Im Worried About Adding More Fish Shrimps Etc After All The Problems I

[jimboshrimp]

Hi all
As you probably know I've had a few problems after firstly doing fish in cycle 3 zebra danios 3 golden barbs (thanks to advice from pets at home ) then had ammonia problems (sorted that out)  after getting everything on even keel a few weeks later added some more fish 5 neon tetras from local fish store established for over 30 years so all seemed ok water parameters were finally as they should be 0 ammonia 0 nitrite nitrate just above 0 and ph 6.8 to 7 and did many many water changes to get there

 advice from here was fantastic and I followed it as stringently as I could

I then bought 3dwarf endlers from pets at home one of which died more or less next day which wiped out all my fish except my 5 neon tetras , with a massive outbreak of ich ( more wonderful salt and heat treatment advice sought and given on here )
so I stayed with my poor neons added a couple of new plants after throwing the  old ones away kept up with water changes very regularly and went on holiday leaving instructions for my son to feed very sparingly hoping they would all survive after all they've been through

They did yeah

Now im scared to add anything else I would really like another rabbit snail and couple of shrimps ( as they didn't survive everything through the ich outbreak etc either )  and small amount of fish

so please if you could advise me again what to get and how long to leave in between purchases to make sure all ok

70L tank 2 filters one carbon one green foam (pets at home) which I just rinse in old tank water and never change ( after more advice on here lol) temp is 26 , ammonia 0

nitrite 0 nitrate just above 0

,  ph 7 (well done son)
Thanks once again for all the wonderful advise and if anyone new reading this you really can't go wrong following this forum

Angie

 

[Mamashack]

You may have added the extra stock too quickly - a fish-in cycle can take 6 months or more to complete because of all the water changes involved. Stick with the fish you have and keep on top of the water changes and be prepared to wait until you can go a week without water changes before adding new stock.

 

[jimboshrimp]

thanks I will do that then ive been 6 months now on this and as I say went on holiday after everything was fine and did 75% water change before I went and first thing after coming back checked levels and still 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite , nitrate just above 0 and ph 7 and it is exactly the same today so I was hoping it was cycled now lol
thanks again
Angie

 

[DerpPH]

just as long as you didn't put copper based meds shrimp and snails should be fine
 
Sorry to hear about your problem though

 

[Mamashack]

Any ammonia should be converted to nitrItes and then eventually to nitrAtes so the fact that there isn't much suggests to me that this tank isn't cycled and the low figures maybe due to water changes rather than the nitrogen cycle being completed - nitrAtes are rarely at 0 or even just above in a cycled tank. I suspect it's not quite ready yet.
How often are you doing water tests and water changes and what % are you changing?

 

[jimboshrimp]

I have been doing between 25% and 50% at least once a week since the ich stopped I had asked about low nitrates before and was told possibly due to no plants in there at the time which is why I have bought just 3 small ones , sorry no idea what they're called I went on holiday 06/05/2014 came back 17/05/2014 and water had not been changed in that time at all . I cant believe my little neons have put up with all that they have and definitely don't want to put them through any more .
Angie

 

[DerpPH]

I have been doing between 25% and 50% at least once a week since the ich stopped

I had asked about low nitrates before and was told possibly due to no plants in there at the time which is why I have bought just 3 small ones , sorry no idea what they're called

I went on holiday 06/05/2014 came back 17/05/2014 and water had not been changed in that time at all . I cant believe my little neons have put up with all that they have and definitely don't want to put them through any more .
Angie

 

I have been doing between 25% and 50% at least once a week since the ich stopped

I had asked about low nitrates before and was told possibly due to no plants in there at the time which is why I have bought just 3 small ones , sorry no idea what they're called

I went on holiday 06/05/2014 came back 17/05/2014 and water had not been changed in that time at all . I cant believe my little neons have put up with all that they have and definitely don't want to put them through any more .
Angie

post pics of the plants here to get a positive id

 

[jimboshrimp]

that was very hard work lol sorry it took me so long

 

[DerpPH]

ok the one on the right is anubias barteri I think.
 
closer pics on the ones on the left would help id them

do you want to enter the addictive world of planted tanks?

 

[jimboshrimp]

now you're just being awkward lol

only kidding will do my best

 that didn't take half as long

 

[jimboshrimp]

Hi mamashack and derpPH
I have a confession to make when my lovely hubby came home from work I told him about our conversations and water parameters etc and he said " did you  remember to shake the nitrate bottle ?" Hmm no I didn't so he did another water test and .....
Ammonia 0 nitrite 0 and guess what nitrate is about  5 yellow/ Orange  so I do apologise if I've wasted your time and thanks very much for the advice ,
now back to my original question what and when do I add to my lonely 5 little neons lol I'm not going to pets at home I will use the local established one  

 

[Ninjouzata]

When you get the chance I'd unpot those plants and plant them in the gravel except for the anubias. The anubias should be attached to driftwood or rock or you can leave it floating if you want.
 
The nitrate test does need to be shaken quite a lot, good to bang it on the desk or something too.
 
I'd get another neon or two as they prefer groups of 6+. I think you only want to add 25% of your current total stocking when doing fish-in like this and then watch parameters for the next week or so and continue adding like that.

 

[jimboshrimp]

Thanks Mariah
I was thinking maybe a couple more tetras I'm really fond of my little 5 musketeers lol 
I wasn't sure about what to do with the plants hence still in tubs do I just let the whole plant float roots and all ? I'm going to up my ph a little as well because I was reading on here that if it drops below 6'5 it's not good and we are definitely in a soft water area and it has been below that so I have bought some crushed coral to put in the filter and I know to keep an eye on the rise of it and to do water changes when it's upped by .5 so more water watching to do lol
Here I was hoping for a little hobby to keep me company when I am at home all the time due to disability  
Thanks for all the help 
Angie

 

[Ninjouzata]

You'll want to take out the wool or whatever they're covered in, you can trim the roots if you like. It certainly is more than what I thought it'd be..really enjoyable though!

 

[jimboshrimp]

I'm sure I'll enjoy it when I manage to get it right