Moutain Dew Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 (edited) What I did wrong with both my tanks, was listen to the people at the pet store!!!The first tank I let sit empty for a couple of weeks before adding fish it was only a 5gal tank, thought I was doing everything right, took the filter out and rinsed it all off, however my mistake was rinsing it off under tap water, I killed off all the good bacteria, so now that tank is going through a small bloom, but now I know what I am dealing with I have done partial changes, added prime and stability to the tank and will continue to do so. With my large tank, I set it up and was told I could add fish, so one week after having it set up I added two cichlids, everything was fine and dandy a week later I added the other fish, things were not so fine and dandy well they were for a week. At which point my tank was 3 weeks old on the fourth week it went into a wonderful bloom...NOT, anyway I have since been told that I should of waited six to even 8 weeks before adding fish... I am trying to complete a fishless cycle with a new tank I have purchased so that when one of my tanks pukes up I have some place safe for my fish... All mistakes that have been made were made due to being new to the fish world and simply not knowing, and not having adequate advise. I have since joined this group hoping that I don't have any more newbie lapses and when something arrises I can look for help. I have had so many people suggest different filters and when I went to purchase the filstar filter I was told not to buy that filter but to purchase an aqua clear, now was I wrong to do that, shoot you know what I have no idea, so now my tank has the fluval 205 and the aquaclear 70 running on it, with an airstone, my tank is clearing up. I have tested the levels and I am still having problems with the ammonia, so I am continuing to do partial water changes and adding prime and stability. I add the prime when I complete the water change and following morning add stability, we have just completed about a 30% water change last night, would not of done such a large one, but we had to move the tank a smidge away from the wall so we could put the new filter in. Tonight we will just remove 2.5 gal of water and replace with new water. so just a small change, that will let the good bacteria grow. Because I am new to fish I was not aware that you had to let the tank cycle before adding fish, now that my tank has or is going through this bloom once it is done I believe it will be safe to add the fish I was hoping to add. So lesson learned and I am trying to do better by my fish. Lana On the bright side.... Thanx to this very reason you can find excellent deals on Fish tanks on kijji and similiar sites Edited July 25, 2008 by Moutain Dew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lana Bollers Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 On the bright side....Thanx to this very reason you can find excellent deals on Fish tanks on kijji and similiar sites Nothing like being taught humility by one of gods creatures! I do understand the frustration and the wanting to throw your hands up in the air and surrender for sure, but I have sunk a lot of money into this and I am not about to fail as of yet...hehe :smokey: Lana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazy_Karma Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Okay well the last two water changes I did, the water in the tank looks slightly cloudy the water in the bucket looks slightly green, when I do a water change I stir up the rocks and try to get as much grung from under them as possible. Tonight I did about a 45% water change, and when we get back on Sunday I will do the same, and with luck all will be back to normal. the ammonia levels have not got real high, last I checked (two days ago) they were at 1, my other two tanks are at 0, I dont have a single test for the Nit. just that dip stick...and on that it shows 0 for both. which is bizzare for the fish are sucking air...well at the moment they are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 What I did wrong with both my tanks, was listen to the people at the pet store!!! Ya this can be a problem as you expect them to kind of know what they are talking about. I purchased 3 fish from my LFS they told me that they would get along well with cichlids and would not get very big, bought them got them in the tank then did some research on them (Banded Leporinus). Well they will grow to 12” or more, don’t know what the fish guy thinks is big. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazy_Karma Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 OMG, no kidding...yea that was part of my problem, I listened to way to many folks that I thought were knowledgable but really where not. one thing I was told was to take some water from an established tank and add it to one I am trying to get established, but if that one tank has sick fish well I just wreaked the other tank, ugh Im still wondering if discus can be or are they compatible with Cichlids :well: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 OMG, no kidding...yea that was part of my problem, I listened to way to many folks that I thought were knowledgable but really where not.one thing I was told was to take some water from an established tank and add it to one I am trying to get established, but if that one tank has sick fish well I just wreaked the other tank, ugh Im still wondering if discus can be or are they compatible with Cichlids :well: I have never kept discus but IMO no they like different PH levels Discus around 6, Cichlids around 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazy_Karma Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Well tonight I checked my ammonia, today it is through the roof, it was so high I didnt even look at the chart as I know its gotta be a 6 or higher, cant remember how high my chart goes but it is the last colored block on that chart...LOL, anyway two days ago I checked it and it was at a 1, so it sure spiked up there...Mountain Dew suggested my tank is going through another Cycle because I cleaned it completely out the other day....so well...here we go, shouldnt be long when the nitrates and nitrits kick in guess we will see how many fish survive the weekend ....I should actually move them from that tank to the tank where the Goldfish are and move the Goldfish to the empty tank....but then when I come back I would have to move everyone back again....I did a 45% water change tonight, I will see what time I have and will try to do another 25% water change before we head out tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazy_Karma Posted July 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Thank you Randy! That is such a bummer, I sure do like their color and the shapes are so nice as they are not a "typical shape"...oh well...maybe once I get my addition I can add more tanks, more birds...LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishkabod Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 I know the frustration you have had lately since i have had almost the same experience except for the fact that i had ample amounts of time to really research, ask questions and do almost daily water changes for a month. I was sold a koi that i was told could live in my tiny five gallon tank for a few months. He grew out of it in a week. My nitrogen cycle took more than a month for the spikes to stop and that was thanks to Quatterra who was generous enough to drop off a bacteria filled sponge for my filters. I noticed you mentioned that after putting in a block feeder because you were going away for a few days that the water became cloudy. Someone told me that was a problem with the block feeders not the bacteria. Just thought you might like to know. About the type of filter you should or shouldn't have Personally i think it's a matter of preference and what your fish like. I first bought something called the stingray and that's what it looks like. It sits in the tank and has a fairly strong jet of water comming out of it that my koi like. In my new tank i also added a hang on the back filter. It came with a filter cartrage of floss and some carbon inside. Well it got so gunked up with waste within a week that it blocked water flow even after i tried to rinse it off(in tank water) I removed it and added ceramic beads and the filter is now working like a charm. I haven't replaced a single sponge since i first started fishkeeping I just once a month take half the sponges out and the ceramic beads and rinse the gook off them and put them back into service. I've had no problems since. Something else is when you do a WC and add prime is that if there is Chloramine in the water it will break it down into chlorine and ammonia and detox it. I found a cheep filter that will add Oxygen to the tank and is great for a backup at Aqua Giant. It's only five bucks. I'm useing it to reduce the brown algae in my tanks so i squeeze them out almost daily but to keep the bacteria i would just rinse them once and a while. Good luck Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
werner Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 (edited) Okay well the last two water changes I did, the water in the tank looks slightly cloudy the water in the bucket looks slightly green, Cloudy, greenish water sounds like an algae bloom. I know what you're thinking: "Oh great! Another problem to deal with!!!" Don't worry about it for now. The high levels of ammonia are feeding the algae and it should hopefully straighten itself out once the tank cycles properly. Hang in there... Edited July 25, 2008 by werner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lana Bollers Posted July 25, 2008 Report Share Posted July 25, 2008 Okay well the last two water changes I did, the water in the tank looks slightly cloudy the water in the bucket looks slightly green, Cloudy, greenish water sounds like an algae bloom. I know what you're thinking: "Oh great! Another problem to deal with!!!" Don't worry about it for now. The high levels of ammonia are feeding the algae and it should hopefully straighten itself out once the tank cycles properly. Hang in there... OH for Bloom sakes!!! I am starting to hate blooms...haha I went to one store and I couldn't find the sponge filters, so on Monday when I get back home or tonight I will try wal-mart to see if they have any good sponge filters, not sure if they do. For those in the Edmonton area where did you purchase your sponge filters? I would for sure like two one for each of my smaller tanks. I wish the people at the pet store's would tell you, you should have two filters minimum on any tank. That sure would save a lot of heart ache. When I purchased my corner tank, I specifically asked will I need anything else... he said no... well what the shoot I have since purchased another filter, but if he would of said something I could of had it purchased when I purchased the darn tank! My big corner tank is starting to clear, ammonia is still high, but I am working on it, and the only fish that seems bothered is my electric yellow, he seems like his skin/scales bother him, as he rubs on the sand, so I am guessing he is a bit burnt. So here is hoping everything moves quickly and my levels drop to 0, now let me dream, I want the levels to 0 by the time I get home from work... do you think if I wish hard enough it will happen... sigh.... Lana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.