LudicrouSpeed
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I now know that I did everything wrong, so before you tell me how I should've done it in the first place, just trust that I know that already.
About 3 weeks ago I got 10 gallon tank someone gave away on Craigslist with 12" Pleco inside (too big for the tank). The previous owner was getting rid of it and claimed to have just been waiting for the pleco to swim to fish heaven, but since it wouldn't die he wanted to find it a new home.
What I didn't know then is that the tank was neglected and poorly maintained, and probably full of decaying dead fish matter. I'd hoped getting an established tank would make things easier, but it didn't. Anyway, moved the tank home, plugged in the heater, popped in a new bio filter (mistake), filled it with new water, popped in an algae tablet for the pleco, and watched him lay around, swimming very little. I think he was dead by morning; shock of the move / water change.
I didn't discover he was dead until the next day when I came home with some mollies and a panda platy. I said a few words and threw out the pleco and popped in the new fish, who seemed pretty content. Snails appear everywhere. Didn't test the water.
A few weeks go by, some guppies are introduced, we find some babies and put them in a breeder net. The fish seemed happy. Then I begin cleaning out the old nasty gravel, which kicks up a bunch of large gross black flakes which I assume are decaying fish matter. The snails eat some of it, I scoop out some... there is an endless supply. I lay in some new gravel, only replacing a quarter of it to preserve the bacteria (although I suspect the tank is cycling now anyway).
I finally take some water into the LFS to get it tested and the clerk (bearer of questionable knowledge) tells me it's highly toxic, unhealthy, and she's surprised to hear anything is alive in there. Recommends I dump the tank and start over. But what about my fish, I say? She shrugs.
Convinced that the nasty old gravel is part of the problem I replace another quarter of it, pick out some snails (heard they might be bad?), and replaced the biofilter again (mistake). I also get some sensors for the tank to confirm that the pH and Ammonia levels are way too high. Noticed that my fish seem really stressed.
I did some more research and start to finally understand cycling (as a newbie, research into basic tank maintenance doesn't cover that at all). I realize now that replacing the biofilter without keeping the existing media is a backwards step and that I was most definitely over-feeding the fish.
So, now what? I need to get the tank to cycle, and I need to bring the ammonia down so my fish don't die.
My current plan involves continuing to replace sections of the gravel and vaccuum up the old gunk in there (since I think it's decaying fish matter / years of uneaten food / years of uncleaned waste, spiking the ammonia). Along with weekly water changes with stress coat. I've also treated the water with 5ml of an ammonia reducer, to give the fish some relief.
Should I use ammo chips in the filter, or will that not help the cycling process? Should I put in some additives to help the fish live through the cycle? I heard that buying bacteria at an LFS is a waste, so how do I find someone willing to lend me established media or gravel?
Any help / advice for future maintenance would be great. Thanks for reading all that.
About 3 weeks ago I got 10 gallon tank someone gave away on Craigslist with 12" Pleco inside (too big for the tank). The previous owner was getting rid of it and claimed to have just been waiting for the pleco to swim to fish heaven, but since it wouldn't die he wanted to find it a new home.
What I didn't know then is that the tank was neglected and poorly maintained, and probably full of decaying dead fish matter. I'd hoped getting an established tank would make things easier, but it didn't. Anyway, moved the tank home, plugged in the heater, popped in a new bio filter (mistake), filled it with new water, popped in an algae tablet for the pleco, and watched him lay around, swimming very little. I think he was dead by morning; shock of the move / water change.
I didn't discover he was dead until the next day when I came home with some mollies and a panda platy. I said a few words and threw out the pleco and popped in the new fish, who seemed pretty content. Snails appear everywhere. Didn't test the water.
A few weeks go by, some guppies are introduced, we find some babies and put them in a breeder net. The fish seemed happy. Then I begin cleaning out the old nasty gravel, which kicks up a bunch of large gross black flakes which I assume are decaying fish matter. The snails eat some of it, I scoop out some... there is an endless supply. I lay in some new gravel, only replacing a quarter of it to preserve the bacteria (although I suspect the tank is cycling now anyway).
I finally take some water into the LFS to get it tested and the clerk (bearer of questionable knowledge) tells me it's highly toxic, unhealthy, and she's surprised to hear anything is alive in there. Recommends I dump the tank and start over. But what about my fish, I say? She shrugs.
Convinced that the nasty old gravel is part of the problem I replace another quarter of it, pick out some snails (heard they might be bad?), and replaced the biofilter again (mistake). I also get some sensors for the tank to confirm that the pH and Ammonia levels are way too high. Noticed that my fish seem really stressed.
I did some more research and start to finally understand cycling (as a newbie, research into basic tank maintenance doesn't cover that at all). I realize now that replacing the biofilter without keeping the existing media is a backwards step and that I was most definitely over-feeding the fish.
So, now what? I need to get the tank to cycle, and I need to bring the ammonia down so my fish don't die.
My current plan involves continuing to replace sections of the gravel and vaccuum up the old gunk in there (since I think it's decaying fish matter / years of uneaten food / years of uncleaned waste, spiking the ammonia). Along with weekly water changes with stress coat. I've also treated the water with 5ml of an ammonia reducer, to give the fish some relief.
Should I use ammo chips in the filter, or will that not help the cycling process? Should I put in some additives to help the fish live through the cycle? I heard that buying bacteria at an LFS is a waste, so how do I find someone willing to lend me established media or gravel?
Any help / advice for future maintenance would be great. Thanks for reading all that.