mike_hughes1979
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Dear all,
I have been reading your different threads for two weeks now, learning loads, since I got my tropical tank 3 weeks ago.
But I now need help from more experienced people like yourselves.
I started off nearly a month ago with my 60 litres ( around 15 gallons)
I was advised to leave it fishless for 1 week only ( I have since read it would of been better to leave it for longer.) I started off with poor advice and got 3 swordtails, 4 neon tetras, 1 peppered cory, and two bronze cory. One swordtail died within 6 hours from shop, no obvious disease with it. Over the next week or so, everything else died except for 2 neon tetras and one bronze cory, which are still alive 3 weeks later. I could not find 2 of the tetra's, presumed eaten.
I got my water tested in the shop, and ammonia was around 1ppm, nitrites and nitrates are 0. So I can see that the filter is working. This has been the same for last 5 days. I had been feeding very lightly every night, and saw that there was too much food decomposing. I have literally emptied everything out of the tank, cleared all organic debris yesterday, and did a near enough 30-40% water change over two days. This morning whilst raking the sand at the bottom of the tank, the body of a decompossed tetra made an appearance. I tried to look for another but to no avail. I tested the ammonia again, within an hour, and it was between 0.5-1ppm.
What else can I do? I know that the other tetra has probably died too, but it was not obvious last week, when I noticed that both were missing.
I wanted to get more fish, but obviously this would make the ammonia situation worse, so I am holding back. pH is steady at 7.4, through out this, and as I said nitrate and nitrite levels have not changed. Will the ammonia come down naturally. Filter has been cleaned, in tank water and seems to be ok. I have not fed the fish for 2 days.
Cheers for any advice
Mike
I have been reading your different threads for two weeks now, learning loads, since I got my tropical tank 3 weeks ago.
But I now need help from more experienced people like yourselves.
I started off nearly a month ago with my 60 litres ( around 15 gallons)
I was advised to leave it fishless for 1 week only ( I have since read it would of been better to leave it for longer.) I started off with poor advice and got 3 swordtails, 4 neon tetras, 1 peppered cory, and two bronze cory. One swordtail died within 6 hours from shop, no obvious disease with it. Over the next week or so, everything else died except for 2 neon tetras and one bronze cory, which are still alive 3 weeks later. I could not find 2 of the tetra's, presumed eaten.
I got my water tested in the shop, and ammonia was around 1ppm, nitrites and nitrates are 0. So I can see that the filter is working. This has been the same for last 5 days. I had been feeding very lightly every night, and saw that there was too much food decomposing. I have literally emptied everything out of the tank, cleared all organic debris yesterday, and did a near enough 30-40% water change over two days. This morning whilst raking the sand at the bottom of the tank, the body of a decompossed tetra made an appearance. I tried to look for another but to no avail. I tested the ammonia again, within an hour, and it was between 0.5-1ppm.
What else can I do? I know that the other tetra has probably died too, but it was not obvious last week, when I noticed that both were missing.
I wanted to get more fish, but obviously this would make the ammonia situation worse, so I am holding back. pH is steady at 7.4, through out this, and as I said nitrate and nitrite levels have not changed. Will the ammonia come down naturally. Filter has been cleaned, in tank water and seems to be ok. I have not fed the fish for 2 days.
Cheers for any advice
Mike