Mtl Parrothead
Aquarium Advice Regular
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2019
- Messages
- 58
I have been keeping aquariums on and off for the last 30+ years, I’m no expert but I do know my stuff. I started this tank with my kids the first week of March to get back into the hobby. It has been a comedy of errors (not a single funny one).
Here is he shortened story, I started to cycle with some seeded filter material I got from a friend, I was going to cycle fishless. I came home ready to add ammonia but my wife and kids went out and bought fish. I started testing the water a couple days later figure give the fish some time to create ammonia. I was testing with my old API mater kit, it showed no ammonia or nitrite and slight nitrate. Needless to say I assumed I was cycled over a couple weeks we stocked the tank pretty well. The kit was not expired but defective. I ended losing a few fish.
I got over that issue and API actually sent me a free kit to replace the defective one. I was in search of mts snails for the sand substrate. I found a few on Kijiji (big mistake), I added them to my tank then all hell hit the fan.
I went from:
3 cockatoo apistos
8 kuhli loaches
1 platy
1 guppy
10 rosy loaches
To:
1 kuhli loach
8 rosy tetras
I spoke with the person who gave me the snails she admitted she tried to poison them not only with aquarium chemicals but actually household cleaners and other stuff. So not only did they die and decomposed causing a huge ammonia but also leached some small amounts of other stuff into the tank. This not only killed off most of the fish but also damaged all the plants.
I also was unhappy with the HOB filter that came with so I bought a canister filter (Fluval 407). This way I’ll be over-filtered as I’m accustomed to. I finally installed it earlier today I’ll run the HOB also for the next little while just to make sure everything is well seeded with BB.
The Anacharis all died off, the java fern seems to be the same not growing as fast as I’d expect but has a bunch of spores /new baby ferns attached the the leaves. I’ll let them mature before replanting them. The Banana plants are growing slowly but surely.
The water wisteria has been the most interesting it grew really tall and spread along the substrate but all the lower leaves on the stem died and rotted off. I did quite a bit of trimming and replanting with quite a bit of luck. The best were the leafless stems that quickly sprouted what’s nuts is the different shapes of leaves all from the same original plant.
My lfs felt bad they know I’ve been keeping tanks for a long time and they gave me a clown pleco to help in my rebuilding. Fingers crossed this is the end of my issues.
I now need to figure out what my revised stocking plan will be once I am sure things are stable. I am always opened to suggestions as long as they are compatible with what I have left.
Here is he shortened story, I started to cycle with some seeded filter material I got from a friend, I was going to cycle fishless. I came home ready to add ammonia but my wife and kids went out and bought fish. I started testing the water a couple days later figure give the fish some time to create ammonia. I was testing with my old API mater kit, it showed no ammonia or nitrite and slight nitrate. Needless to say I assumed I was cycled over a couple weeks we stocked the tank pretty well. The kit was not expired but defective. I ended losing a few fish.
I got over that issue and API actually sent me a free kit to replace the defective one. I was in search of mts snails for the sand substrate. I found a few on Kijiji (big mistake), I added them to my tank then all hell hit the fan.
I went from:
3 cockatoo apistos
8 kuhli loaches
1 platy
1 guppy
10 rosy loaches
To:
1 kuhli loach
8 rosy tetras
I spoke with the person who gave me the snails she admitted she tried to poison them not only with aquarium chemicals but actually household cleaners and other stuff. So not only did they die and decomposed causing a huge ammonia but also leached some small amounts of other stuff into the tank. This not only killed off most of the fish but also damaged all the plants.
I also was unhappy with the HOB filter that came with so I bought a canister filter (Fluval 407). This way I’ll be over-filtered as I’m accustomed to. I finally installed it earlier today I’ll run the HOB also for the next little while just to make sure everything is well seeded with BB.
The Anacharis all died off, the java fern seems to be the same not growing as fast as I’d expect but has a bunch of spores /new baby ferns attached the the leaves. I’ll let them mature before replanting them. The Banana plants are growing slowly but surely.
The water wisteria has been the most interesting it grew really tall and spread along the substrate but all the lower leaves on the stem died and rotted off. I did quite a bit of trimming and replanting with quite a bit of luck. The best were the leafless stems that quickly sprouted what’s nuts is the different shapes of leaves all from the same original plant.
My lfs felt bad they know I’ve been keeping tanks for a long time and they gave me a clown pleco to help in my rebuilding. Fingers crossed this is the end of my issues.
I now need to figure out what my revised stocking plan will be once I am sure things are stable. I am always opened to suggestions as long as they are compatible with what I have left.
