Blos85
Aquarium Advice Activist
I have had fish for a little less then a year now. I have also learned about fish keeping aggressively and kinda feel as i have a lot of knowledge but I just made a huge mistake without thinking that almost cost the life of over 12 fish and let me explain.
Two days ago i replaced my HOB filter i had a aquaclear 100 capable of filtering 100gals on my 29t. Well of course it created a lot of current even on the slowest setting. I was more worried about the surface agitation removing co2. It is what i would say a heavily planted tank and before the filter change the water results were 0's across the board.
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-0
Well being heavily planted i know the nitrates are WAY two low and i only had 6 fish in tbe tank 4 marigold platys and 2 of them being pretty small kuhli loaches. So my thoughts are without additives if i add more fish it should raise the nitrates.
Well anyhow the day i switch the filter out to something a little smaller my friend was giving a way some red minor tetra's. 10 of them. Well i thought FISH=Nitrates completely forgetting about the cycle getting interrupted from the new filter. So i went and took the 10 tetras and put them straight in my tank again looking at FISH=NITRATES. Being more worried about the plants and COMPLETELY OVERLOOKING THE OBVIOUS! Ammonia first then nitrite THEN NITRATE. Cannot believe it point is the next morning after work when i realised what i did finally i tested the water and of course ammo and nitrite high. Did a quick 50% change added a bacteria supplement but i cant remember the name at the moment. Couldn't eliminate them cuz on time restraints.
Well i woke up last night(less then 10hrs. from the water change) to a couple looking half dead on there side on the bottom. Sadly i had no time
to change the water i had to be to work in an hour and im 30mins away!!! Sadly i had to work hoping and praying my fish were alive this morning but knowing in my gut i just ignorantly killed them from not paying attention what i was really doing cuz i never once considered the nitrogen cycle when the changes were done( amateur move) and i knew better then that!!
Anyhow to close this story i came home this morning to 12 fish swimming all the tank extremely active nothing wrong NO ON DEAD! So happy checked the water one more time! And
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-.50-1ppm
Nitrate- <5.0
Honestly expected lower numbers but ammonia is gone and fish are acting normal again!!!!!
Moral of sharing this story here on this forum is i almost had twelve casualties because i did not put the NITROGEN CYCLE FIRST! TO ALL NEWBIES LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE CYCLE AND KNOW HOW IT WORKS AND MAKE SURE YOU CONSIDER THAT FIRST BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO YOUR TANK! Same applies to the experienced cuz we all make mistakes!
I hope to potentially help save some fish lives with my experience i just had and im so grateful i did not kill any cuz they aint just fish to me!
Two days ago i replaced my HOB filter i had a aquaclear 100 capable of filtering 100gals on my 29t. Well of course it created a lot of current even on the slowest setting. I was more worried about the surface agitation removing co2. It is what i would say a heavily planted tank and before the filter change the water results were 0's across the board.
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-0
Nitrate-0
Well being heavily planted i know the nitrates are WAY two low and i only had 6 fish in tbe tank 4 marigold platys and 2 of them being pretty small kuhli loaches. So my thoughts are without additives if i add more fish it should raise the nitrates.
Well anyhow the day i switch the filter out to something a little smaller my friend was giving a way some red minor tetra's. 10 of them. Well i thought FISH=Nitrates completely forgetting about the cycle getting interrupted from the new filter. So i went and took the 10 tetras and put them straight in my tank again looking at FISH=NITRATES. Being more worried about the plants and COMPLETELY OVERLOOKING THE OBVIOUS! Ammonia first then nitrite THEN NITRATE. Cannot believe it point is the next morning after work when i realised what i did finally i tested the water and of course ammo and nitrite high. Did a quick 50% change added a bacteria supplement but i cant remember the name at the moment. Couldn't eliminate them cuz on time restraints.
Well i woke up last night(less then 10hrs. from the water change) to a couple looking half dead on there side on the bottom. Sadly i had no time
to change the water i had to be to work in an hour and im 30mins away!!! Sadly i had to work hoping and praying my fish were alive this morning but knowing in my gut i just ignorantly killed them from not paying attention what i was really doing cuz i never once considered the nitrogen cycle when the changes were done( amateur move) and i knew better then that!!
Anyhow to close this story i came home this morning to 12 fish swimming all the tank extremely active nothing wrong NO ON DEAD! So happy checked the water one more time! And
Ammonia-0
Nitrite-.50-1ppm
Nitrate- <5.0
Honestly expected lower numbers but ammonia is gone and fish are acting normal again!!!!!
Moral of sharing this story here on this forum is i almost had twelve casualties because i did not put the NITROGEN CYCLE FIRST! TO ALL NEWBIES LEARN AND UNDERSTAND THE CYCLE AND KNOW HOW IT WORKS AND MAKE SURE YOU CONSIDER THAT FIRST BEFORE MAKING ANY CHANGES TO YOUR TANK! Same applies to the experienced cuz we all make mistakes!
I hope to potentially help save some fish lives with my experience i just had and im so grateful i did not kill any cuz they aint just fish to me!
