Brand new to aquariums

[tootiemac]

Hi all please forgive me ignorance I'm just getting up to speed with all this.
I have several questions that I can't quite seem to find an answer to and was hoping you lovely people might help me.
A bit of background,I bought my tank on a last Friday along with a heater and the fluval cycle and aqua plus. I used both of these over the 3 days needed for the cycle to work. We put 2 platys in late Sunday afternoon after having our water tested all was clear.
We also have 3 live plants.

1. Should we be testing the water ourself throughout the week to watch for ammonia, nitrites & pH?
2. How often should you test in a ordinary month (after cycle is done)
3. Water change, the man at the shop said not to change it for 4 weeks is this right?
4. How often to do a water change (after cycle is done)
5. Lights? The spec comes with white (day) and blue (night). I've read you should keep the day light on for 8-10 hours but do you need to put the night light on or just switch them off completely?
6. Is it safe to add 4 Eastern European neon tetra next Sunday (7 days after then initial fish entered)

Sorry for all the questions just want to get this right from the start.

Thanks for the advice you may give it's all greatly appreciated.

 

[jglover]

You need to test your water every day. It's highly unlikely that tank has cycled in three days, but I could be wrong. It is generally that the bacteria in a bottle are usually not that effective. What are you using to test with? Testing strips are not very accurate at all.

If you see a rise in ammonia or nitrite, you will have to change the water daily, possibly multiple times a day to keep the levels safe. If the cycle has not established it could take weeks to cycle. Read about fish-in cyclng on the website here.

Afterwards, I'd change water weekly and test your water the day before each water change.

Lighting is best run about 6-8 hours a day. Night lights are optional, they should not make any difference.

How big is the tank?

 

[treemanone2003]

Hi all please forgive me ignorance I'm just getting up to speed with all this.
I have several questions that I can't quite seem to find an answer to and was hoping you lovely people might help me.
A bit of background,I bought my tank on a last Friday along with a heater and the fluval cycle and aqua plus. I used both of these over the 3 days needed for the cycle to work. We put 2 platys in late Sunday afternoon after having our water tested all was clear.
We also have 3 live plants.

1. Should we be testing the water ourself throughout the week to watch for ammonia, nitrites & pH?
2. How often should you test in a ordinary month (after cycle is done)
3. Water change, the man at the shop said not to change it for 4 weeks is this right?
4. How often to do a water change (after cycle is done)
5. Lights? The spec comes with white (day) and blue (night). I've read you should keep the day light on for 8-10 hours but do you need to put the night light on or just switch them off completely?
6. Is it safe to add 4 Eastern European neon tetra next Sunday (7 days after then initial fish entered)

Sorry for all the questions just want to get this right from the start.

Thanks for the advice you may give it's all greatly appreciated.

First you have no ignorance by asking as any questions as you can. So let's get started. What size tank and what filter ? (Only for stocking thoughts). Next, i don't believe there is any possibly way a cycle can happen that quickly. I just don't believe it. What does "Our water was all clear" exactly mean ? Need some #'s here to determine that. Plants will help somewhat.

Now for your questions.
1-Yes
2-that's debatable. I never test. I can tell you about my tank by smell. Sounds a little weird, but that's just my experience.
3-don't always believe the man at the store. Use a good liquid test kit to judge that.
4-I have many different schedules for WC's based around what tank we're talking about. At least 50% weekly and some are more like 50% every couple days and 100% on weekends. ALWAYS WITH YOUR WATER TREATED !!! Never raw tap water as it contains toxins that could be dangerous to your babies.
5-lights can go on a timer, a few hours in the morning and a few at night as there is ample daylight and no reason to run more electricity than needed. Night lights are your discretion.
6-personally, I wouldn't. Give it some more time to learn your tank and water parameters. As well, I'm not one for neons as they are quite difficult and unreliable IMO.

Don't be sorry for the questions. That's why folks are here. Some advice that you haven't mentioned would be to learn about QT. It's very helpful and can potentially save you lots of $$ and headaches in the long run. Any other thoughts, feel free to ask.

 

[tootiemac]

First you have no ignorance by asking as any questions as you can. So let's get started. What size tank and what filter ? (Only for stocking thoughts). Next, i don't believe there is any possibly way a cycle can happen that quickly. I just don't believe it. What does "Our water was all clear" exactly mean ? Need some #'s here to determine that. Plants will help somewhat.

Now for your questions.
1-Yes
2-that's debatable. I never test. I can tell you about my tank by smell. Sounds a little weird, but that's just my experience.
3-don't always believe the man at the store. Use a good liquid test kit to judge that.
4-I have many different schedules for WC's based around what tank we're talking about. At least 50% weekly and some are more like 50% every couple days and 100% on weekends. ALWAYS WITH YOUR WATER TREATED !!! Never raw tap water as it contains toxins that could be dangerous to your babies.
5-lights can go on a timer, a few hours in the morning and a few at night as there is ample daylight and no reason to run more electricity than needed. Night lights are your discretion.
6-personally, I wouldn't. Give it some more time to learn your tank and water parameters. As well, I'm not one for neons as they are quite difficult and unreliable IMO.

Don't be sorry for the questions. That's why folks are here. Some advice that you haven't mentioned would be to learn about QT. It's very helpful and can potentially save you lots of $$ and headaches in the long run. Any other thoughts, feel free to ask.

I have the Fluval Spec V (19L) with the stock supplied filter.
I know that it takes 5-8 weeks to cycle but wanted to fish in cycle as it's in the sitting room.
Our water was clear was what he said pH was 7 no ammonia or nitrites etc.
I'm going to by my own test kit tonight I think the API master?
4- should I treat the tap water in a bucket before pitting it on?
5- really I thought they just stayed on for the 10 hrs constant

What is QT??

 

[treemanone2003]

I have the Fluval Spec V (19L) with the stock supplied filter.
I know that it takes 5-8 weeks to cycle but wanted to fish in cycle as it's in the sitting room.
Our water was clear was what he said pH was 7 no ammonia or nitrites etc.
I'm going to by my own test kit tonight I think the API master?
4- should I treat the tap water in a bucket before pitting it on?
5- really I thought they just stayed on for the 10 hrs constant

What is QT??

Ok that's a nice little setup you have. As far as the time to cycle, it could happen in anywhere from 3-5 weeks and a fish in cycle is perfectly acceptable also. Many folks do it and many folks don't. IMO, it really doesn't matter. As for water being "clear", pH is irrelevant (sort of) as most fish will adapt to any pH successfully. What's more important is the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. A fully cycled tank should have 0 ammo, 0 nitrites and some nitrates. Having your own test kit is crucial for you to monitor things at home and not needing to rely on your LFS. The API liquid is the choice of many and fairly reliable. Check for an expiration date also. It may not be visible on the kit itself so you may need to ask to open the kit and look on the bottles. Any reputable store will have no shame in allowing that and they want to keep you as a customer.

Now your other questions. I treat my tank before adding new water. I treat for total tank volume. Not just what I'm replacing. I would suggest after you get your test kit to check you tap water first. Follow the directions on each test portion as they have different instructions and time requirements for each step. Plus it's good practice to get familiar with your stuff. Some folks need to "age" their water. That means right out of the tap it's fairly poisonous and after it sits (degassing/off gasses) for up to 24 hours some of the chemicals breakdown to safer levels.

For lights I forgot you mentioned you had plants. Forget what I said earlier as my experience is very limited with them. Someone else can supply a better answer than I can about them. For now go with your LFS recommendations. However, if there is ample ambient sunlight, I don't see the need. That's just my opinion and could be very wrong.

As I touched on about pH and it's irrelevance for fish being tolerant, it plays the most importance when ammonia is present. A high ammonia reading, say .5 ppm, is not as toxic with a pH of 6.6-6.8. A low ammonia reading of say .2. Is extremely toxic with a pH of 7.6. It's how the water properties work.

Now the other one I love the most. QT. Short for quarantine, I (and many others) value that as THE MOST crucial piece of fish keeping. It's a practice of keeping new fish separate from your existing stock so you minimize the risk of any cross contamination between sources. You keep new arrivals in a separate tank for a period of time (I use 6 weeks at minimum) to keep a close eye and see if they have any problems coming in. After all, you've worked so hard to get to where you are, why take a chance that maybe the new fish or plant too, have a bug they're carrying. It's a proactive verse reactive approach to maintaining a good healthy system. My main choice of fish are Discus. They run on average about $150 each. So when I get new ones, instead of risking losing $800-$900 worth of established babies, QT makes so much more sense and it's cheaper than replacing my whole tank.

Hope this helps out a bit and if you've got any other questions, bring them on. I never really understood "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" but it's all a learning process. Although the excitement level is there, and as much as it sounds cool to take a trip and get some more, take your time and do a bit of research. It will only make you the wiser in the end.

 

[tootiemac]

Hi all me again,

So I tested my tanks water last night and it doesn't look like it's started the cycle yet. Our ammonia is 0ppm, nitrites 0ppm and nitrates 0ppm.

Also when we originally got it tested at the pet shop they said our pH was a bit low at 6.5 and told us to use pH plus. Now it's up at 7.4/7.6 (tries both the standard pH and high pH test).

The fish look happy enough but I know when the ammonia spike comes this pH will make it more harmful.
Is there anything I can do??

 

[tootiemac]

Anybody?

 

[cfosgate]

Test daily until your tank has fully cycled. When ammonia and/or nitrites show up you will need to keep up with daily water changes until cycled. Use a good dechlorinator like Seachem's Prime which will also render the ammonia and nitritres mon-toxic for 24 hours. It seems tough but well worth it. After your tank has cycled it's very important to take yourself out for a nice celebration dinner. It feel great.

 

[tootiemac]

Ok daily water changes when the ammonia starts, got it. When should I expect to see ammonia?

On a side note I just found what look like tiny snails on my live plants, should I take the plants out and wash them? Are the snails a good or a bad thing?

I have a water testing kit but getting my partner to take a sample to the local pet shop and get them to confirm my findings.

Anything I should watch out for?

Thinking of swapping to fake plants will I need to get an aeration stone?

Sorry my spellings not great tonight.

 

[philipraposo198]

Snails are great, I love what they do for my tank.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[treemanone2003]

Hi all me again,

So I tested my tanks water last night and it doesn't look like it's started the cycle yet. Our ammonia is 0ppm, nitrites 0ppm and nitrates 0ppm.

Also when we originally got it tested at the pet shop they said our pH was a bit low at 6.5 and told us to use pH plus. Now it's up at 7.4/7.6 (tries both the standard pH and high pH test).

The fish look happy enough but I know when the ammonia spike comes this pH will make it more harmful.
Is there anything I can do??

Apologies for not getting here sooner. Rough day at work in the pouring rain only to be compounded by some anxious pups when getting home. Then...... the girlfriend is preparing dinner and loses the bet of who will get injured first with the new knives. Trip to the ER. ??.

If you're getting those readings, chances are you're not cycled at all. One rule I've learned to follow is forget what the LFS has to say. Unless you ask here first, and they can confirm what your friends here will say, IMO, they are not a reliable resource. Next, stick with the basic pH test for now. No need for a high pH test. Also, a pH buffer is a waste of money. Since you're not cycled, your readings may be off for a lot of reasons. Test your tap water. See what that winds up being. Then, put about 2-3 cups in a pitcher or bowl (glass preferably) and let it sit for 8 hours and 24 hours and test at those intervals or anywhere in between. See if there's a change.

Is there anything you can do ? Yes. Ask questions and get some answers here first. Then ask the same questions at your LFS. See if there's a difference. It's been my experience that the LFS is a good source of separating you from your money without providing knowledgable enough help MOST of the time. Occasionally, there are some good quality people that you will come across. It's just been my experience that it is few and far between which is why I push for folks to get forum info first and then compare the LFS stuff.

As far as snails go, not a darned clue. Don't have em and do t want em in my FW. Have one in my SW and he's just fine.

 

[tootiemac]

These snail weren't wanted either, I seen one then thought I don't want that so removed both plants and found another.

Thought I know I'll wash them really well under the tap and leave theM in a bucket over night. Got up this morning and there's another two. So it's off to artificial plants we go.

As for the cycle I'm not too worried about 7.4 just now and I know stability is better than perfect I'm just worried about the high pH when the ammonia appears .

 

[Caliban07]

Hi tootie mac

So far your LFS has provided you with bogus information on 2 occasions. Leaving cycling tank with fish in for 4 weeks without changing water will result in high ammonia and a ph drop. Your fish will have died too.

I'd also like to say that 19L tank for Platies is considered quite small by many people on here.

Ph buffering chemicals are not recommended as they cause rapid ph fluctuations which is not good for fish. Any changes to the fishes environment should be done over time except in cases where high ammonia are present.

The key to a fish in cycle is testing water every day. You will start to see ammonia soon as the fish breathe and produce waste. Overfeeding is often a cause of high ammonia also and bare in mind that in a tank if 19L the ammonia will build up fast. Even more so as the fish you have chosen produce more waste than other starter fish.

Buy the API test kit and whenever the ammonia exceeds 0.25ppm just change half. After about 4 weeks the cycle will be complete. Don't add the ph chemical any more as changing the water frequently will help keep ph stable.

Good luck

 

[tootiemac]

Hi tootie mac

So far your LFS has provided you with bogus information on 2 occasions. Leaving cycling tank with fish in for 4 weeks without changing water will result in high ammonia and a ph drop. Your fish will have died too.

I'd also like to say that 19L tank for Platies is considered quite small by many people on here.

Ph buffering chemicals are not recommended as they cause rapid ph fluctuations which is not good for fish. Any changes to the fishes environment should be done over time except in cases where high ammonia are present.

The key to a fish in cycle is testing water every day. You will start to see ammonia soon as the fish breathe and produce waste. Overfeeding is often a cause of high ammonia also and bare in mind that in a tank if 19L the ammonia will build up fast. Even more so as the fish you have chosen produce more waste than other starter fish.

Buy the API test kit and whenever the ammonia exceeds 0.25ppm just change half. After about 4 weeks the cycle will be complete. Don't add the ph chemical any more as changing the water frequently will help keep ph stable.

Good luck

i haven't added any of the pH stuff since the first time, after i read that stability is better than perfection.

I know that 19L is pretty small but i wanted to make sure we were actually committed to this before buying a huge tank. we are now planning on cycling this tank and then letting it continue for about 2 months before buying a larger tank and fishless cycling that with the help of some of the original filter.

But for now here we are with a small tank that has suspect snails a higher pH than i would like and no cycle as of yet.

i will test again tonight and see what that shows.

all advice would be appreciated.

 

[Caliban07]

i haven't added any of the pH stuff since the first time, after i read that stability is better than perfection.



I know that 19L is pretty small but i wanted to make sure we were actually committed to this before buying a huge tank. we are now planning on cycling this tank and then letting it continue for about 2 months before buying a larger tank and fishless cycling that with the help of some of the original filter.



But for now here we are with a small tank that has suspect snails a higher pH than i would like and no cycle as of yet.



i will test again tonight and see what that shows.



all advice would be appreciated.

Ok well that it makes more sense. At least you have planned.

Snails come in with live plants. Their eggs are on them. They will most likely be ramshorn snails that some people class as pest snails. They don't harm the fish or water in anyway but happily graze on micro algae. Of course they can become unsightly after they breed.

There are all sorts of tricks and tips to remove them but I found that the best way is by adding an assassin snail. They will hunt them and kill them till they eliminate them.

Ph in the 7 range isn't really high. I wouldn't worry about it too much. My ph is 7.5.

 

[tootiemac]

Ok well that it makes more sense. At least you have planned.

Snails come in with live plants. Their eggs are on them. They will most likely be ramshorn snails that some people class as pest snails. They don't harm the fish or water in anyway but happily graze on micro algae. Of course they can become unsightly after they breed.

There are all sorts of tricks and tips to remove them but I found that the best way is by adding an assassin snail. They will hunt them and kill them till they eliminate them.

Ph in the 7 range isn't really high. I wouldn't worry about it too much. My ph is 7.5.

yes i went from having none o having 4 so i think i'll give my plants a good wash through and put them back in, i read it could be down to over feeding so we might cut feeding down.

My Partner does not want snails at all so think im going to try and rid the tank of them this way.

i'm doing my testing tonight.

 

[tootiemac]

yes i went from having none o having 4 so i think i'll give my plants a good wash through and put them back in, i read it could be down to over feeding so we might cut feeding down.



My Partner does not want snails at all so think im going to try and rid the tank of them this way.



i'm doing my testing tonight.

So I've cleaned the plants and will leave them out for a further 24hrs to keep an on them.

My readings tonight are:
pH -7.6
Ammonia - 0.25ppm
Nitrites - 0
Nitrates - 0

Does that mean it's time for a partial water change?

Also bought a symphony so cleaning will commence tomorrow