Too Soon?

[nike12301]

I got four neon tetras to start my 36 gallon tank on Tuesday. Two died off within the first 12 hours. Five days later, though, te other two are just fine. Eat like crazy, swimming all over the place. Very active and comfortable looking.

Is it too soon to go back to the store tonight and get 3-4 more? Or should I wait more than five days?

 

[JenCliBee]

I got four neon tetras to start my 36 gallon tank on Tuesday. Two died off within the first 12 hours. Five days later, though, te other two are just fine. Eat like crazy, swimming all over the place. Very active and comfortable looking.

Is it too soon to go back to the store tonight and get 3-4 more? Or should I wait more than five days?

is your tank cycled? if so how longs it been running ? and how did u cycle it?

 

[pippoodle]

It's a brand new set up uncycled - from what i have read from your other posts
i would not get anymore neons YET but seeing as you are going for the fish in cycle route you need to be testing your water every day with a liquid test kit - checking for ammonia , nitrites and nitrates - if ammonia or nitrites are more than 0 - then do a 40% water change - replacing the water with dechlorinated tap water (buy products from LFS)
If nitrates go over 40 again do a water change - on all water changesd never add pure tap water to the tank and try to get the water you replace to match the temp of the tank water as near as possible

A fish that can be used for fish in cycling is white cloud mountain minnows and these will get along fine with the neons but do not get anymore neons until the tank has cycled say 6 weeks time approx

What temo are you keeping the tank at?

remember to keep up with the water changes and tests as ammonia etc are very toxic to fish

Thanks Sarah x

 

[Truck]

never buy neons for a new tank, give it time to mature, wait six months and then you can be sure of no hitches. they are sensitive fish, that are difficult to keep.

 

[ryan200L]

although u can add some other fish in the meantime! such as guppies etc that wil go nicely with the neons!

 

[Truck]

although u can add some other fish in the meantime! such as guppies etc that wil go nicely with the neons!

not until its cycled!!!

 

[nike12301]

It's a brand new set up uncycled - from what i have read from your other posts
i would not get anymore neons YET but seeing as you are going for the fish in cycle route you need to be testing your water every day with a liquid test kit - checking for ammonia , nitrites and nitrates - if ammonia or nitrites are more than 0 - then do a 40% water change - replacing the water with dechlorinated tap water (buy products from LFS)
If nitrates go over 40 again do a water change - on all water changesd never add pure tap water to the tank and try to get the water you replace to match the temp of the tank water as near as possible

I do all this. All my water is dechlorinated. I test everyday. The ammonia has been steadily around .50 and nitrates barely above 0 (maybe 10 if it even counts as a reading). PH is at 6.5. Temperature is at 78.

Does that really warrant a 40% water change? From what I know, the water parameters are fine.

Plus, the fish I have in there are thriving. They can't get enough food, they're very active and comfortable looking, never hiding.

What exactly am I supposed to be looking and waiting for? If my tank isn't okay now, what will make it ok?

Granted, I didn't test everyday when I had the sock full of rocks in the tank for a couple weeks, so I might have missed the nitrate/ammonia spikes, but from the evidence I do have, everything looks fine.

I'm deferring to you guys because I don't have at ton of experience, but the tank seems pretty stable right now to me.

So I guess I'm asking... what am I missing?

 

[Truck]

you need to test for nitrites too!, and ammonia and nitrite need to be 0! thats why you do a water change, no amount of ammonia or nitrite are acceptable

 

[nike12301]

you need to test for nitrites too!, and ammonia and nitrite need to be 0! thats why you do a water change, no amount of ammonia or nitrite are acceptable

Well, the other poster said do a 40% water change and then if the nitrates go over 40 again, do another change.

So it's not okay to have a slight tracing of nitrates now? But if I do a water change, they can go all the way up to 40 ppm before I need to address it?

Can someone clear that up for me.

Am I supposed to do a water change everytime a single nitrate shows up? That doesn't seem like it would be very healthy for the fish either.

 

[Truck]

yeh and the nitrates should be kept below 40 although theyre not toxic until about 400 ppm

 

[nike12301]

Nitrites are at .5 by the way. I forgot to mention that.

That warrants a 40% water change even though the test kit says that's a perfectly safe level?

 

[Truck]

it isnt safe, believe me, do a 70% WC now! or risk loosing fish

 

[kribensis12]

Let me this in lamens terms for ya.

Ammonia: BAD. Any amount can burn the fish.

Nitrite: BAD. Any amount can harm the fish. It goes into their blood stream and starves the body of oxygen.

Nitrate: Not that bad. Honestly, dont worry about it. As long as you do weekyl water changes, it shouldnt exceed 25 ppm.

Test kit guides aren't very good. Don't tgo by them.

 

[nike12301]

Let me this in lamens terms for ya.

Ammonia: BAD. Any amount can burn the fish.

Nitrite: BAD. Any amount can harm the fish. It goes into their blood stream and starves the body of oxygen.

Nitrate: Not that bad. Honestly, dont worry about it. As long as you do weekyl water changes, it shouldnt exceed 25 ppm.

Test kit guides aren't very good. Don't tgo by them.

Ok fine.

So in layman's terms, how exactly am I supposed to keep my nitrite and ammonia levels at zero WHILE the tank cycles?

Is that even possible?

I don't mean to be sarcastic, but everyone seems to have a different answer sometimes and then they don't all make sense when considered together.

 

[Truck]

water changes