Hi everyone,
So, I am new to this hobby and unfortunately followed my LFS advice and did pretty much EVERYTHING wrong!! Thought being a chemist would help but found that not really when I didn't do my research properly. Here's the story.......
Got a 20gal aqueon starter kit from the store, waited 4 days before getting fish then got (as per their suggestion) 1 pleco, 2 giant danios and 3 redtail tinfoil barbs as starter fish. Which I now know are going to get WAY to big for my 20gal so I will probably a) get a bigger tank in the future or b) find them a new home.
Everything went relatively well the first month, I was doing weekly 25% PWCs to keep ammonia down but my tank was not cycling. Then, foolish me, I go to the store and ask for advice, the guy there says to stop doing PWCs because that meant my tank would not cycle (now I know this is not true) and use Ammo-Lock instead (which later I read can stall the cycling) and feed fish every 3 days (probably only good advice they gave).
A month later (and several trips to LFS to double check because what I was doing felt wrong) my ammonia is through the roof (at least 8ppm, highest reading on my API liquid test kit), fish are looking very stressed, tank is filthy (algae everywhere, dont know what kind but looked redish) and I decide to disregard all LFS advice and do a 50% PWC.
Here's what I did:
50% PWC
Scrubbed all decorations
Vacuumed gravel
Changed filter cartdrigde (yes I now know this was wrong, but it was really clogged and I didn't know to rinse it in old tank water)
Lost one of my tinfoil barbs right after PWC
Since then I have done 3 more 25% PWC at 24 hr intervals but ammonia still reads at 8ppm(or higher since that is my highest reading). I also read that after adding ammo-lock, ammonia will still show in test kit but not be toxic to fish, I think that is probably the only reason my other 5 fish are still alive.
Tanks specs: (as of this morning)
pH 7.4 (I know this is on the high end but that is what my tap water is at and I only add API stress-coat before it goes in the tank, I am doing daily 25% PWC so I figure I shouldnt mess with the pH until I get that ammonia down)
ammonia: at least 8ppm (not all of this live NH3)
NO2 and NO3 - zero
alkalinity and hardness - dont know, ordered API master test kit, expecting it in a few days
Other:
Filter: Marineland penguin biowheel 150
Fish: 1 small pleco, 2 small giant danios, 2 small redtail tinfoil barbs
Plants: 1 anubia, 2 amazon sword, 1 moneywart, 1 bamboo
Please Help!!!!! How often can I do PWCs to get that ammonia down? I got some of Microbelift Special-Blend and Nite-out II to help my tank cycle but I haven't added anything yet I figured I would get the ammonia down first.
Also, any advice on these microbelift products are they any good?
-The Newbie
So, I am new to this hobby and unfortunately followed my LFS advice and did pretty much EVERYTHING wrong!! Thought being a chemist would help but found that not really when I didn't do my research properly. Here's the story.......
Got a 20gal aqueon starter kit from the store, waited 4 days before getting fish then got (as per their suggestion) 1 pleco, 2 giant danios and 3 redtail tinfoil barbs as starter fish. Which I now know are going to get WAY to big for my 20gal so I will probably a) get a bigger tank in the future or b) find them a new home.
Everything went relatively well the first month, I was doing weekly 25% PWCs to keep ammonia down but my tank was not cycling. Then, foolish me, I go to the store and ask for advice, the guy there says to stop doing PWCs because that meant my tank would not cycle (now I know this is not true) and use Ammo-Lock instead (which later I read can stall the cycling) and feed fish every 3 days (probably only good advice they gave).
A month later (and several trips to LFS to double check because what I was doing felt wrong) my ammonia is through the roof (at least 8ppm, highest reading on my API liquid test kit), fish are looking very stressed, tank is filthy (algae everywhere, dont know what kind but looked redish) and I decide to disregard all LFS advice and do a 50% PWC.
Here's what I did:
50% PWC
Scrubbed all decorations
Vacuumed gravel
Changed filter cartdrigde (yes I now know this was wrong, but it was really clogged and I didn't know to rinse it in old tank water)
Lost one of my tinfoil barbs right after PWC
Since then I have done 3 more 25% PWC at 24 hr intervals but ammonia still reads at 8ppm(or higher since that is my highest reading). I also read that after adding ammo-lock, ammonia will still show in test kit but not be toxic to fish, I think that is probably the only reason my other 5 fish are still alive.
Tanks specs: (as of this morning)
pH 7.4 (I know this is on the high end but that is what my tap water is at and I only add API stress-coat before it goes in the tank, I am doing daily 25% PWC so I figure I shouldnt mess with the pH until I get that ammonia down)
ammonia: at least 8ppm (not all of this live NH3)
NO2 and NO3 - zero
alkalinity and hardness - dont know, ordered API master test kit, expecting it in a few days
Other:
Filter: Marineland penguin biowheel 150
Fish: 1 small pleco, 2 small giant danios, 2 small redtail tinfoil barbs
Plants: 1 anubia, 2 amazon sword, 1 moneywart, 1 bamboo
Please Help!!!!! How often can I do PWCs to get that ammonia down? I got some of Microbelift Special-Blend and Nite-out II to help my tank cycle but I haven't added anything yet I figured I would get the ammonia down first.
Also, any advice on these microbelift products are they any good?
-The Newbie