Oh No! One Down, Others At Risk?

[Tolak]

Get a water conditioner that takes care of ammonia as well as chlorine & chloramine. Most water supplies have chloramine in it, which is made of chlorine & ammonia. Stress Coat will take care of chlorine & chloramine, leaving you with ammonia. While this can often be dealt with in a mature tank with the established nitrifying bacteria, it can cause ammo spikes in a newer or cycling tank.

Gasping is caused by nitrite. Nitrite inhibit a fish's blood cells from carrying O2. If you can get Prime, a water conditioner made by Seachem, it will help with the ammonia and nitrite levels.

 

[Liquidshokk]

Get a water conditioner that takes care of ammonia as well as chlorine & chloramine. Most water supplies have chloramine in it, which is made of chlorine & ammonia. Stress Coat will take care of chlorine & chloramine, leaving you with ammonia. While this can often be dealt with in a mature tank with the established nitrifying bacteria, it can cause ammo spikes in a newer or cycling tank.

Gasping is caused by nitrite. Nitrite inhibit a fish's blood cells from carrying O2. If you can get Prime, a water conditioner made by Seachem, it will help with the ammonia and nitrite levels.

I use stress zyme aswell, im guessing this wont tackle amonia either then.... Im pretty sure stress coat says it tackles amonia too...maybe not....

as for water stats, i will test again tonight as i am going to carry out a 10% water change daily for a while so will report back....

I dont hold much hope for the other barb today.... he was at the surface gasping for oxygen this morning....i swished the water against the sides which created bubbles which he seemed to like and when i left for work he had gone back to the lower parts of the tank..... I wont get my hopes up about him being alive tonight though....if he is then hopefully the air pump im going to buy today will save the poor chap....

 

[KathyM]

The fish you lost is a Denison/Red Torpedo Barb (although you prolly knew that considering the photo is taken from Practical Fishkeeping).

Not suitable for your tank size, they grow big and like to shoal.

 

[heatmisr]

Using Prime, Amquel+ or StressZyme in a cycling tank just slows down the cycle. You are removing ammonia, nitrites and nitrates which are needed to complete the cycle. The best way to control the ammonia and nitrites is to do daily water changes. I noticed you are only changing watetr once a week. That is not enough if the tank is not cycled. While cycling, you will need to do daily water changes. Also pick up an API Master Test Kit, the liquid test kit, if you haven't already. You will need to test the water parameters almost daily and the test strips are not reliable. They will give false readings.

As far as the air pump goes, I don't know if it was ever clarified, but the air pump does not replace the filter pump. It is in addition to the filter pump. You will purchase the air pump, air tubing, airstone, gang valve and a back up flow valve. I am not sure which brand pump you researched, but I have a Whisper air pump that is pretty quiet and I have been told that the Rena air pumps are very quiet also.

 

[Liquidshokk]

Well I only have one barb now, surely it will be ok to keep him in the tank despite it only being 96 litres? will he be ok on his own??

Today i have bought some nutrafin CYCLE treatment which im told tackles nitrate, nitrite and ammonia and is really good when cycling the tank. which contradicts what you say about these being needed in the tank during cycling!!!?? should i be using this?? if so should it replace stress zyme?
I am going to start doing 10% water changes for a while until the tank is cycled as advised and i already have the liquid test kits and have been using them at each water change. i didnt think of using the strips as i guessed they wouldnt be as acurate...

I also purchased an air pump, airstone, air tubing, a valve for controlling flow and a part for stopping the water from going back in an outage, is this the gang valve???

The airpump is by tetra someone or other i believe and is supposed to be really quiet....time will tell

 

[heatmisr]

I can't answer the question about the barb because I am not very familiar with them.

I have the Cycle. It is a waste of money. It does not work. I don't know if you have read any of the links regarding tank cycling, but they are all intricate parts of the Nitrogen Cycle. Here is the link for you to read about the cycle. It is very important to understand when starting up a new aquarium. The only thing you should be using in the water is a declorinator such as Stress Coat. You do not want to use anything that will neutralize the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates until after the tank cycles.

The gang valve is the valve that controls the flow. You have everything. You have the Whisper pump. It is called Tetra Whisper Air Pump. It is quiet.

Here's the link:

Nitrogen Cycle

 

[WILDER]

I agree the gang valve alters the flow you can turn it up and down.
Always wise to have a back flow valve that why I said get one.
Hows the fish now with the airpump going are they playing in the bubbles.

 

[Liquidshokk]

Thanks, its a realief to know i have a complete aquarium now and that the fish have half a chance!!

Cant believe the shop didnt make me buy an air pump and made me buy stress zyme if it shouldnt be used early on.....

The good news is that the barb is still alive!! Was a big relief as it was on my mind all day.... To be honest though, he still looks like he is trying to get out all the time and occasionally swims into the powerhead flow (is this because they are used to fast flowing rivers etc??? or again looking for oxygen?)

As its been said, the tank is not big enough for the barbs and he is not in a shoal so i wonder whether he is ever going to be happy

The air filter works well, I have attached it to an airstone which is positioned in the gravel in the centre of the tank... The fish havent swam in it once to be honest which is surprising....i would have thought the barb would have been straight in it for oxygen...

Stupid question but it will oxygenate the water even though the bubbles are just going straght up and out of the tank???!?! looks a bit pointless at the moment it has to be said....Also how strong should i have the flow?, I have it on a medium flow but not sure if its two high stopping the fish from swimming through the bubbles...

I have done a 10% water change and going to test the water in an hour or so...

Thanks for all the help thus far guys

 

[WILDER]

Turn it on full flow and see how the fish go with it.

 

[Liquidshokk]

Turn it on full flow and see how the fish go with it.

OK Its on full flow, theyre still no intrested though lol.... maybe it will take a while for them to build up the courage to go in the jacuzzi

 

[WILDER]

Suprised guppys are always little devils.

 

[Liquidshokk]

Suprised guppys are always little devils.

The guppies seem happy enough, bubbles just aint doin it for em today... there is only two of them though so maybe theyre still a little scared....I expect they look quite amusing when they get going though

 

[heatmisr]

Just watch them for a while and then adjust the flow based on how they handle it. It will take them a minute to adjust to the new current. You will be able to determine what is the right flow for them.

 

[Liquidshokk]

OK, an update....

The guppies still havent started swimming in the bubbles but there are a few more important issues...

1) I cannot seem to get rid of the nitrites/nitrates.. i have been doing a 10% water change EVERY day but when i test two hours or so later they still exist WHAT IS GOING WRONG?

2) The barbs colouring has faded! the red stripe has now turned a pale pink colour and he is still not happy in the tank... I spoke to the lfs today and they said that the other barb would have died because of the nirites in the water and this would be making this one stressed and stopping him from eating...he also advised putting a couple more in there once the levels have calmed down as they are shoaling fish and that a 96 litre tank will be fine for the torpedo barbs....

I havent been using anything to control the nitrites chemical wise, as advised earlier in this thread, but I have had to start using the nutrafin cycle tonight in an act of desperation to get rid of the nitrites/nitrates before the barb pops its clogs....

I am resisting the urge to feed them daily when they are all looking for food to help prevent levels rising, and just give them a pinch of food every other day....

If you could all be so kind as to give me some MORE great assistance I'd be very appreciative!

Thanks

 

[WILDER]

Thats why I don't bother doing water changes on cycling tanks as it slows it down, even doing the water changes dosn't seem to do much.
Only do a water change when fish are really stressed, best to get the cycle over as fast as you can then delay it longer.

Don't think the barb will make it to be honest.
What are your latest stats.

Some lfs will keep the fish while you cycle the tank.