Help Asap!!!!

[oneoffcustom]

okay here is the scoop. I bought a brand new 36 gallon bow front package. I had no idea the amount of time and stuff you really need to start a great sucessful aquarium. i am very interested in learning the right way as this is a hobby my dad passed on to me. i started out by letting the tank run for only 1 day before dropping in fish. i have about ten african cichleds lots of rock and lots of fake plants. i recently lost quite a few fish due to ammonia spikes and nitrate spikes. i have really cloudy water advised to me as bacteria cycle. when i saw my levels were way off i went and bout api ammonia stabalizer and nitate and nitrite stabalizer and and bio spira to treat my tank. I have treated with all three according to labels. did i just do a bad thing for the fish i have left? how long will the tank need to stabalize? please help.

 

[pitt420dude]

Well, you did a bad thing by buying a tank and putting fish in it the next day, but lots of people do so don't beat yourself up too bad about it.

Biospira is a good way to jumpstart your cycle, but it isn't an "instant cycle." You haev a few options here: (1) Return your remaining fish (that are alive) if your LFS will take them back, this will probably spare a few more lives. (2) Stick it out, and keep up with water testing and a ridiculous amount of PWC's while your tank finishes out its cycle. Good luck!

 

[neilanh]

Hopefully the bio-spira will work for you. You'll want to test your water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate daily and monitor to see how things go. Ammonia and nitrite at levels greater than 1ppm is really getting toxic for fish. We prefer to maintain these levels below 0.5ppm during cycling and doing large (~50%) water changes any time either of these levels exceeds .5. This is to keep things safe for the fish.

If the bio-spira works, your tank should settle out in a day or three. Bio-spira has to be handled properly, or it will not work. This includes being handled properly by the shipping company, the LFS, and yourself when you purchased it. If at any time it went unrefridgerated, chances are it won't work.

If the bio-spira doesn't work, I second what pitt said. See if you can return the fish to the LFS and do a fishless cycle (see the article in our articles section), then reclaim the fish once you're all set and ready to go.

 

[Purrbox]

What are the API Ammonia Stabilizers and Nitrite and Nitrate Stabilizers? Are these products for detoxifying Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate or something else? For detoxification I prefer to use Prime (excellant and economical dechlorinator) at the recommended extra dosage. Since I already use it for dechlorination, that's one less chemical to have on hand.

 

[tawolcott]

Oneoff, you've got 3 different threads started on 3 different days regarding the same topic. If there was just one thread it would offer some continuity to what steps you're taking and make the advice less repetitive and more comprehensive. Kind of one stop shopping. IMO

 

[Skyrmir]

Make sure you've got plenty of aeration in the tank. As others have mentioned, Bio-Spira is a hit or miss thing, extra air helps it take hold. Water changes are going to be your biggest friend for a bit until the tank is stable.

 

[oneoffcustom]

i am running three air stones with each its own pump. i have a 18 inch in back two 6 inch on the side. just trying to start one thread with all the points so i dont have to check two.

 

[oneoffcustom]

ok so my ammonia is down to a .25 and ph is good and my nitrite is horrible. what now just wait.

 

[rich311k]

Keep changing water to keep the nitrites down and wait.

 

[oneoffcustom]

if i keep changing my water will this prolong my cycle

 

[neilanh]

No. The bacteria live on surfaces, not in the water column.

 

[Skyrmir]

Nope, the bacteria you're trying to grow attach themselves to surfaces very well. All you're doing is keeping the nutrients from reaching toxic levels.

I wouldn't pull out the gravel vacuum or start scrubbing down the ornaments and tank walls though.

 

[oneoffcustom]

man i just wanted to say thank you to all who have helped. I am normally a quitter when things get complicated, but i really love beautiful aquariums. i have no intentions of giving up, due to the fact i have the best support ever, i am hoplessly addicted to this site. YOU ALL ARE TRULY AWESOME PEOPLE!!! Thank yall so much for the help now and in the times to come. This web site just proves there are decent people out there who just want to help, and enjoy what god created, beautiful peacock cichlids.

nicholas

 

[michealprater]

Water changes should not prolong the cycle. You have got to get your nitrite down. Nitrite is a killer. The good news is, you should be nearing the end of your cycle. Once the ammonia and nitrite levels are down to 0, you can add fish. But do not add 10 at once. 1 or 2 at a time only.

 

[SeriousDude5]

I had a problem like this as well LONG AGO. I bought something called "Ammo Lock" (or along those lines.) It stablized the ammonia, then the next day it spiked like crazy. My fish were gasping at the top for air. Luckily my neighbor was also a fish keeper, and had enough water to replenish my tank from his holding tank. I ran a hose from his 2nd floor window to my 1st floor window and syphined the water down, from there on out my problem was solved. I never used Ammo Lock again. I'm not sure what exactly the thing is used for, but I had a bad expierence with it. I was also new to the hobby and over stocked my tank, and didn't let it cycle, since setting up new larger tanks I realized what a mistake not cycling a tank is. This is just my expirence though with a water conditioner, I thought it was a miracle cure and I was wrong and nearly avoided a disaster.

But, yeah PWC are your best way to go for now, but its going to be a pain in the butt, unless you have a python. Wish I knew about it when I had this problem myself.

 

[Ilovefish]

Don't feel bad, nicholas. When I first started with fish over 20 years ago, I came home with the aquarium AND the fish the same day! 8-O Poor fish! I had no clue.

 

[oneoffcustom]

ok, so heres where i am at now. i replaced my older filter with a marineland emporer 400. this filter is awesome and cleared my water almost immediatley. my water was crystal clear. i now have done some water testing over two days and my ammonia is maxed out on the api droplet test. i then did another 50% water change the same day. i gave it one night and tested next morning to find i am still maxed out on ammonia. my cousin sayes im not patient enough, but i am just curiouse what else may cause the problem other than the cycle. my tank has set for 10 days and ammonia is getting worse. i suspected the rock decor i have put in may have something to do with this. i went to my local rock yard and bought several slabs of rock. my cousin said to boil the rock, i have not done so but i have pulled all from my tank and boiled and rinsed all gravel in my tank. i also did a 100% water change only treating with de-chlorinator. i have also began cycling a 10 gallon for future fish to come, kinda as a holding tank.

 

[CatatonicBug]

Remember that ammonia is the fuel for the cycle. The cycle does not create ammonia. It's a good idea to keep the ammonia level at about 4ppm during the cycle, and if it goes over that, daily PWC's (or more often) may be needed. The ammonia is caused by rotting stuff in the tank. It could be old fish waste or old food. Hard to tell, but do what you have to to keep the ammonia down while the cycle happens. Turn up the heat and crank up the air pump(s) to encourage bacteria growth. Be patient and expect about 3-4 weeks for the cycle to complete.

 

[FishCrazyBenBOMB]

See everyone says just to wait until the cycle is done and stuff. That's just to be safe. See after like 4-5 days I dropped 4 cories in there. Then I dropped around 15-20 molly fry that are around 1in or small in there. Took them out and put my 2 gold gourmis, chinesse algae eater, my dwarf cichlid. And a recently added 2 killi fish too. But one got killed by one of the other fish. But what I am saying is, people wait like a month or 2 before they even start putting stuff in there aquarium, none of my fished died within those 2 weeks of changing them back and forth. So yes 1 day after is problly a bad idea, but after like a week or so you should most likely be set to go.

 

[kimo]

if i keep changing my water will this prolong my cycle

YES! Large water changes (50% or more) only prolong the cycle time. Keep all changes to 20-30%.