badbrownbear
New Member
Hello all,
Iāve just recently got in to hobby of fish keeping, but itās not been the start Iād hoped for. I want to know Iām doing the best for my fish and not slowly killing them. Iāve told myself that Iāve done enough research but obviously not. Iām hoping this is a safe space where I can share my experience and hopefully get the help I need.
Ok soā¦ā¦.
I have a fluval Roma 200. Ill stick to Litres as US and UK gallon measurements have me confused. So the tank size is 200L. Size is 100x50x40cm
For substrate I have some black sand. I spent half a day rinsing it. I have a generous layer of it in the tank. Add to that I have some wild rhino stones about 6 small pieces and 1 medium (26kg in total). I have the fluval u4 internal filter. I also have 2 additional sponge filters capable of dealing with 60 gallons each and two air stones for that all important surface agitation etc. Iām assuming you canāt really over filter, more the merrier right? Iām also using the heater provided although the fish I have donāt require one ( medium oranda gold fish x3). And a standard LED light that came with the tank. I have no plants in the tank as of yet
So thatās set the scene for the set up.
The journey so far
Tap Water parameters before adding anything to the water.
I used the api test kit.
PH 7.0
Ammonia 0.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
2/11/21
Tank filled up. Tap conditioner used.
3/11/21
Added Api Quick start (recommend dosage used)
4/11/21
First test
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
PH 7.2 range
5/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Starter Ghost feeding, food added. (Pellets) as thatās all I have.
6/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
More food added
7/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No food this time.
8/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No food
9/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Small food added like 2/3 pellets
10/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Temp increased to 81/27
More food added (more than any other day)
Also topped up quick start with same recommended dosage.
11/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No food added today
12/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No food added today. Thereās loads still in the tank. And itās smelling bad. I didnāt know this method would start to smell. I had the food drop into a small glass jar so it wasnāt exactly floating about. Some was but not all.
So after 10 days I was a bit worried that my cycle had either stalled or didnāt even start. Iām not sure how much fish food I needed to bump the ammonia to 2/3 ppm as the content of the food was in Japanese.
I visited the local pet store (pets at home and explained the above. I was told that the cycle wouldnāt truly start until I added fish to the tank. I enquired about the instant start method with api quick start and they said that would be fine.
13/11/21
I decided to start again. I did a 95% water change. The only water left in the tank was the water I couldnāt easily get out. I added the tap water conditioner and the quick api at the same time. Waited and tested the water in the evening.
Ammonia 0.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
14/11/21
I waited 24hr
I introduced 3 medium sized oranda gold fish. Three fish in 200L tank sounds reasonable doesnāt it? Well that what I was told. Correct me if Iām wrong. I fed them twice. Enough so they could finish the food with in 3/4 minutes.
Based on the research Ive been doing I wanted to do a fish less cycle but as you can see I donāt think I was getting anywhere with that. At this point Iām thinking is this the right hobby for me. If Iām this hopeless without fish what am I doing to be like when I have fish. I was also reassured that adding fish would be fine.
15/11/21
I didnāt test today
But fed the fish x2 again enough for them to sweep up the food with in 3/4 minutes
16/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Feed x 2
17/11/21
Ammonia 1.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Feed x2
Ok so my understanding at this point based on all the reading and YouTube watching Iāve done is that any ammonia is bad for your fish. So at 1ppm Iām worried (wrongly or rightly so Iām hoping you can advise me) Iām not sure what my understanding of the nitrifying bacteria is and how long it should take to establish its self. I think this is where the confusion is kinda settling in.
18/11/21
Ammonia 1.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
I did a 40/50 L water change. Added tap conditioner to the water Iāve just added. I was thinking since the api quick start shouldnāt be in the water column it wouldnāt hurt to do a partial water change. And just manage the ammonia etc.
19/11/21
Ammonia 2.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Fed x2
Ok so at this point Iām getting a little worried. So I introduced some api AMMO LOCK to detoxify the ammonia. I later read that bacteria donāt like ammonium and prefer ammonia etc. Was this the correct step?
Fed x2
20/11/21
Ammonia 2.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Water change 70L
Test again
Ammonia 1.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No feed
21/11/21
Ammonia 1.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Food added.
What am I doing wrong? Should I add more quick start and just let the bacteria do the work? Should I not do any further water changes for 2 weeks? How often should I feed the fish?
Iāve just recently got in to hobby of fish keeping, but itās not been the start Iād hoped for. I want to know Iām doing the best for my fish and not slowly killing them. Iāve told myself that Iāve done enough research but obviously not. Iām hoping this is a safe space where I can share my experience and hopefully get the help I need.
Ok soā¦ā¦.
I have a fluval Roma 200. Ill stick to Litres as US and UK gallon measurements have me confused. So the tank size is 200L. Size is 100x50x40cm
For substrate I have some black sand. I spent half a day rinsing it. I have a generous layer of it in the tank. Add to that I have some wild rhino stones about 6 small pieces and 1 medium (26kg in total). I have the fluval u4 internal filter. I also have 2 additional sponge filters capable of dealing with 60 gallons each and two air stones for that all important surface agitation etc. Iām assuming you canāt really over filter, more the merrier right? Iām also using the heater provided although the fish I have donāt require one ( medium oranda gold fish x3). And a standard LED light that came with the tank. I have no plants in the tank as of yet
So thatās set the scene for the set up.
The journey so far
Tap Water parameters before adding anything to the water.
I used the api test kit.
PH 7.0
Ammonia 0.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
2/11/21
Tank filled up. Tap conditioner used.
3/11/21
Added Api Quick start (recommend dosage used)
4/11/21
First test
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
PH 7.2 range
5/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Starter Ghost feeding, food added. (Pellets) as thatās all I have.
6/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
More food added
7/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No food this time.
8/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No food
9/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Small food added like 2/3 pellets
10/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Temp increased to 81/27
More food added (more than any other day)
Also topped up quick start with same recommended dosage.
11/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No food added today
12/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No food added today. Thereās loads still in the tank. And itās smelling bad. I didnāt know this method would start to smell. I had the food drop into a small glass jar so it wasnāt exactly floating about. Some was but not all.
So after 10 days I was a bit worried that my cycle had either stalled or didnāt even start. Iām not sure how much fish food I needed to bump the ammonia to 2/3 ppm as the content of the food was in Japanese.
I visited the local pet store (pets at home and explained the above. I was told that the cycle wouldnāt truly start until I added fish to the tank. I enquired about the instant start method with api quick start and they said that would be fine.
13/11/21
I decided to start again. I did a 95% water change. The only water left in the tank was the water I couldnāt easily get out. I added the tap water conditioner and the quick api at the same time. Waited and tested the water in the evening.
Ammonia 0.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
14/11/21
I waited 24hr
I introduced 3 medium sized oranda gold fish. Three fish in 200L tank sounds reasonable doesnāt it? Well that what I was told. Correct me if Iām wrong. I fed them twice. Enough so they could finish the food with in 3/4 minutes.
Based on the research Ive been doing I wanted to do a fish less cycle but as you can see I donāt think I was getting anywhere with that. At this point Iām thinking is this the right hobby for me. If Iām this hopeless without fish what am I doing to be like when I have fish. I was also reassured that adding fish would be fine.
15/11/21
I didnāt test today
But fed the fish x2 again enough for them to sweep up the food with in 3/4 minutes
16/11/21
Ammonia 0.50ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Feed x 2
17/11/21
Ammonia 1.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Feed x2
Ok so my understanding at this point based on all the reading and YouTube watching Iāve done is that any ammonia is bad for your fish. So at 1ppm Iām worried (wrongly or rightly so Iām hoping you can advise me) Iām not sure what my understanding of the nitrifying bacteria is and how long it should take to establish its self. I think this is where the confusion is kinda settling in.
18/11/21
Ammonia 1.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
I did a 40/50 L water change. Added tap conditioner to the water Iāve just added. I was thinking since the api quick start shouldnāt be in the water column it wouldnāt hurt to do a partial water change. And just manage the ammonia etc.
19/11/21
Ammonia 2.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Fed x2
Ok so at this point Iām getting a little worried. So I introduced some api AMMO LOCK to detoxify the ammonia. I later read that bacteria donāt like ammonium and prefer ammonia etc. Was this the correct step?
Fed x2
20/11/21
Ammonia 2.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Water change 70L
Test again
Ammonia 1.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
No feed
21/11/21
Ammonia 1.00ppm
Nitrite 0.00ppm
Nitrate 0.00ppm
Food added.
What am I doing wrong? Should I add more quick start and just let the bacteria do the work? Should I not do any further water changes for 2 weeks? How often should I feed the fish?