All kinds of problems

[peaceablegarden]

This is a long post because my problems seem to compound...

I started Tank 1 (10 gal freshwater) three weeks ago. When I purchased my starter fish, 3 platies, I had them home one day and the female had babies. I'm a sucker for those little eyes and saved 12 of them. They are in a floating nursery. I read somewhere to feed them little amounts several times a day. And so, I ended up over feeding and with huge chemistry problems.

I took water to my local fish store and the woman nearly flipped out. My nitrites she said were extremely high (she never gave me any numbers) and so were the values for nitrates and amonia. This was about 2 weeks into cycling the tank. One platy had a white fungus.

She sent me home with some TLC bacterial and toxivec and had me do a 75% water change before adding both and to return in 5 days. Upon returning, she said the levels had come way down (again I forgot to get numbers). This time she suggested a small 10% water change and add more bacteria (I have not done this yet). I also noticed today some stringy like alge or something clinging onto the side of the tank.

I purchaced an API Master Test Kit. Here are the numbers I got today:
Ammonia - 1.0
Nitrite - 1.0
Nitrate - 5.0
Ph - 7.0

I am running the tank without carbon. All fish appear healthy. Did lose mama platy (replaced with another) and all babies have survived and are thriving at three weeks.

Onto Tank 2:

One week into cycling. Purchased four Neon Tetras (I found out too late they are completely inappropriate for cycling a take). I am down to one who seems to be okay so far, but has one white spot on its side (has been that way since last night).

The nice helpful woman at the fishstore recommended I put the babies into Tank 2 after adding some bacteria (have added 1oz twice once at the beginning of the cycling and once yesterday), but I hesitate to add the babies now since I eyed the spot on the tetra. Here are the numbers for Tank 2 from today's test...

Ammonia - between .25 and .50
Nitrate - also between .25 and .50
Nitrite - 0
Ph - 7.5

 

[harmy4993]

ell on tank one you need to do atleast a 50% water change. any ammonia or nitrites is bad for the fish. cycling with fish is a bad idea. on tank 2 id also recommend a 50% water change just to keep the ammonia and nitrites as low as possible.

do a google search on fishless cycling so you can understand what your tank is going thru. also keep testing your water and doing water changes. your water changes will prolyl have to be every day or every other day for the next 4-6 weeks until your ammonia and nitrites reach 0 .

one more comment is that there is no good fish for cycling. the most perfered method is adding an ammonia sourse( ammonia or raw shrimp or fish food) and adding fish after your tank cycles.

 

[neilanh]

Please read the articles in my signature about the nitrogen cycle and fishless cycling.

I highly recommend, in order to save your fish (especially the fry) that you test your water daily for ammonia and nitrIte, and any time either gets above .5ppm you do a 50% or more water change. This is really the only way to ensure you keep your fish healthy. The fry may be more fragile, in which case you may want to do daily water changes regardless of the results.

I don't know anything about TLC stuff you mentioned, but seriously doubt it's going to help you out at all. Bio-Spira is another product that can be extremely beneficial, but it's not cheap and if it hasn't been handled properly by the shippers, LFS, etc, it goes bad and then is worthless as well.

The absolute best thing you could do is to find someone who has a well established tank, and beg - plead - pay - steal if you have to some seed material, via an old filter or something, to get you some bacteria into your tank capable of cleaning up the ammonia and nitrIte. If you can find someone, make sure it stays completely submerged in water while you transport it to keep it alive.

 

[peaceablegarden]

Thanks. I realize I didn't cycle in the best possible way. I got some bad advice. My immediate problem is to get the fish through it.

 

[neilanh]

Understood, and many still believe the best way to cycle is with fish. I don't agree, but that's just me.

Anyway, like I said, the key is going to be keeping the ammonia and nitrIte levels in check. These are both highly toxic to fish, so the only way to get rid of it until you finish your cycle is by water changes to get the bad stuff out.

 

[peaceablegarden]

Completely forgot to mention that I'm also using salt in the water.

 

[Alaris]

Salt is completely unnecessary. While platys like salt, they do not require it and the other tank mates may not enjoy it.

I would suggest that you give back your fish to the LFS or to a friend who has an established tank, so you can cycle your tank fishless.

That's not cool that the lady at the fish store first told you to cycle with fish and then flipped out that your parameters were so high and sold you a bogus product. Not very helpful, IMO.

 

[peaceablegarden]

No, she wasn't the one who sold me the fish. She's been trying to help me out.

 

[peaceablegarden]

She hasn't sold me a thing. She's given me both the TLC and the toxivec. She seems genuinley concerned.

 

[peaceablegarden]

And, regardless, I'm doing the water changes as we speak. Seems pro-active to me anyway.

 

[Alaris]

She hasn't sold me a thing. She's given me both the TLC and the toxivec. She seems genuinley concerned.

Sorry my mistake then.

But the TLC is bogus and will not help you cycle your tank. And yes, the water changes are good. ^_^b

 

[harmy4993]

just keep checking the water everyday and do water changes. those 2 things are the best things you can do. i wouldnt add anything to the tank because that can cause your water to do weird things which wont help.

 

[harmy4993]

i also forgot welcome to AA. your in good hands here with alot of good advice from alot of good people.

 

[peaceablegarden]

Thanks everyone. One more question (at least for now). Should I be running my filters with or without the charcoal?

 

[Purrbox]

Good aquarium maintenace will take care of everything that the Activated Carbon provides under normal circumstances. The only thing that I would use it for is to remove medication after treating an aquarium.