Hi from Toronto!
- Thread starter joelfernandes
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Welcome!
What are you going to stock in your tank? Did you cycle the tank?
Bem vindo ao forum xD
Hi and welcome to the forum 
Did the shop tell you how often to do water changes and how much you should be changing?
Did the shop tell you how often and how to clean the filter?
What sort of filter is on the tank?
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You need a picture on the back of the tank to make the fish feel more secure. you can buy aquarium backings from pet shops, online, or just tape some coloured card, newspaper or plastic bin liner to the outside of the tank.
Aquarium Heaters should be placed near the bottom of the tank, on a slight angle with the cord slightly higher than the base of the heater. Try to have some water flowing over the heater to distribute the heat more efficiently.
*NB* Make sure the heater is fully submersible before moving it under water.
The air bubbles along the back might be too much for the angelfish. They prefer calm water, not lots of current.
Did the shop tell you how often to do water changes and how much you should be changing?
Did the shop tell you how often and how to clean the filter?
What sort of filter is on the tank?
-------------------
You need a picture on the back of the tank to make the fish feel more secure. you can buy aquarium backings from pet shops, online, or just tape some coloured card, newspaper or plastic bin liner to the outside of the tank.
Aquarium Heaters should be placed near the bottom of the tank, on a slight angle with the cord slightly higher than the base of the heater. Try to have some water flowing over the heater to distribute the heat more efficiently.
*NB* Make sure the heater is fully submersible before moving it under water.
The air bubbles along the back might be too much for the angelfish. They prefer calm water, not lots of current.
joelfernandes
Fish Fanatic
Hello everyone! (Oi Kiko!)
Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I gotta say, I started at the beginning of August and it's been quite a rollercoaster.
I did cycle the aquarium for one week. I then started adding new fish every weekend. First 3 mollies (although they look more like guppies to me, but I'm an amateur), then 3 neon tetras, then 3 dalmation mollies, then 2 angelfish, and finally 6 guppies. I did a lot of mistakes, from what I've been learning online and the hard way. I've lost quite a lot of fish already and it's been very frustrating. I'm trying really hard to get it stable.
Long story short, I already lost the first 3 small mollies, one angelfish, and 3 of the new guppies. I think one other guppie might be gone soon too, as it stays always at the surface and very still. I'm probably doing a water change of 25% every 5 or 6 days (not even a week), to which I add conditioner. I learned recently that because I have a water softener at home, the water has no hardness at all so the fish were lacking minerals (that's what I've been told). More recently, about 2 weeks ago I started doing the water changes from a source that bypasses the softener, and things seem to be getting better, I just don't know if it went on time to save the last guppies.
I set up today a separate small 2-gallon aquarium where I was thinking to put this guppie. idk if this is a smart move or not, but that's what I've been seeing in videos. Although, that aquarium is not cycled, so moving it now would probably kill it. How long should I wait before putting fish there?
Also, @Colin_T, thank you so much for your advice, I'm definitely following it.
Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I gotta say, I started at the beginning of August and it's been quite a rollercoaster.
I did cycle the aquarium for one week. I then started adding new fish every weekend. First 3 mollies (although they look more like guppies to me, but I'm an amateur), then 3 neon tetras, then 3 dalmation mollies, then 2 angelfish, and finally 6 guppies. I did a lot of mistakes, from what I've been learning online and the hard way. I've lost quite a lot of fish already and it's been very frustrating. I'm trying really hard to get it stable.
Long story short, I already lost the first 3 small mollies, one angelfish, and 3 of the new guppies. I think one other guppie might be gone soon too, as it stays always at the surface and very still. I'm probably doing a water change of 25% every 5 or 6 days (not even a week), to which I add conditioner. I learned recently that because I have a water softener at home, the water has no hardness at all so the fish were lacking minerals (that's what I've been told). More recently, about 2 weeks ago I started doing the water changes from a source that bypasses the softener, and things seem to be getting better, I just don't know if it went on time to save the last guppies.
I set up today a separate small 2-gallon aquarium where I was thinking to put this guppie. idk if this is a smart move or not, but that's what I've been seeing in videos. Although, that aquarium is not cycled, so moving it now would probably kill it. How long should I wait before putting fish there?
Also, @Colin_T, thank you so much for your advice, I'm definitely following it.
Oi. xD
one of the main sticky threads is actually about cycling
you can check it out at: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycle-your-tank-a-complete-guide-for-beginners.475055/
with regards to water changes and testing etc...
you can also get filter media from an established tank to help your cycle go a bit faster
as for the softener/filter whatever you have
is it a powered magnetic softener on the main pipe? or an ro water system?
is it a house with multiple tanks? or a condo with a central building system?
as some people in Toronto tend to go a little overboard with the whole hard water thing
I'd find out first what you have in your tap water...is it an RO system like those from home depot filling up the tanks for general usage
because if you have an RO system and can bypass it...you could mix percentages of the water to attain the hardness you want
do keep in mind you can over time adjust soft-water fish to harder water but not the other way around
as soft/hard water fish just means their mineral intake at any given time and harder ones can't really thrown in soft and expected to do well
and one of the reasons your fish just died...
myself I use an amazon tap filter which filters most of the chlorine and some minerals and I have a ph controller to keep it around 7
as for tap water stats I'll drop a screenshot of Toronto tap for your reference.
these values are from water plants and NOT what you get on your tap specially not in toronto with all the old piping
whatever values shown from Toronto Water tend to be higher than their Average water test results...hence all the filters/kettles/boilers etc...
as for getting fish...there's lots of people selling stuff on kijiji which can be a ton cheaper than buying in stores
if you need cycled filter media I can give you some
one of the main sticky threads is actually about cycling
you can check it out at: https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycle-your-tank-a-complete-guide-for-beginners.475055/
with regards to water changes and testing etc...
you can also get filter media from an established tank to help your cycle go a bit faster
as for the softener/filter whatever you have
is it a powered magnetic softener on the main pipe? or an ro water system?
is it a house with multiple tanks? or a condo with a central building system?
as some people in Toronto tend to go a little overboard with the whole hard water thing
I'd find out first what you have in your tap water...is it an RO system like those from home depot filling up the tanks for general usage
because if you have an RO system and can bypass it...you could mix percentages of the water to attain the hardness you want
do keep in mind you can over time adjust soft-water fish to harder water but not the other way around
as soft/hard water fish just means their mineral intake at any given time and harder ones can't really thrown in soft and expected to do well
and one of the reasons your fish just died...
myself I use an amazon tap filter which filters most of the chlorine and some minerals and I have a ph controller to keep it around 7
as for tap water stats I'll drop a screenshot of Toronto tap for your reference.
these values are from water plants and NOT what you get on your tap specially not in toronto with all the old piping
whatever values shown from Toronto Water tend to be higher than their Average water test results...hence all the filters/kettles/boilers etc...
as for getting fish...there's lots of people selling stuff on kijiji which can be a ton cheaper than buying in stores
if you need cycled filter media I can give you some
joelfernandes
Fish Fanatic
Apologies for the late response, I didn't receive a notification.
It has been quite a rollercoaster to get into the hobby. I guess I should have read/learn more about the nitrogen cycle before getting into this, I really thought that the one week with an aquarium running without fish was all it took to get started. Boy oh boy, was I wrong.
I'm actually not in Toronto city, but in Newmarket (York Region). The water here is extremely hard and all houses have a water softener. These are basically tanks with salt that breaks the calcium and magnesium from the extremely hard municipal water. I guess the reason behind it is that those high levels of minerals cause issues in the appliances. As a result, my tap water is pretty much calcium-free, which I recently learned it's not ideal for fish.
I also have a RO system but I was advised to not use water from there either. So, what I end up doing was getting the water from a faucet that doesn't go through the water softener, instead is straight from the municipal water source.
I'm still struggling to get the cycle going. There's still no sign of nitrates in the water, nor nitrites. I do have ammonia spikes and started using Seachem Prime daily in hopes to make that ammonia a bit more harmless and allow the bacteria to start. I'm also adding Seachem Stability to help kick start that bacteria. I only started these products a couple of days ago. I really hope I can get it started.
It has been quite a rollercoaster to get into the hobby. I guess I should have read/learn more about the nitrogen cycle before getting into this, I really thought that the one week with an aquarium running without fish was all it took to get started. Boy oh boy, was I wrong.
I'm actually not in Toronto city, but in Newmarket (York Region). The water here is extremely hard and all houses have a water softener. These are basically tanks with salt that breaks the calcium and magnesium from the extremely hard municipal water. I guess the reason behind it is that those high levels of minerals cause issues in the appliances. As a result, my tap water is pretty much calcium-free, which I recently learned it's not ideal for fish.
I also have a RO system but I was advised to not use water from there either. So, what I end up doing was getting the water from a faucet that doesn't go through the water softener, instead is straight from the municipal water source.
I'm still struggling to get the cycle going. There's still no sign of nitrates in the water, nor nitrites. I do have ammonia spikes and started using Seachem Prime daily in hopes to make that ammonia a bit more harmless and allow the bacteria to start. I'm also adding Seachem Stability to help kick start that bacteria. I only started these products a couple of days ago. I really hope I can get it started.
On the ammonia, do not just use Prime, this is not a treatment but a water conditioner, and should only be used with a water change. If ammonia is above zero, do a significant water change, 60-70% of the tank volume, and use Prime in the amount for the fresh water. These chemicals do impact fish so not using more is always better.
No idea why someone suggested not using RO water, if it is just RO. This would be better than water run through a softener. I'll leave this for the present, but it is something to discuss when things are more stable. According to the averages in the water data chart posted above, the GH is 89ppm (ppm = mg/l) which equates to 5 dH. This is not hard water, it is actually soft--these are generic terms with no absolute scientific meaning, but just for ease of discussion. The Alkalinity which is the KH (carbonate hardness) is 127ppm (equates to 7 dKH. And 7.5 is the pH. I would assume these numbers are the source water, not after it has run through your softener. This should be confirmed. GH has a significant impact on fish, more-so than pH if the latter is stable.
And on that note, do not acquire any more fish until cycling is complete, and the tank is then established, and after giving serious consideration to the fish, those that hopefully will be still alive, and new ones. Angelfish for example could be a real problem. This fish is a shoaling species, it lives in groups and develops an hierarchy, and more than one angelfish in a tank this small (to the fish) is only asking for trouble.
Welcome to a wonderful hobby, and a very good forum.
No idea why someone suggested not using RO water, if it is just RO. This would be better than water run through a softener. I'll leave this for the present, but it is something to discuss when things are more stable. According to the averages in the water data chart posted above, the GH is 89ppm (ppm = mg/l) which equates to 5 dH. This is not hard water, it is actually soft--these are generic terms with no absolute scientific meaning, but just for ease of discussion. The Alkalinity which is the KH (carbonate hardness) is 127ppm (equates to 7 dKH. And 7.5 is the pH. I would assume these numbers are the source water, not after it has run through your softener. This should be confirmed. GH has a significant impact on fish, more-so than pH if the latter is stable.
And on that note, do not acquire any more fish until cycling is complete, and the tank is then established, and after giving serious consideration to the fish, those that hopefully will be still alive, and new ones. Angelfish for example could be a real problem. This fish is a shoaling species, it lives in groups and develops an hierarchy, and more than one angelfish in a tank this small (to the fish) is only asking for trouble.
Welcome to a wonderful hobby, and a very good forum.
joelfernandes
Fish Fanatic
Thank you, @Byron.
Those parameters are from, I'm assuming, downtown Toronto. I'm actually way up north and my municipal water is more for the hard side. Here are the parameters I could find:
This is the water I'm now using, as I'm bypassing the water softener. I stopped adding Prime without water changes but now I find myself doing water changes every other day to avoid ammonia getting high. Usually, do it when it reaches 0.5ppm. I'm still not seeing any nitrites (nor nitrates) in the water. It's been almost two months now...
I'm definitely not getting more fish until the tank is stable and cycled.
Those parameters are from, I'm assuming, downtown Toronto. I'm actually way up north and my municipal water is more for the hard side. Here are the parameters I could find:
This is the water I'm now using, as I'm bypassing the water softener. I stopped adding Prime without water changes but now I find myself doing water changes every other day to avoid ammonia getting high. Usually, do it when it reaches 0.5ppm. I'm still not seeing any nitrites (nor nitrates) in the water. It's been almost two months now...
I'm definitely not getting more fish until the tank is stable and cycled.
ClownLurch
Fish Gatherer
Add as many plants as possible asap to help with cycling. Especially floating plants.
I've never lived in the GTA, but I have gone there many times as an aquarium club speaker. I can't say for Newmarket, but the general region is crawling with aquarium clubs that will be full of people who know the water, the local stores and who probably breed some of the fish you'll want. We're all over the world trying to advise you, but you have a resource a short drive away (okay, Toronto traffic notwithstanding). There's a Durham club that has excellent aquarists always ready to help.
If you are still seeing ammonia, and if live fish are still present in the tank, regular (basically every day) water changes are the only solution until ammonia is zero. Having live plants, and especially floating p[lants, would greatly help this, even to the point of eliminating these frequent water changes. Plants need nitrogen and aquatic plants like floating species prefer ammonia/ammonium and they can take up a lot of it. I would seriously get some floating plants; Water Sprite, Water Lettuce, Frogbit, or some of the stem plants like Pennywort work.
What is the pH of the water? The GH maximum is 202 ppm [mg/l = ppm] or 11 dH, which to use a subjective term we consider to be moderately hard. It will provide many options for fish, we can discuss this later; the cycling is the main thing now. From the GH I would expect a basic pH (meaning above 7.0) but confirmation is important, not guessing.
What is the pH of the water? The GH maximum is 202 ppm [mg/l = ppm] or 11 dH, which to use a subjective term we consider to be moderately hard. It will provide many options for fish, we can discuss this later; the cycling is the main thing now. From the GH I would expect a basic pH (meaning above 7.0) but confirmation is important, not guessing.
Welcome to our forum...
I don't see any fish in there. What kind of fish are you planning to keep?
I don't see any fish in there. What kind of fish are you planning to keep?
joelfernandes
Fish Fanatic
Good news, everyone! No more ammonia! I now have a higher level of nitrites in the water, which I guess it's expected. I did a water change 4 days ago and it's reading about 0.75ppm. How high is too high to the point that a water change needs to happen? I assume I should not overdo water changes to allow bacteria to grow. Is that right? Fish are happy and look healthy.
I asked my local fish store about adding plants and they advised me to avoid disturbing the tank and let things stabilize before adding more fish or plants. Also, because I have a lid in the aquarium, and my lighting is probably not the best (it's a simple white LED lamp that came with the Top Fin starter kit), I'm concerned about having floating plants. Should I remove the lid if I add floating plants? I guess I have a lot to learn in this subject as well.
@GaryE - I really like the idea of learning live with other people. I'm not sure where to even find these clubs. Any suggestions?
@Byron - pH is currently at around 8.0 to 8.2. Ammonia is 0 and nitrite reading is .75ppm.
@emeraldking - Thank you! At the moment there's a small angelfish, 3 neon tetras, and 3 dalmation mollies. I'm planning to add some guppies to the mix and maybe more neon tetras as well. Oh, and two snails.
I asked my local fish store about adding plants and they advised me to avoid disturbing the tank and let things stabilize before adding more fish or plants. Also, because I have a lid in the aquarium, and my lighting is probably not the best (it's a simple white LED lamp that came with the Top Fin starter kit), I'm concerned about having floating plants. Should I remove the lid if I add floating plants? I guess I have a lot to learn in this subject as well.
@GaryE - I really like the idea of learning live with other people. I'm not sure where to even find these clubs. Any suggestions?
@Byron - pH is currently at around 8.0 to 8.2. Ammonia is 0 and nitrite reading is .75ppm.
@emeraldking - Thank you! At the moment there's a small angelfish, 3 neon tetras, and 3 dalmation mollies. I'm planning to add some guppies to the mix and maybe more neon tetras as well. Oh, and two snails.
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F-1 Angel... a bit nervous... it'll be my 1st F-1 fish...
- Started by Magnum Man
- Replies: 16
