3 months in and frustraited!!!

[Fellin1975]

All is really great advice!

 

[Wolfsblood]

Adding 40 fish over a 2 month period seems pretty excessive and could very well be the cause of the seemingly endless cycle you are experiencing.

 

[Josh Jennings]

I understand that now, about too many fish. Got some poor advice from a pet store. Things are much better now!! I got home just a little while ago and found my levels to all be in the safe zones. Also all of my fish ate eating, and swimming around as before. Also they are brilliantly colored!! Thanks again for all the super advice. Without you guys I fear I would have lost most if not all my fish. I look forward to chatting with you all again, and getting more advice about my next steps. Who knows after a while maybe I'll learn enough to give some advice of my own.

 

[Hobgob]

I know everyone says the hh stops working around the low 6's but how would people spawn fish in the 3-4 range than? I'm not saying your wrong at all I just would like to know how they can keep the ph down and still have a cycled tank.

 

[Rlavassor86]

I know everyone says the hh stops working around the low 6's but how would people spawn fish in the 3-4 range than? I'm not saying your wrong at all I just would like to know how they can keep the ph down and still have a cycled tank.

I could be wrong but I've never heard of people keeping fish in anything that low. That's near straight vinegar. Pretty sure that would kill any fish.

 

[jlk]

I know everyone says the hh stops working around the low 6's but how would people spawn fish in the 3-4 range than? I'm not saying your wrong at all I just would like to know how they can keep the ph down and still have a cycled tank.

I dont know anyone that keeps fish in a 3-4ph either. In nature, theres obviously fish that can spawn in low phs but keep in mind that your talking about huge amounts of water in a natural environment. Any toxins would be diluted to near zero and any ammonia would be rendered nontoxic by such extreme acidity. Not something that can be easily mimicked in our little artificial environments. If someone is actually keeping fish in a ph below say 5.5, I would say their tank is uncycled and will never cycle. But, on the flip side, there would be zero nitrite & nitrate and any ammonia would be pretty much in the form of ammonium.

 

[Hholly]

I understand that now, about too many fish. Got some poor advice from a pet store. Things are much better now!! I got home just a little while ago and found my levels to all be in the safe zones. Also all of my fish ate eating, and swimming around as before. Also they are brilliantly colored!! Thanks again for all the super advice. Without you guys I fear I would have lost most if not all my fish. I look forward to chatting with you all again, and getting more advice about my next steps. Who knows after a while maybe I'll learn enough to give some advice of my own.

Yep. It's all a big learning experience. Good on you! Now you get the fun of the hobby and you can definitely help others out on here. We all made/make mistakes. It's all about learning from them. Keeping an aquarium is sort of like art. Have fun!

 

[Josh Jennings]

One of my Diamond Tetra.

 

[Josh Jennings]

A few happy Cory's.

 

[Josh Jennings]

My tank.

 

[Hholly]

Looking good!

 

[Hobgob]

Sorry been away for a whole but not to get off topic. The apisto iniridae has to spawn in that low of water. That's why everyone has such a hard time with them. Their eggs are more like killifish and have a thicker shelling to them. It needs the acidic water in order to break the shell down and have a successful hatch. That is why so many people have so many failed spawns with these apistos. It is very hard to do but the only way to do it...
http://www.dwarfcichlid.com/Apistogramma_iniridae.php

 

[Hobgob]

But for a beginner it would be a lot better to keep the ph above 6 so the tank can cycle and get a better understanding of everything and the fish you are probably going to keep will not survive the ph.

 

[phin]

But for a beginner it would be a lot better to keep the ph above 6 so the tank can cycle and get a better understanding of everything and the fish you are probably going to keep will not survive the ph.

I agree. It can be tricky to keep low pH constant, much more so than a high pH. Best bet is to use what comes out of your tap.

 

[Josh Jennings]

Ok y'all... I guess I'm at the next phase... My water was crystal clear a week ago and now it's cloudy (white/brownish) color. Nothing has changed about the tank since the last time I posted. Same fish, same decor. I have s master test kit and I do weekly water changes of 15 to 20 %. I was told to do a 10% water change per day to help clear up the cloudy water. So I've been doing that for the past 3 days. My water info is below. Any thoughts??

pH = 7.6
NH3/NH4 = 4.0 to 8.0
NO2 = 0
NO3 = 0

The fish seem happy...

What can I do? Just wait it out?

 

[Rlavassor86]

Ok y'all... I guess I'm at the next phase... My water was crystal clear a week ago and now it's cloudy (white/brownish) color. Nothing has changed about the tank since the last time I posted. Same fish, same decor. I have s master test kit and I do weekly water changes of 15 to 20 %. I was told to do a 10% water change per day to help clear up the cloudy water. So I've been doing that for the past 3 days. My water info is below. Any thoughts??

pH = 7.6
NH3/NH4 = 4.0 to 8.0
NO2 = 0
NO3 = 0

The fish seem happy...

What can I do? Just wait it out?

You need to do water changes like now. Do 50% right away. Your nh3 and nh4 need to be at .25 or lower if you have fish. They are being poisoned right now. Do as many 50% pwc until its under .25

 

[Josh Jennings]

Ok. Thanks. I will do that now. What else should I do?

 

[Rlavassor86]

Ok. Thanks. I will do that now. What else should I do?

Keep testing your water daily and keep your nh3 nh4 and no2 under .25 ppm by doing water changes. You can do 50% at a time just make sure your using a good conditioner for all new water. Ammonia and nitrite are toxic to fish and become fatal at higher levels. You are still in the cycle period.

 

[jlk]

You need to do water changes like now. Do 50% right away. Your nh3 and nh4 need to be at .25 or lower if you have fish. They are being poisoned right now. Do as many 50% pwc until its under .25

+1
I agree on lots of big water changes. 10% is not even going to make a dent in 4-8ppm of ammonia. You do NOT want to 'wait it out' here because your ammonia levels are extremely toxic right now. Once you are able to bring them under control, you will need to continue to test daily and do water changes as needed to keep toxin levels under control. Please ask if you have any questions!

 

[Josh Jennings]

Ok. I'm doing a 50/60% water change via there anything else I can do, or not do to help this process? I have been adding very small amounts of baking soda to raise the pH which was very low before. And as the pH went up the water became cloudy and the ammonia issues began. Is this just coincidence?