Is what i'm doing ok?

[beccaw]

Hi everyone. Have joined this website as you all seem to know what you're talking about and I don't so hoping you can advise.

Anyway.. We bought a 36 litre tank back in November and are using API stress coat and stress zyme. It can with a Hagen Marina Slim filter which advises you to change the cartridges every 2-4 weeks. We change every 4 weeks. We set the tank up and were told to let the tank run for a week then we can get fish. Did exactly that and the fish lasted a week! So we started again. The tank has been going for 12ish weeks with no fish and I have been doing weekly water changes and testing the levels. They have all peeked and come back down to safeish levels. My friend really doesn't take care of her 2 goldfish. They were in a tiny tank, only half full, which she hardly ever gave water changes and fed when she remebered so I took them for our tank. The levels in her tank were much higher than our tank. We've had them 7 days now and I've done 2 25% water changes this week as paranoid about the levels in the tank. Have just done a test and nitrate and nitrite levels are 0 and ammonia is beteen 0.5 and 1.

Is what I'm doing ok as don't want to kill these fish?

 

[dkpate]

Welcome to the forum.

The ammonia needs to be kept at 0-.25ppm, no higher. If it does get higher, do a water change.

Sorry to say, but your tank is also too small for goldfish. Depending on the type, one goldie needs 15 gallons, and each one after that needs 10 gallons, and your tank is between 9-10 US gallons.

No need to change out your filter media unless it's falling apart. They just tell you to on the box so you will spend more money with them. If it get's dirty, just rinse it in old tank water.

 

[ChelseaLake]

Definitely with dkpate on this one. I keep goldfish...they're dirty little things! They need a lot of room for water quality AND quality of life. Mine are in a 55g (US) and swim all day long. They can quickly turn 36L into a swamp - that's just how they are. Don't get me wrong, though. My goldfish have the most personality, are the most beautiful, and are my favorite fish


BUUUUT...good for you for rescuing your friend's goldfish! I too have a friend who is er...rough...on animals. Better with someone who gives a hoot about them than without.

Until you can get a bigger tank, keep testing your water, and stay on those PWCs! Good luck!

 

[beccaw]

Thank you. Will be getting a larger tank as the fish grow. I have been doing a water change every 3 days. Do you think I should be doing them more regularly to get the ammonia level down?

 

[dkpate]

If you test the water and the ammonia comes up over .25, do a water change. If you have to do one every day, or twice a day, that's fine.

Kudos from me too for rescuing the fishies.

 

[OhNeil1969]

Hello beccaw and welcome to AA!

You mentioned that you let your tank run for a period of time before adding fish and that's good. Did you add ammonia while the tank was without fish. Without a source of ammonia to grow the needed bacteria your tank may still not be cycled. The fact that your nitrAtes are still at 0 ppm leads me to believe your tank is not yet ready for fish. Your going to have to do frequent water changes now to cycle your tank with fish (possibly daily with goldfish). Like dkpate (Darby) said, if you see 0.25 ppm of ammonia do a water change. The same also applies to nitrItes. Once that climbs to 0.25 ppm you will need to do a water change. The increase in ammonia and nitrites should coincide but I just wanted to make you aware that nitrItes are dangerous too.

 

[beccaw]

No I didn't add ammonia while it was cycling. The two pet shops I spoke to didn't say anything thing about that but agreed that leaving the tank for a number of weeks was good. The nitrate and nitrite levels were higher but have gone down since I have added the fish.

 

[OhNeil1969]

The presence of fish will not lower nitrItes or nitrAtes. As your fish eat and expel waste they create ammonia. That ammonia is deadly to fish. Fortunately, a beneficial bacteria colony will grow and start to convert that ammonia to nitrItes. Another type of bacteria will then arrive that will consume the nitrItes and convert it the nitrAtes. You will then perform water changes to remove the nitrAtes. It's called the nitrogen cycle and there are plenty of posts in this forum that can explain it in full. The key is that the presence of nitrAtes is the clearest indication that both types of bacteria are present. Eventually, with a cycled tank you will see 0 ppm ammonia, 0 ppm nitrItes and about 20 ppm nitrAtes. When the nitrAtes get higher than 20 ppm you will need to perform a regular water change. At that point you will be probably performing water changes once a week. Finally, what are you using to test your water? Those test strips are highly inaccurate (trust me, I had to find out the hard way).

 

[beccaw]

I'm using the api test kits with test tubes. Any idea of why the levels have fallen?

 

[OhNeil1969]

I'm using the api test kits with test tubes. Any idea of why the levels have fallen?

I would suggest testing your water supply that you use for water changes. Some water has nitrAtes from the tap. If yours doesn't then every water change will lower the levels of nitrItes and nitrAtes.

 

[beccaw]

Thank you for your advice. I will continue to test and do regular water changes and hopefully it will complete its cycle soon!

 

[OhNeil1969]

Thank you for your advice. I will continue to test and do regular water changes and hopefully it will complete its cycle soon!

No problem and GOOD LUCK!!! Remember, there are a lot of people here that are more than willing to help.