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nitrite 0 ppm, Freshwater PH 7.6, and the last one high range PH 8.4-8.8. Could some please help me understand all of this... This is the second tank I have had and I'm tired of loosing fish..... Thanks..
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You should really be doing about 20% to 25% water chanes weekly. On my 29 gallon, I generally change 5 gallons one week and 10 gallon the next. WHile the ammonia and nitrites are that high, you should be chaneing 25 to 30 percent daily to get the toxins down.fritzfish said:4) How often and what size are your water changes? I do water change onces a week about 1 gallonon that
Just run straight tap water and test it with the same tests you use on the tank water. If you are currently taking your water to the LFS to have them test it, I strongly suggest you buy your own liquis test kits. A master kit from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals runs about $25 at Petsmart and tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and high pH.5) Have you tested your tap water to see if there may be a prlblem there? no I haven't how do i do that?
You should rinse the filter in the tank water you just removed. If you use tap water, the chlorine will kill your good bacteria keeping your tank in a continous mini cycle. If you have well water (no chlorine), it may be ok but still best to just swish (not too vigorously) in the old tank water.6) How often do you clean the filter and how do you clean it?I clean the fillter onces a week and run cold water over it.
To acclimate new fish, you should open the bag and place it in your tank to float, don't just dump the fish in. Also, take a sample of the bag water and test the pH. Most LFS keep their pH about neutral at 7.0 so a new fish going into your tank at 8.4 to 8.8 is a HUGE change. Float the bag for about 10 minutes and then add a cup of the tank water to the bag. Float for another 10 minutes and add another cup to the bag. Do this until the bag is full. If the difference in the bag pH and the tank pH is more than 1.0 (tank at 8.0 and bag at 7.0), I would pour about half the water in the bag down the sink and then keep adding tank water to fill the bag again. The main reason for the slow adjustment to the pH change is that a change of .1 is something like 10 fold (someone correct me if that is wrong) so a change of 1.0 is 100 fold and extremely hard on a fish, potenntially deadly.9) How do you acclimate the fish? buy them from the pet store....
Thanks for the correction on that. I couldn't find where I had read that before.sinistral said:In addition to what rdd1952 wrote, the pH scale is logarithmic (base 10), meaning that a change in 1.0 from 7.0 to 8.0 = 10^1, or 10x. A change from 7.0 to 9.0 would be a change of 10^2 or 100x.
When you have seen the ammonia go down to 0 and stay there. By that time the nitrite will be showing a reading. When that also goes to 0 and stays there, you will be cycled FOR THE FISH YOU CURRENTLY HAVE. At that point, you will be able to add 3 or 4 fish again. You will get a little mini cycle with minimal ammonia and nitrite readings. When those go back down you can add more fish again provided you aren't fully stocked.fritzfish said:So how do i know when the tank has been threw a full cycle or is right for the fish.
That is correct. Your tap water should be fine but in some cases you will find some ammonia, nitrite or nitrate but if they are present, they should be in small amounts. If you do have readings on your tap water, a filter probably would work. I'm not really sure about that though.Do a water test on my tap water with the testing supplie that i have that I use for the tank? Then if that water is bad would using a filter on the tap water help???
As long as you have readings for ammonia and nitrite, I would do a 25% change daily. After you are cycled, 25% once a week should be fine. Correct on the filter but don'w get to rough with it. Basically, just swish it around gently in the water you just took out of the tank manily to rinse any loose gunk from the outside of the filter. If you rinse too vigorously, you can also shake loose some of the good bacteria which you don't want to do.Do a 10% water change every day. Take the filter and wash it out with the tank water?
Correct.With the new fish I have done letting the fish sit in the bag for 15 mintues then add the tank water to the bag like you said.
Don't beat yourself up over losing fish. None of us ever want to lose a fish but even though I'm not a rich person, I will bet everything that every member of this forum has lost fish because of mistakes they made. I know I am guilty. Read as much as you can through old threads, google searches, etc.I was getting so mad at myself for loosing fish.
This hobby is a lot of fun. I just got my first tank in December and now have 5 so watch out, you might get hooked. Before long you'll be trying to decide which wall will look better with a 75 gallon sitting there. Isn't it ironic that instead of us hooking fish, they're hooking us.I think having a smaller tank is much more fun.
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Do a water test on my tap water with the testing supplies that i have that I use for the tank? Then if that water is bad would using a filter on the tap water help???
That is correct. Your tap water should be fine but in some cases you will find some ammonia, nitrite or nitrate but if they are present, they should be in small amounts. If you do have readings on your tap water, a filter probably would work. I'm not really sure about that though.
QUOTE
Do a 10% water change every day. Take the filter and wash it out with the tank water?
As long as you have readings for ammonia and nitrite, I would do a 25% change daily. After you are cycled, 25% once a week should be fine. Correct on the filter but donāt get to rough with it. Basically, just swish it around gently in the water you just took out of the tank mainly to rinse any loose gunk from the outside of the filter. If you rinse too vigorously, you can also shake loose some of the good bacteria which you don't want to do.