Oops - LFS water in my tank

[ErinMcG]

Hi everyone,
I have a 20 gallon tank that has been cycling for 6 weeks. All my levels are now good (finally!). So, today I took the plunge and bought 3 tetras for the tank. I followed the instructions from my LFS person and floated the bag for a bit. Then I turned the fish loose.

After this, I decided to google when I could add more and that's when I found out that I shouldn't have let the fish store water into my tank. Is there anything I can do now or am I just stuck hoping that I didn't bring home any diseases?

 

[Gboy66]

I guess you could do a water change? But i dont think there is much you could do now. Next time you know though!

Ps..also next tine float the bag for 15, add water. Repeat 3 times before done

 

[Phranque]

There ain't much you can do about it now..... lesson learned. Google "drip acclimation" and do that next time.

As far as adding any more, I wouldn't yet. Test daily to make absolutely sure you're stable, then consider adding some more in a week or two. What kind of Tetras did you buy?? Most likely you will need to get two or three more of the same, as most of them are schooling fish, and need groups of 5 to 6 (or more) of their own kind.

 

[ErinMcG]

Yup - I ran across drip acclimation when I was looking for when to add new fish. I have everything I need to do it, so that's what will happen next time. They are neons because the lady at the LFS talked me into starting with them first. I'd actually really like to have cardinals or rummy noses. I'd like a school of about 8 tetras, I just need to settle on the species. Also planning some corys eventually too. Maybe 5 of them.

I have recently acquired a 10 gallon that I will be using for my son's betta. I need to test all the equipment and make sure that everything does what it ought to. (The betta is a long story - short version is that he was a gift and came with a mini betta cube. He got sick from poor water conditions and fluctuating temps. I clamped his cube inside my 20 gallon while it was cycling so I could stay on top of water changes and try to nurse him back to health. He's healthy now and I want him in a bigger home.) Once I am certain that the equipment is good, I will see about getting the 10 gallon running for the betta. I was thinking about putting the filter medium for that tank in my tank for a week or so to maybe speed up the cycling process on the smaller tank.

Anyway, the betta is very interested in the neons. Maybe I will do a wee school (5?) of neons in my son's tank once I am sure it has cycled. It would give these guys a place to go... He's not flaring at them, just checking them out.

 

[Phranque]

Rummies are one of my favorites, and a school would look really nice in a 20 long.

After you test it (and clean it!), take your filter for your 10g and hook it up on your 20 for a few weeks after you add a few more fish. It will build BB bacteria in it, and then you can move it over to your 10, and you should be good to go for a quick cycle (if at all). As far as the neons, I would get a few more in about a week or so, so long as you're testing good, run both filters on the tank for a while, then you can set up your 10.
The Betta and neons shouldn't be any problem together....