Help! I'm new and *very* confused.

[Beckanva]

Ok, so I just introduced myself and my messed up background on the Member Introductions forum if you want the long, painful version of my story.

Too Long; Didn't Read version:
I have a 5 day old 10 gal tank with my betta and a zebra nerite snail in it. I want to eventually add 2 African Dwarf Frogs and 6-7 neon/cardinal tetras. My tank has a Tetra Whisper 10i filter with the "Bio-Bag" carbon filter and "Bio-Scrubber". Not sure what all that means anyway. I also have a 25 watt heater that is keeping my tank at 78-79F.

Questions:
1. I was told that adding my betta during cycling would be fine, but now I'm not so sure. I keep reading about fishless and fish-in cycling and have no idea what I'm actually doing. My tests are the Tetra Easy Strips and they are showing between 0 and .5 for the ammonia (that's as precise as these go), 0 for nitrates, around 1.0 for nitrites, 150 for GH, 0 chlorine, 120 for KH, and between 7.2 and 7.8 for pH. I don't really know what all that means for me. I get the basics of how the nitrogen cycle works. I have been reading about fish-in cycling, which I guess is what I'm doing since the betta is in there, but since my ammonia test doesn't tell me if I'm above .25 or not, I'm not sure if I need to be changing water now or if I'm good. The strips are saying .5 is safe, but that's not what I've been reading, and I'm not at .5, I'm just not sure where I am under it. I also started off adding API Quick Start to the tank, but the bottle didn't say to add it daily while cycling, so I haven't been doing that. Is my betta safe, and should I be doing something different to keep him safe as the cycle progresses? He seems happy for now and is the first betta I've had to be blowing a bubble nest.

2. I keep reading about adding filter material to cycle a tank quicker. I'm not sure how that would work with my Whisper 10i. It just has the Bio-Bag (with carbon) and the Bio-Scrubber (kinda a sponge type thing I guess) as they call them. Main reason I'm asking about this is because I want to get a quarantine tank going for the frogs I want to get, and for any time I have to quarantine fish in the future. I'm not sure that I want to permanently add another filter to my tank just in case I'll need it for quarantine b/c the betta and frogs don't like a lot of water movement. I put an airstone in with my betta w/ a 10gal air pump and had to return it because he couldn't get any relief where he didn't have to actively swim. (He doesn't seem to like my TARDIS or the hidey holes I got.) I don't want to have that problem again by having a filter in there on stand-by for a QT. For the QT, could I just get another whisper filter that uses the same size bio-bag or bio-scrubber and replace the one from the main tank when I need to put the old one in the QT?

3. Is there a way to do a quarantine tank for the frogs such that it doesn't need to be fully cycled? I'd like to get the frogs now so they can be quarantining while the main tank finishes its cycle. Then, when both are done, I can just move them into their permanent home. I'd then use the QT to start quarantining the tetras. As mentioned in question 2, I have no filter media (that I know of) to put in the QT, so I'd have to start from scratch. I would be willing to do daily water changes for a while if that's what it would take. The one wrench that is thrown in this is that I'm visiting my sister in 2 weeks and would be away from home for 4 days. It is only a 3 hr drive, and my niece would be thoroughly entertained by the frogs, so I'd be willing to take them with me, if that was possible. Is this going to be possible, or am I going to have to wait forever before I can get my frogs?

4. Do I need a 10 gal for the QT or would something smaller work, like 4 or 5 gal? I'm in an apartment and storage for the QT and supplies is an issue.

5. If you read my intro, I also have an anubias I've been treating for fungus that killed my last betta, and ich that the tetras that killed him had. How long should I keep treating it before I can put it in the new tank? Do I need to be treating it for ich since it sounds like ich is in the water anyway and there isn't much point for treating the plant? Is it worth it to be treating it anyway? I have it in my old 1 gal unfiltered tank right now, if I continue treating it, how often should I change the water?

Thank you so much for reading the novel. I would try to be concise, but I don't really know what info is pertinent, so I'm just typing everything. I really want to finish buying everything that I need so my husband doesn't kick me and the fish out of the house for spending so much money!

 

[flitabout]

Hello and welcome! I will do my best to answer your questions.
1. Fish in cycle can be safely done. I would dump the test strips, and get a master kit. Test strips can be very inaccurate. Water changes are never a bad thing! Especially with the levels that you are reporting. Anytime your ammo and nitrite levels get above .25 you need to do a water change. If you don't you will damage your fishes gills. You will be doing a tun of water changes. The reason everybody is recommending fishless cycle is it's easier on you and on the fish. Fishless cycling is add ammo to the tank and basically wait. When you are done you can add a full stock of fish. Rather than 1 or 2 at a time. "Fish in" cycling takes a lot longer also, because you are constantly removing the ammo that the bb need to grow.
2. Filter material that people are talking about is used filter material from an already cycled tank. It already has a lot of bb (benifical bacteria) on it So it would mean an instant cycle depending on the amount and quality of it.
3. Quarantine tanks don't need to be cycled. The really don't need a whole lot of anything. All you need is a plastic plant or 2 (I'm not sure about the frog I don't know anything about them) conditioned water, an air stone and you are good to go. Going the minimum route means you will do a lot of water changes but again that is the minimum. How ever you do it you want to make sure that you can easily clean everything at the end in case you did have any illnesses. I would ask the herp board what you need for qt'ing the frogs.
4. Again ask the herp board I am not sure what they need for a qt tank.
5. How long have you been treating and with what? Ich if properly treated should be cleared up in about 2-3 weeks. I do heat and salt treatments. I try to uses as few chemicals as possible. Ich is not always in the water if treated it can definitely be gotten rid of! Are you still treating for ich that you don't currently have? If so stop it's pointless and may not be good for your fish. The fungus on the plant I would say take a picture and post it in the planted tank board they will be able to tell you exactly what it is and how to best treat it.

I really hope I managed to help you with at least some of your issues.

 

[Rivercats]

Here's a great AA article for fish in cycling.... I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?! - Aquarium Advice.

How are you treating the anubia plant? You can treat the betta for ich by simply raising the temp slowly in his tank up to 86.

 

[Beckanva]

Thanks for the replies! I've read the article, but wasn't sure if bettas worked the same since my LFS people kept saying it wouldn't be hurt by the normal cycling. I've figured out that they are just plain wrong about a lot of things.

I'm going to order a master kit online since they seem to be cheaper there. Until then, I'm going to keep using my test strips since I figure they're better than nothing.

My questions about the QT weren't really frog specific. It sounds like they would use the same kind of quarantining as a fish. I just had some questions about quarantine tanks in general that weren't answered in the quarantine article because of my setup. I did end up just getting another 10 gal and a Tetra Whisper PF10 filter to replace my main filter and I moved the 10i to the QT. I moved the sponge type thing from the 10i into the PF10 so it stayed in the same tank since I figured that probably had the most bb in it. I then replaced the bio-bag in it and moved the old one with the 10i into the QT so that hopefully that gets it started sooner. I'm trying to basically do a fish-in cycling with my frogs in the QT since once the frogs are done quarantining, I will be getting tetras that will need quarantined.

As far as the anubias goes, it is in an uncycled 1 gal tank that has no fish in it. My betta and snail are not near it. It was in a tank with fish that had fungus and also ich. I no longer have those fish. I was told at LFS that in order to be able to use the anubias plant in my new 10 gal tank, I should treat it for the fungus for 2 weeks because even though it doesn't affect the plant, it can survive on it and be transmitted to my fish if untreated and put in the new tank. He said nothing about the ich, so I don't know if I should be treating the anubias plant for ich as well or if that's something that wouldn't survive on the plant. Is that clearer?

Thank you!

 

[Beckanva]

Forgot to say, I'm treating the anubias using Pimafix for the fungus and Ich Attack for the ich. I'm not sure of the brands on those since I'm on lunch at work right now and can't check the bottles. If that matters, I can look at it when I get home tonight.

 

[Rivercats]

All you need to do with the Anubia is take it out of the water, lay some paper towels in a sink, put the Anubia on them then pour Hydrogen Peroxide 3% thoroughly all over it. Then wrap the peroxide drenched paper towels around the plant and let it sit 20-30 minutes. That's it, the peroxide will kill everything. You don't even need to rinse it off, just put the plant in the tank.

All you need to do with a fish in cycle is monitor your tank water for ammonia and nitrites daily and anytime either raise above .25ppm do a 50% water change and your good.

 

[Beckanva]

So I got the test kit today and tested everything. My tap water has around .25 ammonia and over .5 nitrites. How do I fix that without messing up the cycling? Or do I just let it be and change water daily til the bacteria can handle it? Can't really afford to buy bottled water for the aquariums. Is there a relatively inexpensive way to treat my tap?

 

[Rivercats]

Do you have a fish store around you or know anyone who owns a fish tank? If so ask them if you can have some old bio-media or some gravel from their tank. This will greatly help your cycle. Also you need to get some Prime if you don't already have any and add the recommended amount daily as it will neutralize the ammonia and nitrites for 24 hours (could be 48 hours but can't remember off the top of my head). Lastly retest your tap water to be sure the readings are correct. If they are then you will know what is normal and anytime the ammonia or nitrite goes above those readings you'll have to do a WC. Don't do a WC daily unless you have to. Your in a bad situation if you can get RO water.

 

[Ktw020]

A ten gallon is to small for neon and cardinal tetras