Need help with tank : (

[Lajos_Detari]

Are you having any fish in your tank right now?
If you are, then you cannot add ammonia as it will kill your fish.
Continue to do large water changes to keep the ammonia & nitrite to 0 if you have fish in it.

By the way, the brown algae on your tank wall is called diatom. You can remove them easily by using a paper towel.
As long as you have light, algae will grow in your tank.
You can only reduce algae by cutting down on the light(the number of hours that you turned it on).
By changing water every week(large water - more than 60%), you can also reduce the waste in the tank that contribute to algae growth.

Lastly, in the future, you can keep some algae eating fish or snails to reduce the algae to the minimum.

 

[bpd0110]

Are you having any fish in your tank right now?
If you are, then you cannot add ammonia as it will kill your fish.
Continue to do large water changes to keep the ammonia & nitrite to 0 if you have fish in it.

By the way, the brown algae on your tank wall is called diatom. You can remove them easily by using a paper towel.
As long as you have light, algae will grow in your tank.
You can only reduce algae by cutting down on the light(the number of hours that you turned it on).
By changing water every week(large water - more than 60%), you can also reduce the waste in the tank that contribute to algae growth.

Lastly, in the future, you can keep some algae eating fish or snails to reduce the algae to the minimum.

returning the fish tomorrow. Luckily the guy is nice and is allowing me to.... Then I will begin cycling it PROPERLY.

 

[carligraceee]

****ing hate my ex. Never told me i needed to add ammonia and fish food. well ive been testing the water and doing changes everyday and will continue it. Thank you for the help.

Yeah sometimes misinformation happens and its never fun.

Just read the thread and go from there. It is very detailed and very inexpensive to do (my ammonia was like 3$).

 

[Essjay]

This is how to cycle a tank without any fish in it.

Cycling Your New Fresh Water Tank: Read This First!

Cycling Your First Fresh Water Tank What is Cycling and Why is it Important? Fish waste, and especially fish breathing, plus uneaten food and other organic matter breaking down in a tank all produce Ammonia. This can quickly become toxic to fish if it is allowed to build up to any measurable...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Fishiemang]

Sometimes, folks get a little attached in their ways.

You have 3 small fish, am I correct?

Leave the fish in there. Feed every 2-3 days, and only enough that they eat most of.it. That's it. Don't go puttin food in there 3 times a day, even after it is cycled. Don't worry about your filter sponge/cartridge whatever. Not enough bacteria is gonna.form there anyways. It forms on the walls of the filter, on the substrate, on the decor and even floats around in the water. By now you have colonies started. Do some 30-50% water changes weekly, and WATCH THE FISH. They will tell you when the water is too much for them. Watch for red gills, funky swimming ect. The most important thing is that feeding schedule. This is what will.save you from losing the fish and make in tank cycling easy as eatin yer fav pie.

Interesting setup. Never seen a HOB filter on the front. Haha. They are named Hang On Back cause, well, that's where they look best....outta sight. To each they own. That 10 gallon is gonna be a challenge to keep up. You NEED to do weekly water changes no matter what. The cycle could be grand, lots of colonies, and the pollution will pile up faster than the filter and environs can handle it. Fill that thing up too. You're reduction in water lever equates to about 2.5-3 gallons of water not in there for dilution of pollution.

Do be mad at nothin. Just pay attention to the fish and you'll be fine.

Oh, and get a small snail like a Nerite to handle some of that "brown stuff". Maybe a molly. They eat that stuff like cotton candy.

 

[Slaphppy7]

ANY TIME you register ammonia or nitrIte during a fish-in cycle, a water change is necessary.

Period.

For the OP, good that you can return the fish, clean the tank, and start over...follow the fishless cycling sticky provided by @Essjay above, and post any questions you have here....

 

[Fishiemang]

Not exactly.

What will the bacteria eat and use as fuel to multiply if you starve them?

Fish can handle up to .5ppm relatively easily with no ill effects short term. That is a substantial amount as well.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Not exactly.

What will the bacteria eat and use as fuel to multiply if you starve them?

Fish can handle up to .5ppm relatively easily with no ill effects short term. That is a substantial amount as well.

The bacteria can go weeks with no ammonia, water changes don't "starve" them, anyway.

I would never purposefully subject any of my fish to .5 ppm of ammonia, it's cruel and inhumane.

 

[Essjay]

Fish-in cycling has to be a compromise between allow the ammonia and nitrite levels get high enough to grow the bacteria quickly and keeping it low enough to keep the fish safe.
Personally I would prefer that the cycle takes a long time and all my fish survive.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Fish-in cycling has to be a compromise between allow the ammonia and nitrite levels get high enough to grow the bacteria quickly and keeping it low enough to keep the fish safe.
Personally I would prefer that the cycle takes a long time and all my fish survive.

Exactly...a fishless cycle

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Here are some extra information about fishless cycling with videos:

Fishless Cycling | DrTim's Aquatics

The term "fishless cycling" refers to the process of establishing the nitrifying bacteria in a newly set-up aquarium without using fish which are used in the traditional cycling method. The problem associated with using fish in the cycling period is that normally, when establishing the...

www.drtimsaquatics.com

Here is one example of Ammonium Chloride.

Ammonium Chloride Solution for Fishless Cycling | Dr Tims Aquatics