Hi All,
Total newbie on the forum. I have been doing some research and getting up to speed.
We have a 10 gallon tank with a fluval U1 filter, a heater (seems to be up to the task), about 1" gravel, plastic plants and 'rock', and some river rock.
We started off wrongly, basically doing a fishless cycle without a source of bacteria or ammonia. Then after a week we added a betta and 3 platties.
We kept that for 2 weeks and then added 3 cardinal tetras, one of which died that day (it looked weak even in the bag). The next week we bought 2 more cardinal and then issues began.
First 2 cardinals died (maybe the most recent - hard to say), then the 3 platies, then we added 3 guppies, which started to die after a week, then the betta. The pattern was listless and or erratic behaviour for about a day then dead overnight. They did not look like they had ammonia red gills.
I have been getting up to speed and now have a master test kit (though no kh) but only since april 14. Before then the LFS tested the water with strips and thought it was OK.
So the past is the past but I just had a near miss last night as the 2 last cardinals were looking similar (one listless, one erratic) maybe with red gills (hard to tell with a cardinal). I tested the water
april 14 (fish OK) and got Ammonia 0, No2 0, No3 5, ph 7.6 or higher (did low range - didn't see high range in the new kit).
April 17 (fish sickly) Amm 0, no2 0, no3 0, ph 7.8 - did 30-40% water change. EDIT - I think I forgot to shake the kit for the no3 - so that is likely wrong.
April 18 (fish ok again) Amm 0, no2 0 no3 10ppm ph 7.8
I thought it might be a bacterial infection from the cardinals that died first but since it did not wipe them all out, then maybe not. Then I thought it might be a ph spike but now have read that tap ph is always lower.
So I am looking for a little guidance for how to not get to where I seem to keep returning to (listless, erratic and then fairly rapid decline which a large water change corrects). I know it looks likes ammonia but any other ideas?
Hope that not too much info.
Thanks, G
Total newbie on the forum. I have been doing some research and getting up to speed.
We have a 10 gallon tank with a fluval U1 filter, a heater (seems to be up to the task), about 1" gravel, plastic plants and 'rock', and some river rock.
We started off wrongly, basically doing a fishless cycle without a source of bacteria or ammonia. Then after a week we added a betta and 3 platties.
We kept that for 2 weeks and then added 3 cardinal tetras, one of which died that day (it looked weak even in the bag). The next week we bought 2 more cardinal and then issues began.
First 2 cardinals died (maybe the most recent - hard to say), then the 3 platies, then we added 3 guppies, which started to die after a week, then the betta. The pattern was listless and or erratic behaviour for about a day then dead overnight. They did not look like they had ammonia red gills.
I have been getting up to speed and now have a master test kit (though no kh) but only since april 14. Before then the LFS tested the water with strips and thought it was OK.
So the past is the past but I just had a near miss last night as the 2 last cardinals were looking similar (one listless, one erratic) maybe with red gills (hard to tell with a cardinal). I tested the water
april 14 (fish OK) and got Ammonia 0, No2 0, No3 5, ph 7.6 or higher (did low range - didn't see high range in the new kit).
April 17 (fish sickly) Amm 0, no2 0, no3 0, ph 7.8 - did 30-40% water change. EDIT - I think I forgot to shake the kit for the no3 - so that is likely wrong.
April 18 (fish ok again) Amm 0, no2 0 no3 10ppm ph 7.8
I thought it might be a bacterial infection from the cardinals that died first but since it did not wipe them all out, then maybe not. Then I thought it might be a ph spike but now have read that tap ph is always lower.
So I am looking for a little guidance for how to not get to where I seem to keep returning to (listless, erratic and then fairly rapid decline which a large water change corrects). I know it looks likes ammonia but any other ideas?
Hope that not too much info.
Thanks, G