Hiden Fish

[N0body Of The Goat]

For your fishes' well-being, you need healthy water ASAP, if you have any ammonia or nitrite readings. Your fish may stress a little while you remove that last bucket of water during an 80% water change, but they will probably thank you enormously for it once they see the new treated water being carefully added back.

Bacteria live mainly on the filter sponges, which as long as that stay wet with (treated, de-chlorinated) water, will be fine during a water change.

Its quite possible that you could need to do big (~75%) water changes daily while your tank gets a working bacterial colony.

It will help if you are conservative with food amounts, no more than the size of a fish eye per fish per day. Less rotting food and/or less eaten food produces less ammonia, which will produce less nitrite, which will make the tank water remain healthy for longer... But you really need to do regular (ideally morning and night) testing, as these toxins are usually present during cyling (like the LFS said), but they need to be diluted/removed to reduce the chance of short-term and long-term health problems.

 

[Smurf]

I can't answer your Q about 80% water change on top of a 50% water change (seems a lot of new water to me and I think I'd baulk, but others on here know more). What I can say is don't worry too much about doing more or less what your LFS said. There's heaps of info on here about how variable LFS's are and the advice given out at mine differs depending on which member of staff you get. All you can do is your best, and act in good faith. There's no substitute for experience sometimes

I've had both freshwater & marine tanks over the last 15ish years (currently have a small freshwater) and despite my best efforts have made some real howling mistakes. The important thing is to learn and not do the same thing twice I've learned to take what the LFS says with a pinch of salt, go home, read up and go back another day. Unless of course I've set my heart on a particular fish and I think it won't be there another day.... I'm getting better at that though

 

[jameshunter63]

as smurf said, and i completely agree with is that you learn from mistakes. Even fish keepers that have been in the buisness 30+ years are still learning and making mistakes, i know i do!! and mistakes i have made!! i did the exact same as you on my first tank and because i didnt read up i lost all my fish!! (about 4-5 platys and an ancistrus) thats why i love this place, iv been reading for years on here but only recently joined, found that getting involved in discussions only enhances learning. also if trouble is being had try and get some used filter media from a LFS, i know mine does if your a regular!

 

[scuba-steve]

thanks for the advice people

i did a 80% change today and cleaned the filter out with the aquarium water also I did a lot of hoovering of the ravel got a fair bit out

Now I have no trace of amonia in my tank my now
nitrite is slightly paler on the chart but there are still some traces.
and my nitrate has dropped from 10ppm to 5ppm.

So should i do the same again toomorow? or just water change, I dont know if I will be able to get any filter media from the shop untill the weekend, but sounds like a plan,

Another question should I have carbon in my filter as well as the foam?

I have got some freindly bacteria medicine to use too now,
is there any disadvantage to using this or is it a good idea??

on the plus side too after water change I have seen 2 of my loaches out today I didnt see them rubbing on the gravel or rocks so maybe they are a little better already.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Glad to read things are looking better.

If nitrites or ammonia are present, the quicker you do another big water change, the better.

Perhaps another gravel hoover too.

The carbon sponge only need sto be removed from the filter stack when using medication, as it will absorb the meds and therefore not treat the fish much at all.