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[frshwaterfish]

got my 20month old son a 10 gallon with filter and a small heater that keeps the water around 78 degrees. we have a few gold fish a albino illuminated shark, a small shark with neon red fins, an aposamis, and a small cat fish. its a cool little comunity with a castle a skull and a two opening cave for them and a few plants that are fake for now. any advice about frequency on water changes and what good ph ect would be my son and i would appreciate it, we are getting test kit tomorow. we also have what im almost possitive is a twin tail beta that is a cool metallic blue color named scuba steve. i want to put him in the 10 gallon but ever site i go to says either yes i can or no i cant so he is in about a 2 gallon tank for now. any advice on scuba steve and what kind of numbers i want to see when i test my water tomorrow would help.

 

[boadams87]

got my 20month old son a 10 gallon with filter and a small heater that keeps the water around 78 degrees. we have a few gold fish a albino illuminated shark, a small shark with neon red fins, an aposamis, and a small cat fish. its a cool little comunity with a castle a skull and a two opening cave for them and a few plants that are fake for now. any advice about frequency on water changes and what good ph ect would be my son and i would appreciate it, we are getting test kit tomorow. we also have what im almost possitive is a twin tail beta that is a cool metallic blue color named scuba steve. i want to put him in the 10 gallon but ever site i go to says either yes i can or no i cant so he is in about a 2 gallon tank for now. any advice on scuba steve and what kind of numbers i want to see when i test my water tomorrow would help.

Congratulations on starting him off young. You really have to many fish in that 10 gal. Goldfish are very nasty fish. If your tank is cycled you should see numbers like these.
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrites 0ppm
Nitrates < 20ppm.
But I doubt that it's cycled properly.

 

[jlk]

Hi and welcome!!! Unfortunately, there are far too many fish in this 10gal. Goldfish are very messy fish with a huge bioload. 10g is too small for even a single goldfish of any breed. Fancies need 20g for the first fish, 10gal for each fish after. Commons, comets, & shubunkins grow vey large (up to 18in) and require huge amounts of water because they realistically are pond fish.

The second issue is the environment- goldfish are coldwater fish while the rest of your fish are tropicals. They have different requirements for temp, housing, & diet. I have enclosed 2 links for starting a fw aquarium & fish-in cycling. Please dont hesitate to ask questions!!

I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

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

 

[frshwaterfish]

tested my water today and the nitrites chlorine are 0, but my nitrates are low @ almost 0 and my amonia is high @ 4 ppm. ive done a 30% water change today and added conditioner and aquarium salt ( didnt have the salt beore today)..... i also have realized through some reading that i have too many fish and am considering re homing the gold fish, i have also read some in fish cycling acticles linked through this web site and am slowly starting to learn some things but an advice on steps i should take from here woul help alot. also would getting some media filter clippings from my friends established tank help or is it better in the long run to let all those bacteria build on their own?

 

[jlk]

Nitrates are not a concern right now & generally should be 20ppm or less. However, your ammonia is a major concern. 4ppm ammonia is very toxic for your fish. I would consider doing multiple, back-to-back 50% water changes with properly conditioned, temperature-matched water until you can get your ammonia levels under control (less than .25ppm). Getting some filter/media clippings from your friend will def help but you will need to address your stocking situation as soon as possible. Stay on top of your water changes & testing to keep your fish healthy in the meantime.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Hello and welcome!
Follow the advise above.
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but none of your fish are suitable for a 10g tank. The shark needs a 55g. The goldfish a 20g. And the catfish I can't say because you didn't say what kind it was.

 

[frshwaterfish]

so ive done a 50% wc and put in some amonnia clear and my level has dropped from 4 ppm to under 1 ppm. im going to do another wc today and rehome my fish to a bigger tank asap. my ph is not out of control high but is about a 7.8. nirtires, nitrates, water hardness, and alkanlinity are all within the listed norms for a fw tank. i know my biggest issues are tank size and amount of fish i have other then trying to address those im reading up on cycling and am wondering what peoples opintions are on cycling with plants when i can find a bigger tank and what plants are the best for doing a cycle with plants and no fish?

 

[jlk]

Good job on testing & your water changes! A ph of 7.8 is not bad at all so do not worry about it! Cycling with plants is a great option. Plant whatever your heart desires (as long as you have suitable lighting) making sure you have some fast-growing plants as well. If you do some looking on this site, theres information regarding a 'silent cycle'- basically, if you stock heavily with plants, the plants will prevent amm or nitrite from spiking for they absorb everything. Plants are great addition to help maintain a healthy tank.

 

[frshwaterfish]

did another ammonia clear treatment and about a 50% wc and added good wter back and after the tank settled a little ( 30 min ) the inital results show ammonia @ .25 ppm down from 1 ppm, ( will test again in 24hrs ). all my fish are still alive and thats my goal till i can get a new tank for my son they seem happy but i know they need a new tank. how much water should i change from here and how often? i know my tank is not even close to being cycled yet....... thanks everyone for the advice, it definitely has helped keep my sons fish alive

 

[boadams87]

did another ammonia clear treatment and about a 50% wc and added good wter back and after the tank settled a little ( 30 min ) the inital results show ammonia @ .25 ppm down from 1 ppm, ( will test again in 24hrs ). all my fish are still alive and thats my goal till i can get a new tank for my son they seem happy but i know they need a new tank. how much water should i change from here and how often? i know my tank is not even close to being cycled yet....... thanks everyone for the advice, it definitely has helped keep my sons fish alive

Id do one when ur ammonia gets to .50 or more. Or do one everyday at least 50-75%

 

[jlk]

This is why testing is so important. You may need to do water changes twice a day (am & pm) with your tank so heavily stocked. Anytime the ammonia/nitrite rise above .25ppm, you should consider a water change to keep your guys healthy.

 

[frshwaterfish]

hi everyone i put together all the money i could get together and bought a 55 gallon tank and plants i got it after work today and it is currently running right now with no fish in it. i am maintaining constant upkeep on the smaller ten gallon still and within a day or two i will slowly start to transfer fish over to the 55. i will try to post pics by the end of the weekend and any dvice on how many fish at a time and how long to wait between transfers would really help me out, and after i get all fish in the 55 i am going to put my beta scuba steve in the 10 gallon tank

 

[frshwaterfish]

i figue a in fish cycle in the 55 will be healthier than doing it in the 10 gallon cause of amount of fish i have. this way i can sperate the gold fish from the tropical ones

 

[Alyxx]

And the catfish I can't say because you didn't say what kind it was.

In the OP's other thread we determined its a Pleco, most likely a common.

In the future, try not to start multiple identical threads. It makes it difficult for everyone to be on the same page as far as what decisions have been made and what advice has already been given.

 

[redsea]

Welcome to Aquarium Advice frshwaterfish.

 

[frshwaterfish]

everything is going good so far with running the 55 gallon with the community and the 10 gallon with the betta in it. my son loves the 55 he sits there for hours looking at everything in it . i went to a quality store in anchor bay michigan and got some more plants and an air stone for the side of the tank opposite where the filter is ( its cool and i figured it couldnt hurt ). all fish and my eel are doing well and am maintaing ammonia under .25 ppm and making sure it stays good and try to keep it as close to 0 as i can. been feeding my eel brine and these black worms i got from that store it had them at an ok price, got enough brine shrimp for about 4 days or so and enough worms to last @ least a month for 6 bucks. any links on cycling or other useful info i should read or advice on what im looking for now as far as my cycle or tips would be appreciated by both me and my son

 

[jlk]

It sounds like your doing a great job so far!!!! Dont hesitate to ask any questions!

 

[frshwaterfish]

i was advised @ the good fish store not to buy any frilly or red colored plants for my tank cause i lacked proper lighting for them ( i have 50 dollar apiece day\night leds that came with the tank, nice lights for what they are ) and was advised to buy the plants i bought which are green, hardy, and have very nice roots....... i dont like to do things unless i do them as seriously as i can afford to do them and fish have already turned from a simple gift for my son into an addiction already lol. i see on ebay i can get two 24 inch 96w 6500k t5 lights with the led blue "night lights" for 80 apiece brand new with a 30 day return unless anyone knows of a good site with better prices and\or a better light, is something like that something i should consider? around $80 a light is all i would be able to afford to spend on lighting and saw in a different thread that a light like that is a "poor mans" plant light if you need one for your tank but i also want to get the best light i can with what i can afford to spend thx everyone for helping

 

[Jess1ca]

Omg, I totally sympathize with you! My family got me a 20g complete with fish, as an early bday gift! Did some Googling found out I was overstocked went and saved all my pennies, got a 55g, did some Googling learned about cycling! One road block after another.... But even though its tough moving all that water once, twice a day I have found myself COMPLETELY addicted

 

[Lovin Fish]

Welcome to AA! I too started for my son (he's 10 though) and became addicted! We were incredibly overstocked also!! Now we have 4 tanks and it's only been 5 months LOL!!! Every now and then you will run into kinks but with the internet and the lovely folks on here at AA, it's easy to iron them out
Good luck! And have fun!!!