Help!!!

[GGMissMolly]

This is what I got..A BIG FAT MESS!! No really. I have a 29 gallon tank that holds approx 25 gallon after rocks decorations etc. I have approx 19 fish.
1 pink kissing
3 Gouramis
1 silver hatchet
4 mollies
2 blk skirt tetras
1 columbian tetra
6 platy's
1 male betta
2 african dwarf frogs
I started my tank on January 30th went and bought fish on Feb. 2nd. I was totally unaware of the cycle and I don't even know if mine has but from what I have been reading I guess not. I was doing water changes daily of 2.5 gallon.
2/3/11
ph 7.0
high ph 7.4
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
2/3/11 evening
ph 7.6
high ph 7.3
ammonia 0.25
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
Did a five gallon water change this evening and added nutra fin cycle under the advice of the pet shop.
2/4/11
ph 7.2
hph 7.4
ammonia 0.50
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
2/5/11
ph 6.6
hph 7.3
ammonia 0.50
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
2nd dose of nurafin cycle and no water change
2/6/11
ph 6.8
hph 7.4
ammonia 1.0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0
3rd dose of nutra fin cycle
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. The man at the pet store told me yesterday to not do anymore water changes and to let the cycle run it's course. As soon as I get batteries for my camera I will post some pics. It really is a beautiful tank and I enjoy watching my fish but I think that I should have researched a whole lot more.

 

[Luna112]

Lfs usually never mention that you have to cycle a tank. The only thing you can do is continue to do the partial water changes. About 6 gallons every day. And the fish store probably didn't tell you that you have too many fish in the tank and probably need a second filter. Since you have so many fish, after you get this under control, your going to need to do a pwc every week.
Just keep up with the ware changes until your ammonia returns to zero.

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium

 

[GGMissMolly]

I forgot to mention that I use an api test kit and the water conditioner that I use is called NovAqua+ is this sufficient or should I be using something else?

 

[Coleallensmom]

First, good job on getting API kit. Your water conditioner looks fine.

Luna is right in saying your tank is over stocked. I don't normally say this, but you really should think about taking some of your fish back to the store. A Kissing gourami can get up to 6+inches and may grow too large for your tank. Your other three gouramis..are they dwarfs? Male or female? Many gouramis are very territorial as they grow older. This is especially true of the males, but can also be said of the females as well. I bought two female blue three spot gouramis for my 37 gal and they bickered for a week until I gave up and returned one to the store. Your silver hatchet, the columbian tetra, and the black skirt tetra are all schooling fish and should be kept in groups of 4-6 or more. Black skirts(and also the columbians) can be quite nippy when uncomfortable or stressed and may very well nip at your betta if you don't add to their numbers. I really would suggest returning the betta and some of the gouramis. Once your tank is cycled you could then add to your tetra/silver hatchet schools.

I am going to give the guy at the pet store the benefit of the doubt and assume that he told you no more water changes because you are using the nutrafin cycle product. However, with your large bioload...if you don't do PWCs, you are going to find yourself in the middle of an ammonia spike with dead fish very quickly. Any ammonia or Nitrite reading over .25ppm can harm/stress your fish. PWCs are the only good way to keep those levels down. When cycling with fish is not unusual to have to do daily or even 2x daily PWCs to keep your ammonia/nitrite at acceptable levels.

 

[tyspot1000]

+1

You will need to keep up the partial water changes everyday (With NovAqua+, acts like Prime) to keep the ammonia levels and nitrite down until the cycle is over. Also, with all those fish in there, you will need to do more than 1 water change a week, The one would not be enough.

Like said, Your tank is overstocked and you need to get rid of some fish, lets start with Facts, compatibility, and tank sizes for the fish you have.

The kissing gourami needs at least a 55 gallon tank, they can grow up to at least a foot long, they can also get aggressive with other fish in cramped spaces.

Like said, the Colombian tetra and Blackskirts need to be in schools of 6 or more, they can get nippy and stressed if not.

Also, the silver hatchets are a schooling fish and need a school of 6+. They also need a well established cycled aquarium in order to thrive. Im surprised yours is doing good in a uncycled tank.

The betta, It is best to keep the solitary, they arent the best community fish. One day they could be fine, the next they could snap and kill a fish. Really, It depends on the bettas personality.

The African dwarf might have a hard time getting food, most fish will eat it before it gets to them. They also are best to be in species only tanks.

With all those Livebearers, you are bound to have babys which could over populate and overstock the tank massively. I would recommend finding out what sex each of them are and getting rid of all the males.

Hope this helped

 

[GGMissMolly]

First, good job on getting API kit. Your water conditioner looks fine.

Luna is right in saying your tank is over stocked. I don't normally say this, but you really should think about taking some of your fish back to the store. A Kissing gourami can get up to 6+inches and may grow too large for your tank. Your other three gouramis..are they dwarfs? Male or female? Many gouramis are very territorial as they grow older. This is especially true of the males, but can also be said of the females as well. I bought two female blue three spot gouramis for my 37 gal and they bickered for a week until I gave up and returned one to the store. Your silver hatchet, the columbian tetra, and the black skirt tetra are all schooling fish and should be kept in groups of 4-6 or more. Black skirts(and also the columbians) can be quite nippy when uncomfortable or stressed and may very well nip at your betta if you don't add to their numbers. I really would suggest returning the betta and some of the gouramis. Once your tank is cycled you could then add to your tetra/silver hatchet schools.

I am going to give the guy at the pet store the benefit of the doubt and assume that he told you no more water changes because you are using the nutrafin cycle product. However, with your large bioload...if you don't do PWCs, you are going to find yourself in the middle of an ammonia spike with dead fish very quickly. Any ammonia or Nitrite reading over .25ppm can harm/stress your fish. PWCs are the only good way to keep those levels down. When cycling with fish is not unusual to have to do daily or even 2x daily PWCs to keep your ammonia/nitrite at acceptable levels.

The guy at the pet store did not tell me not to do a water change while using the nutrafin cycle. I just got done changing out another 7.5 gallon and added the last dose of nutrafin. As for the overstalked tank that is completely my fault, I didn't think to ask how many fish I could put in my tank. And if anyone is interested I have free fish...LOL I am trying to talk my son into setting up a tank at his house, and I am going to give him some. So I guess now I am back at square one?

 

[Coleallensmom]

You stated that, "The man at the pet store told me yesterday to not do anymore water changes and to let the cycle run it's course." I was just speculating as to why he told you that, but the point is- it was very poor advice. PWCs are a must and I'd recommend doing 50% to get that ammonia level down.

 

[fort384]

Agreed on most of the advice presented here... 50%+ daily PWCs while the tank is cycling, and get rid of some of the fish.

Good luck!

 

[GGMissMolly]

Oh sorry, let me give an explanation..I bought the fish from pet supplies they didn't tell me anything about the water changes, but I was reading on here the different posts about the importance of the water changes, so I went to petco, and I explained my situation and the man at petco said to not do anymore water changes until my cycle is complete. I did get rid of the kisser and the gouramis and the betta.

 

[fort384]

The man at petco is wrong. Pwcs will not effect your cycle's length and will help keep your fish alive.

 

[Coleallensmom]

+1

Fort is right, your Pet store guy is wrong. Do the PWCs, it will save your fish. Good job on letting the gouramis and betta go. Your tank will be much better off w/o them in there!