Cyling Very Small Tanks

[NewToFish1989]

Hi again,

This post is in behalf for a friend, she doesn't have internet right now and wanted to me post for her and she's being a bit stubborn when trying to help her.

She recently went into pets at home and for anyone outside the UK, pets at home is UK's biggest pet retailer but is pretty bad for advice, to them cycling is letting a tank stand for 3 days, bung some bacteria in a bottle in the tank and that's it.

I did the same mistake and learned since then.

Anyway they went and sold her a 28 litre tank and sold her one shubunkin goldfish. My granddad has these in his pond so know how large they can get. They told her nothing about cycling which is no surprise and EVEN told her, she could easily keep 3 in there and because its such a small tank, its becoming basically impossible to even cycle it. I helped her do a large water change and vacuum the gravel and within half a day nearly the ammonia was back to 4ppm, the fish is swimming around happily and surprised he isn't at bottom of the tank or dead yet.

I told her the tank is way to small even for a goldfish but its all "well pets at home said this" and won't believe me. If I hadn't spent £300 on my new tank just a few days before she got hers, would have bought her a larger tank.

Since the huge ammonia issue, is it even possible to cycle such a small tank with a goldfish in. I did a water test for her yesterday and these are the results.

PH: 7.6
Ammonia 4ppm
Nitrites: 0.25ppm
Nitrates: 20ppm

And should I try and convince her to let my granddad have it for his huge pond?

 

[librarygirl]

Hi, you're right in that the tank is way too small and it's probably underfiltered as well given the amount of ammonia a goldfish can put out. I think the only hope at this point is to keep up on water changes (back-to-back at this point, get that ammonia down) and get a larger tank or return the fish. Here's a guide you may want to show your friend, it was written by one of the mods here: http://www.myaquariumclub.com/goldfish-101-11174823.html

 

[NewToFish1989]

Hi, you're right in that the tank is way too small and it's probably underfiltered as well given the amount of ammonia a goldfish can put out. I think the only hope at this point is to keep up on water changes (back-to-back at this point, get that ammonia down) and get a larger tank or return the fish. Here's a guide you may want to show your friend, it was written by one of the mods here: http://www.myaquariumclub.com/goldfish-101-11174823.html

She has a filter but due to the ammonia, feel its a rubbish filter you get when you buy a complete set up from pet stores.

 

[molliwopp]

The tank will eventually cycle, but whether it will support the bioload of the shabump long term, probably not.

I know what its like when people dont listen to advice. One of my friends never listened because he felt i was preatching whenever i told him he was doing something wrong. If she wont listen dont push it, it will end in arguments so leave her to be ignorant if she chooses.

One thing i will say is dont clean the substrate while cycling, obviously if there visible poo rotting then syphon it out but leave it alone if you can.

 

[Cactuspixie]

High ammonia levels will prolong the cycle. I believe it inhibits the bacteria the convert nitrite to nitrate. Her fish will become stunted and develop ammonia burns and dog knows what else. He is living in liquid poison, so every organ is going to be affected, whether she can see it now or not.

28 litres isn't even 7.5 US gallons.

 

[Tuck]

Yeah pets at home are not the best for advice that's who sold my mum her "sucker loach" for a 10g tank and said it would be fine. Even though they grow 12" long and the tank is 12"....