First week

[freshwaterphish]

Hello my new fish family. I will post a introduction after this but i feel this is way more important.
I have a 36 bow tank for over a week now. I committed the worst crimes i could possibly do. I got a tank i filled it with all live plants and within 5 days have 18 fish in it....well i have lost about 4 i have tested the water number of times and each times levels are spot on.. i today bought a new tester kit(big boy one) and am going to revamp my crap out of tank filter with a added sponge and some bio balls because after joining here and some you tube videos i know i need it.I pulled the cartridge out and it was covered....good...but bad. see with the filter if it restricts the flow it just dumps into the front portion without going through anything. So.......with this said, and a wife who has in one week named our new family members, what do i do.???? water change? leave it alone? mod the filter leave the old media from old cartridge and add my extras......HELP!!!!! i found this a week to late. Ill post pictures as well. I am ocd, so even though im new at this and not sure of all the plants and fish i have. i plan on being able to add insight soon enough here lol. Thank you guys and girls and i look forward to this awesome journey with you!

 

[freshwaterphish]

pleaase help...just did a 25% water change. mod out the filter with bioballs and sponge so i can remove cartridge when its cycled thru...help please

 

[Brookster123]

Ok, tell me everything about your tank! More details the better.. everythingggg.. Judgement free zone

 

[freshwaterphish]

Ok. And thank you in advance

Blue's Galaxy S4

 

[freshwaterphish]

Two sundays ago we got a 36 bow front tank and stand.. tank came with the kit. Heater filter hood light .....next day I fill it will natural gravel and ornaments and start the filter. I got to the lfs and get 8 bunches of live plants. Have to look up names. And I soak plants in ice water for 10 minutes and plant them in the tank.....I then test water with the stirp test...all levels say good. So next day day three I get 8 neon tetras and 2 albino corey cats and a light made for plants.....put fish in. Float them. And in the tank looks great. Tank is clear and all is good. Then wife gets home and she wants to pic out some friends so we go back to the lfs and get 3 black mollys and 2 dalmatian mollys and a ploca. And they go in the tank...all is good. Day 5 we loose one of the neon...oh and I forgot we also have 3 glogreen tetras. So anyway over next few days we loose a few. All the while testing with the strips. Well then I find the forum....and see cycling and this and 30 days. And water changes....so I go and get bioballs. Small ones. And some sponge and go and mod my filter...well the cartridge in the filter is covered but I dont wanna loose all the media...so I have my mod filter with old cartridge and did 25% change today....is it hopless. My plants lool awesome. Oh I also bought the big boy water tester....im all ears...and thank you everyone. I know my mistake. Just wanna see if I could fix it. Also should I just start the filter with the medium in it and ditch the crap carbon cartridge.

Blue's Galaxy S4

 

[freshwaterphish]

Blue's Galaxy S4

 

[freshwaterphish]

I have a air circle and a aqueon filter modified

Blue's Galaxy S4

 

[Mr Fisher]

What are the current Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels?

Your posts are kinda hard to follow, did you use an old media cartridge to help the cycle along?

Also It'll be ok! You're just going to be doing a lot of partial water changes

 

[threnjen]

Just stick media in it and ditch the crappy cartridge.

Have you done tests with your new kit? That's really the info we need to evaluate if there is anything "wrong"

 

[bribo12]

Your tank is still cycling. Those strips don't cover ammonia which ill bet is high. I'd get a liquid test for that and then post the results

 

[Dallascowboys16]

I know that you expect us to know everything to tell you but truth is we already have. Your tank is cycling and fish die during cycling if there are too many like in your case. Google nitrogen cycle for fish tank and you should be off on a good start. Also it doesn't hurt to do your own research, google is an infinite source of info. Also people will often ask for your water parameters so it would be worth while to invest in an API freshwater master test kit. Good luck!

 

[freshwaterphish]

Got one thanks. Will post numbers today becore water change and also as weeks go on

Blue's Galaxy S4