A few weeks ago I set up a new 20 gallon tank. the plan was to move the fish I had in a 5 gallon hex tank (has been running for about a year). That tank was overstocked and I had been having trouble with the PH being low. I was hoping that things would be easier to manage in a larger tank.
The new tank is 20 Gallon High, and came with a quietflow 10 HOB filter and a preset heater (78 degrees). I added api stress zyme and tetra safe start and aqua safe. I also added a small sponge filter in addition to the HOB.
About a week after I set it up, I jumped the gun and started adding fish to the tank. over the course of a couple weeks I added 5 platy, 1 molly, 2 peppered cory cats, 1 bristle nose pleco and 8 neon tetras. eventually it was the tetras that tipped things over the edge.
This caused a bad ammonia spike, and triggered a really bad ich infestation. I suspect the ich came in with the tetras as well. first symptoms in the tank were faded colors on the neons and the molly started having trouble swimming.
I added a bag of ammo chips and ammonia neutralizer. Then started API super ick cure. continued this with daily 25% water changes.
The neon's were the first to go. all 8 died over about 3 days. then pleco, and then the platys all about 1-2 fish each day.
that brings us up to now. The tank parameters have all returned to normal. temp 78, PH 6.8, Ammonia 0, nitrates and nitrites 0. I put the charcoal back in the filter. As near as I can tell the 2 corys (only thing in the tank now) are doing ok.
I am looking for some advice on how I should proceed at this point.
I have set up a small quarantine tank (5 gallon) that I primed with water and the sponge filter from the 5 gallon hex tank. and has been running for over a week.
should I move the corys to the quarantine and then break the 20 gallon down and start over?
or should I just wait it out, leave the corys in the 20 gallon? if so how long would be good to wait before adding anything else to that tank?
Sorry for the long rambling post, and thanks in advance for any suggestions.
The new tank is 20 Gallon High, and came with a quietflow 10 HOB filter and a preset heater (78 degrees). I added api stress zyme and tetra safe start and aqua safe. I also added a small sponge filter in addition to the HOB.
About a week after I set it up, I jumped the gun and started adding fish to the tank. over the course of a couple weeks I added 5 platy, 1 molly, 2 peppered cory cats, 1 bristle nose pleco and 8 neon tetras. eventually it was the tetras that tipped things over the edge.
This caused a bad ammonia spike, and triggered a really bad ich infestation. I suspect the ich came in with the tetras as well. first symptoms in the tank were faded colors on the neons and the molly started having trouble swimming.
I added a bag of ammo chips and ammonia neutralizer. Then started API super ick cure. continued this with daily 25% water changes.
The neon's were the first to go. all 8 died over about 3 days. then pleco, and then the platys all about 1-2 fish each day.
that brings us up to now. The tank parameters have all returned to normal. temp 78, PH 6.8, Ammonia 0, nitrates and nitrites 0. I put the charcoal back in the filter. As near as I can tell the 2 corys (only thing in the tank now) are doing ok.
I am looking for some advice on how I should proceed at this point.
I have set up a small quarantine tank (5 gallon) that I primed with water and the sponge filter from the 5 gallon hex tank. and has been running for over a week.
should I move the corys to the quarantine and then break the 20 gallon down and start over?
or should I just wait it out, leave the corys in the 20 gallon? if so how long would be good to wait before adding anything else to that tank?
Sorry for the long rambling post, and thanks in advance for any suggestions.
