Noob with Aquarium Fever

[Dangerismymiddlename]

Hello, I am new to the aquarium hobby and have been working on setting up a 29g freshwater tank. I have 5 aquatic plants and have been doing a fish-in cycle. Due to me being a noob and, what now I know is poor, advice from the local pet store, I have 6 zebra danios and 3 julii corys (I had 5 but 2 died the day I got them and I am afraid to get the min of 4 due to cycling). I know I should not have this many fish cycling the tank but now I am stuck with them and my gf has become attached to them. The tank has been cycling for 3 weeks and until recently all levels have been great (amm 0, nitrite 0, nitrate <=10. I have been doing pwc every week and testing water regularly. However, yesterday I got the water tested and my ammonia was at 0.5ppm and I did a 30% pwc to lower it last night. At noon today I took some water in for another sample and now my ammonia is at 1ppm. I am new at this and it doesnt make sense that my ammonia could go up like that after a pwc. Please help me understand this debacle. Thank you for any input.

 

[meegosh]

I would get a good liquid test kit like API's master freshwater test kit. You will need it eventually and it will save you trips to the LFS to get your water tested.

What were they using to test your water, liquid kit or test strips? The strips are notoriously inaccurate. I agree, your ammonia should have went down after a 30% PWC. If I were you I would do another 50% PWC and then get your test kit. The kit only costs around $25 and will last a long time. It also gives you the ability to test your ph, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. That is pretty much all the tests you will ever need to run (unless you get into planted tanks or some trickier fish to keep).

Keep us posted and like you know now, don't add anymore fish until the cycle has finished. It will be easier on you, and the fish!

 

[Rayburn]

The ammonia went up because the fish keep secreting it and there aren't any bacteria to fix it. Keep doing water changes until ammonia is at 0, then continue doing water changes every day until it stays that way. Once a week is not enough for a tank that isn't cycled yet.

 

[Dangerismymiddlename]

The store was using the liquid test kit, but I am not entirely sure they were competent in using it as a few times they would give me results right away and other times they would make me wait 10 minutes. I will start doing water changes every day. Will an everyday water change stress out my fish? I know that stress can cause disease in my fish. I know it is corny but when I do a pwc I dont just dump the new water in, I treat it with aquarium salt and start right and then let the water sprinkle into the tank to seem like rainwater. Should I just keep this up or is it a futile effort?

 

[OhNeil1969]

The store was using the liquid test kit, but I am not entirely sure they were competent in using it as a few times they would give me results right away and other times they would make me wait 10 minutes. I will start doing water changes every day. Will an everyday water change stress out my fish? I know that stress can cause disease in my fish. I know it is corny but when I do a pwc I dont just dump the new water in, I treat it with aquarium salt and start right and then let the water sprinkle into the tank to seem like rainwater. Should I just keep this up or is it a futile effort?

Hi Danger;

You're in a catch 22 position. I do believe that too frequent water changes can stress your fish, but so does swimming in ammonia. I think some breeds of fish can handle the frequent PWC's better than others. The breeds you have should be ok. Why are you using aquarium salt? Some fish like it, but it's not always necessary. The one thing you don't want to do is sprinkle it into the tank. If any touches a fish before it dissolves it will hurt them. You should dissolve the salt in water before you add it to the tank. You said you just dump the water in. Are you making sure the temp is at or near to that of the tank water? Also, are you treating your water with some sort of dechlorinator? If no on either you could be doing some serious harm.

Good Luck with the cycle! There are a lot of people that can help you along the way.

 

[Dangerismymiddlename]

Lol sorry if I did not clarify. I do not just dump the water in. I mix the aquarium salt (about 1/2 tbsp/ 10 gal) in a water bladder along with the start right and then the water. I then shake the water bladder until i feel its dissolved enough. Finally, I sprinkle the water into the tank to simulate rainwater. I do this in hopes that it does not stress the fish out. Actually my danios seems to enjoy it and try to eat the water droplets.

 

[OhNeil1969]

Lol sorry if I did not clarify. I do not just dump the water in. I mix the aquarium salt (about 1/2 tbsp/ 10 gal) in a water bladder along with the start right and then the water. I then shake the water bladder until i feel its dissolved enough. Finally, I sprinkle the water into the tank to simulate rainwater. I do this in hopes that it does not stress the fish out. Actually my danios seems to enjoy it and try to eat the water droplets.

Sounds pretty good to me.

 

[mfdrookie516]

You're in a catch 22 position. I do believe that too frequent water changes can stress your fish, but so does swimming in ammonia.

No, frequent water changes are not stressful. If you temp match the water, and the pH is at least close, you will not stress fish. Some of the most sensitive fish in the hobby require daily water changes.

To the OP, I would do daily 50% pwc's until you are able to test the water yourself. I would never rely on an LFS, especially one who leads you down the wrong road in the beginning, to test my water.

 

[cinnamaldehyde]

Lol sorry if I did not clarify. I do not just dump the water in. I mix the aquarium salt (about 1/2 tbsp/ 10 gal) in a water bladder along with the start right and then the water. I then shake the water bladder until i feel its dissolved enough. Finally, I sprinkle the water into the tank to simulate rainwater. I do this in hopes that it does not stress the fish out. Actually my danios seems to enjoy it and try to eat the water droplets.

But do you add a dechlorinator too? Most tap water has chlorine + chloroamine in it, and you need a dechlorinator so you don't give your fish chlorine poisoning!

 

[Dangerismymiddlename]

Well I took all of your advice, I did a 50% pwc and bought a test kit. Now my ammonia is .25ppm nitrite 0 nitrate ~3ppm; however, my pH is like 7.6.... I think it may be from the rocks I have in the aquarium. Do you guys know of any solutions to get pH lower? And thank you all for your advice!

 

[jenatron]

But do you add a dechlorinator too? Most tap water has chlorine + chloroamine in it, and you need a dechlorinator so you don't give your fish chlorine poisoning!

If I'm not mistaken "Start Right" is a de-chlorinator.

Well I took all of your advice, I did a 50% pwc and bought a test kit. Now my ammonia is .25ppm nitrite 0 nitrate ~3ppm; however, my pH is like 7.6.... I think it may be from the rocks I have in the aquarium. Do you guys know of any solutions to get pH lower? And thank you all for your advice!

I don't see any reason for you to lower a 7.6 PH. Besides that, when messing with PH it's too hard to keep stable, which is much worse than a "high" PH.

No, frequent water changes are not stressful. If you temp match the water, and the pH is at least close, you will not stress fish. Some of the most sensitive fish in the hobby require daily water changes.

To the OP, I would do daily 50% pwc's until you are able to test the water yourself. I would never rely on an LFS, especially one who leads you down the wrong road in the beginning, to test my water.

+1 all the way.

 

[Dangerismymiddlename]

Well all of your guys help is moat definitely appreciated. I will start doing daily water changes and testing my own water. One final question about the pH. Once the tank is done cycling, should I then take measures to lower the pH? I have a feeling some of the problem is from the rocks I have in the tank.

 

[ejaramillo01]

No, as Jen mentioned, don't change your pH, most fish will adapt great to your tank pH, but they won't like or adapt to variations, or changes due to the use of these chemicals

Don't worry about the pH

 

[meegosh]

I just want to reiterate what has been said about pH levels. Fish prefer a stable pH, even if it is a little high or low, than a pH that you keep trying to buffer and it keeps changing.

Don't worry about the pH, with proper maintenance (water changes) you will have no problems.

 

[Dangerismymiddlename]

Alright, well that answers everything. Thank you all so much for your help!

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

How is the tank now danger?

 

[Dangerismymiddlename]

I think the tank is doing good now. Ammo <.25 nitrite 0 nitrate 3 but my ph is still at 7.6. Im hoping the ph will work itself out

 

[ejaramillo01]

PH is great, don't move it, you will be fine!