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Fish Herder
Hi, welcome to the forum 
How long has the tank been set up? Is your tank cycled? If so how did you cycle it?
Not sure if you know about the nitrogen cycle known as a fishless cycle? If not then there is a thread in the beginners section that explains it clearly. Please have a read if your not sure what it is and/or how it works.
Basically it is a process in which you add a source of ammonia daily to the tank (household ammonia) with the filter running as normal, then you test your water daily (an api liquid test kit is a good one to use). As you add the ammonia over time beneficial bacteria is formed inside your filter, this beneficial bacteria then breaks down the bad toxins such as ammonia and nitrites that come from fish waste, it's is then turned into nitrates (beneficial bacteria).
The other way to cycle is a fish-in cycle (this is not advised as its harmful to fish). This is where you add the fish to an unicycled tank and then doing large daily water changes everyday to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down. These would have to be changes of around 90% every day for around 10-12 weeks.
Also your tank is waaaay too small for any Pleco unfortunately
How long has the tank been set up? Is your tank cycled? If so how did you cycle it?
Not sure if you know about the nitrogen cycle known as a fishless cycle? If not then there is a thread in the beginners section that explains it clearly. Please have a read if your not sure what it is and/or how it works.
Basically it is a process in which you add a source of ammonia daily to the tank (household ammonia) with the filter running as normal, then you test your water daily (an api liquid test kit is a good one to use). As you add the ammonia over time beneficial bacteria is formed inside your filter, this beneficial bacteria then breaks down the bad toxins such as ammonia and nitrites that come from fish waste, it's is then turned into nitrates (beneficial bacteria).
The other way to cycle is a fish-in cycle (this is not advised as its harmful to fish). This is where you add the fish to an unicycled tank and then doing large daily water changes everyday to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down. These would have to be changes of around 90% every day for around 10-12 weeks.
Also your tank is waaaay too small for any Pleco unfortunately
Hi, welcome to the forum
How long has the tank been set up? Is your tank cycled? If so how did you cycle it?
Not sure if you know about the nitrogen cycle known as a fishless cycle? If not then there is a thread in the beginners section that explains it clearly. Please have a read if your not sure what it is and/or how it works.
Basically it is a process in which you add a source of ammonia daily to the tank (household ammonia) with the filter running as normal, then you test your water daily (an api liquid test kit is a good one to use). As you add the ammonia over time beneficial bacteria is formed inside your filter, this beneficial bacteria then breaks down the bad toxins such as ammonia and nitrites that come from fish waste, it's is then turned into nitrates (beneficial bacteria).
The other way to cycle is a fish-in cycle (this is not advised as its harmful to fish). This is where you add the fish to an unicycled tank and then doing large daily water changes everyday to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down. These would have to be changes of around 90% every day for around 10-12 weeks.
Also your tank is waaaay too small for any Pleco unfortunately
Thanks for the information. Now I know that I started it the wrong way...
The tank has been set up for 48hrs prior to adding the fishes. I didn't know about the cycling. Yesterday I went with my son and he picked the fishes.
This morning when we woke up we noticed that the water was a little cloudy. So I got a sample and I went to petsmart to check it. They told me it was fine, but that I needed to add the bacteria supplement. So I came home, changed 10% of the water like they told me, and added the supplement. Water is still a little cludy though.
Suggestions in what to do
crazyforcordoras
CLASH OF CLANS!!!!
Welcome to the forum!
Your water should clear up. If not, do another change.
CC
Your water should clear up. If not, do another change.
CC
dbanner
Fish Herder
Water is usually cloudy in newly set up tanks but it should clear.
Even though a store told you your water readings are "ok", I can almost guarentee you that they are not. Nearly every store iv been to don't even mention cycling and most shockingly don't even know what it is. Most tell people just to add some supplements and leave the tank stand for a week (or sometimes a couple of days) and then you are ok to add fish... Shocking
Bacteria supplements are just a way for shops to make money and won't cycle you filter in the correct way. As you have now got the fish you are doing a fish-in cycle. So what you need to do is get hold of some household ammonia from a DIY store. Add the required amount to your tank daily and do daily 90% water changes for around 12 weeks. You will ideally need your own test kit to test your water each day through the cycle.
As an example for you my tanks are cycled and my readings are.. Ammonia 0 nitrites 0 nitrates 20 PH 8.2 (different fish prefer different Ph)
Another thing you could do is get some mature media off your LFS (local fish store) like some sponge and cut it up and put it into your filter. This will almost instantly cycle your tank. Any readings over a flat 0 of ammonia or nitrites is toxic to fish and will cause their gills to burn. This is why you need your own test kit and to do daily 90% change to keep the toxins down.
Good luck
Even though a store told you your water readings are "ok", I can almost guarentee you that they are not. Nearly every store iv been to don't even mention cycling and most shockingly don't even know what it is. Most tell people just to add some supplements and leave the tank stand for a week (or sometimes a couple of days) and then you are ok to add fish... Shocking
Bacteria supplements are just a way for shops to make money and won't cycle you filter in the correct way. As you have now got the fish you are doing a fish-in cycle. So what you need to do is get hold of some household ammonia from a DIY store. Add the required amount to your tank daily and do daily 90% water changes for around 12 weeks. You will ideally need your own test kit to test your water each day through the cycle.
As an example for you my tanks are cycled and my readings are.. Ammonia 0 nitrites 0 nitrates 20 PH 8.2 (different fish prefer different Ph)
Another thing you could do is get some mature media off your LFS (local fish store) like some sponge and cut it up and put it into your filter. This will almost instantly cycle your tank. Any readings over a flat 0 of ammonia or nitrites is toxic to fish and will cause their gills to burn. This is why you need your own test kit and to do daily 90% change to keep the toxins down.
Good luck
4seasons
Fish Crazy
That amount of fish in an uncycled 10 gallon will build toxic ammonia levels in hours, not days. If they told you that you needed bacteria supplement they probably saw ammonia and then sold you some useless crap. What you really need is a liquid based test kit like the API Master freshwater kit many of us use and check you water for yourself. You also need Seachem Prime to dechlorinate your tap water and detoxify ammonia and nitrite for a short time. A 10% water change is next to useless. If you have any ammonia or nitrite in you tank you need 75-95% water change to drop ammonia and nitrite to levels that your test kit can't read anymore. And with that many fish in that small a tank you will be doing this at least once a day for the next 2 months.Hi, welcome to the forum
How long has the tank been set up? Is your tank cycled? If so how did you cycle it?
Not sure if you know about the nitrogen cycle known as a fishless cycle? If not then there is a thread in the beginners section that explains it clearly. Please have a read if your not sure what it is and/or how it works.
Basically it is a process in which you add a source of ammonia daily to the tank (household ammonia) with the filter running as normal, then you test your water daily (an api liquid test kit is a good one to use). As you add the ammonia over time beneficial bacteria is formed inside your filter, this beneficial bacteria then breaks down the bad toxins such as ammonia and nitrites that come from fish waste, it's is then turned into nitrates (beneficial bacteria).
The other way to cycle is a fish-in cycle (this is not advised as its harmful to fish). This is where you add the fish to an unicycled tank and then doing large daily water changes everyday to keep the ammonia and nitrite levels down. These would have to be changes of around 90% every day for around 10-12 weeks.
Also your tank is waaaay too small for any Pleco unfortunately
Thanks for the information. Now I know that I started it the wrong way...
The tank has been set up for 48hrs prior to adding the fishes. I didn't know about the cycling. Yesterday I went with my son and he picked the fishes.
This morning when we woke up we noticed that the water was a little cloudy. So I got a sample and I went to petsmart to check it. They told me it was fine, but that I needed to add the bacteria supplement. So I came home, changed 10% of the water like they told me, and added the supplement. Water is still a little cludy though.
Suggestions in what to do
Now for the good news. You have got started in fishkeeping the same way that many of us have. Lot's of bad advice and fish store lies kill many fish and then people come here to figure out what happened. Start by reading up on fish-in cycle here: http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/We are glad to help out but you have a lot of study and work ahead of you to save your fish.
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