JenLo
New Member
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2013
- Messages
- 21
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Hi,
I decided to get just a small handful of tropical fish for my living room.
So far it's been an unmitigated disaster!
I bought my tank, sand and decorations from pets at home. It is an aqua one aqua start 320, 28l, and came wih an internal filter and I bought a heater.
My first mistake was to take advice from the shop, who advised me to set the tank up for 3 days then add fish. They sold me 4 mollies. Needless to say, within 3 days, all 4 died.
So I found out about fishless cycling. Looked everywhere for pure ammonia but couldn't find any. So I put a raw prawn in a mesh (tights) and put it in.
Within 7 days the smell was horrendous, and the water looked disgusting.
Plus my ammonia was far too high, at between 4-8ppm (hard to tell using API test kit).
So I took it out, and did a partial water change. Ammonia remained at 4-8 for 4 days. I did another water change and added fish food.
Now the ammonia is down to 1ppm, and still no sign of nitrites or nitrates.
I have managed to borrow some media from an established tank, which has gone in today. pH is 7.8.
It's now been 21 days and all I have is horrible water and nothing to show for it! Please help!
I decided to get just a small handful of tropical fish for my living room.
So far it's been an unmitigated disaster!
I bought my tank, sand and decorations from pets at home. It is an aqua one aqua start 320, 28l, and came wih an internal filter and I bought a heater.
My first mistake was to take advice from the shop, who advised me to set the tank up for 3 days then add fish. They sold me 4 mollies. Needless to say, within 3 days, all 4 died.
So I found out about fishless cycling. Looked everywhere for pure ammonia but couldn't find any. So I put a raw prawn in a mesh (tights) and put it in.
Within 7 days the smell was horrendous, and the water looked disgusting.
Plus my ammonia was far too high, at between 4-8ppm (hard to tell using API test kit).
So I took it out, and did a partial water change. Ammonia remained at 4-8 for 4 days. I did another water change and added fish food.
Now the ammonia is down to 1ppm, and still no sign of nitrites or nitrates.
I have managed to borrow some media from an established tank, which has gone in today. pH is 7.8.
It's now been 21 days and all I have is horrible water and nothing to show for it! Please help!