GoldenCompass
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2014
- Messages
- 5
I have kept freshwater tropical fish for close to three years now but not very successfully. In the past, I kept them in a 30 gallon tank set up the way I thought it should be set up. I had a light, single filter, water heater, rocks and decorations. But at least one fish out of my 10 would die, almost weekly.
Then, a year ago, my husband and I moved to an apartment that won't allow a fish tank above 20 gallons without paying a pet deposit. So, we got rid of the 30 gallon tank and started from scratch with a 20 gallon column aquarium
. I used freshwater biozyme to cycle the tank for a week, then started adding fish. But they continued to die. I added live plants, thinking that would help but they kept dying.
Eventually, after the last fish died, we just turned the tank off and decided to wait until we were ready to take it on again since we were due to have a baby in a month and knew that we couldn't take care of a defective tank while adjusting to life with a newborn.
A couple weeks ago, we decided to start from scratch, again.
Here is what we did:
1) Drained the bad water and cleaned the decorations, rocks, filter and heater with water.
2) Bought a second filter (undergravel), air stone decoration, and air pump.
3) Filled tank with new water.
4) Treated the water with freshwater salt and Stress Coat +
5) Added a pinch of freshwater biozyme. This we have added every day for a week without changing the water.
6) Tested the water with PH and ammonia strips every day to make sure the water is adjusting correctly.
My questions are:
1) By adding the air and under gravel filter, have we set up the tank properly so the fish will survive longer?
2) How many fish can we add into the tank at one time and how many could survive?
3) Should we add any live plants?
4) What are the steps we should take now, before we add any fish?
Then, a year ago, my husband and I moved to an apartment that won't allow a fish tank above 20 gallons without paying a pet deposit. So, we got rid of the 30 gallon tank and started from scratch with a 20 gallon column aquarium
Eventually, after the last fish died, we just turned the tank off and decided to wait until we were ready to take it on again since we were due to have a baby in a month and knew that we couldn't take care of a defective tank while adjusting to life with a newborn.
A couple weeks ago, we decided to start from scratch, again.
Here is what we did:
1) Drained the bad water and cleaned the decorations, rocks, filter and heater with water.
2) Bought a second filter (undergravel), air stone decoration, and air pump.
3) Filled tank with new water.
4) Treated the water with freshwater salt and Stress Coat +
5) Added a pinch of freshwater biozyme. This we have added every day for a week without changing the water.
6) Tested the water with PH and ammonia strips every day to make sure the water is adjusting correctly.
My questions are:
1) By adding the air and under gravel filter, have we set up the tank properly so the fish will survive longer?
2) How many fish can we add into the tank at one time and how many could survive?
3) Should we add any live plants?
4) What are the steps we should take now, before we add any fish?