Newbie - Just A Few Questions Please :-)

[Indylou]

Hi everyone

We are new to aquarium keeping and was hoping for a little advice please.

We started out at New Years with a 20 litre tank which we were told we could add fish after 3 days (pets at home )
Unfortunately we didn't know otherwise and added 4 Harlequin Rasboras. We started researching, luckily, and managed to get them through the cycle. After lots of reading we realised that the tank was too small and it would be better to get a bigger tank. We upgraded to a Jewel trigon 190, which has a Eheim 2213 filter.
Once we were sure the little tank was stable we swapped everything to the big tank, including the little filter, decorations and gravel which we placed in mesh bags as we were using different gravel.

The tank stayed like that for 2 weeks and in the meantime have added 4 more Harlequins and a beautiful male Betta. They seem happy together, Betta swims happily around bottom and middle, while sometimes going to top and Harlequins swim around top and middle, never seeming to notice the Betta.
We have just sold the small tank which meant we have had to remove the small filter and the bags of old gravel.

I have kept in the old decorations and a small bag of gravel from the small tank and also added some new rock decorations (plastic).
My current readings for my big tank are: Ammonia 0.0 Nitrite 0.0 Nitrate 10
The P.H seems a little high but has always been 8.2.

What I would like to know;

Should I be trying to lower my P.H?

Is my Eheim filter enough for the tank?

Is my big tank likely to start a cycle seeing as I had to remove my old filter and most of the gravel?

How many fish would be happy in our size tank?

Would cardinal tetras or cherry barbs be suitable with our fish?

Thank you so much, sorry if I waffled

 

[BigbruiserAl]

Hi everyone Hi and welcome
What I would like to know;

Should I be trying to lower my P.H? Nope dont touch it

Is my Eheim filter enough for the tank? up to 250ltr did you read the box

How many fish would be happy in our size tank? a fair few

Would cardinal tetras or cherry barbs be suitable with our fish? Yep there fine

Thank you so much, sorry if I waffled

 

[Steve H.]

Did you keep the media out of the smaller filter, and add it to your new filter?

If you did you shouldn't have to worry, but if the bacteria filled media went along with the old filter then you can expect to have to cycle the new filter.

Am I reading that right? You were running the small filter and the E on the new tank at the same time?

 

[Miles_hot]

As the others suggest I would combine the new and old media (all the old and some of the new) into one filter when you go down to 1 filter. Apart from that you should be fine but I'd be doing daily water checks to be sure (twice daily if you're paranoid!).
Miles

 

[CezzaXV]

What the others have said is correct.

The reason you don't want to touch the pH is that a stable pH is much more beneficial to fish than what is considered to be a correct one.

 

[Indylou]

Hi,
Thank you for your replies.

I was running the old filter for two weeks in the new tank but that has been sold now. I didn't know about putting some media into the new filter.

I have another huge problem that is worrying me. I have just noticed that my beautiful male betta is not swimming around much and his fins are looking thin and shredded on the ends.

I have looked it up and it looks like fin rot but I have been keeping a close eye on my water and yesterday it was;

Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 15 P.H 8.2
Temperature 26c

I don't want to lose him

 

[Steve H.]

Water change stat!

You might need some meds, but pristine water is called for.

 

[Prime Ordeal]

Water change stat!

You might need some meds, but pristine water is called for.

Why? The water parameters are perfect, changing water isn't going to help here.

You're temperature is at the top end for a betta and turning it back to 24 might be better. Also your pH is high and would suit the Betta more at around 7.5. You could put some peat granules in the filter to do this.

 

[Steve H.]

Water change stat!

You might need some meds, but pristine water is called for.

Why? The water parameters are perfect, changing water isn't going to help here.

You're temperature is at the top end for a betta and turning it back to 24 might be better. Also your pH is high and would suit the Betta more at around 7.5. You could put some peat granules in the filter to do this.

Mis-read nitrate as nitrite. Sorry.
And although the stats are fine I would expect the tank will go through a mini cycle at minimum.
But water chemistry plays a roll in fin rot....as you pointed out.

Meant to say there...helps play a roll in relieving fin rot.

 

[Indylou]

Thanks for your help.

We did a 20% water change last night and I've just tested the water and we now have 0.25 of ammonia. Gutted.
Do you think our betta had been feeling the change in water before it showed up on my tests? I use a liquid master kit.

Also, could this be a sign we are going to go through another cycle? If so, how often and how much water to change?

I still have a bag of our old gravel in the tank, should that stay or go?

Also, does anyone know what 'stress coat' is and should I get some?

Thank you all in advance ☺

 

[Steve H.]

Unfortunately, the gravel holds only a small portion of your beneficial bacteria, and the bulk of the colony lives in the filter media. :'( plus you have only had the tank set up 2 months, so I doubt adding it will do much good.
I used to think the gravel held a lot of bacteria too, but that came from my dad...and when he was fish keeping in the '70s and '80s under gravel filters were all the rage, so that was true back then.

I would treat your tank like a fish in cycle, and act accordingly.
There are threads in the 'beginners resourse center' that can help you out.
When I was in a fish-in cycle I did a 50% w/c everyday. The NH3/4 stayed very low and diluted, and the tank cycled relatively quickly...18 days.

Not sure about your Bettas condition...not much experience there, but ammonia won't help it. So keep it as low as possible.

Maybe a local lsf will donate you a little mature filter media. That would get your cycle a boost.

Sorry...but I don't know the first thing about stress coat or what it even does...

Good Luck! Hope you get back on track quickly and easily!

 

[OldMan47]

You are doing fine so far Indylou.
As long as you take any additions of fish slowly and do not overload your filter, you will continue to have no problems.

 

[Indylou]

Thank you so much

I will water change everyday and hope my fish get through this

 

[Indylou]

I tested my water again this afternoon;
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15
Ph 8.2

We did a 50% water change and added some api stress coat.

Do you think I should take the old bag of gravel out now? Do you think it will be doing more harm than good now? I thought it would help the new tank as it came from our cycled tank.

 

[Steve H.]

I tested my water again this afternoon;
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15
Ph 8.2

We did a 50% water change and added some api stress coat.

Do you think I should take the old bag of gravel out now? Do you think it will be doing more harm than good now? I thought it would help the new tank as it came from our cycled tank.

I honestly don't think your gravel is doing much of anything....bad or good.

Stay the course with your water changes, and you will be fine. 50% is great! Do them as often as you can to keep the ammonia at .25 or better.

You are doing everything right, and will be cycled in no time!

Like I said before I don't know much about stress coat or what it even does...but that's because I'm a big cheap skate and would rather do multiple water changes that pry open my wallet.

I tested my water again this afternoon;
Ammonia 0.25
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 15
Ph 8.2

We did a 50% water change and added some api stress coat.

Do you think I should take the old bag of gravel out now? Do you think it will be doing more harm than good now? I thought it would help the new tank as it came from our cycled tank.

I honestly don't think your gravel is doing much of anything....bad or good.

Stay the course with your water changes, and you will be fine. 50% is great! Do them as often as you can to keep the ammonia at .25 or better.

You are doing everything right, and will be cycled in no time!

Like I said before I don't know much about stress coat or what it even does...but that's because I'm a big cheap skate and would rather do multiple water changes that pry open my wallet.