New Tank, New Fish, pH & Ammonia Problems

[wickedsteele]

Hi all,

I'm new to being a fish owner. We have a red cap oranda baby. We got him last Monday (Feb 21). Following the instructions of the "fish expert" at the pet store, I set up the tank and ran the filter for an hour before I put the fish in. For a few days now, the tank has been pretty cloudy. I did a 15% water change with prepared bottled water from the pet store (which is also the water that I used to fill the tank in the first place). I believe he was overfed the first two or three days, so there's some food particles at the bottom that stirred up when I changed the water.

I've just tested the water and found that the pH is reading about 8.0-8.5 and the ammonia is 0.2-1.0. Meanwhile, the nitrate and nitrite readings are great - both are at 0. The hardness is showing at 75, so soft, but not too soft.

I'm wondering what I should do. Will the pH and ammonia balance themselves out naturally after the tank has been established a little longer, or do I need to get that tank water completely changed and clean up that gravel with all that foodstuff down there? I don't want to harm the fish, so I want to be sure I make the right decisions and don't rush into anything, but I also don't want to wait around only to find him belly up.

If I am to do a full cleaning and replace 100% of the water (I wouldn't change the filter at this time - only the water and clean the gravel), what do I need to do with the fish during that time and how long should I wait before placing him back into the tank?

I'm sorry for all the questions. It's been a very long time since I've owned a fish and back in those days, I wasn't the one caring for it.

Thanks, in advance!

 

[itsgracia]

It looks like you have not cycled your tank. Any ammonia or nitrite reading over 0.25 is harmful to fishes. What kind of test are you using? If it's not liquid I suggest you get one. I also suggest to take the fish back to the fish store and start fishless cycling using other forms of ammonia like pure ammonia (no soap/surfactants). If that's not possible then daily partial water change (50% or more) or even multiple partial water change daily is necessary to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels below 0.25. Oh and don't listen your fish store experts anymore. They are out to get your money.

 

[wickedsteele]

Ah, thank you! I'll start doing the 50% water changes immediately. Once I got home with the fish, I started to realize that the "fish expert" at the store didn't really know exactly what he was talking about. He didn't warn me at all about the gas bubbles that I would get just straight pouring the new water in. Luckily, my gut said that was bad and I stirred it up and waited until all bubbles were gone before I put in the fish.

When you say to cycle with pure ammonia, do you mean to add a certain amount to the water? If so, what ratio?

 

[itsgracia]

You can only add another source of ammonia if the fish is not there. Since the fish is there, the fish is the ammonia source. You have to build enough bacteria to consume all the ammonia and turn it to nitrite then the nitrite to nitrate. There is a cycling thread here somewhere that you can read on. Once your ammonia and nitrites stay at zero and nitrates below 40 ppm. Then your tank is cycled.

If you didn't have fish in there you can do a fishless cycle which means you add pure ammonia like ones you buy from hardware store. It has to be pure ammonia and no surfactants as ingredients.

 

[tyspot1000]

Welcome to AA!

Like said, your tank is un-cycled as of now. Really, you shouldn't take advice from the local fish store. Their so called 'Expert' advice is not that great at all.

Since you just started the tank, you ammonia is the only one showing up (Takes a little will for the nitrites and nitrates to start to appear). I would recommend to do a 25-50% water change everyday (This will keep the ammonia and nitrite down enough for the fish to survive.) to keep your ammonia and nitrite below .25 ppm. Once your tank is cycled (Takes around 1-2 months), your parameters should show up as: Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 5-20, Ph Depends on many factors. One more thing, when you are doing the water change, make sure not to vacuum the gravel; it will possibly mess up the cycle.

If you do not want to go through all this work just to keep your parameters livable for the fish, Return it and start a brand new cycle. Heres an article on Cycling: Tips and tricks for your fastest fishless cycle!

Once your tank is cycled, make sure to do a Partial water change once a week (25% at least). 100% is not necessary; Just takes too much time to fill back up lol. Also, you do not need to take the fish out when doing one, just keep them in there.

I would also recommend getting a Liquid test kit (Not Test strips, they are very inaccurate). This is so your can test your parameters in the process (Make sure not to test right after you do a water change. Some how the de-chlorinator messes up the readings; just wait an hour or two before testing.)

Enjoy the forum