Wrongdoings

[blueflash]

This began back in December. I had just adopted my new puppy. You can imagine what comes next. I did not spend as much time with my fish and stopped caring for them. Last week, I remembered them and felt so bad about it. Yesterday I went to the store and got three cardinal tetras ( my existing fish: 1 dwarf gourami, and 4 neon tetras). I also bought frozen brine shrimp, easy balance, stress zyme, and new filters. When I got home, I did a 50 percent water change and washed all the decorations. Then, I did a filter change, put the aquasafe in, then put 5 mL of easybalance, followed by 10 mL of stress zyme. Then, I used fizz tabs (lowering ammonia and regulating ph). I also put two aquarium grasses in. I also do not have an airstone in the tank. I heard that If i have live plants, they provide enough oxygen. Did I do everything right? What else should I do and what products do you recommend for my situation? I am also confused as to when to add the chemicals, and how often and how much do I do the water changes.

 

[blueflash]

Also, I know that easy balance is not good, but I do not want to waste it, so should I just add it every water change as a supplement?

 

[fluttermoth]

In normal circumstances, you don't need to use any chemicals in a tank, except for a dechlorinator when you're water changing.

When you say you 'did a filter change', what did that entail exactly?

You don't need an airstone in the tank; they only move the water around and your filter should be doing that.

I'd suggest you have a quick read of some of the articles in the beginner's resource centre (link is in my sig) and get back to us with any questions you might have.

In general, if you understock, overfilter, do plenty of water changes and make sure you don't overfeed, things should be fine

 

[Randi]

You hadn't done anything for you fish since December? Did you test your water parameters? I do not generally add products other than dechlorinator, so I'm not sure about that. Also, I would be concerned about losing your beneficial bacteria if you completely changed the filters.

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, agree with the questions and advice of fluttermoth and randi above. My guess from the post is that this is a beginner section that you would really benefit from, first by studying some of the articles we have in the Beginners Resource Center and secondly by participating and asking various questions in your thread. There are a relatively small number of basic skills that most of our beginners leave with (or have freshened up if they've had prior experience) that make a huge difference in their fishkeeping, especially if they then keep the good habits going.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[blueflash]

thanks, I looked at everything before I asked here, but with this circumstance, should I still change 10 percent after I did a fifty percent water change? I think It might be stressful to the fish. If i don't need an airstone, does that mean I do not need a airpump. Because I heard that if you have enough vegetation, it will produce enough oxygen on its own. By changing, the filter, I mean literally changing the filter. I tried to rinse it out like I always do, but there was a lot of scum that just wouldn't come off. There is also this biological filter thingy that I never change, so I doubt all the good bacteria disappeared. And, since I now do Have all those chemicals and I do not want to waste them, when should I add them, and how much? My ammonia levels were really high(do not remember the exact number) but I added some of the stuff that took the ammonia away and it went down to 0. My ph was around 5 when i didn't change the water. After, It was around 7. The nitrate and nitrite levels are all normal now. There has been some cloudiness in the water which wasn't there this morning(at around 8). I also fed them some frozen brine shrimp but I doubt that caused the water to become cloudy. Is it going through a mini cycle?

 

[waterdrop]

The reason ammonia and nitrite need to be controlled via a working biofilter (2 species of bacteria that have established themselves to the right colony sizes) is that chemical control can run out on you suddenly, doing harm to the fish before you happen to detect it and change water.

The very first thing that needs to be established is how you are testing. Let the members know the exact type of test kits you are using (you need to be using a good liquid-reagent based test kit - paper strips are worse than useless, they are misleading.) Once the members feel good about your testing, or have helped you get that going in the right direction, then the next thing will be understanding how to recognize the situations that cause damage and stress to the fish. You are potentially in a fish-in cycling situation and need to understand how to deal with that. Other things can come later.

Fluttermoth and some of the other members checking in more frequently will help.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[marieukxx]

Not being funny but I have 3 dogs one is blind and deaf and I manage to care fr all of them and my fish. You can't just push one thing aside when you get something new.

 

[This Old Spouse]

We don't even know how big your tank is. If it's fairly large you can probably get away with less care if the parameters were spot on, but no care since December ?? Yikes. Poor fish. Keep us posted on how things are in a few days.

 

[StandbySetting]

By no care what do you mean? No feeding, or no water changes? No water changes for 3 months is no biggie on an established system.

 

[blueflash]

I fed them 3 times a week, or my sister would feed them, so they were still all plump and such. I have changed the water twice and rinsed out the filter once(by the way, I have a carbon filter). I have a 10 gallon tank. I used this http/www.aquariumpharm.com/Products/Product.aspx?ProductID=212
for my testing. So, is it going through a whole cycle or just a mini cycle? And the water parameters are still the same. Then why is the water still cloudy. In my tank I have a piece of driftwood, a shell ornament, a no fishing sign, and a lighthouse ornament. I also have two variagated japaneses dwarf rushes in my tank. I am planning to get some more plants this afternoon, most likely three or four. If I have that many plants, do i still need an air pump?

 

[fluttermoth]

You're probably having a mini-cycle; there will have been bacteria living in the bit of the filter you threw away even though it wasn't the bio-filter.

It's just a case of checking the water frequently and changing as neccessary to keep the ammonia and nitrite at zero until the bacterial colony recovers. I'd advise you get some decent tests (ones that use liquid or tablets in a test tube) as those test strips are notoriously inaccurate.

The cloudy water is most probably a bacterial bloom and will go away with a few more water changes.

No tank needs an airstone or an air pump at all (except under special circumstances; some medications remove oxygen for instance). Plants don't add oxygen to the water; carbon dioxide leaves the water and oxygen dissolves into it at the water surface; all you need to do is ensure that your water is being moved around the tank enough, and most filters do that perfectly well.

I know you've spent money on the chemicals, but honestly, you're better off not using them. It's a very rare aquarist indeed who uses anything except a dechlorinator; it's all you need.

 

[Gelt]

ok we need to start from the top

10 gallon tank

Filter System ?

Media setup - Mechanical, bio , chemical etc?

current Tank water readings, across the board PH,Ammonia,N02,N03,Gh,Kh?

Current Tank water Temp?

Did you use declorinator when you did the water change and temp match the water?

Current Tap water readings?

when you ' did a filter change' exactly what did you do?


Do some observations on your fish, any signs of infections, finrot fungus etc?

Oh and ditch the test strips , too many variables not very accurate even though thay are API. you need a good liquid test kit more accurate and will save you cash in the long run.

These questions may seem blunt but the forum needs to know the info to help you as best they know how!
pleased to see you did the right thing and post on here


Gelt

 

[This Old Spouse]

You're probably having a mini-cycle; there will have been bacteria living in the bit of the filter you threw away even though it wasn't the bio-filter.

It's just a case of checking the water frequently and changing as neccessary to keep the ammonia and nitrite at zero until the bacterial colony recovers. I'd advise you get some decent tests (ones that use liquid or tablets in a test tube) as those test strips are notoriously inaccurate.

The cloudy water is most probably a bacterial bloom and will go away with a few more water changes.

No tank needs an airstone or an air pump at all (except under special circumstances; some medications remove oxygen for instance). Plants don't add oxygen to the water; carbon dioxide leaves the water and oxygen dissolves into it at the water surface; all you need to do is ensure that your water is being moved around the tank enough, and most filters do that perfectly well.

I know you've spent money on the chemicals, but honestly, you're better off not using them. It's a very rare aquarist indeed who uses anything except a dechlorinator; it's all you need.

Thanks, Flutter! Even though I'm not a novice, sometimes seeing all this in just plain black & white makes me feel better.

 

[blueflash]

Ok, so ditch the chems.
What about stress zyme though? I have heard very good things about it.