>>>..so if there are no fish or any other live animals in the 5 gallon right now, do move the filter from that into the 10 gallon or you will get ammonia and nitrite in there. Chlorine kills the good bacteria, so make sure you only clean the filters in old tank water, not under the tap.
*****Right now, the 5 gal has nothing live in it. I did replace the blue carbon filter (Marineland Filter Cartridge)(OK mistake didn't know then). the other wheel filter is still in there. I rinsed the gravel... instead of vacuuming as it is such a small tank and was due for a vacuum ..and replaced the water as well.... was clear for a couple of days. The water in that 5 gal tank now is very cloudy. I put dechlorinator in that new water. I'm wondering what to do with that tank. Will the cloudiness clear out or is it all no good because that older bio wheel filter is still in there from when the neons were in the tank. When you said take the old filter and put in the new tank did you mean the bio wheel or the filter cartridge?
Ah, the fact that it's a HOTB (hang on the back) filter with a bio-wheel makes a difference. In these filters, most of the bacteria live on the wheel.. and as far as I am aware, can not survive submerged under water because the oxygen content of the water is lower than what the bacteria are used to. If you want to keep these guys alive, move the whole filter onto the 10 gallon: it should not harm the tetras to have two filters running on there. This way, when you want to add fish to the 5 gallon again (for example, it is a nice tank for a single male Betta or a nice shrimp tank), all you have to do is fill the 5 gallon with water and move the smaller filter from the 10 gallon to the 5 gallon.. but if you do this, you will need to move the snail to the 10 gallon too, while the filter is in there.
My neons that I moved into the 10 gal are still nervous. They're not relaxed. I wasn't able to go the store today to get a better test kit, I just still have the strips, which test all is alright, just so you know, even though I have learned now this might not be accurate. My plan is to get the type that was suggested tomorrow, as well as a few live plants.
Should I do anything to the 10 gal with the neons to help make them less stressed? They've only been in the tank 4 days. I did plan on adding a couple of fresh plants if I can tomorrow, or should I leave them undisturbed for a while?
What are your water stats in there? Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH? If you get any ammonia reading (so if it is not 0 ppm), then that is what is making them stressed.
Yes, do add more plants, regardless of what the readings are.
When you plant, you need to remove any weights or pots that the plants may have, then spread them out a bit (say plant them 1-5 cm apart). Depending on the type, you may only need to remove any dead leaves for rosette plants, or trim any stem plants and mosses occasionally.. you'll figure it out as you go along. Some LFS do sell non-aquatic plants as aquatic, and these will rot under water, so do decide which plants you want, then go and buy those specific ones, not just any one you like the look of. It will probably be easier if you go into the shop with a list of plant names.. Demanding plants need a lot more care than undemanding plants, so it is best to stay away from those until you have more experience.
I called Petsmart and they have the Java Moss, Java fern, and cryptocoryne.
The first two are good, they're nice plants. Both of those need to be tied with cotton string, nylon string or rubber bands to a piece of bogwood or a rock. If you bury the fern's rhizome under the substrate, it will rot!
Some Crypts are demanding, so careful about which ones you get.. Cryptocoryne beckettii and C. wendtii (all morphs) are usually safe choices and are most common.
Another question that's pressing on my mind is how often do I feed the two snails?
What species are they?
I purchased them at Petsmart also, and called them today to ask
They told me they're called Mystery Snails.. on is gold the other black.
Aka, apple snails. 1/4 wafer each, every other day, should be enough.. but the LFS really should *not* have sold you those snails because I think a 2*1*1 ft tank is the absolute minimum they should have and their water requirements are exactly the opposite of what neons like. Make sure that you have a really tight fitting lid because they will try to escape (they lay eggs outside of water).
Carbon is not much use on an every day basis so you're better replacing it with some sponge or ceramic media when you get a new filter. Carbon is very useful for removing the remains of medication after a treatment, but if used regularly, it is used up after about 1-7 days usually.. so doesn't actually do anything except provide a place for bacteria to live, which sponges and ceramic bio media are better at.
***OK the 10 gal tank where the neons currently are has a new bio bag as a filter.
Hmm... what exactly is that? Sounds suspicious!
>>>The way you transferred the fish is fine, it is the filter we are worried about because without a source of ammonia (fish or household ammonia) in the 5 gallon, the filter bacteria will die and the filter will become useless at keeping the water clean for the fish. Also, the new filter in the big tank was useless at keeping the water clean for the fish because it did not have any bacteria in it, which is why it is important to keep checking ammonia and nitrite, which must both remain at 0 ppm or very close to 0 ppm or they will harm fish.
***what confuses me about this is when I brought the fish home from the store I was putting them in a new tank.. not in a tank that already had fish in it. (Thet went into the 5 gal at that time). The told me it might get cloudy for a few days and then that would be alright. Now this transition to the 10 gal it is still very clear. The fish are hiding a lot... and seem nervous to me.
Cloudiness is often a bacterial bloom, which may be caused by ammonia.. 3 fish in a 10 gallon is a much lower concentration of ammonia producing machines than 3 fish in a 5 gallon.
I need to ask some questions about the 29 gal tank and what's going on there. First of all I have a baby Sunburst Platy about 2 weeks old
. As a reminder, I have 4 guppies and 2 other adult Sunburst Platy fish. I also noticed another baby one just this week, so I'd say a week old on this one. I think my Platy fish is preggo forever? What's the story.. how long does this go on? LOL She's quite large.
Guppies and platys give birth once every 4-6 weeks. A female will normally keep giving birth to young for up to 3-9 months after she has been separated from males because most livebearers have the ability to store sperm. Normal drop sizes are 10-100 fry, older fish may produce up to 150 in one go. They will eat their own young, which is why you have only been able to find a couple of the quickest babies.. and babies are smart enough to hide until they big enough to not get eaten.
The tank to me has a little bit of a green hue to it, I'm pretty sensitive so can smell the algae. Still has the plastic plants as I have not gotten to the store yet to replace them.
Algae it is. If you do not have your lights on timers, put them on timers and have them on for 6-8 hours. If it doesn't clean up, you may have to do a blackout.
It's been almost 3 weeks since I vacuumed the tank. I'd like to do the gravel.. but concerned about the babies. Advise? Water tests good by the strips but will get the other kit tomorrow.
That is up to you.. I can't advise on this one.
I would like to put some fresh plants in that tank as well. So with babies and all, will wait to hear your feedback.
Java moss and hornwort are great for fry survival.
Also do you have an online source for shopping for things like filters and such you prefer, can you buy live plants online and if so where? I ask because it is often difficult for me to get out.
I take it you're in US? Someone else should be able to help.
