My Water Test

[Colin_T]

Thank you for this advice it is really grateful. How long do you suggest I keep doing water changes every couple of days for?

You will need to keep doing water changes until the filters have finished cycling. This can take between 3weeks and 3 months or longer. However, most times it usually only takes 3-4 weeks. Live plants will help speed things up a bit, and tropical aquariums with warm water cycle faster than coldwater aquariums.

The water changes are simply to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels as low as possible while the filter bacteria grows. Once the filters have established and there is sufficient bacteria to keep the ammonia and nitrite on 0, you can then reduce the water changes to once a week or once a fortnight.

If the ammonia or nitrite levels get too high, it can kill the fish. So water changes dilute these and make it safer for the fish

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A small space is harder to keep clutter free than a big space.

LOL, I can clutter up a huge space or a small space, just give me time

 

[Essjay]

I agree with stanleo, a 40 litre tank is not suitable for tiger barbs of any colour. They need a bigger tank and are difficult to find suitable tank mates for, even in a bigger tank, because they are such nippy fish if they are not kept in large numbers. You'll find detailed information here http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/puntigrus-tetrazona/

Personally, I would return these fish to the shop. Even with a larger tank, you will have problems finding fish that can cope with tiger barbs. There are so many fish out there it is a shame to restrict your choices by having tiger barbs - unless you would be happy with a tank full of nothing but tiger barbs. They do come in various colour morphs which would look like several different species.


If you got the fish from Pets at Home as well as the tank, please ignore any advice given by this shop. There may be some good branches but the majority of them just train their staff in how to make a sale. Very few know anything at all about fish - though their 'make a sale' training includes how to sound knowledgeable about everything.

 

[Colin_T]

I gonna go devil's advocate and suggest keeping the 2 tiger barbs until after the tank has cycled. Let them stay in the tank and get the filters ready. Then after the filters have established, if you want to add a few more tiger barbs you can, have a group of 8-10 tiger barbs (assorted colours or just greens). Or take them to the shop and trade them in for something else. But leave them until the tank has finished cycling otherwise you will have to do a fishless cycle and won't have any fish in the tank for about a month.

think of this as a learning experience. You will learn about fish behaviour, animal husbandry and water chemistry. All of which will be needed further down the track when you have 20 tanks in a fish room with all sorts of fish