New So Much Info Confused

[maria.madeline22]

hi, to everyone i am very new to having fish, i am looking up so much info that is confusing me. i had the tank from a friend without any info let it run for a week before putting fish in except i've done it all wrong from what i've read. i have read on here about cycling but now i have to do it with fish in and reading info on here has given me even more questions. i first introduced 6 platy but 1 died and now i have 3 guppy i do not intend to add anymore until i get things right now (already feeling guilty). any advice will be so welcome but even tho i do not want to add anymore fish i have seen that i need so many fish per gallon i know my tank is 48 litres so how many fish ? also i seen that a filter head should face up is this correct ? so many question can't even think of them now read to much info please please help me !

 

[fluttermoth]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum

What you're doing now is called a 'fish in cycle'. The fish produce ammonia in their wastes; this is poisonous, so until your filter is cycled (that means having a colony of good bacteria growing in it, which will eat the ammonia), you have to remove the ammonia yourself, with partial water changes.

For the moment, change 50% of the water every day. Make sure the new water is warm, and has been dechlorinated with 'tap safe' or something like that.

Then, as soon as you can buy a test kit; you need one for ammonia to start off with, and one for nitrite later. Don't buy the paper strip ones, as they're not very accurate.

You don't need an inch of fish per gallon, or 1cm of fish per two litres; those are just a guide as to how many fish you can have eventually, but you don't want to add any more fish until you've finished cycling, as more fish = more ammonia, and bigger water changes for you!

There are some great articles (the ones on 'fish in cycling' and 'the nitrogen cycle' are the most important for you right now) in our beginner's resource centre (the link is in my sig); have a read of those, and get back to us if you need more help, or if there's anything you don't understand

Oh; the filter; it does depend rather on what kind it is (internal power filter, or air driven) but usually the head can face any way, as long as it makes some ripples on the surface of the water (to get oxygen in) and isn't running 'dry' or 'swooshing' the fish about in the current.

 

[colleen0309]

Hi there, and welcome to the forum

What you're doing now is called a 'fish in cycle'. The fish produce ammonia in their wastes; this is poisonous, so until your filter is cycled (that means having a colony of good bacteria growing in it, which will eat the ammonia), you have to remove the ammonia yourself, with partial water changes.

For the moment, change 50% of the water every day. Make sure the new water is warm, and has been dechlorinated with 'tap safe' or something like that.

Then, as soon as you can buy a test kit; you need one for ammonia to start off with, and one for nitrite later. Don't buy the paper strip ones, as they're not very accurate.

You don't need an inch of fish per gallon, or 1cm of fish per two litres; those are just a guide as to how many fish you can have eventually, but you don't want to add any more fish until you've finished cycling, as more fish = more ammonia, and bigger water changes for you!

There are some great articles (the ones on 'fish in cycling' and 'the nitrogen cycle' are the most important for you right now) in our beginner's resource centre (the link is in my sig); have a read of those, and get back to us if you need more help, or if there's anything you don't understand

Oh; the filter; it does depend rather on what kind it is (internal power filter, or air driven) but usually the head can face any way, as long as it makes some ripples on the surface of the water (to get oxygen in) and isn't running 'dry' or 'swooshing' the fish about in the current.

+1. As always, good advice.
Good morning and welcome to the forum! Water changes will be your best friend for a while, but it's worth it.

 

[TropicalLad21]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[maria.madeline22]

sorry to everyone i can not seem to get the hang of forums either lol thank you all for advice i will follow the advice given and see where i end up from there so happy my fish doing well today except for some stringy poop

 

[fluttermoth]

Fair enough; best of luck, and do feel free to come back at any time

If you keep up the water changes, your fish should be fine; remember, water changes are your friend

 

[maria.madeline22]

hey i not going anywhere lol i'll keep at this i need all the help and advice i can get and thank you to all

 

[maria.madeline22]

does anyone know when i add tap safe doing a water change do i need to add the ammonia stuff as well

 

[fluttermoth]

Ammonia stuff? You only add ammonia during a fishless cycle; as you already have fish in the tank, you want to be keeping the ammonia levels as low as possible (that's why you'll be doing so many large water changes).

If it's an ammnia remover you're talking about then, no I wouldn't add any. I'm not sure they work very well, and you do need some ammonia (though it'll be too small an amount to read on a test) or your filter won't grow any bacteria; if the ammonia remover did work there wouldn't be any food for them.

 

[maria.madeline22]

oh ok it is ammonia remover and the pet shop told me to add just a drop but didnt tell me how often well by sounds of it that was a waste of money thank you for the help