Help With My New Fish Tank Please.

[sut]

hi guys

i am new to fish keeping and fish tanks but have come across a issue.

i have a tank 4 foot by 1.5 foot by 1 foot so 170 litres in total. with fluval u3 filter. i brought some new fish today and added them to my tank and have noticed over the last few hours my water is getting cloudy/foggy. i was wondering if anyone had any idea what was doing this or how to stop it.

i have about 30 small fish in the tank,
5 tiny neon tetra,
3 small, silver sharks
2 small angel fish
2 glass catfish
4 blind cave fish
2 red tail black sharks
and i have others all are small none above about an ich to an inch and a half.

anyy help would be great thanks.

 

[Joanne_]

Hi

Just wondering, but when did you set the tank up and how long after setting the tank up did you add the fish ?

Have you cycled the water ?

 

[sut]

hi

the tank has been up and running now for about a week and had no issues untill after i added these fish today,

oh and as i said i am new to this so have no idea what you mean when you ask have acycled the water sorry.

 

[Joanne_]

Okay, well what I think is happening is a bacterial blossom.

What has happened is you have added to many fish to quickly into a tank that is not cycled.
The bio-load in the tank is extremely high. So a lot of waste is being produced and the bacteria that feed on these wastes are now growing in large numbers, which has lead to the cloudy water.

This is a good link for you to look at:
Beginners Resource Centre

You will need to follow the instructions for the 'Fish-in Cycling'

 

[sut]

thank you for the link i have just read it and it appears i need to add these chemicals where do i get ammonia and nitrite from to add to the tank?
also how long do i need to add these chemical sto the tank for is it a day or weeks

sorry so new to this aand i really dont want to kill my fish

 

[fluttermoth]

Your fish are producing ammonia; you would only add it for a fishless cycle.

What you need to be doing is daily water changes of 40 or 50%, with warmed, dechlorinated water and buy yourself some test kits for ammonia and nitrite so you can test the water yourself.

 

[sut]

so just drain 50% of my water each day and this should fix it? how long do i need to do this for,

 

[Joanne_]

Sounds like you might have read the fishless cycle ... basically all you need to do is:

Purchase a test kit from your local fish store. I bought an API test kit which tests for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. It also tests ph.

Ammonia will already be in your water as the fish themselves are releasing this. This is why you need the good bacteria as it will convert the ammonia to nitrite then nitrate.

You need to get the ammonia and nitrite readings down to zero. To do this, you will need to test your water with the test kit you need to buy twice a day.

If the reading for ammonia and nitrite are above 0.25, change 50% of the water.

You must keep testing the water regularly as the conditions in your tank can change quickly.

 

[dbanner]

Without a doubt you will end up with 1 red tail shark as its not advisable to keep more than one unless in a very big tank. Don't be surprised if the one that survives kills some of your other fish too as it gets bigger. It's not because they get big (only get to around 7 inches) its because of how terratorial they get as try get bigger. Also if the silver sharks are bala sharks then they are not suitable as they need to be in groups of 6+ and are very active and will grow over 7 inches so need tanks of at least 6 foot in length. The angels will be ok for a while but will too need a bigger tank. It's advisable to keep them in a tank of 2 feet tall+ as they can get to 12 inch(1 foot) top to bottom, which is the size of your tank. They may also eat your neons as they get bigger (or any other small fish) I know this may sound harsh but just giving you a heads up on what will happen so you know what to look out for gd luck

 

[sut]

oh ok so i dont need to add any chemicals to the water just get the testing kit and if the levels are to high drain out upto 50% of my water and replace it with warm water de-chlorinated

is this correct?

 

[Joanne_]

Also, don't forget to dechlorinate the new water and try to keep your ph steady.
Once the water tests zero for ammonia, zero for nitrite and nitrate is rising, it means your tank is cycled

 

[balajake]

Only 1 red tail black shark is allowed in one tank. Very bad idea to have 2

 

[dbanner]

Just read my post back and it does sound a bit harsh... Sorry... Don't mean it to sound like that. Just don't want you having more complications later on

Only 1 red tail black shark is allowed in one tank. Very bad idea to have 2

Also 1 type of shark full stop

 

[Joanne_]

Yes, correct, make sure you get that test kit A.S.A.P. ! It will help you save your fish

 

[sut]

dbanner no thank you for the info i am learning as i go here so any and all help is great,
thing i hate is all the fish i have brought have been recommended from the shops after i have told them my setup and what fish i already have just a case of them wanting the money and no respect for the fish.

thanks least i know whats coming.

i1 more thing is my filter ok for this size tank?

thing is aswell i got this tank and cabinet it sits in for a bargian of £100 so when these fish grow i can afford to sell this tank and cabinet on and upgrade