10gal tank with fishies, just found this site, cycle/general questions

[nohika]

Okay. So I have a 10gal fish tank, with a filter, heater, thermometer, and...the head lamp thingie. I'm brand new to aquarium-stuff. Basically, I have little idea what I'm doing. Yes, I know, darn them rash 20-year-olds (ie, me).

I have three black skirt tetras in my tank. My Mom has a 29gal tank with similar fish (three black skirts, a little bigger than mine). I don't have any live plants or anything - not really interested in them right now, and neither does my Mom. I figure later down the road when my confidence is a little bigger about this (currently fighting tears about not doing my research online), that it'll be time to proceed to things.

How do I start cycling? Where can I find a master test kit thing? Is the Tetra-safe-water-making stuff okay? Do I have to have a certain kind? My fish have been alive for a couple days now, so obviously the dechlorination was okay...

What can I do better? How? What do I need to start? Where?

I hope to eventually (once cycled?) get an albino bristlenose (bushynose?) pleco, and a handful of either neon or silver tipped tetras. The black skirts might be transferred to my Mom's 29gallon.

Just worried I might've doomed my fishies, and feeling like the worst person ever for trusting what people say...

 

[angloe1]

I'm still in the midst of cycling my tank with fish and I haven't lost anyone. Just get yourself an API master test kit and keep on top of your water perameters. (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, etc) Partial water changes will be the most important thing during your cycling. I've never packed around so much water as I have been with my cycling!! But it's worth the effort for healthy happy fishes!! Good luck!!

 

[nohika]

Do you know if Petsmart/petco sells those? I may talk with my Mom and go get one tonight - I plan to show her all this stuff about cycling and see if we can get started. I so far really like aquariums (hope to someday have saltwater ones, too), and I would rather not start it off by killing everyone...

Hopefully I'll purchase one tonight and get started on keeping the levels down. I think my 10gal is too small for a Python - when withdrawing water, how do you make sure your fishies don't get sucked up?

 

[j2112j]

Try not to worry too much
Most people use a test kit by API, the fresh water master test kit. Should be available at your fish store, or online. It is pretty much a necessity.

Search this forums for cycling a tank with fish. Quite a few good guides can be found.

In the meantime, you my want to change your water every other day, anywhere from 25 %to 50 %. Make sure you use your dechlorinator, and try to match the temperature of the water in the tank.

Post any more questions as many people here will be happy to help.

 

[j2112j]

Do you know if Petsmart/petco sells those? I may talk with my Mom and go get one tonight - I plan to show her all this stuff about cycling and see if we can get started. I so far really like aquariums (hope to someday have saltwater ones, too), and I would rather not start it off by killing everyone...

Hopefully I'll purchase one tonight and get started on keeping the levels down. I think my 10gal is too small for a Python - when withdrawing water, how do you make sure your fishies don't get sucked up?

Petsmart should yeas but maybe call them first ?

Look for a smaller siphon that lets you get to the gravel without getting your hands in the tank. Just be slow and steady with it and your fish should nbe fine.

Good luck

 

[mfergusonjr]

After you get the test kit you will probably find out you need to change the water everyday if not more than that depending on what the test shows.

 

[eco23]

Welcome to AA. How long has your moms tank been set up? Is hers cycled? The ideal situation would be to temporarily locate your fish to your moms tank and do a fishless cycle. It'd be easier on you because you wouldn't have to do 50% daily water changes. Check out the link in my signature. Good luck!

 

[nohika]

I found that it looks like PETCO has them, and has them on sale, too. I need to sit down with my Mom and show her all this stuff...I'm perfectly willing to do all the necessary water changes, etc. I don't want to kill my fish. Bashing myself a little for proceeding without thinking, but what's done is done, and I don't want my fish to suffer. Even if they might a little when my sister stares at the tank for five minutes on end. She's a bit scary.

Thanks, guys. I was afraid I had royally, beyond fixing-screwed up.

Edit: Well, we set ours up the day before yesterday and added fish yesterday once everything had stabilized (I know, bad us. Bad, bad us). I don't know of anyone else here that has aquariums, unfortunately, so I can't pull any filter material...also, how does that work? It recommends changing the filter, but I've seen suggestions to just rinse it in the tank water when doing PWCs (see, I know lingo...kind of)? Until it's practically falling apart? And before that, stick a second one in there too to get it seeded with the medium? Am I on the right track?

Edit2: I'm hoping to get both of our tanks cycling, so it's not really an option to transfer the fish and do just a fishless cycling on both...ugh, wish I had googled more. Oh well, better late than never, right?

 

[Yeahitstrue]

It would be much better and quicker if you put your tetras in your mothers 29 temporarily and start a fishless cycle. I can't link you to the very helpful article on
My phone, I hope someone else can step in and do so. Anyway, if you do thy you won't be damaging your fish and the cycle can take as little as two weeks.

 

[eco23]

It would be much better and quicker if you put your tetras in your mothers 29 temporarily and start a fishless cycle. I can't link you to the very helpful article on
My phone, I hope someone else can step in and do so. Anyway, if you do thy you won't be damaging your fish and the cycle can take as little as two weeks.

The link in my signature is an article I wrote. It guides you all the way through it and has a FAQ.

 

[allaboutfish]

welcome to AA! I also have a 10 gallon ad am cycling with fish (didnt mean to) and it's pretty dang hard bc right now im past ammonia and only have an ammonia test kit so i have to do about three 50% water changes a day to make sure nitrites dont try to kill my fish. ayway i agree try to keep them with your mom and do a fishless cycle it's worth it!

 

[nohika]

welcome to AA! I also have a 10 gallon ad am cycling with fish (didnt mean to) and it's pretty dang hard bc right now im past ammonia and only have an ammonia test kit so i have to do about three 50% water changes a day to make sure nitrites dont try to kill my fish. ayway i agree try to keep them with your mom and do a fishless cycle it's worth it!

The main problem is that she needs to get hers cycling too, so they're going to cycle anyways. I'd rather not foist all six fish onto her...

Also...is it only safe to add new fish once the cycling is finished?

 

[allaboutfish]

yea it can be harmful when cycling like ammonia burns and nitrite poisoning that's why you need a test kit to make sure your levels aren't at a harmful level. (i had to treat my fish with melafix bc of ammonia burns).

 

[nohika]

I'm hopefully picking up a test kit tonight...even if she says no (I doubt she will), I'll go pick it up tomorrow anyways and get started on my water changes that way. Currently figuring out how to do water changes on a 10gal tank when the tank rests about where my head is. Hm.

 

[allaboutfish]

stool?

 

[j2112j]

I'm hopefully picking up a test kit tonight...even if she says no (I doubt she will), I'll go pick it up tomorrow anyways and get started on my water changes that way. Currently figuring out how to do water changes on a 10gal tank when the tank rests about where my head is. Hm.

Lol. You must post a picture of that.

Many many people cycle with fish and the bio-load in the 29 gallon with 3 tetras is very low. They should be alright with water changes. The 10 gallon will be more toxic but water changes will keep things in check. It will just take longer for the take cycle.

I think most here, myslef included advocate fishless cycling but your situation is what it is so don't worry, just keep on top of water changes and get the test kit as soon as possible.
Also, go easy on the amount of food you give them.

 

[eco23]

Here ya go. This is the best article on the site about cycling with fish. Good luck!
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...-but-i-already-have-fish-what-now-116287.html

 

[nohika]

Hopefully getting the test kit tonight - my tank is cloudy but fishies are all still alive. Just gotta get that kit and figure out what's going on. Pet store person told my Mom it's just "the new tank settling in". My guess is ammonia...probably, anyways.

 

[Rosenweiss]

The main problem is that she needs to get hers cycling too, so they're going to cycle anyways. I'd rather not foist all six fish onto her...

Also...is it only safe to add new fish once the cycling is finished?

Cycling isn't the only reason to put those 3 black skirts back with your mom's. First of all, they need the bigger space for swimming. Second, in groups less than 6 they can become aggressive. It's probably for the best that the 6 of them are together--black skirts are really not suitable for a 10g.

 

[nohika]

Just went and got the api kit...getting a lot of eye-rolling from my Mom, since the petco person disagreed with what I was doing, says to not do a PWC of more than 10% a day, etc, and (according to my brother and mother and everyone else in the house) the PETCO person knows far more than the internet.

I'm just a little upset at this point, and not exactly sure where and what to believe. I want to do the best for my fish and future to-be fish.