Hey everybody. I hope someone can help. I have owned a fish tank for 10 weeks and just gone from reading internet to help. Now after a few issues I thought I would bite the bullet and finally ask for help! !
This might be a long message as i am going to give you a run down of what ive gone so far. Be prepared to see alot of mistakes as i a a total novice. Then i will ask questions at the end!
Before buying tank i checked what size i can fit into space i had. Then looked what fish and how many would be best for a beginner. I read that small tanks are harder to look after but thought id try anyway.
From day one i misread something. I thought rule of stocking was 1 inch per liter! But after reading again i see its 1inch per gallon
Week1
Bought fish tank (Beta Lifespace H5)
Gravel (black fine)
Real Plants (small grass type and bigger leafed purple plants)
Fake log tunnel
Tropical fish flakes
I got told not to bother testing water until tank is fully cycled after 3-4 weeks.
I set it all up. Washing gravel, log tunnel and plant roots and cleaned tank. Placed it all in the tank. Filled it with with tap water. And set heater for 77 degrees. Treated with dechlorinating liquid and fertilser liquid. Always use the dosage recommended for literage.
I left that to Cycle for 3 days whilst having LED on most the day! The tank is in my bedroom and doesnt get much direct sunlight.
After 3 days i told my brother to go and get 4 or 5 zebra danios whilst i was in work. After advice from the shop he comes back with only 3 (2f + 1m).
I put them in after having the bag in the tank to get aclimitised for 10-15 mins. Then fed them flakes once a day making sure i didnt put much in and i never gave them more than they would eat in 5 mins... At times i felt i was under feeding them.
At this point i am still keeping lighting on most the day.
A week later I notice the plants dont look great. As planned at weekend i do my first water change always 25-35%. At the moment i have no pump so i get a half pint glass an extract the water manually.
A few days later i notice the plants are looking worse... Grass style in parts are seethrough and black algae/diotoms have grown.
I did a 10% water change. Added fertiliser liquid and from looking at internet i turned LED off. For a few days i continued feeding and only had LED on for about 3 hours. A day.
Week 2
i do a water change rinsing filter sponges and nothing has got worse. I read up again and seemed to suggest after 3 weeks the plants should improve so i stay patient.
While the plants not great the fish seeming to thrive. The plants only reach to less half the size of tank so the zebras have free range of the top zone. They chase eachother rapidly. And sometimes finding cover in the tunnel until they come ou s t of it an chase the other.
Week 3
i lose my fulltime job and got offered a temp job for 6 weeks by a friend with accomodation in spain ...so i snapped it up.
So i tell my mum to look after the fish.
I instruct her to do weekly water change. Which she forgets for a week that i know off.
Week 5-6
She tells me she had to change my plants as the purple ones had in her words 'disintegrated' . Although the grass ones were ok.
Week 8
I arrive back from extended holiday/work.
I check my tank to find my mother had gone a bit OTT.
Loads of plants.. Ones that go to the top and ly on the water. Ones with huge leaves and one that itself was falling apart and very brittle.
I watched the fish to see if ok. They looked fine. Although the plants were limiting swmming space. Lots of hidings though.
On further inspection i noticed a snail. Apparently she didnt realise washing them included the roots. She also didnt remove the lead or the foam bounding.
I quickly did that. Removed the struggling one and removed a few more. Then separated the ones i kept and planted them.
I removed 4 small snails.
I considered doing a complete wash down but i thought i would see if i find any more.
After removing them i have read that they actually help keeping algae down.
I have spotted 1 more and left it there. I have decided on the rule if i see more than one i take it out but leave 1 in there as i dont want to see them take over..... So far still only seen one at any one time.
I then did a 50% water change as i didnt want to risk trusting when last one was done.
I then gave filter a complete and good clean ... I changed the white sponge... Of which i bought wrong size but it works the same and water doesnt miss it.
Week 9
My male zebra danio wasnt eating and was very placid. Either hiding at top behind filter or hovering. I did another water change.
So after 9 weeks i still have only 3 zebra danios. So i decided to go shopping. I buy 3 leopard danios and 2 albino cory cats. I bought leopard and not zebra as i read they are the exact same species just a breeding fault changed the pattern. So they should just add to the shoal.
I also bought an air pump with an led lighting thing to submerge.
Week 10
The male zebra now seems great and swimming and chasing like normal... But now the 2 females are stressed and just hanging about.... The 2 that normally do all the chasing.
I bought some algae wafers for the corys. I used half of one for 20 mins last night. They ate a quarter.. I took it back out but a tiny bit snapped off so i left it as was only a crumb..
Now some of the plants my mum got are becoming see through.
Since ive been back i have lights on for 8 hours a day.
Right... If your still reading this then well done and thanks for the interest.
The plans i have in the next day or 2 is to :
buy a gravel cleaner syphon so i can take water from middle.
Buy an airline as i forgot it last week
And to finally buy a water testing kit.
Questions are:
1 could you tell me all the mistakes ive made and what i should have done
2 now with 2 stressed danios and plants weakening. What should i do.
3 Have i overstocked my fish tank!? 380x265x400 I now have 6 danios 2 albino corys.. I had planned to have more.
4 Any recommendations for the future.
Thankyou for reading.
Sent from my HUAWEI Y360-U31 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
This might be a long message as i am going to give you a run down of what ive gone so far. Be prepared to see alot of mistakes as i a a total novice. Then i will ask questions at the end!
Before buying tank i checked what size i can fit into space i had. Then looked what fish and how many would be best for a beginner. I read that small tanks are harder to look after but thought id try anyway.
From day one i misread something. I thought rule of stocking was 1 inch per liter! But after reading again i see its 1inch per gallon
Week1
Bought fish tank (Beta Lifespace H5)
Gravel (black fine)
Real Plants (small grass type and bigger leafed purple plants)
Fake log tunnel
Tropical fish flakes
I got told not to bother testing water until tank is fully cycled after 3-4 weeks.
I set it all up. Washing gravel, log tunnel and plant roots and cleaned tank. Placed it all in the tank. Filled it with with tap water. And set heater for 77 degrees. Treated with dechlorinating liquid and fertilser liquid. Always use the dosage recommended for literage.
I left that to Cycle for 3 days whilst having LED on most the day! The tank is in my bedroom and doesnt get much direct sunlight.
After 3 days i told my brother to go and get 4 or 5 zebra danios whilst i was in work. After advice from the shop he comes back with only 3 (2f + 1m).
I put them in after having the bag in the tank to get aclimitised for 10-15 mins. Then fed them flakes once a day making sure i didnt put much in and i never gave them more than they would eat in 5 mins... At times i felt i was under feeding them.
At this point i am still keeping lighting on most the day.
A week later I notice the plants dont look great. As planned at weekend i do my first water change always 25-35%. At the moment i have no pump so i get a half pint glass an extract the water manually.
A few days later i notice the plants are looking worse... Grass style in parts are seethrough and black algae/diotoms have grown.
I did a 10% water change. Added fertiliser liquid and from looking at internet i turned LED off. For a few days i continued feeding and only had LED on for about 3 hours. A day.
Week 2
i do a water change rinsing filter sponges and nothing has got worse. I read up again and seemed to suggest after 3 weeks the plants should improve so i stay patient.
While the plants not great the fish seeming to thrive. The plants only reach to less half the size of tank so the zebras have free range of the top zone. They chase eachother rapidly. And sometimes finding cover in the tunnel until they come ou s t of it an chase the other.
Week 3
i lose my fulltime job and got offered a temp job for 6 weeks by a friend with accomodation in spain ...so i snapped it up.
So i tell my mum to look after the fish.
I instruct her to do weekly water change. Which she forgets for a week that i know off.
Week 5-6
She tells me she had to change my plants as the purple ones had in her words 'disintegrated' . Although the grass ones were ok.
Week 8
I arrive back from extended holiday/work.
I check my tank to find my mother had gone a bit OTT.
Loads of plants.. Ones that go to the top and ly on the water. Ones with huge leaves and one that itself was falling apart and very brittle.
I watched the fish to see if ok. They looked fine. Although the plants were limiting swmming space. Lots of hidings though.
On further inspection i noticed a snail. Apparently she didnt realise washing them included the roots. She also didnt remove the lead or the foam bounding.
I quickly did that. Removed the struggling one and removed a few more. Then separated the ones i kept and planted them.
I removed 4 small snails.
I considered doing a complete wash down but i thought i would see if i find any more.
After removing them i have read that they actually help keeping algae down.
I have spotted 1 more and left it there. I have decided on the rule if i see more than one i take it out but leave 1 in there as i dont want to see them take over..... So far still only seen one at any one time.
I then did a 50% water change as i didnt want to risk trusting when last one was done.
I then gave filter a complete and good clean ... I changed the white sponge... Of which i bought wrong size but it works the same and water doesnt miss it.
Week 9
My male zebra danio wasnt eating and was very placid. Either hiding at top behind filter or hovering. I did another water change.
So after 9 weeks i still have only 3 zebra danios. So i decided to go shopping. I buy 3 leopard danios and 2 albino cory cats. I bought leopard and not zebra as i read they are the exact same species just a breeding fault changed the pattern. So they should just add to the shoal.
I also bought an air pump with an led lighting thing to submerge.
Week 10
The male zebra now seems great and swimming and chasing like normal... But now the 2 females are stressed and just hanging about.... The 2 that normally do all the chasing.
I bought some algae wafers for the corys. I used half of one for 20 mins last night. They ate a quarter.. I took it back out but a tiny bit snapped off so i left it as was only a crumb..
Now some of the plants my mum got are becoming see through.
Since ive been back i have lights on for 8 hours a day.
Right... If your still reading this then well done and thanks for the interest.
The plans i have in the next day or 2 is to :
buy a gravel cleaner syphon so i can take water from middle.
Buy an airline as i forgot it last week
And to finally buy a water testing kit.
Questions are:
1 could you tell me all the mistakes ive made and what i should have done
2 now with 2 stressed danios and plants weakening. What should i do.
3 Have i overstocked my fish tank!? 380x265x400 I now have 6 danios 2 albino corys.. I had planned to have more.
4 Any recommendations for the future.
Thankyou for reading.
Sent from my HUAWEI Y360-U31 using Aquarium Advice mobile app
I find some plants don't work, no matter what. Just try until you find ones that work.
