Adding first fish tomorrow, what to do if...

[quarryshark]

No substrate and just a tiny piece of rock (less than a lb). I do have macro (caulpera) to help with nitrates, which also brought with it the pods.

Cool, hope everything goes well for you. If something does happen and you need to treat with meds, be prepared to pull the rock first. Meds would kill whatever is in the rock and that would definately cause an ammonia spike.
Kudos to you for using qt!!

 

[KMyers18]

This whole hobby is pretty cruel if you really think about it! If everyone on this site is so cunsurned about the well being of fish than why do they choose to take them from there natural habitat?? For your own personal enjoyment thats why! So why not just enjoy the hobby a lil'' and stop analyzing every lil'' thing so close!! Fish keeping is not rocket science. Even thoe some people like to pretend it is. Kick back and enjoy the hobby a lil'' There is no set in stone way to keep fish, cycle your tank or keep a healthy one. My tank breaks every rule on this site and has for almost a year. Never lost but two fish during my cycle (damsels) And one hurt his self by running in to the side of the tank. And that was after the cycle. I do monthly water changes and it's fine.

 

[blorkiemom]

If everyone on this site is so cunsurned about the well being of fish than why do they choose to take them from there natural habitat??

You know, I completely agree with you on this--it is a selfish choice to buy a fish that's been taken from the wild. So for me, that means that I have a moral responsibility to practice the best husbandry I can. Look, I've got a sick tetra in my FW tank that I've been trying to save for weeks--it cost all of $1.98, but it's still a life. I feel that once I've brought an animal, no matter how "insignificant," into my home, I have to do everything I know how to keep it happy and healthy--especially since I may be the reason it was torn out of its natural world. For all my efforts, I lose fish. But it makes me very sad and the only way I can justify my hobby is knowing that I did everything I could.

Anyway, if I err on the side of caution, or give others conservative advice, that's why. JMO, of course. YMMV.

 

[KMyers18]

All i was saying was adding a one inch long fish to a 2.5 gal. tank is not going to spike anything enough to kill it! Well maybe some exotic butterfly fish! But something as hardy as a lil'' goby come on get real! You dont have to be a Marine Biologist to keep a fish in a tank!

 

[quarryshark]

All i was saying was adding a one inch long fish to a 2.5 gal. tank is not going to spike anything enough to kill it! Well maybe some exotic butterfly fish! But something as hardy as a lil'' goby come on get real!

Thats fine, but if one is going to say that a milk jug is OK for a qt tank, then it may becomes gospel. Many of us are trying to set a standard here to help this hobby and point people in the right direction. Not everyone has had the luck (yes you have been very lucky so far) that you have. Take a good look through the sick fish forum sometime, its an eye opener.
Many people come into this hobby without a clue, or with bad advise from places like petco. Some come here with the "finding nemo mentality". We try and point them in the right direction, so than can have success and enjoy their system.

Fish keeping is not rocket science. Even thoe some people like to pretend it is

No ones saying it is. I started this hobby back in the late 70's, it was a wing and a prayer back then. It has come a long ways in the last 25 years and we have a lot of folks on this forum that can share their experience with new people and share a standard that has already been set to help these new people to succeed. It may not be rocket science, but its not keeping a rabbit in a cage either.

There is no set in stone way to keep fish, cycle your tank or keep a healthy one.

I disagree, there are right ways to do the things you stated. There are variations to these methods, but they are tried and true.
Some look at their tanks like they do a piece of furniture or a rug on the floor...as decorations, but many of us look at them as our pets and try to give them the best home possible. You may want to consider showing a little respect for people who feel this way. No one is asking you to agree. We all disagree on some issues, but the regulars here at least are respectful of one another.

You dont have to be a Marine Biologist to keep a fish in a tank!

Ah yes and about this, there are several of them that come here for advise.

 

[equinecpa]

Day 3. We're having a mini-cycle. Got a question: Can I change all the water without doing harm? My experience seems that once I have nitrites and ammonia, partial changes just don't bring them down. Yesterday evening the ammonia was at .25, nitrites had climbed to about 1.0ppm! Did a 50% change. Fishy is doing OK this morning but looks a little stressed. I was thinking I might change all the water or even move him to another container. What do you think?

Carolyn

 

[quarryshark]

I wouldn't change all the water, that would be even more stressful IMO. I have been through this in qt myself several times myself and this works.
Just keep doing partial water changes (like about 30%) every day until the cycle catches up. By doing large changes, your not giving the biological filter a chance to catch up with the bioload. It will take a few days, but it will happen. .25 is not critical, you can work through it.
Of course a better altenative is a 10 gallon, if you can swing it.
HTH

 

[equinecpa]

If I were to buy a 10 gallon I don't imagine I could get it cycled in time to help this situation could I? I have no problem runnning out to wally world and spending 10 bucks.
I don't have enough live rock to cycle a 10 gallon, and a fishless cycle would take 6 weeks or so wouldn't it?

Carolyn

 

[quarryshark]

No, you can use the water from your 2.5 and supplement the rest with water from you main. Don't worry about cycling it. Water from your main with a sponge in the filter would do the job.
No need for rock either, a few PVC elbows would do. Just need a place for the fish to hide. Rock is not the best idea for a qt, if treatment were to be needed with meds, it would have to be removed beforehand.
Here is all you need. The tank, cover, 2-3 pvc elbows, heater, trickle filter and thats it.