10G FW Planted Aquarium...kinda Re-Build Thread

[daileene]

Need advices on my 10G FW Planted Aquarium (kinda) Re-Build Thread

Last month I joined in here to learn more about fish keeping. My last experience to the hobby was more than 10 years ago. Now I am back. Was just planning on getting 1 fish for my 5 yr old. But when we get to the store, I got hooked up and immediately got 4 fish (1 shubunkin, 1 gold fantail, 1 red rosy, and 1 pleco). But guess where I put them temporarily? In a .25G tank. Can you believe that?

Anyway, my mother in law had a 10G that she was not using anymore, so she gave it to me. I put a regular gravel (before I decided to have it planted), put the whisper 2-10i filter, put some water, then put the conditioner, then put the fishes. What happened? You got it right. They all died one by one...I am a murderer! HA! Well, that was last November-December 2010.

Then, I bought another set of fishes around December. From my very first thread here, I told everybody that I had at that time:

1 koi
1 gold fantail
1 calico fantail
3 red rosies
5 neon tetras
2 plecostomus

Overstocked? Yep. Very much so. And most of all, I have not cycled my tank. Ahhhhh! Wrong move.

Then I decided to get live plants around the middle of January. That was when I joined here. Then I realized all the mistakes that I made. What a mess. But at that time, I already added a new gravel (CaribSea Midnight Black Floramax Premium), 1 amazon sword, 1 melon sword, 2 sets of Philippine Java ferns, a ludwigia, and one unknown plant (think it is non-aquatic). Then one by one, my neon tetras started disappearing (I didn't know before that the fancy goldfishes were not supposed to be mixed with the tetras, totally dumb). Then my red rosies started dying too. So I totally decided to read further in the forum.

By January 23, 2011, the 10G cracked (it has a little crack when my mother in law gave it to me) while I was doing PWC. So to make the story short, I bought a new 10G tank, hence the rebuild.

BUT......I have nowhere to put the remaining alive fishes (3 fancy goldfishes and the 2 plecos) at that time, so when I got the tank, I set everything up and put them all right in. So, I am actually cycling my aquarium (kinda) with fish right now..if that is even possible with my case.

Afterwards, I learned that java ferns will mostly thrive in a driftwood or a rock, so I had a decorative rock for now where it is attached. But I am planning to transfer them as soon as I can when my ordered driftwood and lava rocks will arrive.

So for the meantime, the stuff in my 10G can be found in "My Tanks". I am now (today) starting in my 4th week for this so called cycling with fish and so far, my levels are off the hook. The last time I tested (which was last 2/11/11), these are the results:

Ammonia: 3ppm
Nitrite:0.5ppm
Nitrate:0
pH: 7.2

I am doing 10-15% PWC once or twice every week, and I changed the filter cartridges more than once for that whole 4 weeks (which was not recommended as to what I have read).

As I've observed, it has not totally cycled yet since the ammonia is still high and the nitrite just started to increase. I know I am doing something wrong. But please let me know what it is. This is a lengthy post so please forgive me. Here are some pics. The plants are actually doing good though which is weird. I have seen new shoots from the 2 swords and the ludwigia and also from the ferns. So.....

P.S. I will have a possible home for the koi and the other pleco in spring. So I will just have 2 goldfish and 1 pleco left after.

 

[Coleallensmom]

I am now (today) starting in my 4th week for this so called cycling with fish and so far, my levels are off the hook. The last time I tested (which was last 2/11/11), these are the results:

Ammonia: 3ppm
Nitrite:0.5ppm
Nitrate:0
pH: 7.2

I am doing 10-15% PWC once or twice every week, and I changed the filter cartridges more than once for that whole 4 weeks (which was not recommended as to what I have read).

As I've observed, it has not totally cycled yet since the ammonia is still high and the nitrite just started to increase. I know I am doing something wrong. But please let me know what it is.

4 weeks is really not abnormal for cycling; It can take even longer then that for a tank to cycle depending on the circumstances. Since you're fishless cycling your 5 gallon, I am assuming you have all the basics down. The only difference when you are cycling with fish is that while ammonia is ok with fishless cycling, it is not ok when you are cycling with fish. Any ammonia or nitrite over .25ppm can harm your fish and the only good way to lower those levels is with PWCs. Often times with a cycling tank, PWCs are needed daily or even 2-3x daily to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels at a lower level. You have goldfish in the tank which are big ammonia producers. 10-15% PWCs once or twice every week is not enough and is part of the reason your ammonia is so high. With levels as high as yours, I wouldn't be doing any less than 50% changes. It's going to take multiple changes a day to get that 3ppm lower, but if you leave it that high, you will likely lose your goldfish.

 

[daileene]

UPDATES:

Here are some close up pics of the java and amazon sword:

 

[daileene]

Oh Alisha...you are a lifesaver...

I guess I have to do the 2-3x a day thing then.

I did a bobo last night I think though...I did a 10% PWC and put the conditioner and saw the filter cartridge. It was bursting like it would almost pop all the dirty things on it and it looked like mud for real. So I changed the filter cartridge. And then I realize my mistake afterwards. I remember that the good bacteria is in the filter...:-(

This morning I tested the water and the reading goes like this:

pH: 7.2
Ammonia: 3ppm
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0

Then I noticed the fancy goldfishes were trying to breath on the top of the tank eventhough they have the airstone. I knew I did something wrong...should I change the water again?

 

[BigJim]

+1 for Coleallensmom

Do several large PWCs to get your ammonia and nitrites down to 0.25ppm max.

You'd really be best rehoming all your fish or upgrading to a larger tank. Fancy goldfish really needs 30g for the first fish and an additional 10g for every additional goldfish. Common plecos will reach 18" in length and definitely aren't suited for a 10g.

Sorry to dump on your stock list. It's a very common misconception that goldfish can live in small tanks and will only grow to the size of the tank.

 

[daileene]

+1 for Coleallensmom

Do several large PWCs to get your ammonia and nitrites down to 0.25ppm max.

You'd really be best rehoming all your fish or upgrading to a larger tank. Fancy goldfish really needs 30g for the first fish and an additional 10g for every additional goldfish. Common plecos will reach 18" in length and definitely aren't suited for a 10g.

Sorry to dump on your stock list. It's a very common misconception that goldfish can live in small tanks and will only grow to the size of the tank.

Hello BigJim. I know, it's okay. I understand. It was a very novice thing to do to go get a goldfish and of course the lady helping me in the store is not really helping at all, knowing now what I read all here.

I have a home pretty soon for my koi comes spring time. If the other still survives, then I will just let them stay just the two of them. My 5 year old loves them so I guess I have to try to keep them. I might get another algae eater (maybe a nerite snail, if they are compatible with goldfishes later on) then give the plecos away.

I just did a 15% PWC. But I am planning to do a maybe 75% PWC later this afternoon.

Thank you again.

 

[Coleallensmom]

Oh Alisha...you are a lifesaver...

I guess I have to do the 2-3x a day thing then.

I did a bobo last night I think though...I did a 10% PWC and put the conditioner and saw the filter cartridge. It was bursting like it would almost pop all the dirty things on it and it looked like mud for real. So I changed the filter cartridge. And then I realize my mistake afterwards. I remember that the good bacteria is in the filter...:-(

This morning I tested the water and the reading goes like this:

pH: 7.2
Ammonia: 3ppm
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0

Then I noticed the fancy goldfishes were trying to breath on the top of the tank eventhough they have the airstone. I knew I did something wrong...should I change the water again?

What type of filter are you running on the tank? Changing the filter can stall your cycle as much of your bacteria lives in the substrate and in your filter materials. Don't replace it until it starts to fall apart. If it looks like it needs clean, clean it while you are doing a PWC by putting some of the old tank water in a bucket. Swish the filter around in the bucket until you get some of the goop off.

Gasping at the top of the tank can be from a couple of things. Normally it can be from water quality or water temp. What temperature do you have the tank at now? Goldfish don't need to be as warm as tropical fish. Most goldfish are fine between 60-70 degrees 'F. They are also most likely feeling the effects of the 3ppm ammonia. Definitely do some PWCs and get that ammonia level as close to .25ppm as you can get it.

 

[daileene]

Hi. I have the whisper 2-10i filter that came with the original tank my mother in law gave me.

I will do another PWC later, a bigger one (maybe 75%) and I will try to check the filter cartridge I have in there.

And I have the temp from 70-75 deg. F. They were always fine with that temp before. So I guess it is the ammonia that makes them gasps for breath at the top like that.

Thank you so much for the advice.

 

[daileene]

UPDATES:

I PWC this tank again (75%) and checked the ammonia level after an hour an a half and it still read 3ppm, Nitrites is still 0. I will try to check the level again tomorrow and do another PWC.

 

[daileene]

UPDATES: (4 weeks and 3 days cycling with fish)

Did a 50% PWC yesterday and ammonia still read 3ppm. Did another 50% PWC today and the ammonia level read 0.5ppm. I will do another 75% PWC tomorrow and I hope the ammonia will go down to 0.25ppm.

Thanks again for everything guys.

 

[fort384]

Any nitrite readings yet? I think you are probably getting close... keep up with the PWCs!

 

[daileene]

no...I checked the nitrates too, and since it went back to 0, it has not been back up yet..:-(

thanks justin...

I talked to my lady friend today and she said her niece had a 30G that she left in my friend's basement and they are not using it, she said if her niece doesn't want it anymore, I can have it....yaayyy!

I am looking forward to it.

 

[daileene]

I know this might be another dumb question, but how would you get the new shoots that's sprouting in the java ferns' leaves? I see a lot of roots/sprouts of new ferns in the ferns' leaves. Should I cut them and transfer them?

 

[BigJim]

I let the baby ferns grow on the leaves of the mother plant for a while, then I just pop them off with my thumb. All the ferns in my tanks came from my first java fern.

 

[fort384]

+1 for BigJim. When they are ready, it takes almost no effort at all to just "pluck" em off. Let them grow for a bit...

 

[daileene]

okay...thanks BigJim and fort...appreciate it greatly.

 

[daileene]

oh, and IT IS normal for the leaves where the sprout is to turn into blackish color (well kinda dotted with black)?

 

[fort384]

oh, and IT IS normal for the leaves where the sprout is to turn into blackish color (well kinda dotted with black)?

Yup, perfectly normal.

Once you replant the new plantlet, you can trim the older, ugly leaves. New leaves will grow.

 

[daileene]

aha...got yah! thanks....

 

[fort384]

Any time!!