Need Advice: 29 Gallon + fish

[xcalibreplcp]

Hi,

I hope everyone is having a good week.

I recently planted and stocked a 29 gallon tank (30.25x12.5x18.75). It was an emergency.

Only cycled 24 hours (had two tanks break during our move).

I wont be able to get a 50 gallon for another 30 to 60 days.

I'm concerned my ammonia levels may spike.

Im running two filters:

Aqueon Quiet Flow 20
Fluval UI (Previously Precycled in a well established aquarium)


Tank is not heavily planted but planted enough to offer hiding spots to make half of the fish invisible.

Plant names: not sure but I have sword tails and some other low light varieties (all from other tanks).

The fish (no problems yet):

1 gold german ram cyclid
1 gold gourami (was concerned about agression but he/she is pretty tame ... no bullying... lived w other gouramis in my other tank)
2 dwarf gouramis
6 rasboras (getting one more)
5 neon tetras
5 sterbas corys
3 glofish danios (we are taking care of them for the next 2 weeks for my neighbor's kid... theyll be gone soon).



Tank is a steady 80 degrees

PH 7ish.... I want it around 6.8


HOW SCREWED AM I?

Should/Can I feed every other day to avoid an ammonia spike?

Daily 10% water change?

Will the plants help with ammonia, nitrites and nitrates?

Will chemicals?

Thanks in advance,


Mr. OhGodWhyMe

 

[drjallen3]

What brand of chlorine remover/ water conditioner do you use for water changes?

 

[drjallen3]

I forgot to mention to not worry about the pH 7.0. A .2 difference in pH in fish water is actually the amount that can be done instantly safely. The biological filtration activity in the filter may drop your pH anyway depending on the buffering chemicals used by your water company.

 

[xcalibreplcp]

Well first of all, stop panicking. Since one of you filters at least is well cycled that's extremely helpful, but your bioload is high. As long as you don't over feed, once every day is fine. As long as you check the ammonia daily before doing water changes, you will get a good picture of how well the filtration is doing. If the ammonia is quite high, you may want to change 1/4 of the water, give the filtration system about 2 hours to mix the fresh water in well allowing for the fish to continue for that time to produce 2 hours worth of waste. Then check the ammonia again. If it's still high, do another water change. If it was at an acceptable level after the initial water change, take the reading before doing another water change. Take the reading of the ammonia level before the water change and subtract the ammonia level you got 2 hours after the water change. Multiply that number times 12 and that will give you an idea of where the ammonia level would be at for the same time the next day. If that number is high, then go ahead and do a 2nd 25 percent water change. If the reading is not high, the 2nd water change is mot necessary and you can just wait until the next day for another water change
What brand of chlorine remover/ water conditioner do you use for water changes? and i just picked up SEED for bacteria... thoughts?

 

[drjallen3]

I have seachem and i just picked up SEED for bacteria... thoughts?

I pretty much thought Seachem was more of a mineral additive unless you're talking about the test kit? SEED definitely won't hurt, but how any probiotic works is dependent on it's shelf life. If a bacteria can't feed, it can't divide, if it can't divide, it dies. Even with human probiotic supplements that is a big concern. Hopefully your bottle has trillions that are alive and well. Like I said, won't hurt, might help.

 

[Angellove78]

You'll be fine. You got this! Just feed in the morning and test sometime later in the afternoon hours. If/ when you see ammonia vacuum the bottom best you can, along with a water change double the amount of water to the ammonia reading. Find the rutin within a week and you'll have it down pat til you get another tank.