new to the aquarium hobby

[fish85]

Hi everyone I'm new to this and I seem to be having a fiew problems. But I would be trying ahead of myself there. To start I began my look into aquarium with a betta I went to a pet store bought my self a small plastic aquarium with a filter a lighting Hood Bult in set it up with proper water treatment bubbles and filtration, set up as perimeters on package, the next day went out and bought a betta. Happy to say after 7 months betta is fine and Bio filter was astablished very well. So I decided to set up my old 10 gallon hermit crab tank.I cleaned it out with hot water and wiped it down with a new sponge. It sparkeld :^) went out bought a new aqua clear HOB model filter wit the works Bio filter incerts carbon and sponges. Also bought a heater and rocks for substrate. Again set up as instructions specified. Let tank bubble away for 3 days then bought 4 fish( 2 some sort of larger tetra ,and 2 smaller tetra, and in about a week they all died, I was perplexed. So I went to a local family owned aquarium and asked, WHAT SHOULD I DO????? I tested ammonia and was way over 8.0 ppm OMG, So I did a total water change like they said to, didn't clean rocks they said not to filled it up and let it bubble away for 3 days and tested for ammonia, levels were at 0.25 ppm. So I went back to the local aquarium and told them what my number's were they said that's fine and I bought 2 platys male and female. Now my ammonia levels are going up again I'm doing partial water changes to keep the ammonia levels below 1.0ppm. I don't want my fish to die again. What should I do Any advice would be greatly apreciated.
Thanks I really want this to work

[Mumma.of.two]

Hi and welcome!
Your tank is cycling. You will need to do daily water changes until it is cycled. This can take 4-8 weeks (sometimes longer). Do you own a test kit and a dechlorinator?
Please read these links they will explain what is happening in your tank.
FISH IN
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articl...now/Page2.html

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums...de-176446.html

NITROGEN CYCLE
http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

[fish85]

Hi and thank you for your swift responce. Yes I have an ammonia and ph drop testers ,the chemistry kind not the strips. I do not have a nitrite or nitrate tester. I have done a water change and tested the ammonia levels are at 0.50 ppm now I will keep up on testing. I am just wondering if I may have damaged or poisoned my filter media due to the extremely high levels of ammonia (over 8.0 before I got the ammonia tester) and got my ammonia levels to an acceptable level (now 0.50)

Thank-you for your help

[SerpentDrago]

Hey fish85 , I'm completely new myself but i've read alot so .. he is my shot at this take with a grain of ammonia !

You can't really poison a filter with ammonia , if you read the above links about the cycle , you will see some actually "poison a tank" without fish at about 8ppm to Start the cycle.

The bacteria we want to grow on the filter LOVE LOVE ammonia , then those bacteria break up the ammonia into .. Nitrites , Another bacteria then grows and eats those Nitrites and turns them into Nitrates

Ammonia = bad
Nitrites = bad

Nitrates = cycled happy tank , still not good for fish but fine in small doeses thats what the water change is for !

in short

1. Don't over feed the fish
2. do ALOT of water changes while your tank is cycling to keep the Ammonia levels down
3. you know its done when the Ammonia and nitrites levels a 0
4. stock more fish !


--Let me know if i'm way off base here ;0

[Mumma.of.two]

Sounds good ^^^^

I'm not 100% but it is possible to 'shock' the BB with ammonia too high. I'm not sure how high though. People who do fishless cycles may know. 8ppm is VERY high.

[Mumma.of.two]

Originally Posted by fish85

Hi and thank you for your swift responce. Yes I have an ammonia and ph drop testers ,the chemistry kind not the strips. I do not have a nitrite or nitrate tester. I have done a water change and tested the ammonia levels are at 0.50 ppm now I will keep up on testing. I am just wondering if I may have damaged or poisoned my filter media due to the extremely high levels of ammonia (over 8.0 before I got the ammonia tester) and got my ammonia levels to an acceptable level (now 0.50)

Thank-you for your help

It would be a good idea to get the nitrite and nitrate test ASAP. The ammonia will start dropping which means the nitrite will start increasing. Nitrite is just as poisonous to fish as ammonia so you need to watch for that.

[SerpentDrago]

what would his response to increasing Nitrite levels be ? Change water ?

Trying to learn i'd want to know the same thing !

[Mumma.of.two]

Originally Posted by SerpentDrago

what would his response to increasing Nitrite levels be ? Change water ?

Trying to learn i'd want to know the same thing !

Yes, a water change to keep under .25ppm. Do you have a thread somewhere you need help on?

[SerpentDrago]

sorry didn't' mean to hijack ;0

[Mumma.of.two]

Originally Posted by SerpentDrago

sorry didn't' mean to hijack ;0

All good just thought if you had a thread I'd answer over there.

[fish85]

Hey serpent hijack away lol, your post was very helpful I've done some reading myself, and you seem to be on point. And thank you mumma you have been most helpfull. I will get nitrite and nitrate testers right away. And I am doing daily water changes to keep ammonia levels below .50, for my platys, because I don't wanna kill them.

[fish85]

Originally Posted by Mumma.of.two

Sounds good ^^^^

I'm not 100% but it is possible to 'shock' the BB with ammonia too high. I'm not sure how high though. People who do fishless cycles may know. 8ppm is VERY high.

Just to infer Im not shure what the BB stands for, just wanna make shure I don't misunderstand something.

[cejones94]

Originally Posted by fish85

Just to infer Im not shure what the BB stands for, just wanna make shure I don't misunderstand something.

Beneficial bacteria

[fish85]

OoOo