nitrite poisoning. The sand will help but some seeded filter media from an established tank would be better. Getting the material from any source has the potential to transfer pathogens.

Dude, When I started my 29g, for no reason there was 3ppm NH3+NH4 in my tasnk. I buyed fluval sratum for planted tanks.

9 days later I was at

NH3+NH4: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 15

using nutrafin cycle,,, but i most admit I used my GF betta to do this

 

[ashleynicole]

Dude, When I started my 29g, for no reason there was 3ppm NH3+NH4 in my tasnk. I buyed fluval sratum for planted tanks.

9 days later I was at

NH3+NH4: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 15

using nutrafin cycle,,, but i most admit I used my GF betta to do this

You could have chloramine in your tapwater. There is debate over the efficacy of bottled bacteria but some people find it helpful. If you had ammonia in your tapwater perhaps that is what fed your bacteria.

I'm not a "dude", I am a female.

And I believe you meant "I bought"

Just because that scenario worked for you doesn't mean it is the appropriate or safest method or the correct advice to give someone.

 

[bshenanagins]

You could have chloramine in your tapwater. There is debate over the efficacy of bottled bacteria but some people find it helpful. If you had ammonia in your tapwater perhaps that is what fed your bacteria.

I'm not a "dude", I am a female.

And I believe you meant "I bought"

Just because that scenario worked for you doesn't mean it is the appropriate or safest method or the correct advice to give someone.

LOL....the bottled crap is garbage and a quick solution to nothing. Just do the ammonia trick or responsibly cycle with fish in.

 

[mrvincent]

Tap water is 0 ammonia, probably the substrate... I add dechlorinator, and after add the Bacteria product. It worked very well. Ammonia switched to nitrites in 5 days, then nitrites to nitrates 4 days later.

No need to wait 1 month with this products

 

[French]

I tested my tap water today. There was an ammonia reading of .25 ppm. Also while testing my aquarium water the nitrite reduced to 0. Nitrate reduced 10 ppm. And the aquarium ammonia is starting to drop.