New tank Beginner Questions

[JCarr024]

I recently started a planted 10 gal tank with anacharis and anubias. I started off with 5 long finned zebra danios. How soon should I do a water change and how would I go about this process?

 

[stevenht]

A few different ways.

1. Buy a siphon (easiest way)
2. Scoop water out with a cup or bucket (probably the most difficult)


A $20 siphon will make your life and the fishes lives a lot easier. Just like you siphon gas from a car, (if you're into that kind of criminal activity) it's the same process but without having to stick your mouth on the tube to get the siphon started.

Is your tank cycled already? How long did you let the water run in your tank before you added the fish? If it's not cycled and you're doing a fish-in cycle, you need to monitor your water parameters closely and do water changes accordingly. Danios are pretty hardy fish and can adapt pretty well but bad water parameters (Nitrites, Nitrates, and Ammonia) will kill any fish.

If you did a fish-in cycle you need to do more frequent water changes. Probably 10%-15% twice a week until your tank is cycled. Also, I would recommend putting BB (beneficial bacteria) in there. If you have a LFS (Local Fish Store) maybe you could get some established filter media from them. This will help speed up the cycling process immensely.

 

[JCarr024]

I bought a siphon and waited two days before adding the fish. A day after the fish were added the water was a little cloudy. When I tested, I had 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, and pH was 7

 

[stevenht]

Just keep monitoring your water every other day until the cycle is complete. Fish in cycles do take longer than fish less. How long has the tank been up and running?

 

[stevenht]

If you need advice on starting the siphon there are a lot of YouTube videos on it.

You fill the tube part up with water with no air pockets. Turn it straight up and let about half the water drain out of the tube then slowly lower it bck into the water while tilting the siphon on its side. When the the top of the tube gets into the water you'll see the water rush into the tube. When this starts to happen you turn the tube over and you should have suction. It may take a couple tries to get it down but then it will second nature.

 

[JCarr024]

Just keep monitoring your water every other day until the cycle is complete. Fish in cycles do take longer than fish less. How long has the tank been up and running?

The tank has been running for about a week. I plan on doing my first water change soon.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

From what you've said, it sounds like your tank isn't cycled.

You need to get a liquid test kit and immediately begin testing your water. After a week with no water changes in an uncycled tank means your ammonia levels could be very dangerously high. (You might want to go ahead and do a partial water change immediately as a precaution if you don't have ready access to purchasing test kits.)

It should take about a month to 6 weeks for a new tank to cycle. The last time I did a fish-in cycle (i.e. cycling the tank while live fish are in it), it was a single medium gold fish, and I couldn't go more than 3 days without the ammonia levels getting dangerously high.

The other option (that is too late for you now that you already have fish) is a fishless cycle. This is where you douse the tank with ammonia to simulate feeding fish in the tank.

In either case, a fishless or fish-in cycle allows the tank to build up nitrifying bacteria that will convert the ammonia waste (fish pee/poop) which is highly toxic to fish into fertilizer. The purpose of long term water changes is to remove the fertilizer before it either becomes so concentrated that its dangerous to the fish, or it feeds too much algae growth.

But until your tank cycles (grows a colony of nitrifying bacteria), you need to be doing frequent water changes to remove the dangerous ammonia.

 

[JCarr024]

From what you've said, it sounds like your tank isn't cycled.

You need to get a liquid test kit and immediately begin testing your water. After a week with no water changes in an uncycled tank means your ammonia levels could be very dangerously high. (You might want to go ahead and do a partial water change immediately as a precaution if you don't have ready access to purchasing test kits.)

It should take about a month to 6 weeks for a new tank to cycle. The last time I did a fish-in cycle (i.e. cycling the tank while live fish are in it), it was a single medium gold fish, and I couldn't go more than 3 days without the ammonia levels getting dangerously high.

The other option (that is too late for you now that you already have fish) is a fishless cycle. This is where you douse the tank with ammonia to simulate feeding fish in the tank.

In either case, a fishless or fish-in cycle allows the tank to build up nitrifying bacteria that will convert the ammonia waste (fish pee/poop) which is highly toxic to fish into fertilizer. The purpose of long term water changes is to remove the fertilizer before it either becomes so concentrated that its dangerous to the fish, or it feeds too much algae growth.

But until your tank cycles (grows a colony of nitrifying bacteria), you need to be doing frequent water changes to remove the dangerous ammonia.

I have been doing water tests for a week. Every other day. The levels have been the same. Ammonia-0 nitrite-0 and pH-7-7.5

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I have been doing water tests for a week. Every other day. The levels have been the same. Ammonia-0 nitrite-0 and pH-7-7.5

It should take about a month to 6 weeks or more before a tank cycles and you consistently get readings of zero for ammonia and nitrites.
If you have had the tank setup for less than a month, readings of zero would be suspicious.