Help with New Aquarium

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whiteflower

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Aug 30, 2013
Messages
2
Hi Everyone! I am hoping an experienced fish-keeper can help us. My 12 year old son and I purchased a 20 gallon Tetra Aquarium set>We filled it with gravel, properly rinsed, set up the filter, heater etc. filled with water added declorinator, (Aqua Start) plastic plants a dragon and a cute Tiki hut (all rinsed and dried) turned the filter on for 3 days added "Special Blend" Microbe Lift. We then unwisely added 2 Mollys, 2 Platys and three Guppies>I bought an ammonia test kit>ammonia was 0.25, fell to 0 on day 4, back to 0.25 Day 6>a molly died the first day (it seemed kind of sick) then 2 guppies! I did a partial water change (how DO you do this correctly?) conditioned the new water (correct temperature I believe) and the 2 platys died. One molly and one guppy were going strong but my son was so upset and crying he did not want to watch them die too>had my husband bring them back to Petsmart so in his mind they will be happy and live. Realized from reading that we should have "cycled " the aquarium without the fish which we want to do now. I would like my son not to give up! Advice? Filter still running, water is clear>how can I motivate my son not to give up? any ideas/help would be appreciated. The temperature in the tank seems a little high at 79 degrees F. Also how do I test for PH and is this necessary? Do I vacuum the gravel now or wait? Many thanks in advance for any and all advice! PS>fish were fed but sparingly.:thanks:
 
Hi Everyone! I am hoping an experienced fish-keeper can help us. My 12 year old son and I purchased a 20 gallon Tetra Aquarium set>We filled it with gravel, properly rinsed, set up the filter, heater etc. filled with water added declorinator, (Aqua Start) plastic plants a dragon and a cute Tiki hut (all rinsed and dried) turned the filter on for 3 days added "Special Blend" Microbe Lift. We then unwisely added 2 Mollys, 2 Platys and three Guppies>I bought an ammonia test kit>ammonia was 0.25, fell to 0 on day 4, back to 0.25 Day 6>a molly died the first day (it seemed kind of sick) then 2 guppies! I did a partial water change (how DO you do this correctly?) conditioned the new water (correct temperature I believe) and the 2 platys died. One molly and one guppy were going strong but my son was so upset and crying he did not want to watch them die too>had my husband bring them back to Petsmart so in his mind they will be happy and live. Realized from reading that we should have "cycled " the aquarium without the fish which we want to do now. I would like my son not to give up! Advice? Filter still running, water is clear>how can I motivate my son not to give up? any ideas/help would be appreciated. The temperature in the tank seems a little high at 79 degrees F. Also how do I test for PH and is this necessary? Do I vacuum the gravel now or wait? Many thanks in advance for any and all advice! PS>fish were fed but sparingly.:thanks:

Hi, welcome to AA. There are serval stickes for fish less cycling on this site, I can't post links cause I'm on my iPod haha. Yeah..., any way 79 is prefect for tropical fish so that's good. I have a younger brother and to keep him interested in tanks and fish, I research an plan my stocking, show pics, ect. They'll get real excited and look forward for when the tank cycles. For water changes, I do a 5g on my 25 every week using a manual gravel vacuum. As for cycling, it's building up beneficial bacteria that breaks down ammonia and such in your tank. That's why you don't over stock an such
 
Help With New Aquarium

Thank you so much for your advice! I am so glad I found this site! I will investigate fish-less cycling and get a gravel vacuum. When the aquarium is properly cycled what fish does anyone recommend for a 12 year old boy that are hardy? Thanks again!!:thanks:

**20 gallon tank**
 
Thank you so much for your advice! I am so glad I found this site! I will investigate fish-less cycling and get a gravel vacuum. When the aquarium is properly cycled what fish does anyone recommend for a 12 year old boy that are hardy? Thanks again!!:thanks:

**20 gallon tank**

German blue rams are gorgeous. A pair would be perfect for a 20 gallon
 
Thank you so much for your advice! I am so glad I found this site! I will investigate fish-less cycling and get a gravel vacuum. When the aquarium is properly cycled what fish does anyone recommend for a 12 year old boy that are hardy? Thanks again!!:thanks:

**20 gallon tank**

Any tetras like flames, neon, black neons, ect. Would be good, I would go with 6 of any of these, either a school of 5 Cory's or black khuil loaches and a dwarf groumai or a rams for a center piece. Stay away from plecos there good fish but huge waste producers
 
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