Nice to meet you!

[electro_cute]

Hi there!

My name is Angel and I live in Vancouver Canada. I am pretty new to the world of aquariums besides taking care of a male betta for 2.5 years.

My partner and I recently decided to take the plunge and get an actual freshwater aquarium. We bought a 6 gallon Fluval Edge. Along with the aquarium we got 6 guppies and some live plants/decorations.

We started the tank with a substrate that came with water in order to introduce beneficial bacteria to the tank right off the bat.

Overall it has been really hard for us to keep fish healthy - we started out with 6 guppies and now we only have 2 left. This could have been caused because we added 4 sunset tetras to the tank after 10 days of having started the cycling.

Right now I have 2 male guppies and 3 sunset tetras left and I am doing my best to keep them healthy. I do partial water changes and test the water for ammonia and PH frequently.

Our latest PH reading was 7.5 and our ammonia showed up at 0.5

I am sad to keep losing fish so I would welcome any suggestions/criticism/feedback.

Look forward to talking to you.

For a video of my tank feel free to click on this link: ‪Fluval Edge Aquarium‬‏ - YouTube

Cheers

Angel

 

[jcolon]

to AA!

To begin with ... I highly suggest reading the article in the link below on fish in cycling. Then get to work on doing 50% water changes ... you'll need to do a couple back to back to get that ammo reading below 0.25ppm. How are you testing the water? There are two products AA member highly recommend to keep a healthy tank. API test master kit and seachem prime de-chlorinator (if you don't already use them).

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

IMO ... you have there are two things already against you.
1) Going with bacteria (BB) already with substrate & water. To me it's like bacteria in a bottle .. may not be the most reliable. For future reference, the best way to get bacteria quickly is to get it from an established tank either by filter media, substrate or decor.

2) Having a small tank which builds up ammonia quickly requiring more constant water changes. This is why the API test master kit and seachem prime are important. Prime lock ammo and nitrites in a less toxic form for up to 24+ hrs buying your fish some breathing room .. but BB will still be able to consume it. If you could upgrade to a larger tank ... even a 10gal, then it would be highly recommended.

However all is not lost ... don't let the loss of fish discourage you ... it's happen to many members. Testing and PWC's is the simple solution ... don't bother with any other chemicals other than water and seachem prime.

If you can rehome the fish you have in your tank you could do a fishless cycling which would actually be easier for you ... see the link below.

The (almost) Complete Guide and FAQ to Fishless Cycling

Again ... Diligence + water Testing + PWC's = Established tank = happy fish.

 

[BrainiacPaul]

Larger tanks = easier to cycle, care for and maintain water quality
anything below 10 gallons often will not cycle and have enough beneficial bacteria to be stable.
If you are new to any type of aquarium (salt water/freshwater tropical/brackish) it is always best to start with a large aquarium, larger aquariums are alot more stable and let's face it, anyone(/fish) would prefer a larger area to live in.

 

[electro_cute]

Thanks!!

Wow... You guys are amazing. Thanks for the incredible responses!

I am heading to the aquarium store later today to get some Seachem Prime... The reviews all swear by it! I have been doing doing daily PWCs and unfortunately ammonia is still present... Should I change the water less often?

The 2 Guppies and 3 Tetras that are left seem to be doing fine for now and I am guessing the Seachem will only help them even more.

Do you guys recommend skipping a day of feeding once per week? I used to do that with my Betta.

In terms of switching my tank I'd love to but I probably won't for two reasons:

1) We live in an apartment in downtown Vancouver and our space is quite limited

2) I spent about $200 on the Fluval Edge and I simply can't afford a larger tank right now

One last question... As I said, right now I have 3 tetras and 2 guppies... Is that the most stock I could have in a 6 gallon tank or would I be able to increase the number of either Guppies or Tetras... If so, which ones and how many?

I really really appreciate your knowledge and advice.

Talk soon!

 

[BrainiacPaul]

Some people feed their fish twice every day (sometimes more) and others only feed every second day. Personally, I prefer feeding 5-6 times a week.


As for stocking, I recommend 2-3 more tetras as they like to shoal together and generally are more stress-free in groups of 6 or more. But only add more fish after the tank is finished cycling.