New fish tank help!

[Yosiparrish]

I don't find the fate of the fish to be true. I always do fish in cycling and my fish are doing great and breeding etc. You just have to stay on top of things as Caleb said. Quite honestly all the fish you listed are not appropriate for doing a fish in cycle. Neons are quite delicate and drop dead frequently for no reason.

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Oops my bad, meant to tell Brittany that i was on the same boat, focused on the dead fish, the LFS guy and my bad experience that i forgot to tell Brittany her poor fish could die if we dont change the water like crazy and keep ammonia as low as possible when the tank is not ready.

Thanks to Caleb and Brennae for your guidance. I was an Idiot! We were like kids in the candy store. My little guy picked the glofish tetras then the cichlids, the guy said Great and packed them. Do we need st to clean the tank??? Pleco! And packed. Well, now i learn that they were not compatible and it was way over stocked and the tank "under my care" was a dead trap for those poor fish. I guess all they care for is to get the fish out of the store, alive or dead after that is not a big deal :-(

 

[brittany_b415]

Oops my bad, meant to tell Brittany that i was on the same boat, focused on the dead fish, the LFS guy and my bad experience that i forgot to tell Brittany her poor fish could die if we dont change the water like crazy and keep ammonia as low as possible when the tank is not ready.



Thanks to Caleb and Brennae for your guidance. I was an Idiot! We were like kids in the candy store. My little guy picked the glofish tetras then the cichlids, the guy said Great and packed them. Do we need st to clean the tank??? Pleco! And packed. Well, now i learn that they were not compatible and it was way over stocked and the tank "under my care" was a dead trap for those poor fish. I guess all they care for is to get the fish out of the store, alive or dead after that is not a big deal :-(

I think another guppy is on her way out. Leaving me with two. Trying to see if someone will take the other two but their male and female and they reproduce like crazy and no one wants that. I wish I knew more about cycling because I would have chosen the fish less cycle. If they all die, will I be able to continue on with a fish less cycle by adding ammonia? Or should I be sort of there seeing my ammonia levels are getting higher by the day? I'm still doing 25% water changes daily. Lowest I can get my ammonia to is 0.5ppm because it shot up to 1ppm. I keep adding prime hoping it will help my fish. I did add 4L of distilled water today and my pH level is still at 7-7.5. Still no nitrates or nitrites. Just ammonia.


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[ImACoolguy]

Just keep the ammonia 1ppm and under.

In a Fishless cycle the ammonia source must be supplemented since there is no fish to provide it.

Janitorial ammonia (10% grade) is my personal preference. As with most household cleaning products you know it's not good to get it on skin and don't breathe it.


Caleb

 

[brittany_b415]

Just keep the ammonia 1ppm and under.

In a Fishless cycle the ammonia source must be supplemented since there is no fish to provide it.

Janitorial ammonia (10% grade) is my personal preference. As with most household cleaning products you know it's not good to get it on skin and don't breathe it.


Caleb

She's dead now too, just went down and seen. My friend is going to take my other two and put them in one of her tanks until I'm cycled! Which I'm very happy, if they do survive I'll get them back once I'm cycled properly. Now that I will be continuing with a fish less cycle how much ammonia should be added each day? And is there a need for water changes ?


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[ImACoolguy]

Best news you are going to hear today... No water changes in a Fishless cycle till it has completed.

There is ammonia calculators you can use to calculate how much to dose vs your tank size.

https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/AmmoniaCycling.php


One thing to keep an eye on is pH... If it drops below 6.5 you need to do a partial water change. The reasoning is at 6.0 pH and under the cycle can stall.

pH doesn't always drop this low but it can happen. Happened in one of my tanks.


Caleb

 

[brittany_b415]

Best news you are going to hear today... No water changes in a Fishless cycle till it has completed.

There is ammonia calculators you can use to calculate how much to dose vs your tank size.

https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/AmmoniaCycling.php


One thing to keep an eye on is pH... If it drops below 6.5 you need to do a partial water change. The reasoning is at 6.0 pH and under the cycle can stall.

pH doesn't always drop this low but it can happen. Happened in one of my tanks.


Caleb

Awesome! Thanks Caleb, you have been a great help


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[brittany_b415]

Anybody familiar with Aquaclear filters? I think mine might be set up incorrectly and that's why I'm getting nowhere.


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[brennae]

Post pics. We will walk you through it

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[brittany_b415]

Well it's set up and running but I think I might have the wrong media in it. Bottom is my sponge, middle is charcoal, top is ammonia remover. I read they also have a biomedia one and to me that seems more beneficial while cycling. Should I poke that down behind my intake tube? Should I replace ammonia remover with the bio media? I added 0.8mL of ammonia yesterday and it's staying strong at 3-4ppm. I just feel I would have more benefit with bio media ?


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[brittany_b415]

Bio max sorry, it's almost bedtime haha!


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[brennae]

I'd replace the ammonia remover with the bio max. Bio max goes on top level yes. If you are cycling the tank you don't want to use the ammonia remover. Save that for when the tank is done cycling and get rid of the carbon. It's really not needed.

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[brittany_b415]

I'd replace the ammonia remover with the bio max. Bio max goes on top level yes. If you are cycling the tank you don't want to use the ammonia remover. Save that for when the tank is dine cycling and get rid of the carbon. It's really not needed.

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Okay and that shouldn't mess up my cycling should it ? I assume the most beneficial bacteria (if I even have any) live in porous sponge. I guess I'll trot to pet smart tomorrow and grab some biomax. Should I double the sponge or just do two basic layers ? The sponge and biomax?


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[brennae]

Wait if you just got this filter bio max comes with it. Sponge, carbon(while you cycle) then bio max on top. The bb live in the bio max mostly but in the sponge too yes. After you cycle you can do sponge, ammonia remover bio max or sponge, sponge bio max

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[brittany_b415]

I got it second hand with my tank! He only had the sponge and carbon in there. I went to pet smart myself and asked what went on top and they gave me the ammonia remover. So should I remove that, use biomax, carbon and sponge while cycling ?


Mind you, it was new sponge and new carbon so I had to start from square one with cycling

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[brennae]

Yes remove the ammonia remover while cycling. You could use the carbon or another sponge and then the bio max on the very top. Generally you will find most big box pet store employees don't really know as much as they think they do. They really aren't paid enough to bother to be honest.

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[brittany_b415]

Yes remove the ammonia remover while cycling. You could use the carbon or another sponge and then the bio max on the very top. Generally you will find most big box pet store employees don't really know as much as they think they do. They really aren't paid enough to bother to be honest.

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Ok great, I'll pick up biomax tomorrow. Yes I know that now. That's why my only two guppies I have left are having a sleepover in a friends tank for a while. An uneducated employee told me I was ready for fish and then I wondered why they were dying and learned about the wonderful world of CYCLING !! haha stupid me !


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[brennae]

Happens to all of us. I started keeping fish long before people had home internet. I did a lot of things I shouldn't have. I once put my goldfish and tropical fish stock from my tank into the bathtub so I could really clean their tank out. No concept of nitrogen cycle.

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[brittany_b415]

Happens to all of us. I started keeping fish long before people had home internet. I did a lot of things I shouldn't have. I once put my goldfish and tropical fish stock from my tank into the bathtub so I could really clean their tank out. No concept of nitrogen cycle.

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Oh dear god lol!


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[brittany_b415]

More questions, added 0.8mL of ammonia October 18th. Ammonia is at around 3ppm. Isn't budging. Haven't been adding anymore and my tank has been set up for 14 days. No signs of nitrites or nitrates. This normal? My pH is 7.4 give or take. Any ideas ?


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[ImACoolguy]

More questions, added 0.8mL of ammonia October 18th. Ammonia is at around 3ppm. Isn't budging. Haven't been adding anymore and my tank has been set up for 14 days. No signs of nitrites or nitrates. This normal? My pH is 7.4 give or take. Any ideas ?


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The ammonia has not changed in 14 days?


Caleb