Fishy Questions

[iroc]

So I think my newbie to fish status is also coming through in my newbie to fish forums since I have asked lots of questions but they all seem to be in the wrong places and arn't really getting to many answers. So I will try to put them all here and see what happens:


This is my tank - 20 gallon with a whisper 20 filter, profile heater, thermometer and a bubble maker

and these are my fish - 5 Neon tetras, and 3 mickey mouse platies

and these are my questions:

I have tested the ph (about 7.2) but don't know the other levels, I did use a water conditioner before I added the fish and also used it when I did my 1st exchange of 10-15% of the water. question regarding this is since this is a new tank (never before used) how often should I be doing the cycling of the water?

I already had 1 tetra die, and since then have been concerned about the health of the other fish, although the tetras all seem to be fine the platies all seem to hang out at the top of the tank near the surface (1 more then the others) is this regular or is it a reason for concern?

I have read that the light is ONLY to be on when you are tryin to view the tank, but it seems that the fish are way more active when the light is on, should I put the light on some sort of timer so that it comes on like the sun would ( my room the tank is in stays pretty dark throughout the day)?

How much should I feed the tank,( I have been feeding them once a day about one small pinch of flakes) but they all seem to be staving everytime I do feed them?

Should the bubble maker be on all the time?

After I get the tank completely cycled what would be a good next addition to this tank, and should I have my placement of things in the tank set up differently ( see above pic)

What temp should I try to keep the tank at (it's at about 80 degrees right now)


thats all for now but I'm sure if these get answered I will have more, please help me give these fish a good life, my son is autisc and he is in LOVE with watching these fish, I want to make sure he gets to enjoy them for a long time...........................

 

[Underwurlde]

Hi,

Unless a more experinced member rightly kick my newbieish a$$ over my response, I hope this is an accurate as possible....

I have tested the ph (about 7.2) but don't know the other levels, I did use a water conditioner before I added the fish and also used it when I did my 1st exchange of 10-15% of the water. question regarding this is since this is a new tank (never before used) how often should I be doing the cycling of the water?

Get an Ammonia, Nitrite & Nitrate test kit. I assume from your pics the tank is NOT planted...
If the levels are OK, a 20% water change once a week should be OK. If you do this you will not need the GREEN filter (IMHO) and certainly not the Black Carbon filter (IMHO) which should only be used to remove meds.

I already had 1 tetra die, and since then have been concerned about the health of the other fish, although the tetras all seem to be fine the platies all seem to hang out at the top of the tank near the surface (1 more then the others) is this regular or is it a reason for concern?

Again, test your water as above. Research your fish (google AquaZoo for example) - some fish tend to live on the bottom of the tank, others in the middle and (obviously) the rest on the top.

I have read that the light is ONLY to be on when you are tryin to view the tank, but it seems that the fish are way more active when the light is on, should I put the light on some sort of timer so that it comes on like the sun would ( my room the tank is in stays pretty dark throughout the day)?

Erm, weird, never heard of this. Consider where the fish originate from! I turn my light on when I get up (typically 0700) and off at about 1900 - 2000 hrs.

How much should I feed the tank,( I have been feeding them once a day about one small pinch of flakes) but they all seem to be staving everytime I do feed them?

Fish are greedy little buggers and will ALWAYS seem starving. However I believe you could actually leave them for a WEEK without feeding! The problem is OVER feeding as this pollutes the tank. I give them a tiny pinch in the morning and a tiny pinch at night or I may treat them to some bloodworms.

Should the bubble maker be on all the time?

Whatever - It will make sod all difference to the oxygenation levels in the water - Believe me - bubble fountains are just there for eye candy.

After I get the tank completely cycled what would be a good next addition to this tank, and should I have my placement of things in the tank set up differently ( see above pic)

THAT'S UP TO YOU OL' BEAN. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - each to their own & all that!

What temp should I try to keep the tank at (it's at about 80 degrees right now)

Seems a bit warm to me. It should be in the region of 24-25°C (what's that? 75-77°F)


Hope this helps & that I don't get completely beaten up over my answers - this is just what I have learnt over the last 8 Weeks or so!

Andy

 

[jayjay]

Most was answered above but different colour filter pads are the jewel filter aren't they she is using a wisper. Once the tank is cycled the filter pads should just be rinsed in old tank water when dirty, doesn't matter what colour they are, though they are went to do things like remove nitrates after they stop doing that they will still hold bacteria.

I feed my fish once a day sometimes I don't feed them at all. They can probably go 2 weeks for small fish, larger fish can last longer and fry probably 2 days.

Lights, mine are on from when I get up to when I decide to turn them off, often 15 hours or more sometimes, if you have them on too long though you get algae. It is mainly for you to be able to see them or if you have live plants.

The bubbles are for decoration.

Temperature aslong as it's about 24c not sure of that in f but i've seen my tank go over 90f before.

 

[iroc]

Thanks for all the advice Underwurlde, I do have a carbon filter(it's what came with the set up) and no the plants are fake, so if I don't need the green filter or the black what kind do I need ( nevermind the guy above answered this) and I am a man ? and I will get a test kit the tank, the tank was at about 76 degrees and all the fish were swimming just around the heater, once I cranked it up a bit they swim all around the tank, maybe I should move the thermometer to the oppisite side of the tank? So you are saying that the bubble maker doesn't do anything I read that they are actually good for the tank because they cause water movement which the fish need to remain happy. Is that just more false info?

 

[jayjay]

In warmer water they are more active, also means you may have to clean more often as more activity means they eat more etc.

The air pump doesn't make much difference, like was said it's just for you to look at.

 

[Underwurlde]

...maybe I should move the thermometer to the oppisite side of the tank?

DEFINATELY!

Until you move it, don't adjust your heater. Wait about 1/2 hour for thermomenter (Liquid Crystal?) to react & only then adjust to get an optimum temperature of just over 24°C (75°F).

Andy

 

[iroc]

...maybe I should move the thermometer to the oppisite side of the tank?

DEFINATELY!

Until you move it, don't adjust your heater. Wait about 1/2 hour for thermomenter (Liquid Crystal?) to react & only then adjust to get an optimum temperature of just over 24°C (75°F).

Andy

So to recap, I need a tester for the water ( I will go get that today)

The bubbles do nothing and so could be on whenever but it doesn't add anything to the tank

The light should be on during daylight hours to give the tank some normal type enviroment ( like the sun would) but if it isn't on no big deal

tank should maybe be brought down a lil to around 76 degrees

the way the tank is set up doesn't matter as far as where things are


what about where do platies usaully swim, bottom, middle or top?

 

[wodesorel]

You'll need to keep the heater in an area of the tank where there's a good currant, otherwise one area will be hotter than another, which is not good. You might want to get two thermometers for a tank that size, keep one on each end, and make sure to check both to see how even the heating is.

 

[Underwurlde]

So to recap, I need a tester for the water ( I will go get that today)

A wise decision. Hopefully you are not as colour ignorant as I. Or for that matter colour blind. Ask for a demo if you can. In fact, take a sample of your fish tank water with you and ask them to test it for you and also ask them to show you how they do it & more importantly how they colour match the results (I'm utterly useless at this).

The bubbles do nothing and so could be on whenever but it doesn't add anything to the tank

Apparently so. It takes time for the oxygen in the bubbles to dissolve into water - this time far exceeds the 0.25 seconds it takes for said bubble to rise out of your skulls head & to the surface! Kind of makes sense now? (It did to me when explained in this manner).

The light should be on during daylight hours to give the tank some normal type enviroment ( like the sun would) but if it isn't on no big deal

Yep

tank should maybe be brought down a lil to around 76 degrees

Yep. But I think Platys like it 'at the cooler end of the temperature range' - Ask in the live-bearers section?

the way the tank is set up doesn't matter as far as where things are

For you, asthetically, like I said, it's entirely up to you. Fish wise, platys perfer a planted tank.

what about where do platies usaully swim, bottom, middle or top?

Judging by the shape of their mouths I'd say theyt were middle swimmer. Ask in the live-bearers section?

GL with your tank,

Andy

 

[SamUK]

jus to clarify about the bubbles.


you only dont need them if your filters making plenty of ripples?

if its not then jus pull it up abit so the output breaks the surface.


if you dont want to do that then the bubbles are neccesary to make sure the surface has plenty of movement allowing for oxygen to mix (for lack of a more scientific word) well with the water.


you say the plattys hang about at the top?


mite be worth adjusting the filter as above.

 

[jayjay]

Sam, the bubbles don't make much difference they don't cause as much surface aggitation as the filter should be, so there is no need

 

[SamUK]

jus wanted to clarify it cos i kno in one of my tanks i fill it so high the filter cant break the surface.


in which case youd need bubbles.


or in my case a second filter with spray bar.

 

[iroc]

SO I bought a test kit and I think it might be a rip off to get you to buy more of there products the reason i say this is:

it said my ph was 6.4 and I should add ph plus, however with a seprate tester it comes out more like 7.2-7.4 seems a little FISHY ( sorry for the pun I couldn't hold back)

it said the alkalinity was 0ppm and I should add buffer up

it said the hardness was 50ppm

it said the nitrite was 3.0ppm and I should add marplex to remove ammonia

it said nitrate was 20ppm ( this was the only one that didn't say I should be buying something)

and the ammonia ( which was a seprate test) said it was .25ppm


So my thinking is to take the tester, and a sample of water back to the pet store and have them test it if it shows up differently then I demand a refund..............


So what do you guys think about these levels?

 

[Lynden]

Ammonia generally doesn't effect freshwater fish because of the usual lower pH levels.

Nitrite is a little high for the neons. It will dissipate and be converted over time. Everything else is OK;
in short, do not follow their advice and add things to the water, especially the pH raiser. Many values in aquariums will be corrected naturally over time.

-Lynden

 

[iroc]

Ammonia generally doesn't effect freshwater fish because of the usual lower pH levels.

Nitrite is a little high for the neons. It will dissipate and be converted over time. Everything else is OK;
in short, do not follow their advice and add things to the water, especially the pH raiser. Many values in aquariums will be corrected naturally over time.

-Lynden

My biggest concern was actually that I did a ph test and it said I had 7.2-7.4 but then that 5 in 1 tester said it was at 6.4 so basicly I was doubting weather or not the 5 in 1 test results were worth anything since it seemed that after the reasults they were just trying to get you to buy stuff