BubbleAndSqueak
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2021
- Messages
- 11
Hello Everyone,
This is my first post here, so i hope i'm posting this in the right place and sticking with the community guidelines and etiquette!
3 months ago
I brought our first aquarium, a 40 ltr tropical tank for my daughters. We purchased this from a large supplier here in the UK; and let's just say the advice was a little vague and wishful - put this active bacteria in, wait 3-4 days and then add fish, it'll be fine...
Naively, we added 2 fish (Mollys - i know what your thinking) a week later, and one sadly died.
Ever since then I've been on a mission to keep my girl's fish alive, learn what i can, and get the tank to a harmonious PH/Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate balance!
3 months on
We have 4 Guppies and 2 Mollys and haven't lost any fish since. The problem is, although I finally managed to get the Nitrite to 0ppm (took about 6 weeks), i'm STILL getting 2ppm Ammonia and 40-80ppm Nitrates.
Does any one have any advice on what i might need to do/stop doing to bring the Ammonia down to 0 and get a sub 40ppm Nitrate level?
Over the last few months I've:
The good news is, fish seem absolutely fine. No signs of distress or struggling breathing whatsoever - if it wasn't for the test kit, you wouldn't even know there was a problem!
I came across a completely different post on this website (thats how i found it) where the user suggested a back to back 50% water change and then daily 25% changes there after until the problem resolved. What are you thoughts on this?
I've also wondered whether i might have too many fish, but the other (much better) shops i've spoken with have said that i still have space for a few tetras - which i've held off on getting because i know they are sensitive.
I've also just brought some java merino moss balls in the hope that getting fresh plants will bring the ammonia levels down - we only have plastic plants at the moment.
Thanks in advance for your ideas and suggestions!
This is my first post here, so i hope i'm posting this in the right place and sticking with the community guidelines and etiquette!
3 months ago
I brought our first aquarium, a 40 ltr tropical tank for my daughters. We purchased this from a large supplier here in the UK; and let's just say the advice was a little vague and wishful - put this active bacteria in, wait 3-4 days and then add fish, it'll be fine...
Naively, we added 2 fish (Mollys - i know what your thinking) a week later, and one sadly died.
Ever since then I've been on a mission to keep my girl's fish alive, learn what i can, and get the tank to a harmonious PH/Ammonia/Nitrite/Nitrate balance!
3 months on
We have 4 Guppies and 2 Mollys and haven't lost any fish since. The problem is, although I finally managed to get the Nitrite to 0ppm (took about 6 weeks), i'm STILL getting 2ppm Ammonia and 40-80ppm Nitrates.
Does any one have any advice on what i might need to do/stop doing to bring the Ammonia down to 0 and get a sub 40ppm Nitrate level?
Over the last few months I've:
- Beed feeding the fish carefully and occasionally skipping days to avoid ammonia build up
- Used an API test kit to test and measure the levels regularly
- Performed weekly water changes (between 30-50%)
- Used a gravel cleaner to remove poo
- Used Pure Aquarium bacterial treatment (weekly with WC)
- Added a small amount of Aquarium Salt during most WCs to help protect the fish (i used this like a tonic when the first fish died and the remaining one was looking very poorly - i swear it saved that fish).
- Using Prime to keep the levels safe for the fish (every two days and during WCs)
- Added 3 Zebra snails to deal with a brown algae outbreak we had 6-8 weeks in.
The good news is, fish seem absolutely fine. No signs of distress or struggling breathing whatsoever - if it wasn't for the test kit, you wouldn't even know there was a problem!
I came across a completely different post on this website (thats how i found it) where the user suggested a back to back 50% water change and then daily 25% changes there after until the problem resolved. What are you thoughts on this?
I've also wondered whether i might have too many fish, but the other (much better) shops i've spoken with have said that i still have space for a few tetras - which i've held off on getting because i know they are sensitive.
I've also just brought some java merino moss balls in the hope that getting fresh plants will bring the ammonia levels down - we only have plastic plants at the moment.
Thanks in advance for your ideas and suggestions!
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