Newbie Help with Cycling, Questions about water changes

[michaels]

6 weeks ago I bought a 29 gallon kit at Walmart, I set it up got 6 tigerbarbs, 1 small Oscar and 2 African ciclids, (I had no clue about cycling) Everything was fine, 1 month into it I noticed the water getting cloudy, then it cleared up the next day, so I can assume it had cycled.
My girlfriend fell in love with 2 Blood Parrot Ciclids and brought them home to suprise me and as a gift , Everything was fine, she kept bringing me new fish every other day lol including 6 new small African Ciclids, I realized we may have been over crowding so I went and bought another 29 Gal tank. I started the tank fresh and placed the 6 Tiger Barbs, 3 Angel fish, 1 eel (dragon type), and 1 small Plecostomus. Plus like an idiot I also placed 25 small feeder goldfish in the tank to get them out of my vase ( I know I am a newbie , live and learn)

Here was the problem within 2 day's all the fish started dying one by one,
except one hardy Angel Fish. Anyway started to read up on this Forum and realized I may have ammonia poisoned the fish, I went to my LFS and got all liquid test kit , tested both tanks for Nitrite and it was off the chart on both tanks.
Realized I am probably over populated on both tanks, I cleaned my second tank out (the one with all the deaths it was Fishswitz) and decided to start fresh took some gravel from my seasoned tank. Placed the Small Oscar, The 2 parrot Ciclids, and the Angel Fish Fishswitz survivor in this tank. Everything fine so far its been a week, But Oscar just developed cloudy eyes,

My old established tank is high in Nitrites so I am wondering if it ever cycled and then I added to many new fish , I have been doing a 25% water change daily to keep down the nitrites is this preventing my tank from cycling again?

The Oscar tank is only a week old so I am sure it has NOT cycled and the nitrite is climbing
My first tank should haver been cycled but i may have screwed it up by adding more fish 2 fast.

So tank 1 now has 7 small African Ciclids, 1-3inch Plecostomus
Tank 1 , 6 weeks
PH 7.6
ammonia 0
Nitrite 3
Nitrate 5

Tank 2 now has 1 oscar, 2 Parrot Ciclids, 1 Angel fish , 2 small baby africans
PH 7.6
ammonia 0
Nitrite 3
Nitrate 5

All the fish seem healthy except for Oscars cloudy eyes
Can I do a 25% water change on each tank daily?
Do I clean the gravel? Or just skim poop off the top?
What can I do for Oscar?
I have MT Shasta water (there are 4 bottling companys in my area so the water is great) should I still use some kind of slime , clorine remover?
does doing the daily water changes and adding Aquasafe hinder the cycling process?
How come both tanks have the same parameters? tank 1 is going on 7 weeks , tank 2 is a week old
Can anybody tell by the parameters where i am at in the cycling process?
Is it safe to do daily water changes? How does it affect the cycling process?
Please any help or advice will be appreciated
Oh FYI Oscar will be moved to a 100 gallon tank in 6 months
And my girlfriend stopped buying fish ( Tank God)
Oh yeah one more thing Oscar loves gold fish he can eat 5 within 10 minutes , can I over feed him with goldfish? I assume as long as he eats them right away I am fine
oh yea one more thing I am only feeding once a day now and very sparingly

 

[aquahungerforce]

Apart from your cycling issues, I can tell you feeder goldfish are the worst things for your Oscar. I can almost guarantee you that he will get some kind of parasite or god knows what else from those feeders. There are plenty of prepared foods that are safer and more nutritionally sound for your Oscar. Freeze dried krill, eartworms and crickets are also good munchies for them.

Good luck and welcome to AA.

 

[michaels]

aquahungerforce thanks for the welcome.. Oscar just loves chasing feeder fish around are there any other ones besides goldfish that will not cause health problems? At the LFS what critters are the feeder fish bred for?

 

[TankGirl]

Just to address the feeder fish issue - a quality cichlid pelle is the best thing for your oscar - there are many out there that will provide the necessary nutrition.

He definitely loves live and that is natural, so the very best thing to do is set up a small 10-gal with a trio of guppies - a male and two or even four females, and you will have your own feeders before you know it. They will be raised by you so you will be assured of their health.

From the LFS you can get live blackworms or possibly earthworms, and as long as you rinse them well they are a wonderful treat.

 

[chasgood]

Once you get the tanks under control and your fish grow close to full size the Oscar and a few others will need a bigger home. Might have to make another trip to wally-world for the 55gal.
But that is in the future. For now you are on the right track. There are many fish related web sites. This is my favorite and only forum I post to, but several have good articles on fish profiles and how to maintain your new tanks.

Since you have so many Cichlids try this site out. http://www.cichlid-forum.com

For more technical info on Aquaria this is very good. http://www.netmax.tk/

And there are many others. http://www.aquarank.com

Welcome and good luck.

 

[aquahungerforce]

Feeder fish are breed for being food for larger fish, but they are almost always in overcrowded, polluted tanks. I would not trust them at all. If you really are set on feeding the oscars goldfish then you can breed them, but IMO what a pain. I have a friend who breeds oscars and he learned the hard way with feeders when he first started. Wiped out almost all his fish.
They are your fish, so if you want to either risk it or start a goldfish farm its up to you. If they were mine I would get away from feeders altogether. And earthworms are live foods and so are crickets. Not as wiggly and fun to chase as a goldfish I am sure, but I'm sure your oscar won't die from not having to chase his food. I can tell you he has a very good chance of dying having disease infested feeders as his primary meal.

 

[michaels]

help

Thanks for all the help on feeder fish but my real questions where never answerd please can some answer these.
Can I do a 25% water change on each tank daily?
Do I clean the gravel? Or just skim poop off the top?
What can I do for Oscar? He has cloudy eyes
I have MT Shasta water (there are 4 bottling companys in my area so the water is great) should I still use some kind of slime , clorine remover?
does doing the daily water changes and adding Aquasafe hinder the cycling process?
How come both tanks have the same parameters? tank 1 is going on 7 weeks , tank 2 is a week old
Can anybody tell by the parameters where i am at in the cycling process?
Is it safe to do daily water changes? How does it affect the cycling process?
Please any help or advice will be appreciated


Can I do a 25% water change on each tank daily?
Do I clean the gravel? Or just skim poop off the top?
What can I do for Oscar?
I have MT Shasta water (there are 4 bottling companys in my area so the water is great) should I still use some kind of slime , clorine remover?
does doing the daily water changes and adding Aquasafe hinder the cycling process?
How come both tanks have the same parameters? tank 1 is going on 7 weeks , tank 2 is a week old
Can anybody tell by the parameters where i am at in the cycling process?
Is it safe to do daily water changes? How does it affect the cycling process?
Please any help or advice will be appreciated

 

[michaels]

help

Thanks for all the help on feeder fish but my real questions where never answerd please can some answer these.
Can I do a 25% water change on each tank daily?
Do I clean the gravel? Or just skim poop off the top?
What can I do for Oscar? He has cloudy eyes
I have MT Shasta water (there are 4 bottling companys in my area so the water is great) should I still use some kind of slime , clorine remover?
does doing the daily water changes and adding Aquasafe hinder the cycling process?
How come both tanks have the same parameters? tank 1 is going on 7 weeks , tank 2 is a week old
Can anybody tell by the parameters where i am at in the cycling process?
Is it safe to do daily water changes? How does it affect the cycling process?
Please any help or advice will be appreciated


Can I do a 25% water change on each tank daily?
Do I clean the gravel? Or just skim poop off the top?
What can I do for Oscar?
I have MT Shasta water (there are 4 bottling companys in my area so the water is great) should I still use some kind of slime , clorine remover?
does doing the daily water changes and adding Aquasafe hinder the cycling process?
How come both tanks have the same parameters? tank 1 is going on 7 weeks , tank 2 is a week old
Can anybody tell by the parameters where i am at in the cycling process?
Is it safe to do daily water changes? How does it affect the cycling process?
Please any help or advice will be appreciated

 

[TankGirl]

25% daily might be a bit much for a cycling tank, but 3 times a week should be okay

For a cycling tank I would just skim the poop off the top so as not to disturb your carefully cultivated bacteria. Once the tank has been cycled and stable for a couple of weeks then go ahead and sart. Feed sparingly until that time.

Cloudy eye is almost always related to water quality, so the cycling tank is not helping the problem, but hopefully your water change regimen will help this - I don't have any other suggestions for that other than that it should clear up once the cycle is complete.

If your water contains chlorine/chloramine (most water systems do) you will need to use a dechlorinator. I avoid products that claim to aid in the slime coat, but that is purely my preference and others swear by them. I don't think they are necessary.

The daily water changes might hamper the cycling process, so that is the basis for my first answer.

How come both tanks have the same parameters? tank 1 is going on 7 weeks , tank 2 is a week old

We can certainly tell you where you are in the cycling process based on water parameters - please provide ammonia, nitrite and nitrate readings and we'll be all over that!

HTH

 

[michaels]

Thanks Tankgirl (great handle by the way) You answer was very informative . my tank paramaters etc are listed in my very first post they are still the same as of today

 

[michaels]

in case someone cant scroll lol here are my parameters
2 29gal tanks
tank 1 now has 7 small African Ciclids, 1-3inch Plecostomus
Tank 1 , 6 weeks
PH 7.6
ammonia 0
Nitrite 3
Nitrate 5

Tank 2 now has 1 oscar, 2 Parrot Ciclids, 1 Angel fish , 2 small baby africans
PH 7.6
ammonia 0
Nitrite 3
Nitrate 5

 

[TankGirl]

Sorry 'bout that - it pays to re-read when the thread gets long, LOL!

I would say that the first tank was NOT cycled when you thought it was, and that the cloudiness was a bacterial bloom that resolved. That would mean that both tanks are stalled at the same point. You have a pretty decent load in both tanks so for whatever reason it is, you will need to do water changes to keep your nitrite down, and it will eventually finish cycling. Try not to disturb anything, like decorations, gravel, filter media, etc. for the time being, and wait. It WILL happen, just gonna take another week or two with patience. The only reason it would not cycle would be if something was killing off the bacteria or if you kept increasing the fish load.

Good luck!

 

[michaels]

Both tanks finally cycled

Amonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5 ppm
Ph 7.6
Well my 2 tanks have finally cycled but 1 tank with a small Oscar and 2 parrot cichlids EVERYONE has scars or clouds over eyes PLEASE HELP
I have tried some medication I got at Petco its been 48 hrs things seem worse

 

[TankGirl]

Usually cloudy eye problems are related to water quality, and having gone through a cycle it is not too unusual. There is usually a bacterial infection related so you need a good broad-spectrum antibiotic like Maracyn. What were you given?

You need to follow the directions very closely and do water changes daily before dosing. I would also consider adding some salt to the water, 1 tbsp per 10 gallons. This antibiotic might cause you to have a cycle again, since it does kill bacteria. It might not though, as I have used it before without that happening. Remove any carbon from your filter before using any medication, as the carbon removes it from the water.

Good luck!

 

[RocketSeason]

first, chill out on buying more fish for a while. you have more than enough now.

Please make sure you have clean carbon in your tanks and watch the water quality carfully.

Save your money and when you can afford it, I would purchase a nice 29 gallon or larger tank for your ciclids. Your Angelfish will probibly experence major problems if kept with the Ciclids so I would keep her in the 10 gallon with the Oscar. When Your Oscar Outgrows the 10 gallon, you can upgrade him to a larger tank as well.

For now though, you can spend your time aquascaping and working to create a natural and beautiful environment for your fish. Many silk plants are available and nearly all of them are very realistic. By stocking your tank with a good mix, you provide many nice hidding and playing areas for your fish which will make their lives happier and longer.

 

[michaels]

Thanks Rocket

Thanks for the advice I have no plans to buy anymore fish and I do have 2 - 29 gal tanks

Tank 1 is 29 gal has 7 small cichlids and 1-3inch Plecostomus aprox 13 inches of fish

Tank 2 is also 29 gal and it has one 3 inch Oscar, 2 parrot Cichlids, 1 small Angel Fish. Aprox 10 inches of fish

The problem is with tank 2 Oscar and all his buddies have cloudy eyes especially Oscar he looks like he may have scaring.
I have used "Fungus Cure" by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. it comes in caps, its been 60 hours and still no change . I removed the Charcoal and left the air stone running it turned my tank a dark green. Since I started medication my one Parrot Cichlid has been floating upside down in her cave. She has been doing it for 3 day's I thought she was a goner 3 days ago but seems to be hanging in there. Any sugestions Please????
I changed 25% of the water an hr ago and inserted a brand new charcoal filter , I live 2 hrs from nearest Petco etc. I will try and get some Maracyn in the next few day's
I tested the water an hr ago
Nitrites 0ppm
Nitrates 10ppm
Amonia 0ppm
PH 7.6 to 7.8

Will fish recover from Cloudy eye? Do some fish sleep or chill upside down? Any help please

 

[michaels]

just a footnote Oscar has a 100 gal tank he will move 2 when he grows a bit

 

[RocketSeason]

sorry, I didn't realize they were 29 gallon tanks.

The upside down thing usually isn't a good thing at all. (although it could just be a bad case of gas.)

I am not sure the best course of action to take at this point. A cure doesn't happen overnight and you may not see any improvement for a week or more. Follow medication intructions closely. If you decide to continue medication, remove the carbon from your filter. (what are you using for filtration anyway?)

If nothing seems to make it better, you may be better off stopping medication and just letting Nature take its course. I have had very sick fish before that have recovered on their own when medication has failed. It may or may not happen for you.

If (god forbid) your fish die, leave the tank empty and running with carbon for 6 weeks before you add fish again. It is also a good Idea to Quarenteen your fish before placing them in your display tank. This will help insure that another breakout does not happen.

 

[michaels]

Rocket thanks alot I will try medicating one more time , I will pick up some Maracyn like TankGirl sugested. Maybe I will wait for a few day's till starting the new meds. If that dont work ! Oh well let nature take its course. Is cloudy eye someting passed on from fish 2 fish?

 

[TankGirl]

Cloudy eye is usually bacterial so it can spread as far as I know. Nip it in the bud and it won't progress and blind the fish.