For my daughter's 5 year birthday, I set up a new 14g tank (Aqueon kit including filter, heater, etc.). I was only able to prep it 4 days in advance, so I know the cycle was incomplete. To prep it, I added the gravel and water (treated with Aqueon Water Conditioner), turned on the filter and heater, and seeded the tank with a tiny pinch of fish food flakes plus some Biozyme. I also added 3 Tbs of aquarium salt. The stick-on LCD thermometer read about 80 deg F.
On her birthday, we went to the LFS and bought 4 small fish: a 1.5" gourami, a 2" sword marigold, a 1.5" red platy (actual size less than 1"), and a 2" common pleco. I brought in a sample of water and the guy tested it with two test strips. He seemed puzzled and ran a third strip, then announced that he was surprised because everything read "good". I was skeptical because I didn't see any real color changes occur on the strips, so I think they may not have been working.
I also bought a large piece of very convoluted driftwood (lots of surface area) from one of the store's established tanks, so I figured that would help with charging my tank with beneficial bacteria (although I was a little concerned about disease introduction, because all the driftwood was stored in a goldfish tank). I also bought some live plants because I thought those would help with regulating the chemicals in the water.
In about 5 days, the gourami died. Two days later, the marigold also died. Actually, my daughter seems to be taking their loss much better than I am.
I ordered an API master test kit from Amazon with 2-day shipping (supposed to arrive on Friday, 31 Dec, but UPS screwed up the delivery so I didn't get it until today).
On Sunday, I noticed white spots all over the platy. I couldn't tell if the pleco had any because he was staying fairly well-hidden and his skin is naturally mottled, so spots are less obvious. But this morning it looked like there were some on his tail and dorsal fins. The pleco ate little over the weekend and this morning was very lethargic.
So this morning the test kit arrived and, as feared, the water is a mess. These are the results:
pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0.5 ppm
Nitrite: 1.0 ppm
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm
I guess that whatever bacteria came with the driftwood was not enough to really establish the tank's cycle. In any case, I immediately performed a 40% partial water change (5g), again treating the water with Aqueon Water Conditioner. I did match the temp of the new water to that of the tank.
This afternoon, I went to the LFS to buy some ich medication for the fish. There were only two choices: Tetra Lifeguard tablets (broad-spectrum non-antibiotic all-in-one treatment) or Mardel Coppersafe. I chose not to go with the Coppersafe because I think it warned against using with scaleless fish (pleco?) and live plants. So that left only the Lifeguard, which I purchased. But I'm not sure how that can cure ich because the Lifeguard is a 5-day treatment regime and I've read the ich life cycle can last for weeks (unless the Lifeguard can kill more than just the free-swimming stage of the parasite).
I also purchased an in-tank thermometer (reading 78 deg; 2 deg lower than the stick-on), and some Prime which I'm hoping will help with neutralizing the ammonia (the LFS where I bought the tank didn't have Prime or I would have bought it before instead of the Aqueon Water Conditioner).
Anyway, I'd like some advice before I proceed adding any chemicals/meds to the tank. Obviously, I have two battles to wage: the bad water chemistry and the ich. I don't have a quarantine tank (and I think getting one at this point would be futile considering the size of my tank, the "newness" of my tank, and the fact I'm down to only two fish).
Thanks in advance from a distressed dad.
On her birthday, we went to the LFS and bought 4 small fish: a 1.5" gourami, a 2" sword marigold, a 1.5" red platy (actual size less than 1"), and a 2" common pleco. I brought in a sample of water and the guy tested it with two test strips. He seemed puzzled and ran a third strip, then announced that he was surprised because everything read "good". I was skeptical because I didn't see any real color changes occur on the strips, so I think they may not have been working.
I also bought a large piece of very convoluted driftwood (lots of surface area) from one of the store's established tanks, so I figured that would help with charging my tank with beneficial bacteria (although I was a little concerned about disease introduction, because all the driftwood was stored in a goldfish tank). I also bought some live plants because I thought those would help with regulating the chemicals in the water.
In about 5 days, the gourami died. Two days later, the marigold also died. Actually, my daughter seems to be taking their loss much better than I am.
I ordered an API master test kit from Amazon with 2-day shipping (supposed to arrive on Friday, 31 Dec, but UPS screwed up the delivery so I didn't get it until today).
On Sunday, I noticed white spots all over the platy. I couldn't tell if the pleco had any because he was staying fairly well-hidden and his skin is naturally mottled, so spots are less obvious. But this morning it looked like there were some on his tail and dorsal fins. The pleco ate little over the weekend and this morning was very lethargic.
So this morning the test kit arrived and, as feared, the water is a mess. These are the results:
pH: 8.0
Ammonia: 0.5 ppm
Nitrite: 1.0 ppm
Nitrate: 5.0 ppm
I guess that whatever bacteria came with the driftwood was not enough to really establish the tank's cycle. In any case, I immediately performed a 40% partial water change (5g), again treating the water with Aqueon Water Conditioner. I did match the temp of the new water to that of the tank.
This afternoon, I went to the LFS to buy some ich medication for the fish. There were only two choices: Tetra Lifeguard tablets (broad-spectrum non-antibiotic all-in-one treatment) or Mardel Coppersafe. I chose not to go with the Coppersafe because I think it warned against using with scaleless fish (pleco?) and live plants. So that left only the Lifeguard, which I purchased. But I'm not sure how that can cure ich because the Lifeguard is a 5-day treatment regime and I've read the ich life cycle can last for weeks (unless the Lifeguard can kill more than just the free-swimming stage of the parasite).
I also purchased an in-tank thermometer (reading 78 deg; 2 deg lower than the stick-on), and some Prime which I'm hoping will help with neutralizing the ammonia (the LFS where I bought the tank didn't have Prime or I would have bought it before instead of the Aqueon Water Conditioner).
Anyway, I'd like some advice before I proceed adding any chemicals/meds to the tank. Obviously, I have two battles to wage: the bad water chemistry and the ich. I don't have a quarantine tank (and I think getting one at this point would be futile considering the size of my tank, the "newness" of my tank, and the fact I'm down to only two fish).
Thanks in advance from a distressed dad.