question....kinda long...

[fishgirl30]

O.k. I have a few questions. First off, I have been reading some old posts, and I am realizing cycle is not what everyone is talking about when you say 'bio spira' I guess I assumed that it was. This is what I originally put in my tank at first. (46gal bowfront, about one week set up with some fish) I first put in the cycle, then four danios, waited a few days, doing ammonia tests and others, daily. It was all good, so I have been adding more fish. I have four danios, four small rasboras, and four mollies, and one mystery snail. Today, my ammonia is not super high, its between .25 and .5 ppm. Everyone seems happy and healthy, eating fine, except that two of the rasboras came down with ick the day after I got them. (I upped the temp to 86 f. and put in aquariam salt) The ick is slowly disapearing-Yeah! (I know, need a QT tank) Anyways, do you think my ammonia should be higher by now, with this amount of fish, or is the cycle I put in working? My nitrites are zero, and there is a little nitrates, I think like 10. My alkline and hardness are good. I have somewhat soft water, but more on the hard side. (tap water). The only thing that is high is my ph. its about 7.8. Thats what is is out of the tap as well. Will high ph hurt my fish?
O.k., now, I would like to get some real bio spira if you guys don't think that cycle is working. But I have asked around all the LFS, and no one seems to know anything about bio spira. Not even at big stores like petco and petsmart! Do you know how I could get some?
Also, this may be a dumb question, but since my ammoniea is up a tad, I am going to do a 15%water change. The question is, I have a python and I know how to use it, its just that how do you get the chlorine out of the tap water when you are putting it back in the tank? Do you just put in drops of no-chlore as the water is coming in?? I feel foolish for not knowing this, but I really love my fish and don't want to hurt them
O.k, sorry this is so long, it just kinda poured out of me at once...LOL.
Oh, and one more thing, where does someone get a dojo loach? They used to sell them all over when I was a kid, but can't find any now. (I wont add it now, just want to know if you can still get them. I live in northern oregon.
Thanks so much for everyones help!

 

[Menagerie]

I won't be a ton of help, but this is what I know.

The only thing that is high is my ph. its about 7.8. Thats what is is out of the tap as well. Will high ph hurt my fish?

You need to research the needs of each individual fish. If the pH is high, there are products that can lower it.

 

[BrianNY]

Hi fishgirl30 . Near as I can tell your tank is in the first stage of cycling. The ammonia spike to .5ppm is typical. In a few days the nitrites will follow. Good that you're using heat and salt to bring the ich under control. I hope you have some airstones agitating the water because at 86 it loses oxygen quickly. What you have to realize is that the ammonia is stressing your fish and reducing their immune systems, so they are vulnerable to lots of things now.

To speed up the cycling process (if you can't find Bio Spira), see if you can get a friend or the lfs to give you some gravel or filter media from an established tank. In the meantime keep doing water changes. I'd up it to 25% daily..

Don't worry about the PH just yet. Your fish should adapt to your tap water. Actually the PH will come down as your tank ages. Don't panic, just try your best to be patient and help the fish as best you can.

HTH

 

[Christmasfish]

Sounds like it is going normally so far, nothing more can be added as far as tank advice and you came researching before a disaster so you are ahead of the game..

I notce you have a cooler temp preference fish (danio- cooler than the other two)
with a average needs tropical(rasboas- neutral soft acidic and warm)
and a brackish fish type (molly)...(warm hard with some salt)

Maybe rasboas may be slower to adapt to that pH. But I think it is in their allowed high range. Too nippy for my current community.
Nothing looks bad as yet...
Happy fishkeeping!

 

[fishgirl30]

Thanks for the replies, I did get an air stone, two infact, to add oxegen in the water. It looks nice also. I guess I do need to research my fish choices more. I picked up a fish book, its 'a simple guide to Freshwater Aquariums' by David Boruchowitz. It seems like a really good book, what do you guys think? Also, how long should I have the temp up? There is no more white spots on the rasboas. I was happy today when I got up and looked in the tank.

 

[deli_conker]

I have a python and I know how to use it, its just that how do you get the chlorine out of the tap water when you are putting it back in the tank? Do you just put in drops of no-chlore as the water is coming in??

From the posts that I have read (and a poll if I remember right), that's what most people do. As the tank is filling they add the chlorine/chloramine remover.

 

[deli_conker]

Also, here is a good article on ich that should answer most of your questions...

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=32