Many Questions About Products, Etc!

[kelseybelsey1013]

Questions about water chemistry.
1) Is it necessary to test for Phosphorus in a tropical community tank?
2) Is it necessary to test for Nitrates & /trites? The lady at Pet Mania thinks otherwise.
3) My ammonia is always high! I use "Prime" and "AmQuel+", but to no effect. I also change the water frequently. What is used that always does a great job of removing ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites?
4) I had test strips that said my levels were accurate. And then I recently got the drops & color test, and it said my levels were MESSED UP! Which should I believe?

Questions about fish stock:
1) How often can I add new fish?
2) What is the ideal number of fish for a 55 gallon?

Questions about medications:
1) I recently put in Triple-Sulfe and some other antibiotic that starts with "E". It's killing my plants and beneficial bacteria. What do I do? Is there a way to cycle with the fish I have in the tank?!

Questions about Aquarium Salt:
1) I use Aquarium Salt, a little less then the recommended dosage, and I've heard you shouldn't use it with scaleless fish like Corycats and Yo-yo loaches? I have both, and I have guppies, which absolutely have to have it! Every time I use it my Yo-yo seems distressed and lies on it's side at the bottom under a dark bridge.

Questions about death and disease:
1) I had a yellow sailfin Mollie pass away 2 days ago. It was upright and appeared to have died sucking on a rock? It was hanging around with my Dalmation Platy, which had red gills and a white body. The yellow Mollie was fairly new. Ammonia was 0.25 and pH of 7.6; but I hear Mollie's thrive in 7.6!! What are the possible causes of death?
2) I have a Dalmation Mollie as stated above, and it's always hiding in dark places, lethargic. Is something wrong with it? It's gills are red and it's organs appear so also. And I recently bought a fancy guppy with yellowish, whitish lips. I'll attach pictures, WHAT'S GOING ON?

Guppy

Platy

3) My Yo-yo always seems to fade colors as it hides under a dark place for a period of time. It's almost got a "bleached" appearance but always returns to normal coloring. What could this be?

Questions about compatibility:
1) I really REALLY want an albino tiger barb. They're a goldish version of the tiger barb, and supposedly are fin-nippers. The lady at Pet Mania said it would eat all my fish, but yet it's so small! Would it be compatible with Mollies, Platys, Danios, Tetras, Hatchets, Guppies, Cories, Loaches, and a flounder and a pleco?
2) I was in the LFS yesterday and saw the most beautiful fish, a colorful Ram of some sort! I was going to buy it, but then the lady, again, said it would eat my fish. I heard they're very delicate. And lately I'm having issues with chemistry because of the degration of beneficial bacteria. Are Rams generally aggressive, and are they a good investment?!

Questions about future investments:
1) I only have one albino cory cat, and it's always restless. Is that because I need another Cory? If so, how many should I get?
2) I want to get Neon or Cardinal Tetra's. But I've had them before...and the Neons had NTD and it killed one of my non-Neon Tetra. I've heard Cardinals do not receive or transmit Neon Tetra Disease. But they are SO expensive and I want a hardy fish. Are they a wise investment, or should I stick with Neon Tetras? If so, how many should I get of one or the other?
3) I want an Aqua Clear 300 filter because I often use their filter pads with my Fluval 4plus. Does a Fluval generally do a better job anyway? If I use the Ammonia or Carbon I have to take one whole sponge out. What do I do?
4) I have a Freshwater Flounder. It's really inactive. Does it need a friend or is it a characteristic of the species?

Questions about Breeding:
1) How many guppies will I need for them to breed? As of right now I have 2 males and one female. Will I have to purchase another tank? I have a 10g for the fry, but do I need 3 tanks? Or will they breed in a community habitat? Do I need more fish to breed? How much more if any?

*How often should I change the water?

*What should I feed my Freshwater Flounder if it only eats from the bottom of the tank?

*Can I cycle a tank with fish in it?

*What is Live Rock and is it beneficial or recommended?

*Is there a way for me not to change or add chemicals in order to lower levels EVERY SINGLE DAY?

*Will Triple Sulfa eliminate the diseases I mentioned?

*I couldn't find Melafix...where is it located?

*You say PetsMart and PetCo are rubbish. Where should I buy my fish?


LOTS OF QUESTIONS!
All answers are appreciated.
TYSM!

 

[SouthernCross]

Wow. That's a hell of a lot of questions. I have to be back at work soon, but I'll have a quick stab at some of them.

I'll start out by saying straight away your biggest problem is your ammonia. You NEED to go to the Newbies forum, and read the stickied threads on cycling. Clearly, your tank is NOT cycled as ammonia is present, and it is definitely why your fish are suffering.
Do NOT buy anymore fish until you get your tank cycled and your levels under control. Ideally, you'd want to find a temporary home or take back the fish you have until you get your tank cycled. That's not always possible, but in the meantime the best thing you can do for them is lots and lots of water changes!
The best thing you can do right now is understand the cycling process - it will be a huge step towards having a successful tank and overcoming the problems you're having.

Ok, now a few of your specific questions....

Questions about water chemistry.
1) Is it necessary to test for Phosphorus in a tropical community tank?
2) Is it necessary to test for Nitrates & /trites? The lady at Pet Mania thinks otherwise.
3) My ammonia is always high! I use "Prime" and "AmQuel+", but to no effect. I also change the water frequently. What is used that always does a great job of removing ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites?
4) I had test strips that said my levels were accurate. And then I recently got the drops & color test, and it said my levels were MESSED UP! Which should I believe?
1) I don't believe so. I never have, although someone may disagree.
2) Yes. In the cycling stage, ammonia and nitrite are most important - any detection of these = problems with your chemistry. Nitrate isn't as important, but when you can detect it you know your tank is well on its way to being cycled, and you can monitor levels once its cycled. Again, go read those stickied threads to understand more.
3) Not good. Ammonia at any level is not good. A lot of people think those products are rubbish. No product should be removing ammonia and nitrite, your tank should be cycled and the beneficial bacteria doing it naturally for you. If its not, it means your bacteria levels aren't developed/right.
4) Test strips are notorious for being inaccurate. Liquid tests are much more reliable.

Questions about fish stock:
1) How often can I add new fish?
2) What is the ideal number of fish for a 55 gallon?
At the moment, you cannot add any until you get your cycle sorted.
A rough rule for people new to fish is an inch of fish per gallon, although when everything settles and you are more confident you can usually go over this.

Questions about medications:
1) I recently put in Triple-Sulfe and some other antibiotic that starts with "E". It's killing my plants and beneficial bacteria. What do I do? Is there a way to cycle with the fish I have in the tank?!
Why were you using these meds? The reason your fish are sick is the ammonia, the best thing you can do is fix your cycle before you worry about meds.

Questions about Aquarium Salt:
1) I use Aquarium Salt, a little less then the recommended dosage, and I've heard you shouldn't use it with scaleless fish like Corycats and Yo-yo loaches? I have both, and I have guppies, which absolutely have to have it! Every time I use it my Yo-yo seems distressed and lies on it's side at the bottom under a dark bridge.
Yes, salt all the time is not good for scaleless fish. Someone told you a fib, guppies do not need salt. They will be fine in clean fresh water. Don't add any more.

Questions about death and disease:
1) I had a yellow sailfin Mollie pass away 2 days ago. It was upright and appeared to have died sucking on a rock? It was hanging around with my Dalmation Platy, which had red gills and a white body. The yellow Mollie was fairly new. Ammonia was 0.25 and pH of 7.6; but I hear Mollie's thrive in 7.6!! What are the possible causes of death?
2) I have a Dalmation Mollie as stated above, and it's always hiding in dark places, lethargic. Is something wrong with it? It's gills are red and it's organs appear so also. And I recently bought a fancy guppy with yellowish, whitish lips. I'll attach pictures, WHAT'S GOING ON?

Again, your fish are all suffering from the side effects of ammonia poisoning.

3) My Yo-yo always seems to fade colors as it hides under a dark place for a period of time. It's almost got a "bleached" appearance but always returns to normal coloring. What could this be?

See above

Questions about compatibility:
1) I really REALLY want an albino tiger barb. They're a goldish version of the tiger barb, and supposedly are fin-nippers. The lady at Pet Mania said it would eat all my fish, but yet it's so small! Would it be compatible with Mollies, Platys, Danios, Tetras, Hatchets, Guppies, Cories, Loaches, and a flounder and a pleco?
2) I was in the LFS yesterday and saw the most beautiful fish, a colorful Ram of some sort! I was going to buy it, but then the lady, again, said it would eat my fish. I heard they're very delicate. And lately I'm having issues with chemistry because of the degration of beneficial bacteria. Are Rams generally aggressive, and are they a good investment?!
1) Barbs do not do well on their own, they do okay in groups, and even then can harass and nip a lot of other fish. One is definitely not a good idea, and they GROW
2) Rams are indeed very delicate. They need mature stable tanks, which you do not have yet. Until you are more experienced i would not recommend this fish.

I will get to your other questions later, as I have to go back to work! Someone else will probably get here and contribute in the meantime...

 

[SouthernCross]

Alright, no ones been here in the meantime, so I'll address your other questions. With the above post I was in quite a rush when I wrote it, so if you'd like any of those points explained in more detail let me know.

Questions about future investments:
1) I only have one albino cory cat, and it's always restless. Is that because I need another Cory? If so, how many should I get?
2) I want to get Neon or Cardinal Tetra's. But I've had them before...and the Neons had NTD and it killed one of my non-Neon Tetra. I've heard Cardinals do not receive or transmit Neon Tetra Disease. But they are SO expensive and I want a hardy fish. Are they a wise investment, or should I stick with Neon Tetras? If so, how many should I get of one or the other?
3) I want an Aqua Clear 300 filter because I often use their filter pads with my Fluval 4plus. Does a Fluval generally do a better job anyway? If I use the Ammonia or Carbon I have to take one whole sponge out. What do I do?
4) I have a Freshwater Flounder. It's really inactive. Does it need a friend or is it a characteristic of the species?

1) Cories are generally pretty active little guys, but ideally you do need more. 55 gallon is a lot of space, you can get loads of bottom dwellers to keep him company. Most people recommend a minimum of at least 5 or 6, and preferably the same species, that will make them happiest. Your one cory probably is quite lonely and you should get him more friends, but AFTER you've sorted your cycle.
2) It's up to you which one you go with. Cardinals are a bit more expensive, but some say they are hardier and that might make the expense worth it. Othr difference is they have more red than neons (which some say look better) and grow slightly bigger. Both neons and cardinals are schooling fish, so you should have a absolute minimum of 6 of a kind for them to feel comfy. The bigger the school is though, the cooler they look all swimming together so go for a larger school if you can.
3) I think filter choice is personal preference. I have an Aquaclear 200 on my tank and it does a good job. DO a search for those filter names on here and I'm sure you can read some user opinions.
4) I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about Freshwater Flounder. Try the search function, or the fish species index.

Questions about Breeding:
1) How many guppies will I need for them to breed? As of right now I have 2 males and one female. Will I have to purchase another tank? I have a 10g for the fry, but do I need 3 tanks? Or will they breed in a community habitat? Do I need more fish to breed? How much more if any?

Guppies aren't called the 'millions fish" for nothing! A male and a female will breed in a community with no intervention whatsoever from you. Unless you have some other fish in the tank that will eat the fry, you will soon be overrun. You should have a plan for what to do with all those extra fry. Keep in mind, male guppies (and other livebearers) are horny little devils, and for the sake of the female, its generally recommended you keep two females to every male to stop one poor girl getting harassed by randy boys all the time. It is exhausting for her and can eventually make her sick. If you are going to keep livebearers try for this ratio. But again, no more fish until you get your cycle sorted, as even the ones you've got now might not survive.

*How often should I change the water?

If you're going to cycle with your fish in that you have now, you should be trying to change some water every day. One you are cycled, people generally do anywhere from 10-40% water change either every week or second week or so. You'll figure out what routine works best for you eventually.

*What should I feed my Freshwater Flounder if it only eats from the bottom of the tank?
I'm sorry, but I don't know anything about Freshwater Flounder, what they eat or whether they are compatible with your other fish. Try the search function, or the fish species index.

*Can I cycle a tank with fish in it?
You can, a lot of people still do. It was the 'old way' of doing things, and was generally done with hardy fish like zebra danios. A lot of other fish annot handle it, and get very sick and die, which is what you're seeing with your fish now. I don't remember you listing your complete stocking, I don't know how hardy your species are. Now, knowing what we know about fishless cycling, people feel that there's no need to make fish suffer through the process of cycling, and the fishless option is the route most people take. See those stickied threads I recommended in the Beginners/Newbie forum.

*What is Live Rock and is it beneficial or recommended?

Live rock is used in saltwater tanks (ocean saltwater, not just brackish) - yours is freshwater so liverock isn't something you need to be using.

*Is there a way for me not to change or add chemicals in order to lower levels EVERY SINGLE DAY?

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this question, but if you mean lowering ammonia without chemicals while cycling, the best way to do this is water changes everyday until you are cycled then the tank should be taking care of its own levels for the most part, except for your normal weekly water change and maintenance. Those miracle products who claim to do everything usually don't do much of anything. If anything, using these things probably interfere with your bacteria developing and hinder your cycle. Forget about them, stick to water changes.

*Will Triple Sulfa eliminate the diseases I mentioned?

Like I said earlier, forget the meds for now, concentrate on your cycle, its the best thing for your fishes health right now. Adding more chemicals into that mix will only stress them further. In any instance when someone has a sick fish, they should be checking their water chemistry before they go chucking in medicines, as usually sickness is caused by a problem in the levels. I don't think I've heard of that med anyway so I couldn't advise you.

*I couldn't find Melafix...where is it located?
If you want some Melafix (its not much good for anything too serious - its more just a 'promote healing' of wounds and fin damage type thing - its usually available at most places which sell fish supplies. It's made by the brand Aquarium Pharmaceuticals I think, so if a place stocks that brand, they probably have Melafix.

*You say PetsMart and PetCo are rubbish. Where should I buy my fish?
I don't live in America, so I don't know these shops. But generally you will always get fish that are better looked after (and less prone to disease) in shops that exclusively sell fish and fish supplies, rather than a petstore that has loads of different kinds of animals. Fish specialty stores generally have more knowledgable staff an owners who are more interested in the health of the fish and making sure they are better taken care of in store as fish are their livelihood. From what I've read though, the quality of those chain stores vary store to store, you might happen to live near a good one with good staff, in which case there is nothing wrong with buying fish from them. If a fish looks remotely unwell, it probably is, and you shouldn't buy it. That goes for all the fish in a tank with even one unwell fish. Chances are they are all may be carrying a bug, and bringing it home to your own tank can be disastrous for the fish you already have. A lot of people recommend having a quarantine tank for that reason.

Hope that all helps you out some. Any more questions that you cant find answers for on the board already just ask, its what its here for. Good to see someone taking an interest.
I also recommend you invest in a good liquid test kit. A lot of us use the API Master Liquid test kit - its fairly cheap, and has the important tests in it, the ones you really need when cycling a tank.
Cheers

 

[WILDER]

Questions about death and disease:
1) I had a yellow sailfin Mollie pass away 2 days ago. It was upright and appeared to have died sucking on a rock? It was hanging around with my Dalmation Platy, which had red gills and a white body. The yellow Mollie was fairly new. Ammonia was 0.25 and pH of 7.6; but I hear Mollie's thrive in 7.6!! What are the possible causes of death?
2) I have a Dalmation Mollie as stated above, and it's always hiding in dark places, lethargic. Is something wrong with it? It's gills are red and it's organs appear so also. And I recently bought a fancy guppy with yellowish, whitish lips. I'll attach pictures, WHAT'S GOING ON?

The fish are pale and have red gills because of the ammonia reading.
How many gallons is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
How long has the tank been set up.

 

[kelseybelsey1013]

The fish are pale and have red gills because of the ammonia reading.
How many gallons is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
How long has the tank been set up.

WOW, thank you so much for all the help!
I have 55 gallons
14 fish;
1 molly
1 platy
2 danios
2 fruit tetras
1 hatchetfish
3 guppies
1 flounder
1 botia
1 corycat
1 pleco
The tanks' been set up for a year.
It housed a turtle before.
I have never cycled as PetsMart never told me about it!! ):

NEW QUESTION!!
How should I cycle my tank now? I can't give them to Pet Mania, they won't accept them. I don't have any friends as "experienced" as me.. and the only friend I have with a fish keeps it in a bowl... where should I put my fish? How long will it take to cycle? Could I use a small tubaware and use like a Fluval 1plus? And a small heater? If it doesn't take to long...

AND...
Should I add more plants? Will they contain my ammonia?!

 

[SouthernCross]

Ok, if its been set up for a year with fish in it, it should have cycled on its own in that time, but you must be doing something when you do your maintenance that keeps causing it to become un-cycled.

How do you clean your filter? I suspect you've either been cleaning your filter media with hot water and/or soap. Or you have been replacing all of your media continually. There is no need to replace filter sponges for a long time - years. If and when you do, you should never replace the whole lot - only half at most. Everytime you clean or replace your sponges you are eliminating all the bacteria which keeps your cycle going, causing your tank to become uncycled, and ammonia becomes present as the bacteria are no longer there to remove it. All you should do is give your sponges a rinse and a squeeze in OLD TANK WATER - e.g. a bucket of water from the tank you've removed for a water change. Rinsing it under a tap/hot water/soap kills your bacteria. Remember, the huge majority of the bacteria that keep your tank healthy live in your filter media.

Get your maintenance routine right, and your tank should be cycled in a month or two. Monitor its progress with a test kit. Moving your fish into a tub won't make any difference, the tub isn't cycled either. In the meantime, to ease your fishes suffering, you should be doing daily water changes until you get an ammonia reading of 0, a nitrite reading of 0, and an acceptable nitrate reading. 10-80 is acceptable, but the lower the better.

If you haven't already, go read these threads about cycling and maintenance. Its hard to get your head around cycling and why we do it until you understand the processes behind it:

Fishless Cycling
Maintenance Guide

 

[-SPB-]

This is a really good thread, maybe it should be pinned, it answers so many questions in one plus also gives links to fishless cycling etc. Would help some new people somewhat.

 

[Mr._Fishy]

Most "freshwater flounders" you find are brackish/marine fish, but to my understanding there are one or two true freshwater species out there. It is normal for them to be pretty inactive. They will benefit/need brackish water, so that may get their activity levels up. I have never kept one in fresh, so I don't know.

Petsmart/Petco are usually pretty bad, they are basically the US equivalent of pets at home. It is mostly their advice that's bad, but the health of their fish usually isn't that bad. They usually don't have anything rare though.

Ryan

 

[kelseybelsey1013]

SUCESS!
Everyones advice was great. I decided to cycle my tank, and contact a local store SPECIFYING in fish! Haha, and boy, are the more knowledgeable and helpful! I went to a place called "SCALES N' TAILS Aquatics and Exotics", told them of my fish, and they showed me all their guppies, which had same yellow mouth coloring, and that's NORMAL. It's not a disease, the lips are just slightly lighter, trust me! And they were'nt even "white", just yellow. And my platy is supposed to have red gills, as it is a trait in white platys. But he said to cycle my tank, and to use Hagen Cycle Shmikel, or something generally related. I put in the doseage, as it's safe on fish, bought plants from their established tanks, and BAM! Nitrites are 0, Ammonia is 0 (YAYAYYAA!), Nitrates are 20, Chlorine 0, gH 60, kH 100, pH 7, alkalinity is ideal!
YAY!
I completely recommend cycle, and also getting samples from a previously established tank. I now have about four plants in my tank and I'll continue adding more, as I purchased correct lighting and a C02 system that's making them flourish! Plants really help your biological filtration, and they're gorgeous to look at. My fish are out of that log and out from under the bridge and full of energy! I never could have done it without your knowledge and expertise!! Thanks a TON!