Hey Everyone!

[platyguy0809]

Hey everyone! I just started up and aquarium yesterday....I was given a 5 gallon octagon shapped tank, rather big for a 5 gallon....Got it setup with gravel and a nice centerpiece ornament....(Going to add live plants next week when I get more money as well as fish!) Filtration wise its a combo thing...Filter media plus a bio-wheel so hopefully thats a good setup for that...and I hope no one gets to mad at me but I went ahead and purchased a blue mickey mouse platy to get the tank up and going since I researched and found them to be very hardy fish!

The platy is actually doing really good...swimming around exploring everything as well as had a great appetite this morning...I didnt feed much just a couple of little flakes...Anywayz, I plan on adding more fish next week, definately going to be a liverbearer tank...Im thinking maybe another female platy + male platy to have a trio and then two male guppies..Thanks everyone! Im glad ot be a memeber!

 

[littlest]

hi platyguy, welcome

I would hold off buying any more fish for now. I don't know if you have read up on cycling at all? basically the waste your fish produces will create ammonia. In a cycled tank bacteria in the filter wil convert the ammonia to nitrite and then another lot of bacteria will convert the nitrite to nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are both toxic to fish.

As you haven't done a fishless cycle, ammonia is going to build up in your tank as there isn't enough bacteria in your filter to process it. In a while, nitrite will build up too. The reason I suggest not getting more fish is because more fish = more ammonia and nitrite.

You will need to do large and regular waterchanges (possibly daily) to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels low, other wise they will probably kill your fish.

You also need to get yourself a liquid (not strips) test kit.

also, I don't think platys are really suitable for a 5 gallon (sorry, bearer of bad news here). Also, having livebearers will mean they will breed like mad and you just don't have the space for that. 5 gallons is pretty small and the type of fish you can keep in that tank is very limited. You may be better off returning the fish and doing a fishless cycle. This would avoid exposing your fish to high levels of ammonia and nitrite and will allow you to get more suitable fish once the cycle is complete.


You'd be well adviced to read through the stickys at the top of this forum for info on cycling and maintenance etc.

 

[platyguy0809]

hi platyguy, welcome

I would hold off buying any more fish for now. I don't know if you have read up on cycling at all? basically the waste your fish produces will create ammonia. In a cycled tank bacteria in the filter wil convert the ammonia to nitrite and then another lot of bacteria will convert the nitrite to nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are both toxic to fish.

As you haven't done a fishless cycle, ammonia is going to build up in your tank as there isn't enough bacteria in your filter to process it. In a while, nitrite will build up too. The reason I suggest not getting more fish is because more fish = more ammonia and nitrite.

You will need to do large and regular waterchanges (possibly daily) to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels low, other wise they will probably kill your fish.

You also need to get yourself a liquid (not strips) test kit.

also, I don't think platys are really suitable for a 5 gallon (sorry, bearer of bad news here). Also, having livebearers will mean they will breed like mad and you just don't have the space for that. 5 gallons is pretty small and the type of fish you can keep in that tank is very limited. You may be better off returning the fish and doing a fishless cycle. This would avoid exposing your fish to high levels of ammonia and nitrite and will allow you to get more suitable fish once the cycle is complete.


You'd be well adviced to read through the stickys at the top of this forum for info on cycling and maintenance etc.

Infact I have read alot about cycling, and i forgot to mention that when I recieved the tank I also got a portion of the filter media that came along with the filter combo...media/bio-wheel both which were a dark green/brownish color....so i believe that will help move the cycling process along alot faster.

 

[littlest]

mature media will definately help yes. I assume it was kept wet and wasn't out of the tank for too long? And I'm assuming there was a food source for it (i.e. it hadn't been sitting in an empty tank before you got it).

Either way you'll still want to get the test kit and ensure ammonia and nitrite are staying at zero. Any higher and it's water-change time.

Also, what I said about the unsuitability of platys or any mixed sex group of livebearers in a 5 gallon remains. the tank really is too small. You could maybe kept some male endlers, but if your attraction to livebearers is the fact they breed so readily, you should get yourself a bigger tank.