New 10g - fish w/test water radings - advise?

[jimsz]

We have a 10 gallon fresh water tank. After testing the water and the fish store saying it was OK to begin to add fish we began adding a couple fish at a time (all small fish) there are 5 or 6 total and they began being added a week or two ago.

I have been going to the store twice a eek to test the water with no problems so far.

They finally had the water testing kits in stock (API liquid) and the readings I have today from the kit are

Ammonia 1.0

PH 7.6

High PH between 8.0 - 8.2

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 0

The water has been crystal clear but in the last couple days has gotten a bit cloudy.

Feeding is every other day.

The ammonia seems a bit high. Is it enough to be concerned with? Anything else I need to watch or take care of right away?

There has been no water change yet as the fish store don't do anything for another week or two.

 

[eco23]

Welcome to the site

Give this a quick read-
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/artic...g-but-I-already-have-fish-What-now/Page2.html

 

[jimsz]

Welcome to the site

Give this a quick read-
I just learned about cycling but I already have fish. What now?!

In a nutshell, what should the 5 readings be for optimal fish health?

 

[jimsz]

IN a nutshell - what should the correct readings be for the 5 items?

 

[eco23]

A cycled tank will always have 0 ammonia, 0 nitrIte and varying degrees of nitrAtes. The beneficial bacteria an established aquarium needs will convert the ammonia produced by the fish (and leftover food, etc...) into nitrIte, and finally into nitrAtes which are much less toxic than the previous two. In order to keep your fish safe in a new tank, it is vital to keep your toxin levels as low as possible...preferably at or below .25 at all times.

The best tools to have on hand are a quality dechlorinator like Seachem Prime...and fresh water. Doing lots of water changes to keep those toxins down is vital to the health of your fish. There is no such thing as too many water changes (despite what the pet store tells you). Pwc's will NOT slow down your cycle...they'll only keep your fish alive.

The pH level is really of no concern unless it is at an extreme level. Trying to alter your pH will almost always cause more harm than good, and fish can acclimate to a very wide pH range and live happily. Since your pH level is a bit high...the most important thing will be slowly acclimating your fish into their new home (but again, don't add any more fish until your tank is cycled). I prefer drip acclimation, and there's lots of videos online to explain it.

Good luck

 

[steez]

Eco will steer you in the right direction. Just do as he tells you and be patient, it'll all work out.

 

[jimsz]

Thank you for the advise.

I am starting to think the people at the pet store know very little.

I'll keep testing and changing water.

Could a not healthy looking plant be adding to the ammonia levels? A plant was added because the store said it was time to add a plant and it is not looking all that healthy.

We'll learn our way around this. The boy is enjoying it a great deal and if this tank works well we will move to a larger tank which is what i wanted to do originally but the store said to go this route.

 

[LyndaB]

The vast majority of us have been given really horrible advice by the lfs. You are definitely not alone on that one. Better to receive information from other people who actually keep fish than people who are paid minimum wage to pretend they know how to keep fish.

 

[librarygirl]

Yes if a plant is decaying, take it out. Live plants are hard to keep; they usually need special lighting and fertilizers to keep them healthy. Plus I learned the hard way that not all of the plants the fish stores sell are even aquatic plants. Lesson is don't outright believe what the stores tell you; double-check on here first.

With ammonia at 1 I'd do a very large (80%) water change right away. You want to keep ammonia and nitrite below .25 at all times. So when you test you water, if either of those is over .25, do a water change. Since it's in the early stages of the cycle you may not see nitrites for a few weeks; don't be fooled into thinking this means the tank is cycled b/c that level is at 0. It won't be at 0 for long and when it starts to climb it's going to do it fast so keeping on top of water changes is important. Good luck!

 

[jimsz]

OK, I have been continuing with daily water changes (minimum 1 sometimes 2) of about 1/3 of the water.

The Nitrites and Nitrates are still at 0, ammonia is between .25 and .5.

I have checked my tap water and that is coming in with an Ammonia level already reading .25 so I don't know if getting any lower is possible initially.

I let the water sit for nearly 24 hours to get rid of the chlorine and add a de-chlorinator as well. I also add Zyme+ and another item to help build up the good things.

Also, I can see the difference in the fish since I began doing the frequent water changes.

Is there anything else i can be doing?

 

[eco23]

OK, I have been continuing with daily water changes (minimum 1 sometimes 2) of about 1/3 of the water.

The Nitrites and Nitrates are still at 0, ammonia is between .25 and .5.

I have checked my tap water and that is coming in with an Ammonia level already reading .25 so I don't know if getting any lower is possible initially.

I let the water sit for nearly 24 hours to get rid of the chlorine and add a de-chlorinator as well. I also add Zyme+ and another item to help build up the good things.

Also, I can see the difference in the fish since I began doing the frequent water changes.

Is there anything else i can be doing?

A couple things...ammonia in the tap water means your county uses chloramines (chlorine / ammonia mixture). Leaving it sitting out overnight is a moot point because they won't evaporate out. Just use a quality dechlorinator and you can add the new water immediately.

I highly recommend picking up a bottle of Seachem Prime. It neutralizes the ammonia content in your tap water and will help keep your fish safe between water changes. Since there's .25ppm in the tap water, you're right, the ammonia will never be zero until the tank is cycled...that makes buying Prime all that much more important.

I'd also strongly vote against using the additives. To put it simply...they're normally useless and occasionally dangerous.

All you need is fresh water, a test kit, and a water conditioner / dechlorinator which neutralizes ammonia (Prime, Amquel, etc...). Everything else is unnecessary and can complicate things, as well as just take money out of your wallet.

 

[jimsz]

The seachem prime will do all that you advise?

 

[tarpon]

A couple things...ammonia in the tap water means your county uses chloramines (chlorine / ammonia mixture). Leaving it sitting out overnight is a moot point because they won't evaporate out. Just use a quality dechlorinator and you can add the new water immediately.

I highly recommend picking up a bottle of Seachem Prime. It neutralizes the ammonia content in your tap water and will help keep your fish safe between water changes. Since there's .25ppm in the tap water, you're right, the ammonia will never be zero until the tank is cycled...that makes buying Prime all that much more important.

I'd also strongly vote against using the additives. To put it simply...they're normally useless and occasionally dangerous.

All you need is fresh water, a test kit, and a water conditioner / dechlorinator which neutralizes ammonia (Prime, Amquel, etc...). Everything else is unnecessary and can complicate things, as well as just take money out of your wallet.

Except for a bucket and siphon

 

[tarpon]

The seachem prime will do all that you advise?

Yeah hes right. I have .25-.5 ammonia in my tap and used seachem prime for my fish in cycle. It makes ammonia fish safe for around 38 hours but its still available for the bacteria.
After the affect wears off u should be doing another water change anyways

 

[jimsz]

I have been doing partial water changes every day or twice a day if needed for the last 10 days. I am now testing with the API liquid kit. I am testing Ammonia daily and the others every few days.

I got rid of the plant the fish store told be to put in as it was not looking very healthy and the ammonia levels seem to be steadier with this gone.

The readings have been steady, Ammonia averaging .5 (but going as high as 1 or as low as .25), Nitrites and Nitrates both 0, PH still 7.5 or so, high ph 8.1.

3 fish have died in the last 2 days though and this concerns me.

My water change procedure is as follows -

I always have two buckets sitting at room temperature that sit for 24 - 48 hours before they are used in the tank.

I change approx 1/3 of the water by draining the tank with a hose and then poor (slowly and onto a break so it does not disturb the tank) the water in.

I then then fill that bucket up fro the tap, put in the dechlorinator/etc (Seachem or API) and this bucket is put in que to be used in 24 hours or so.

Should I be adding the Seachem or API when I fill the bucket to let it sit for the 24 or more hours or should I be adding it just before I add it to the aquarium? Also, Seachem is very concentrated I have no guide on the measure needed for a 10 gal tank. I am adding a few drops to each bucket (2 gallons).

Also, prior to Seachem I was using API Stress Zyme+ and API Stress Coat (at the recommendation of the fish store). Should I still be using these?