I Took Weeks Off!

[Efren]

Okay, here's a few Backgrounds - Before i had a Rekord60 -fairly cycled-
tank inhabitants are-

2x Dwarf Gouramis
1x Pearl Gourami
5x Neon Tetras
1x Ancistrus

Everything is going well-- then being TOO MUCH confident about the hobby (which is BAD)
i decided to setup another tank- i bought Rekord600 and looks forward for RAMS - --
in cycling the new tank - -i did the Fishless Cycle the oLd way for atleast a week
but then as i've said being confident enough that i know what i'm doing i divided the sponges into two
- - -and let it run in the new tank-- and after a day or two-- here comes the Rams----
i stocked it with the following:

2x GBR
5x Cardinals
1x Ancistrus

Then as it went along-- i've noticed a lifeless GBR--- i asked TFF for help
and immediately i'vegot response - from Minxfishy and Ms.W... but it's too late---
Tragedy hits my Rekord600 tank-- it's not Cycled properly-- so i transferred all the Fish
in the old Rekord60(older tank) - so it means i ended up with an overstocked tank--
Water Changes all the time and things get worse- the second GBR didn't make it too--
So i gave up-- cleaned up the Rekord600 and sold it to my cousin-- and i neglected the
old tank and to my dismay-- both ancistrus dead-- only Gouramis and Tetras Survived:

The tank looks clean so i don't kow why my Ancistrus left as well--- i checked the
readings yesterday and Nitrites high---

LUCKILY i caught a flu-- so i decided to take 2weeks OFF---
to put this back on track--- i don't know where to begin with..

i sepereated the pair of Dwarf cause they starded to fight with my Pearl
and i seperated the cardinals too--- i placed them in a bucket with heatpads
and a small filter----- and now i can see that my neons are picking on eachother---

HEEELLLPPPP!!!!

*here's what it looks like now*

 

[minxfishy]

Hey Efren, the obvious place to start is to do a 50% water change to get those nitrItes back down, test again after an hour or so, if nitrItes still high, then another 50% water change, temp match the water as much as possible to not shock the fish.

The fish are behaving strangly because of the stress they are under because of the nitrIte, once that is sorted out they should be ok again.

Once those levels are sorted, I would put the fish back in the tank, the bacteria needs the fish waste in order to keep mutliplying and for the tank to cycle, without the fish, the levels will drop but as soon as you put them back in, you will go thru another mini cycle, so back to square one.

 

[Efren]

thanks minx-- i did a WC last night b4 bed--
and i checked the nitrites/ammonia today---

i think it's fine atm---

ammonia:0
nitrites: slightly 0.25 but lower - - -

do i have to change the water everyday--
let's say 30% a day? or just a big 50% a week?

and i need to confess something-- i visited direct tropicals site today and i fell into
buying Apistogramma Pandurini (new stock)-- lovely fish-
and i'll do my best to keep them properly this time--- it might arrive this thursday---

so i have a Pair of Dwarf Gouramis for Give away to GOOD HOME---

 

[minxfishy]

Right now, you need to daily water changes, 50% to keep that nitrIte as low as possible, preferably 0, especially if your planning on putting the apistos in on Thursday!!

I would call direct tropicals and delay the delivery to be honest, or you will find that they go the same way as the rams did. They will not tolerate any ammonia or nitrIte.

You can only go back to weekly water changes, once the tank is properly cycled, until then do as many as required to keep the ammonia and nitrIte as close to 0 as possible.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

sorry to burst your bubble but that's a terrible idea, do not even consider adding fish to the tank at this stage, you need to get the water sorted then give it a few months to settle before adding new fish. cancel that order, apisto's aren't that rare you can get them another time.

 

[Efren]

oh dear-- what a disaster!
Fish are coming tomorrow---

i have no idea if i can still call it off
it's been despatched and will arrive to me
earlier than i expected---

is WC the only way to bring my Nitrites down?

 

[minxfishy]

Yep it is, unless you want to add more bactinettes but even then, as you have already experienced, you will still get a nitrIte spike sooner or later.

Do another w/c now 50%, see what results you get, then do another tomorrow before the new fish arrive, then test several times a day to make sure nothing is rising, any sign and immediatley do another w/c, its the best advice I can offer.

Also go check out your add in the buy section, someone is interested in the gouarmi and losing those will help with keeping the waste load down.

 

[bricko]

Hi Efren,

The only way to bring nitrites down in an uncycled tank is by water changes. As you are fish-in-cycling these need to be daily and as big as possible to avoid unneccessary stress / damage to the fish. I know it is sometimes difficult to not buy fish you want (god knows we have all done that) but you really must resist this urge until your tank is well established. South american dwarf cichlids may look cute but are very difficult to keep in less than perfect water conditions and you may well find yourself with some dead pandurini without a vigorous maintenance routine in a tank like this.

If you can 'temporarily' rehome at a LFS (I know mine have in the past) then that may be your best option now.

Good luck with this, let us know how you get on.

Regards,

Bricko

 

[Efren]

Yep it is, unless you want to add more bactinettes but even then, as you have already experienced, you will still get a nitrIte spike sooner or later.

Do another w/c now 50%, see what results you get, then do another tomorrow before the new fish arrive, then test several times a day to make sure nothing is rising, any sign and immediatley do another w/c, its the best advice I can offer.

Also go check out your add in the buy section, someone is interested in the gouarmi and losing those will help with keeping the waste load down.

yup- someone will be taking my gouramis to a better home this 5:30
thanks for the help---

i'll do a water change again later tonight----
i'll do my best to bring my nitrite to niL...

thanks a lot-----

 

[tenohfive]

If you need someone to rehome the apisto's give me a nudge, I've got room and can collect if need be.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

just ring the fish shop, tell them honestly what's happened and that the tank is now cycling so you can't risk taking the fish, a decent fish shop will hold onto them for a few weeks for you or if they can't then they can just sell them through the shop as normal.

sorry but you really can't risk adding them at this stage.

 

[Efren]

If you need someone to rehome the apisto's give me a nudge, I've got room and can collect if need be.

cheers! but i'll take my chances "again" this time
i'll be free for 2weeks anyway so i can watch
the tank closely---

they look lovely that's why i ended up getting them:

just ring the fish shop, tell them honestly what's happened and that the tank is now cycling so you can't risk taking the fish, a decent fish shop will hold onto them for a few weeks for you or if they can't then they can just sell them through the shop as normal.

sorry but you really can't risk adding them at this stage.

i'm sorry ms.W but i haven't read this til now--
too late to phone them i'm afraid --just wish me
luck "again". and i hope everything goes well this time--

 

[JenCliBee]

not 2 get at u m8 but this was a tread asking for help and wot 2 do ppl are giving u advice on not getting these fish but yet still willing 2 risk them by putting them in a uncycled tank uve done this before when adding the bactinettes things ppl said dont add fish but u new better and added some anyways everythink always comes back 2 bite u on the bum im afraid ... but ... all im saying is y ask for help then when given blatently ignore

 

[Efren]

not 2 get at u m8 but this was a tread asking for help and wot 2 do ppl are giving u advice on not getting these fish but yet still willing 2 risk them by putting them in a uncycled tank uve done this before when adding the bactinettes things ppl said dont add fish but u new better and added some anyways everythink always comes back 2 bite u on the bum im afraid ... but ... all im saying is y ask for help then when given blatently ignore

i'm tryin to get their advice it so happened that i just log in
tonight and Ms.W posts was ages ago--
and the fish is probably on the courier by now-- ready to be
shipped tomorrow-- so to phone them for cancellation
won't be an option----

 

[Efren]

Hi Efren,

The only way to bring nitrites down in an uncycled tank is by water changes. As you are fish-in-cycling these need to be daily and as big as possible to avoid unneccessary stress / damage to the fish. I know it is sometimes difficult to not buy fish you want (god knows we have all done that) but you really must resist this urge until your tank is well established. South american dwarf cichlids may look cute but are very difficult to keep in less than perfect water conditions and you may well find yourself with some dead pandurini without a vigorous maintenance routine in a tank like this.

If you can 'temporarily' rehome at a LFS (I know mine have in the past) then that may be your best option now.

Good luck with this, let us know how you get on.

Regards,

Bricko

thanks bricko---
i'll talk to my LFS
soon as the Fish arrive
and hope she'l rehome them
while i'm finishing my cycle---