the harder i try the worse it gets

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chellmybell

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jun 10, 2011
Messages
14
Location
american fork utah
hi, so i am in serious need of help, i decided to get a fish tank based on the fact that i wanted a pet but was unable to get a cat. i had a ex who was really good with fish but i only retained a minute amount of information from him and so now i need to build my knowledge so my wonderful lil fish will be happy and thrive. so anyone who is experienced with water conditions, live plant(i dont have any but am looking into adding) fish disease, or moss balls, please help me.
 
Welcome to AA! There are plenty of knowledgeable folks here that love to help out! Do you have any specific questions to get started?
 
Ya, a very warm welcome to you!! I know we would all LOVE to help you create a happy, healthy environment for you and your wet pets!! Maybe the best place to start would be to tell us what you know so far? We are very excited you are taking the responsible steps to becoming a knowledgable pet owner :)
 
i know i need a bigger tank for my 3 fish, aslo i know i should test the water but i dont know how to fix any issue that may show up when i test my water or even what type of test to get, and what i am testing for? i need help because one of my lil guys has fin rot, or maybe i am just really over reading the signs with my lil guys.
 
What fish do you have?

What size aquarium?

You should buy an API Master Test Kit, its best. It test for Ammonia, Nitrates, Nitrites, and Ph.

Usually doing water changes clears up any issue that may arise.
 
Most all of us recommend the API Master Test Kit.

Freshwater Master Test Kit - API

If you can tell us about your setup, it will help us a great deal. Are you doing freshwater or saltwater? How big is your tank? What kind of filter? Heater? What kind of decoration is in the tank? How long has it been set up and what kind of fish are in it?

Fin rot can come from high ammonia levels. If you have just set the tank up, this is most likely the issue.
 
Ok :) your in the right place!! I suggest the API freshwater master test kit...it tests both ends of the ph scale, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate...fish (in most cases) prefer a ph between 7.0 and the highest I think they would be ok at is about 8.2 the main thing is that the ph stays stable! In my experience I have not had to do anything special to keep ph balanced...the water in my area just happens to be. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are all products of the nitrogen cycle (which you may want to research a little bit) I found it easier to read about than by people telling me...but that's me...in an established tank, you get beneficial bacteria which do a good job of breaking down waste aka "ammonia" (which is poisonous to fish) into nitrite (also poisonous) and then a second type of bacteria which is also beneficial breaks nitrite down into nitrate (which is not as harmful, but is still unhealthy)...there are people on here who actually have links to good ways to complete a cycle both with and without fish. I don't happen to have that link...so hopefully someone will chime in for you...
 
i have had my tank for around 6 months, and i have a 1in thick layer of gravel, 2 fake small plants, a decoration about 9 in tall, a submersible heater, a whisper air pump with a long bubble curtain buried under my gravel, and a aqua tech 5-15 filter, and scrub the glass once a week, as well as do a water change of around 15%, should i do more?
 
Haha...sorry the thread advanced a little bit while I was writing my book...
 
chellmybell said:
i have had my tank for around 6 months, and i have a 1in thick layer of gravel, 2 fake small plants, a decoration about 9 in tall, a submersible heater, a whisper air pump with a long bubble curtain buried under my gravel, and a aqua tech 5-15 filter, and scrub the glass once a week, as well as do a water change of around 15%, should i do more?

When you get your test kit that will help you identify if you need to change more water, and possibly more frequently
 
ive tried to read up on this but every web page leaves me with more questions than answers, like how offten do i need to test? is there a time of day? also none of them answer what to do if you get a bad reading
 
And unfortunately your tank is about 7.5 times too small for two JD's I just did a quick search and I came up with 75 gallons for 2
 
chellmybell said:
ive tried to read up on this but every web page leaves me with more questions than answers, like how offten do i need to test? is there a time of day? also none of them answer what to do if you get a bad reading

You can kinda set your own schedule for that...my major tank cleaning happens on Saturdays, but sometimes I do a couple small partial water changes (PWC's) if I think the tank needs a freshen up...if your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are too high water changes will do the trick
 
I feel like I may be causing more confusion...I'm sorry :( I threw a lot of info at you at once...not fair on my part!
 
also i live in a area with really hard water, is it ok if i keep using distilled water or should i just go for the tap with a chemical to take out the chlorine? and if i use tap water do i have to let the water sit for a set amount of time?
 
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