Need Help-Please?

[micha]

Hi there-I sure hope I can find some great ideas here. I have been studying this since I got started the first week of February and am still struggling along. My sister used to have fish and so she helped me with getting everything set up. Well, lo and behold-she had her tank 30 years ago and things are totally different now. I have set up a 37 gallon tank with a biowheel filter and an underground filter. I also have a long airstone set up along the back. I have 2 platys, 3 emerald cories, 2 lyre tail mollies, 1 bala shark, 2 opaline gouramis, 5 guppies, 2 snails, I think thats all I have! I also have 4 live plants.
I am trying to keep the ammonia under control and get cycled at the same time. I am currently changing my water 25 to 50% every other day and using ammolock if it stays too high. And my tank really smells like, well, fishy. Any one have any suggestions as to what I can do to get my tank cycled? My nitrates are always zero, as is the nitrites and chlorine. PH is finally at a normal range after showing 8.8. Any suggestions welcome! TIA

 

[missileman]

PH 8.8 is extremely high.
6.5 to 7.5 is about normal. 6.0 to 8.0 is an acceptable range. Some fish, like African cichlids would love the High Ph you have.
First question is.
What are you using to condition your tap water when you do a WC? (I am asking because you mentioned testing for Chlorine (Chloramine will not register on some chlorine tests))
Did you add any live bacteria or over the counter bacteria suppliment?

 

[micha]

I was using Aquasafe and then used Prime. No live bacteria though. Thanks for responding!

 

[timwag2001]

i think ammonia after a month and a half is kind of odd. when was the last time you added fish? when was the last time you changed your filter?
ammonia at that high of a ph is pretty bad. i would be changing my water every day.

 

[musicman]

I have a similar pH, a bit lower (8.2) and it took forever for my tank to cycle. I was getting ammonia and no nitrites for 5 weeks after I started establishing the tank.

I started using Seachem Stability and Stress Zyme to help establish a biological filter and I started seeing cycling results within the week. I had a jump in my nitrites and my ammonia started becoming managable. Within three weeks my tank was cycled.

I strongly suggest using a bacterial suplement to help progress your cycle.

 

[timwag2001]

micha do you have a friend that has an established tank that would be willing to give you some of their filter?

 

[micha]

I added fish a little over two weeks ago and changed the filter then too. My PH is actually about 7.2 now. The most recent fish I added are still alive. I had a few die the first few times I bought fish.

 

[timwag2001]

when you change your filter you're yanking a bunch of your benefical bacteria. so you shouldnt change it definately untill your cycling has finished. and do a 25% water change every day untill its cycled.

 

[micha]

I have a similar pH, a bit lower (8.2) and it took forever for my tank to cycle. I was getting ammonia and no nitrites for 5 weeks after I started establishing the tank.

I started using Seachem Stability and Stress Zyme to help establish a biological filter and I started seeing cycling results within the week. I had a jump in my nitrites and my ammonia started becoming managable. Within three weeks my tank was cycled.

I strongly suggest using a bacterial suplement to help progress your cycle.

I used Prime the past 4 water changes. Should I change more of my water and use something else? I have been doing 25 to 50% water changes and last week I did a 90%.

 

[micha]

timwag2001-I don't know anyone that has an established tank. I was wondering about changing the filter. I realized after I did it that I had thrown all the bacteria away that I had been trying to build. So now I am hoping to build it back up again.

 

[timwag2001]

just keep up with what you're doing. dont change your filter. and do a pwc every day.

 

[micha]

Thanks bunches! I will keep it up and hopefully be cycled soon!

 

[musicman]

Micha, Prime is a great water conditioner. It prepares the water to go into the aquarium. I use prime.

My suggestion is to use something in addition to prime. If I were you I would use a bacterial supplement to help push your cyce along.

Find out if your LFS has a product called Bio Spira. Its a refrigerated cycling product that contains live bacteria. It's argubily the best cycling product on the market. If that is not available to you, as many LFS do not carry it, I suggest using Seachem Stability. It contains bacteria spores which reactivate in an aquarium enviorment.

 

[missileman]

Find out if your LFS has a product called Bio Spira. Its a refrigerated cycling product that contains live bacteria. It's argubily the best cycling product on the market.

As I understand it the refrigerated version is no longer being produced.
There is a non refrigerated Bio-Spira for saltwater now and Tetra Safestart is the freshwater replacement. So far the jury is out on the effectiveness of either product.

 

[musicman]

That would explain why I cannot get Bio Spira at my LFS.

 

[timwag2001]

i wouldnt bother paying the money for something you're growing already.

 

[micha]

Thanks for the great advice! I have not had any problems this past week except that my snails never came out of their shells after I brought them home last week. I am guessing they are dead? I have never had snails before.

 

[joy13]

If you take a snail out of water you can tell if it is aiive or dead. Dead snails smell really bad you probably won't even have to sniff it to tell.

 

[micha]

Thanks so much for the advice on the snails. I have another problem now. I have 2 silver lyretail mollies and the larger one has yellow spots on it. Any suggestions? TIA

 

[timwag2001]

i would start another thread for another question. prob get more answers.

i dont know the answer to your question though.