So Confused

[Sbatty]

Good afternoon all.

Please can someone help me, as I am so confused about my nice new fishy tank.

I bought a 54l tank on sunday, added all the gravel, the water conditioner and the bacterial start. Tuesday I then added three live plants to help kick start my tank. We did a water test, pH was a little low ~6, ammonia was <0.25mg/l as was the nitrite (don't that a test for nitrate).

I am an impatient person and knew that Danios were hardy fish, so on wednesday I bought two.

What confuses me is all this talk of cycling. I have read a couple of posts in this forum and I am still very confused. Should I be changing a portion of water every day if the water tests remain at these levels?

This fish seem happy, swimming around, chasing each other and then resting in the little rock thingy I have. Should I just test the water and take it from there?

Please help I am SO confused. (This is the first tropical tank I have had, but I do have a pond)

Thanks in advance

Sarah

 

[ninjacheesefish]

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

Look at the link above. Its got a section on cycling, take a look on there.
As you have bought fish already you will want to go for a fish-in cycle which is where you build up the bacteria in the filter through the break down of the fish waste and excess food.

Basically once your finished cycling you will want to aim for:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = less than 50 ppm

Both Nitrite and Ammonia are posionous to fish in high levels.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Have a look in the Beginners Resource Centre for some good info on things like cycling... http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/277264-beginners-resource-center/

From the info you have given, you are "fish in cycling" and this will mean more hard work for you over the coming months, as your filter is going to take time to be populated with bacteria that process the toxic ammonia and after some time nitrite. The toxicity of these two chemicals does vary with temperature and pH, but basically whenever you get 0.25mg/l readings of either, it is in your interest and the fishes to act by doing a large water change with similar temp dechlorinated water.

I live in an area with hard alkaline water, so whenever I see 0.25mg/l readings, I turn off the filter and heater (to let it cool for at least 10 minutes) before removing all but enough water to still cover the fish at the bottom of the tank. When practical, I sometimes stagger refilling the tank over the course of a few hours and turn the filter back on once the intake strainer is below water, to try and give my fish a little more time to adjust to what is almost completely new water for them (just my routine, no real basis on this, others will completely refill the tank ASAP).

Are your Danios Zebra or Leopard Danios? If so, they are sub-tropical fish, that will do well in most places with a heaterless tank (as long as it does not fall much below 18C). This cooler temp will also buy them a little more time for you to react to bad water test readings, as cooler water is less toxic as far as ammonia goes. This species is very hyperactive for a small fish and need surprisingly long tanks, ideally at least 3-foot long. They are a schoaling fish, which are known to be fiesty in small numbers, but they become quite social in 6+ groups.

 

[Sbatty]

Thank for the reply. I will have a look through it. I did read the post Arrrggghhhh What's Cycling, New Tank And I've Already Got Fish and was still a little confused, but I'm sure it'll sink in eventually.

I knew it was going to be tough getting a tropical fish tank but I didn't think I would be this confused! So many different places say so many different things

 

[Sbatty]

...

Are your Danios Zebra or Leopard Danios? If so, they are sub-tropical fish, that will do well in most places with a heaterless tank (as long as it does not fall much below 18C). This cooler temp will also buy them a little more time for you to react to bad water test readings, as cooler water is less toxic as far as ammonia goes. This species is very hyperactive for a small fish and need surprisingly long tanks, ideally at least 3-foot long. They are a schoaling fish, which are known to be fiesty in small numbers, but they become quite social in 6+ groups.

I just read that danios prefer cooler temps and bigger tanks than I have, but you learn by your mistakes and I have made one in getting these for a smaller tank and for a warmer tank...They are Zebra danios (or at least that's what the pet shop said).

I will be doing a water change tomorrow so will try changing about 50%. Would it be best to reduce the temperature in the tank to 18°C-20°C? Eventually I would like tetra's and gumpies (again else where I had read you could keep these three fish together )

 

[Sbatty]

Also I have been looking at getting a better testing kit (I have been naught and used the one for our pond, it did say fresh water...) any particular one I should go for?

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Also I have been looking at getting a better testing kit (I have been naught and used the one for our pond, it did say fresh water...) any particular one I should go for?

API Master Test Kit, £30 in your LFS but can be found for under 20 on Ebay and such.

Terry.

 

[Sbatty]

Ok so decided to reduce the tank temp to 20°C for the time being.

Going out to buy a testing kit tomorrow along with a few other things that I have realised I need to do my water change.

Might get a couple more danios just so there is a little school of them to stop them attacking each other although not sure if we have an ill fish. So we are keeping an eye on it.

Also might pop to the library and get a couple of books.

 

[The Taffy Apple]

Don't bother getting anymore fish until you can prove what your water results are (both Ammonia and NitrIte). Seriously, it will only make things harder for you.
Save your money you would spend on books and get the API Master Test Kit... all of the information you will ever need can be found on here in this very forum.
Be patient, be ready to perform many water changes but follow the advice you can find on here.
Good luck...

Terry.

 

[Aqua Tom]

Might get a couple more danios just so there is a little school of them to stop them attacking each other although not sure if we have an ill fish. So we are keeping an eye on it.

Bad idea, more fish = more ammonia = more fish deaths.


Tom

 

[Sbatty]

Don't bother getting anymore fish until you can prove what your water results are (both Ammonia and NitrIte). Seriously, it will only make things harder for you.
Save your money you would spend on books and get the API Master Test Kit... all of the information you will ever need can be found on here in this very forum.
Be patient, be ready to perform many water changes but follow the advice you can find on here.
Good luck...

Terry.

API kit bought yesterday even got £5 off as internet site was cheaper than shop so asked if they could match. Wasn't going to buy any books, just borrow them from the local library.
Tested last night:
pH was ok
Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate ~80ppm
Didn't have time to do a water change last night so did one this morning. Did about 50% and will test again this afternoon. My two little danios seem to be doing fine at the minute although knowing the very high nitrate yesterday, I did expect them to be dead this morning.

 

[Sbatty]

Might get a couple more danios just so there is a little school of them to stop them attacking each other although not sure if we have an ill fish. So we are keeping an eye on it.

Bad idea, more fish = more ammonia = more fish deaths.


Tom

True true, you'd think I'd have thought that really...

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Don't bother getting anymore fish until you can prove what your water results are (both Ammonia and NitrIte). Seriously, it will only make things harder for you.
Save your money you would spend on books and get the API Master Test Kit... all of the information you will ever need can be found on here in this very forum.
Be patient, be ready to perform many water changes but follow the advice you can find on here.
Good luck...

Terry.

API kit bought yesterday even got £5 off as internet site was cheaper than shop so asked if they could match. Wasn't going to buy any books, just borrow them from the local library.
Tested last night:
pH was ok
Ammonia 0.25ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate ~80ppm
Didn't have time to do a water change last night so did one this morning. Did about 50% and will test again this afternoon. My two little danios seem to be doing fine at the minute although knowing the very high nitrate yesterday, I did expect them to be dead this morning.

80ppm nitrate is nothing to worry about, your tap water could easily contain 50ppm (mine does at times, usually nearer 40 though) and it is only when it approaches ~300 you should worry.

The biggest issue I see with those readings is the 0.25mg/l ammonia, if you lived in a hard water area like me where the tap water is gH 14; kH 11; pH 8-8.2, the amount of free ammonia (rather than ammonium) will be higher and therefore more of a danger to the fish. The 50% water change should half the ammonia reading, which is not a critical concern if ammonia now stabilises in your tank, but if it starts creeping up again (which is likely in a fish-in cycle) it will quickly reach toxic levels again.

I've been doing water changes on some my tanks during the morning, doing a quick water test beforehand to see where things were. My 240l gave a nice bright yellow ammonia result (so zero or very close to it), so it got a standard 50% water change. However, my 140l gave an ammonia test result of light green, somewhere in the 0.25-0.50mg/l ballpark, so I literally removed all but enough water to still cover the fish i.e. ~95% water change.

 

[Sbatty]

80ppm nitrate is nothing to worry about, your tap water could easily contain 50ppm (mine does at times, usually nearer 40 though) and it is only when it approaches ~300 you should worry.

The biggest issue I see with those readings is the 0.25mg/l ammonia, if you lived in a hard water area like me where the tap water is gH 14; kH 11; pH 8-8.2, the amount of free ammonia (rather than ammonium) will be higher and therefore more of a danger to the fish. The 50% water change should half the ammonia reading, which is not a critical concern if ammonia now stabilises in your tank, but if it starts creeping up again (which is likely in a fish-in cycle) it will quickly reach toxic levels again.

I've been doing water changes on some my tanks during the morning, doing a quick water test beforehand to see where things were. My 240l gave a nice bright yellow ammonia result (so zero or very close to it), so it got a standard 50% water change. However, my 140l gave an ammonia test result of light green, somewhere in the 0.25-0.50mg/l ballpark, so I literally removed all but enough water to still cover the fish i.e. ~95% water change.

I keep getting my nitrate and nitrite mixed up...

I live in hard water area, so will keep checking my ammonia and do water changes as I need them

Thanks for all the advice .