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I am currently using a 5gal as a QT. Right now I have 2 danios & 2 cories in it. Honestly, I wish I had a 10gal because the danios need the swimming room even though they aren't very big yet. If necessary I will use it as a hospital tank in the future, but considering I see 5gal as small (my...

I've been advised to not add more than 3-4 fish at a time to give your filter a chance to adjust to the increase in ammonia from fish waste. After adding fish, you'll want to check your water parameters like every other day to make sure there's no ammonia buildup.

+1 James in MN on your water parameters not showing nitrates - the tank should always have nitrates of 20ppm or less which is the end of the nitrogen cycle and I agree on the stocking question - the smaller tetras would work well in a smaller tank because they don't get very big and they're...

Personally I'd get the black skirts for a tank that size - I currently have 2 danios - they really need space to chase each other - I have a 46gal. The black skirts school more and don't chase each other. JMO

I have 2 long fins in my QT right now to add to the 2 danios currently in my main tank. Thankfully they are doing ok - eating, swimming, etc. - it's a small tank & they don't have tons of room to swim but they are still small so for 2 more weeks they'll be ok. It's always upsetting to lose a...

Good you had the nerve to say something. The employees don't work on commission do they? I would think the only reason an employee will get annoyed is that you're "showing them up" with your own knowledge, not because you nixed a sale. I know at my local Petsmart, I also spend a lot of time...

Just curious - how big is your tank, what type of fish are in there and how many?

Changing the water doesn't affect the biological filter but NOT changing it will allow ammonia to build up. You should be increasing the frequency of PWC's to get the ammonia level down so your fish aren't affected by it. I only feed my fish once a day - more frequent feedings leads to more...

I also cycled my tank with fish. It took about a month before my tank was ready - thankfully the fish survived because the ammonia level stayed low but it was exciting seeing nitrites and then nitrates show up!

When you say ammonia is just fine - does that mean you are testing at 0? Are you testing for nitrates also? Are you changing your water? What kind of a test kit are you using or are you using strips? How long has your tank been running? Fish dying like that could mean there's a problem with...

I've heard of people who got cloudy tanks during cycling - I didn't. Also, you might want to see if you can get the API freshwater test kit. Most members use it. You can test a lot with it (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates & pH). I'm just concerned that the liquid kit you are using is fresh...

Just curious, what kind of fish is this? And, HNI how do you know it's a male "staking out its territory"?

I agree - I have 2 in my 46 gal and 2 in a QT and they are so cute! They are all over both of the tanks - it's quite fun. They explore every nook and cranny.

I'm new at this stuff too and I didn't cycle with ammonia but it's my understanding that you shouldn't touch the media at all while you're cycling because you're trying to build up beneficial bacteria so there's no point to even rinsing it in tank water. Doing water changes will help bring the...

What has been said above about your filter and the ammonia is correct. I am currently trying to get rid of ammonia in a quarantine tank (because I put fish into it over the weekend for the 1st time) and found out that my filter isn't completely cycled yet because my ammonia level last night was...

I'm sorry to hear about your fish not making it. Cycling isn't done "on a regular schedule" (maybe you're thinking of water changes?). I'm assuming since you've had these fish a while that your tank is already cycled (meaning that your filter has a colony of beneficial bacteria), but unless...

I watched a few youtube videos on this subject. Once the filter is submerged, should there be bubbles coming out of the opening? Originally I planned a large hole for an airstone, but then I rewatched a few videos and saw I don't need an airstone so I put the airline tubing directly into the...

Correct - good advice. ;-)

Yes, I was thinking the same thing about care of the tank - while it may be a nice thought on your part, would she welcome the responsibility?

I think you could test everyday because you'll want to know when the nitrites start to go up (the 2nd stage of the cycle) and the ammonia goes down. Also, you'll want to get something to test your nitrates because once the nitrites start going down, the nitrates start going up and then... time...

I feel bad. I agree with Vircomore that the water in the tank should be tested for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. If the water conditions aren't good, fish can get ill very easily or be affected by high levels of any of the things I just mentioned. Do you have a chain store like Petsmart or...

Yeah, I've learned to just be prepared when I enter a LFS to not need to ask an employee anything. When people come in and say their fish are dying, the employees don't know what questions to ask unless they are seasoned fish owners themselves. People will forever buy fish and bowls that are...

I agree with mfdrookie about returning all the stuff you got for this tank except the Stress Coat - you'll need that for water changes - and get the API freshwater test kit so you can test for ammonia/nitrites/nitrates and make sure ammonia & nitrites are at 0 and nitrates at 20ppm or less...

Have you already started cycling your tank? I assume you are doing a fishless cycle and I assume you have already read about how to do this - it can take a while and it's too easy to be impatient to get fish unless you want to get hardy fish (like danios) instead to provide the ammonia.

I go with my thermometer - in my 46gal it's opposite the heater and in my QT it's on the other side of the tank - I keep both tanks at 78 and as long as temp remains constant I know the heaters are doing their job even if the heater temp/thermometer temp don't match.