Archimedes’ 15 gallon vertical

[Arclouvet]

I’ve been advised to make a new thread for my tank so here goes. It’s a 15 gallon vertical tank with a 100w heater, a Aqueon Quietflow LED pro power filter 10(100gph), and a bubble ring powered by a tetra whisper air pump. This tank has been running since 1/28/2021. I am already too late for a fishless cycle so I’ve been learning the hard way.

First week of being running 1 fish died. By 2/11/2021 10 fish in total have died. It is currently stocked with plastic plants, silk plants, real plants, an acrylic hide, sand and gravel mixed substrate. 2 dwarf honey gourami and 3 adult glofish long fin tetras(in red). I’m testing the water twice daily and doing water changes when my test says to do such.

The last test strip revealed gh(250) no3(50) no2(5) cl2(0) kh(80) ph(6.8) ammo(0.5) I know this means a water changed I’ve done three today(40%, 40%, 10-15%) and a vacuum of a third of the substrate. I’ve decided to stop feeding my fish for a few days. What else can I do?

 

[Arclouvet]

We turned off the bubbler the water temp is 78° F

 

[Caliban07]

We turned off the bubbler the water temp is 78° F

Here’s what I would do. I would turn the bubble ring back on and turn the filter off. I would add some live plants and stop vacuuming the substrate and continue to change water as and when required.

1. Tetras and gourami’s appreciate slow moving water.

2. The volume to surface area ratio of a 15 gallon vertical tank mean it is more difficult to dissolve oxygen in to the water.

3. Oxygen is the PRIME metric for nitrification.

4. Live plants will help oxygenate and provide a surface for beneficial microbes.

5. Water changes will continue to remove harmful nitrogen compounds whilst the microbes grow elsewhere other than the filter sponge.

 

[Arclouvet]

Here’s what I would do. I would turn the bubble ring back on and turn the filter off. I would add some live plants and stop vacuuming the substrate and continue to change water as and when required.

1. Tetras and gourami’s appreciate slow moving water.

2. The volume to surface area ratio of a 15 gallon vertical tank mean it is more difficult to dissolve oxygen in to the water.

3. Oxygen is the PRIME metric for nitrification.

4. Live plants will help oxygenate and provide a surface for beneficial microbes.

5. Water changes will continue to remove harmful nitrogen compounds whilst the microbes grow elsewhere other than the filter sponge.

Before giving advice ask questions. I turned the bubbler off because my no3 and no2 keep going into toxic levels. The filter is on for dissolving oxygen for the tetras, gourami breath air from the surface like labyrinth swimmers do, I have live plants have had live plants and it still does nothing I’ve been doing water changes nearly 3 times a day to keep the levels in the safe for nearly four days now. 15%-40% so unless you have something that I’m not already doing from reading every article on this forum I really don’t need another lecture. This is supposed to be fun and helping with my stress and anxiety not making me feel like a terrible human and giving up before I’ve even began.

 

[okapizebra]

Hi, please do not turn off the filter. I'm not sure why that was advised. The bubbler should also remain on. Your filter is where the majority of your bacterial colony is growing. The bubbler will help increase oxygenation in the water.

Your tank is new. It can take up to two months to cycle your aquarium. The beginning is the hard part. If you're not willing to keep up with the water changes until your cycle is completed then you can remove the fish and do a fishless cycle. Unfortunately patience is needed in the beginning, however once you make it past the initial stages your tank will be easy to maintain and will be enjoyable. Hang in there!

 

[Caliban07]

Before giving advice ask questions. I turned the bubbler off because my no3 and no2 keep going into toxic levels. The filter is on for dissolving oxygen for the tetras, gourami breath air from the surface like labyrinth swimmers do, I have live plants have had live plants and it still does nothing I’ve been doing water changes nearly 3 times a day to keep the levels in the safe for nearly four days now. 15%-40% so unless you have something that I’m not already doing from reading every article on this forum I really don’t need another lecture. This is supposed to be fun and helping with my stress and anxiety not making me feel like a terrible human and giving up before I’ve even began.

You said ‘what else can I do’

I’m simply telling you what I would do. I really can’t see how you interpret this as a lecture.

I know gourami’s can breath from the air but they prefer calm water and the airstone provides better oxygen and ample circulation in a tall tank. They push deoxygenated water to the surface continuously whilst providing oxygenation at the air water interface. It needs to be on.

How do you know that your levels are toxic? You have 2 small gouramis and 3 tetras in 15 gallons of water and are well on with your cycle.

Nobody has said you’re a terrible human being?? We are trying to guide you. The issue with these forums is that usually people only come here when things are already going not as planned. So they have already been fed usually (not always) poor information. This is what is fuelling you anxiety. Not this forum.

Keeping fish is as fun but there is the potential for things to turn sour. Trust me, it’s happened to me many more times than I’d have liked over the years. There’s just a few important things you need to know when you start but some of the basis for this information can be overwhelming.

My point is, you have the basis of a good start. Are your fish showing signs of distress? Are they gasping? Not eating? Erratic? Hiding? Skittish? Pale? Etc etc. If the answer is no then keep at it. You are a much more valuable test than any of those kits you have. The good news is that almost all problems you can have in a fish tank can be solved by adding an airstone and/or replacing water.

 

[Caliban07]

Hi, please do not turn off the filter. I'm not sure why that was advised. The bubbler should also remain on. Your filter is where the majority of your bacterial colony is growing. The bubbler will help increase oxygenation in the water.

Your tank is new. It can take up to two months to cycle your aquarium. The beginning is the hard part. If you're not willing to keep up with the water changes until your cycle is completed then you can remove the fish and do a fishless cycle. Unfortunately patience is needed in the beginning, however once you make it past the initial stages your tank will be easy to maintain and will be enjoyable. Hang in there!

Because mostly, in a planted tank, filters are completely unnecessary. If you have actively growing plants and a better means for oxygenation (most air driven equipment), the microbial assemblage required for nitrification and all other functions will be all over the tank, on plants, at plant roots and within the substrate. Most of the fish we keep really do not appreciate the stress of the flow rates we put them under and so the gentle application of water movement provided by an airstone or sponge filter is usually more than adequate.

Filters only really help with nitrification if the flow and oxygen levels applied to the media are adequate. This really doesn’t happen. Filters collect waste and they clog. This slows the flow and reduces oxygenation to your biological filtration making if much less efficient or worse, they can begin to steal oxygen. There are ways round this but it’s so much simpler to just run an airstone, removing unnecessary pumps and equipment from the tank.

Perhaps a tad irresponsible to suggest removing the filter at this stage but I did only give input on what I would do. I know that I can control toxic levels of nitrogen via my plants, floating plants, high levels of oxygen and water changes.

 

[Arclouvet]

Yes there is signs of ich and fin rot in one of the tetras I removed it from the tank and into a cycled quarantine tank. He may not survive. All my fish are skittish fish the gourami look a tad pale and I’m not sure what else to do besides just change the water. The tests have been showing. No3 at 50ppm consistently for three days and no2 at 5ppm no cholrine, ammonia at 0.2ppm we’ve been doing 40% water changes twice daily and the levels stay the same. I’ve only vacuumed the gravel once in three parts over the three days since this tank was established.

 

[Caliban07]

Yes there is signs of ich and fin rot in one of the tetras I removed it from the tank and into a cycled quarantine tank. He may not survive. All my fish are skittish fish the gourami look a tad pale and I’m not sure what else to do besides just change the water. The tests have been showing. No3 at 50ppm consistently for three days and no2 at 5ppm no cholrine, ammonia at 0.2ppm we’ve been doing 40% water changes twice daily and the levels stay the same. I’ve only vacuumed the gravel once in three parts over the three days since this tank was established.

Ok. There may be other reasons the fish are skittish. May I suggest firstly, just turn the filter off for 20 mins. See if the fish are a little calmer. A simple experiment [emoji846].

Have you tested your tap water? Apologies if you have already but best to know what you baseline parameters are.

Lastly, because I like to experiment. Try not changing as much water. More often. Maybe 10% a few times a day. See if the fish appear calmer.

 

[okapizebra]

Sorry, but i'm going to have to disagree. The OP doesn't have a sponge filter and the few plants they may have in the aquarium isn't going to be enough for the tank. It doesn't seem wise to suggest to a new hobbyist who is struggling to cycle their tank to remove their main source of biological filtration.

OP, your quarantine tank is completely cycled? Can you move over some of the filter media to the new tank to help bring over some good bacteria? That should help move along the cycle. Also, it's no surprise to me that your fish are skittish when they have ick and the nitrites are 5 ppm. I don't think the filter current is to blame here. Are you seeing white spots that look like salt grains on your fish? Got any pics?

 

[Arclouvet]

Sorry, but i'm going to have to disagree. The OP doesn't have a sponge filter and the few plants they may have in the aquarium isn't going to be enough for the tank. It doesn't seem wise to suggest to a new hobbyist who is struggling to cycle their tank to remove their main source of biological filtration.

OP, your quarantine tank is completely cycled? Can you move over some of the filter media to the new tank to help bring over some good bacteria? That should help move along the cycle. Also, it's no surprise to me that your fish are skittish when they have ick and the nitrites are 5 ppm. I don't think the filter current is to blame here. Are you seeing white spots that look like salt grains on your fish? Got any pics?

It’s cycled because it’s 1/2gal to 1gal of water.
It has white spots and fin rot for sure I’ll try to get a pic but he’s in a gallon water jug with a heater and filter.

Tap base readings are gh(250) no3(0) no2(0) cl2(0.8) kh(80) ph(7.2) ammo(0.2)

 

[Arclouvet]

The quarantined Tetra

I hope these photos are good enough it also shows the tank set up.

 

[Arclouvet]

I was right to put him in the small tank because he didn’t survive the night.

 

[okapizebra]

Bummer, sorry for your loss. Are any of your other fish showing symptoms?

 

[Arclouvet]

Bummer, sorry for your loss. Are any of your other fish showing symptoms?

Not that I can see the two other tetras are new arrivals and weren’t in the tank during the outbreak that killed all my juvenile tetras a few days ago. This tetra that just died was from my original group of tetras. The only other thing is my gourami look a tad pale it could be just because they are young. Fish are skiddish(swim away from me while I’m watching them) and the new arrivals have yet to accept food from me.

 

[Arclouvet]

Okay my main question is water changes.
I’ve done 2-4 changes a day and the levels have stayed the same and/or rising.
How much water per change?
When do I know the water is leveled out?
How many fish should be in this 15 g while it finishes it’s cycle? (Is 4 too many?)
Will it stress my gourami out to be transferred to a tank that’s reading gh(250) no3(0) no2(0) cl2(0) kh(100) ph(6.8) ammo (0.2) ?

 

[Arclouvet]

Next question is opinions on prime? Is it good is it bad? Does it do it correctly?

 

[fishwonder]

Next question is opinions on prime? Is it good is it bad? Does it do it correctly?

Prime is a simple de-chlorinator. It works just fine as that.

 

[Arclouvet]

Prime is a simple de-chlorinator. It works just fine as that.

Thank you that’s what I needed.

 

[Arclouvet]

The tank updates

I added more plants. Mainly a ‘floating’ wall of cholla wood and vegetation