Help!

[eldraW]

Hi guys and girls!

Firstly, this has probably been asked so many times but when searching the forums I can't really find anything for people like me, a beginner!

We have a 3ft Tropiquarium88 fish tank and have had the fish tank now for around 3 weeks, we got it with 12 fishies, and everything seemed fine, we done a water change and filter change, left it running for a few hours before putting fishies back in and again everything was fine.

We went to the pet shop the other day and bought some guppies, done what they said and floated bag on top and what not then eventually put them in, everything was fine again. Well this was on Monday, this morning upon checking fish they were all swimming around as normal so we fed them and popped out to local town centre and we when got back the male guppy was dead . Well we rang the pet shop and they told us to bring a sample of our water down so they could test it and see if it is our water, sure enough we got our stuff together and off we trot.

As soon as we arrived they got our sample and put it in 4 different test tubes and started to add different colours to them and said it should take around 5 minutes to settle so we just stood and waited. Once complete he said we have a problem with our Ammonia, it was reading 1 on the scale... If i'm honest with you, being new to the fish scene I didn't have a clue about any of this ammonia, nitrites and nitrates malarcy so he was speaking a load of french, pretty much went into my head and banged off all the walls until it fell back out.

I know that before getting the tank and fish etc we should have done some research and all this but hey, i'm a beginner you find these things out the hard way. Like i said earlier, everything was fine with other fishies but the guy said the guppies have next to no immune system so die very easily if water is wrong.

RIGHT so now what I am asking for help with is, where off the internet can I get some test kits for all the stuff needing tested, something as cheap as possible that does the correct job and what can I do to lower the ammonia and then nitrites and so on, like additives etc... Can people please give me some links to things for examples as I really do not have a clue what to look for.

If anyone is going to explain what to do can you explain in really basic terms so we can understand, just all this is new and is going to be a lot to take in for us.

 

[KittyKat]

You're mid fish-in cycle. There is a whole section on it somewhere on here called the beginner's resource centre.

But before you start reading, do a 50% water change with warm, dechlorinated water.

After you finish reading, go buy a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Test strips are no good, has to be liquid. People on here use API Freshwater Master Test Kit.

Then, keep doing water changes to keep ammonia and nitrite well below 0.25 ppm and readings over 0.25 ppm are very toxic to fish.

 

[Rogue4Fish]

Elaborate on your "filter change"?

 

[karin]

Eldra.

Here is a link to the Beginner's Resource page
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

Scroll down and read read read but especially "Fish-in cycling".

Good luck

 

[eldraW]

Elaborate on your "filter change"?

We changed the sponge thing that was in them, is it a carbon one or something, it was just with the gear we got with the fish tank, the missus' mother came down to help us do a water change and she was the one that sorted the filter as she has an idea seeing as she has had her tank a few years now.
After we changed the filter, we filled up the tank again and kept it running a few hours before adding the fish back in, the fish seem fine, it has only become apparent since we purchased guppies and the male had popped its cloggs.

Eldra.

Here is a link to the Beginner's Resource page
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

Scroll down and read read read but especially "Fish-in cycling".

Good luck

Thanks for that, I feel like a right prat now, feel like a kid going to school again lol.

 

[KittyKat]

we done a water change and filter change, left it running for a few hours before putting fishies back in and again everything was fine.

No, never take your fish out of the aquarium, that is stressful for them.

We went to the pet shop the other day and bought some guppies, done what they said and floated bag on top and what not then eventually put them in, everything was fine again. Well this was on Monday, this morning upon checking fish they were all swimming around as normal so we fed them and popped out to local town centre and we when got back the male guppy was dead . Well we rang the pet shop and they told us to bring a sample of our water down so they could test it and see if it is our water, sure enough we got our stuff together and off we trot.

That happened because your filter isn't cycled.

I know that before getting the tank and fish etc we should have done some research and all this but hey, i'm a beginner you find these things out the hard way. Like i said earlier, everything was fine with other fishies but the guy said the guppies have next to no immune system so die very easily if water is wrong.

No "hey": you got live animals without knowing what you're doing. No excuses for that. But now you have a chance to make things better by fixing the mess, so do try.

This has nothing to do with guppy immune systems: ammonia and nitrite are toxic to all fish. It is true that guppies are more likely to catch diseases, but this has nothing to do with diseases and guppies are known to be fragile.

what can I do to lower the ammonia and then nitrites and so on, like additives etc...

No additives: water changes are your friend here. Give your fish nice, fresh, dechlorinated, warm water. You should be doing at least 50% water changes every day until you can get the tests.

If anyone is going to explain what to do can you explain in really basic terms so we can understand, just all this is new and is going to be a lot to take in for us.

Read the beginner's resource centre.

Elaborate on your "filter change"?

We changed the sponge thing that was in them, is it a carbon one or something, it was just with the gear we got with the fish tank, the missus' mother came down to help us do a water change and she was the one that sorted the filter as she has an idea seeing as she has had her tank a few years now.
After we changed the filter, we filled up the tank again and kept it running a few hours before adding the fish back in, the fish seem fine, it has only become apparent since we purchased guppies and the male had popped its cloggs.

OK, the thing here is: the filter is there all the good bacteria live, so you don't ever want to change any of the sponges (except in very special circumstances). To clean, only wash in old tank water, never under the tap as chlorine will kill the bacteria. Your aim now, is to make the bacteria grow

The carbon doesn't do anything, so feel free to replace it with a normal sponge.

 

[Spitzy]

If your mother in law has had a tank going for a few years ask her for some of the media, either filter sponges or ceramic rings from her filter to put into yours this will speed things along for you. When she takes them out of her filter DO NOT WASH THEM or sqeeze them out even if they are grubby, put them wet into a plastic bag and get them into your filter ASAP. Good luck

 

[Warehouse]

She was the one that sorted the filter as she has an idea seeing as she has had her tank a few years now.

This might not be as painful for you as it could. If your Mother in Law has a well established tank then you can take a chunk of her filter media and put it inside your own. This will greatly speed up the fish in cycle process. Go get some off her today .

Otherwise welcome, you have found a good place to help you.

Ah, Spitzy beat me by a minute

 

[eldraW]

So what is the best thing we should do now then? Do we just keep doing 50% water changes every day with the fish in the tank to get the levels to 0? we are going to purchase the API Freshwater master test kit so we can do the daily tests, I hope to God we don't lose any more of the fish like, we have 3 guppies left, 2 silver sharks and a few chichlids, and yeah they all get on too lol, no fighting or anything.

She was the one that sorted the filter as she has an idea seeing as she has had her tank a few years now.

This might not be as painful for you as it could. If your Mother in Law has a well established tank then you can take a chunk of her filter media and put it inside your own. This will greatly speed up the fish in cycle process. Go get some off her today .

Otherwise welcome, you have found a good place to help you.

Ah, Spitzy beat me by a minute

She uses a undergravel filter, don't know if that makes any difference?

 

[Spitzy]

Get the filter media from your mother in law and do the water changes but you will need to dechlorinate the water, straight tap water will kill the fish and the bacteria you are trying to grow in the filter, make sure it is as near to the temperature of the tank as possible, I use a spare tank thermometer for this and boil a couple of kettles of filtered water to warm it up.

 

[eldraW]

Get the filter media from your mother in law and do the water changes but you will need to dechlorinate the water, straight tap water will kill the fish and the bacteria you are trying to grow in the filter, make sure it is as near to the temperature of the tank as possible, I use a spare tank thermometer for this and boil a couple of kettles of filtered water to warm it up.

Yeah we use tap water conditioner when we add any water, me and the missus is a little worried now reading all of this lol, i've got to go to work at 3.30 but the missus will be more than likely doing water change after that.

Thanks for all the help so far and I look forward to seeing the replies and grief for not knowing anything when I return lol.

 

[Spitzy]

She uses a undergravel filter, don't know if that makes any difference?

Ah that's stumped me maybe someone with experience in undergravel filters will jump in here. I don't know if a fist full of gravel from the mother in laws tank,kept wet and unwashed placed in the leg of a pair of tights and hung near the inlet for your filter would work

 

[eldraW]

The other half is going to do a 50% water change when I leave for work, we have pleanty tap water conditioner...
How long would it take to have the tank fully cycled and once cycled how often do you do a water change, how big of a water change do you do and how often do you do a full water change?

Also, if the filter becomes very dirty where it starts to stop blowing/sucking as much what do you do when it comes to sorting the sponge?

 

[KittyKat]

She uses a undergravel filter, don't know if that makes any difference?

Ah that's stumped me maybe someone with experience in undergravel filters will jump in here. I don't know if a fist full of gravel from the mother in laws tank,kept wet and unwashed placed in the leg of a pair of tights and hung near the inlet for your filter would work

Yes! If possible, even stuff some of the gravel into your own filter (well away from the impeller, in a stocking so it doesn't get to the impeller.

The other half is going to do a 50% water change when I leave for work, we have pleanty tap water conditioner...
How long would it take to have the tank fully cycled and once cycled how often do you do a water change, how big of a water change do you do and how often do you do a full water change?

It takes 4-6 weeks for fishless, usually and 6+ for fish-in (which is what you have).

Once cycled, 10-20% water changes are normally done once per week.

Also, if the filter becomes very dirty where it starts to stop blowing/sucking as much what do you do when it comes to sorting the sponge?

Drain some water from the tank into a bucket, as you normally would for a water change, and then gently squeeze the sponges in the old tank water to clean them. If your sponges get very dirty when you clean them, just try cleaning them more often. Generally, it is good to start by cleaning them once per week, at the same time you do the water change, and gradually move to less often if you feel that you can.

 

[Warehouse]

Thanks for all the help so far and I look forward to seeing the replies and grief for not knowing anything when I return lol.

You won't get any grief here, just advice . A few years back with a coldwater tank I used to scrub my filter media under the cold tap until it was clean, then clean out the inside of the filter as well, and to finish off I'd replace the water change with chlorinated tap water. When I look back now I shudder.