troubles

[nero]

Hi guys,
I know most of this has been gone over in the forums, but I would like to see if anyone can help me...
I got a tank a while ago....left it for 10days (as advised by LFS...along with some biostarter stuff..) and then added 7 cardinals to cycle it. They lasted about 5 days. There are now 2 left. I had read up about cycling on the net. BUT my LFS had "neglected" to tell me that cardinals require a lower pH. And it seems that mine was around 7.6 or somthing. So i ASSUME that is what killed the poor things. Has anyone else had pH kill cardinals? Of course they then wanted to sell me 50bucks worth of stuff to correct the pH...but I remembered seeing somthing about this being BAD on the net.
SO: I got some zebra danios instead, and they seem MUCH happier. so far.

So I guess I am wondering if I have to give up on cardinals altogether, what is the best way to keep the zebras alive now and also if I should be trusting my LFS at all.

Thanks!

 

[rollntider]

cardinals do like a lower ph, but cards arent the hardiest fish to cycle with. Ammonia gets them quicker than ph would.
#1 mistake cycling with a fish that isnt that hardy
#2 7 is a bit much to start with if you were CYCLING WITH ANY FISH. Why not buy a feeder guppy and cycle with it? If you must put a fish through the torture of cycling , at least do it with a fish that is 10 cents each, instead of one that costs money.
#3 Fishless cycling is much better and will allow you a more established tank.
Yes you got bad advice. Go buy some cycle, bio spira or the like and help your bio filter along.
Yes the PH was high but more than likely the Ammonia was what got them.

 

[nero]

Hmm,
of course I agree now... Its very hard to get good advice.
But she did test the ammonia for me, and said it looked fine?
Thanks for the advice!

 

[jams.alaskan]

Hi Nero, cardinals are a very pretty fish and are a good indication of a very healthy tank. *If they are alive - you must be doing something very right* (I would only put them in something up and running smoothly for quite a while). Not a fish I would cycle with. Danios are tough little guys as guppies are too... But for cycling I would go with very few...
Best of luck.

ALASKA

 

[greathat]

i cycled with a couple of cherry barbs. they dont seem to mind much and are pretty

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Cardinals should really be added to only a well established tank that's been running for 6 months or more.

I am not sure about the ph thing, I imagine that although they may thrive more at a different ph your ph was fine for them. I have cardinals in my tank with a ph of about 7.4 and they are fine.

Also, as for amonia...there should be no amonia in a cycled tank. It will have been amonia that killed the cardinals. You should do small daily water changes and consult the pinned topic on cycling in the Beginners Section.

HTH

 

[nero]

Thankyou everyone for your help.
One Zebra died last night...
I cant BELIEVE that my fish store didnt tell me any of this, im so angry.
Fishless cycling is obviuosly the way to go, but its to late now.
one last thing:
I should have a nitrAte test kit tomorrow, how can I use this to tell me if my tank is cycling? I assume that when nitrate levels start to rise, then the tank is begining to cycle?
thanks again

 

[Angry_Platy]

LFS's don't usually bother telling people about cycling because it is too much hassle for them....I think most of them think we are stupid or something.

Your tank will be well and truly cycling when you get nitrates appearing. In addition to this, your tank willbe cycled after your ammonia and nitrites peak and go back down to zero.

Any more questiions don't hesitate to ask