New Tank - Please Help

[dwarfgourami]

Thanks for that.
This is an excellent web site full of really knowledgable people - shame you lot dont work in the pet shops!!

Some do- I only wish they worked near me!

 

[New to fish]

Hi

Fish seem happy - feeding and swimming well.

Tested the water:

Nitrite 0.5
Ammonia 0
PH 8.

Should I do any thing about my PH?

 

[Bloo]

Great stuff. Nope don't worry about your pH. Granted it's high, most fish happily adapt and chances are it's similar at your lfs. If you can a piece of wood to the tank, it will help lower the pH over time.

 

[New to fish]

Thanks again.

If my water levels stay as they are am I ok to add more fish next weekend?
Fancy going for either some Tetras or pygmy corys (as previously recommended).

 

[lljdma06]

Thanks again.

If my water levels stay as they are am I ok to add more fish next weekend?
Fancy going for either some Tetras or pygmy corys (as previously recommended).

No, your tank is too small for either really. Sadly, you are almost done with your stocking. Have you sexed your platies yet? There are three fins underneath the fish, two ventral fins which are next to each other and the anal fin which is right behind. In platies, this is easy to spot as they are very smart and are always held out if the fish is healthy. The anal fin shows the differences between the sexes. If the anal fish is shaped like a triangle and it is spread, you have a female. Now, if the anal fish is shaped like a rod or a lance, you have a male. In livebearers this fin has been modified to form a gonapodium which is the method by which males deposit sperm into the females. Sorry for getting a little raunchy, but you get the idea. Now go sex your platies.

If one has a gonapodium and one doesn't, you have a male and a female and you need another female

If both have a gonapodium, then you really should either exchange one for a female and get another female, or get one more male. But if you're really going to have all males, you need at least 5 and your tank is too small for that.

If you have two females, then you can get either another female or a male.

Really, you have enough total tank room for a trio of platies and possibly a few shrimp and that's it. For a 7.5g this should really be enough and it will be a very charming little tank. You will, however, have to get rid of any fry that you may have, and unless you have all males, YOU WILL GET FRY! Female platies drop every 28 days or so, and can drop over 20 fry. So that is why platies are not suitable for small tanks, because you may start with three, but end up with 20 or more!

In addition, because your system is very small, you will have to be diligent with water changes. Platies are pretty big poopers, not compared to a plec or a goldfish, but they are pretty messy. I really recommend 25% water changes weekly. Also remember that because your system is so small, it will also be less stable. I wouldn't add any fish for quite a while. Perhaps in a few weeks, you can add another platy, and then after a few more weeks you can add a few shrimp. This is probably not what you wanted to hear, but I really don't sugarcoat, and you seem to be taking advice rather well.

Enjoy your new hobby. It will become addicting.

 

[New to fish]

Get addictive - It already has.

Thanks for advice.

I have two females - the shop sexed them and I have check too.

Water levels are still good: Nitrite 0.5
Ammonia 0
But PH still 8

Have checked my tap water and the pH of that is 7.4. - so going to buy some bog wood as suggested.

I unuderstand I have to be patient before adding more fish (but it is hard!)


Do not fancy having fry and killing them So can I add another female palty or is there any other kind of fish I could have?

Are shrimp fish?? or are they the type that you find in a pawn salad???

 

[Bloo]

Shrimp are soooo cool But the do not tolerate any ammonia or nitrite whatsoever, so you can only add them only you are 100% sure that your tank is fully cycled. So at minimum a month from now - 2 would be even better.

This is my bamboo fan shrimp

and an amano (algae) shrimp (fantastic scavengers and algae eating littl creatures)

 

[lljdma06]

Do not fancy having fry and killing them So can I add another female palty or is there any other kind of fish I could have?

If you have females, you will have fry. The virgin platy doesn't exist unless under extreme circumstances and certainly not at your LFS! If you don't want fry in the long, long, long term, I'd get another female, but wait a few weeks. Females will store sperm for as long as 5 months, so expect them to drop once a month or so until their stored sperm is used up.

 

[New to fish]

Thanks ..... but i do not think shrimp are for me - far too many legs to belong in my fish tank I think I will opt for one more female platy - I think they are a great little fish so colouful and cute. Store sperm for 5 months!!! Glad I am not a fish lol


Fish seem happy playing and swimming - have stopped riding the filter now I have raised it up to cause more surface water movement (as suggested)

But today their gills appear pink/red??

Levels : Nitrate 0.5
Ammonia 0
Ph now 8.2.

Am I still ok?

 

[ajbettle]

ill do some googling c if i can find anything about it..don worry tho

 

[Bloo]

Red Gills are usually a sign of ammonia/nitrite poisoning. Do a 20% water change each day to keep these levels down and less damanging - remember to use dechlorinator. That's the problem cycling with fish unfortunately

 

[New to fish]

You are right, reading today Nitrite 4
Ammonia 0.5
pH dropped to 7.8.

25% water change done with treated water. Nitrite after change 2.
Planning to do another change tomorrow.

These fish must be very sensative their gills became red when levels tested normal - they must have been able to detected the nitrite raise before the tests!