Alessa

btw... you really need to read about the cycle and GET THE TESTING KIT like the others said (unless youre able to walk to the fish store every single day until your cycle is over. IF you dont understand how the cycle works and cycle the tank according to the methods suggested (BioSpira or Water changes+prime...), your fishes will inevitably keep dying.
and also like someone else said, DONT PAY ATTENTION TO THE STORE PEOPLE. the most likely will not give you a correct advice, also dont rely on them for your water testing.

right now youre starting your ammonia spike... which is only the BEGINING of the cycle and unless you use (a good batch of) Biospira you will have to stick to the every day testing and 50%+ water changes and Prime until you go trough the ammonia and Nitrite spike. When they go down and nitrates go up and stay under 20 you will be finally cycled, proccess which can take SEVERAL WEEKS without biospira. Only THEN you will finally be able to relax.

let us know how it goes and good luck

withtim

Hey, i wouldnt recomend silver sharks with tetras. I have two 5 inch silver sharks and they ate all 5 of my tetras.

Fish Addict

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed that one of the main problems with this tank is its stocking amount... 2.01 inches of fish per gallon! I would work just as hard on returning as many fish as you can as getting bio-spira. I do not think the betta will be nipped, since the neons are in a big school, but it is the only agressive fish...

So all I'm saying is, once you get rid of fish, it will not only be easier now, but it will affect the tank for its life.

Evelyn1919

1: don't buy water from any fish store. it doesn't have much bacteria in it so there is no point on wasting your money that way.

2: yes, like FishAddict said your tank is overstock so maybe you should try to return as many fish as you can.

3: you NEED to keep doing 50% water changes (everyday) using a good water conditioner like other people said here there is prime and also i use the stress coat from API which is just as good.

4: you MUST get a liquid testing kit because you will need to test your water everyday. i've had my tank for now 3 months and didn't know about the cycle before i got to this forum and i'm still going through the nitrogen cycle.

5: DO NOT trust the people at you LFS. they might not be telling you the truth about anything. most of them don't know about the keeping of fish.

GOOD LUCK AND HOPE THIS HELPS.

tko187

ok guys heres an update, Yesterday my fish were fine all day till about 10pm when ichecked and the neons were a really pale colour and all huddled together at the bottom of the tank, i staright away dis a 25% water change, i conditioned water before i put it in the tank. This morning checked the fish they all seem fine again and their colour is back to normal.

This morning i went to another store who used an api master test kit, and told me as follows:

1. Ammonia 0.5ppm
2. Nitrite 0ppm
3. Nitrate 0ppm
4. Ph 7.6

The chap there Gary who has fish of his own and was very helpful indeed, he advised me to buy a product called Nutrafin waste control which i have added 6 capfuls to my tank and also a product for ammonia which is called ammo chips, i have place 18tbsn of this in a stocking for 2 days max to reduce ammonia. I also bought an api master test kit.

This is hard work man, i will test water tomorrow, he advised me not to change water till next week which confused me again?? Maybe because i have added medication and the ammo chips!!

So guys thats it for now i will keep posting daily upates to let you know how its goin, in the meantime if anyone can advise further id appreciate it!!

Thanks in advance

Lucy

I'm glad you got your own test kits. I'm not sure how the ammo chips will effect your testing or cycle....whether you'll get a true reading or not.

I don't know about Nutrafin either.

I do know that Gary has now made a sale on chemicals for your tank that can be kept in check through diligent water changes. Personally, the less chemicals I can add to my water, the better.

Calab

With 0 Nitrite and 0 Nitrate it looks like your tank hasn't got any useful bacteria in it. Definately needs a cycle... with can take 3+ weeks.

You do realize that as long as you don't have ammonia, you probably won't even start to cycle. I can't say that the Waste Control or Ammo Chips will destroy the ammonia or convert it (to ammonium) But it could be enough to keep your tank from EVER cycling.

Better off to NOT add any of that stuff and just do a 50% water change each day. Treat your water for chlorine, but don't use any conditioner that will eliminate the ammonia. It's your water changes that will take care of the excess ammonia... and later, as your tank cycles, you'll also be taking care of your nitrite. Nitrite is what you get when the ammonia bacteria are doing their job. Once you start getting nitrite, you'll get a second set of bacteria that will eventually keep the nitrite at zero. Eventually the nitrite will start changing into nitrate, which is what you want it to do.

lalynya

well at least you are doind everything you can do and you are really trying instead of just giving up...It should seem at this point everyone is telling you the same thing so I'm sure by now you got it...you'll get it just give it time

shortcut mary

Welcome TKO187! It wasn't long ago we lost several fish. The one thing I can add is our clown loaches like to play, hide in their spots...the first time I saw them on their side I freaked...then I found out this is a normal trait.

Everyone here is helpful on so many levels...plus no judgement.
Good Luck!

tko187

**** now im really really confused, ive already added this stuff, and yeah he dis say ive got no useful bacteria...........aaaaaaargh!!! He told me not to keep changing water as it is probably as harmful as not changing it!!!

What am i doing wrong shall i change the water again and when should my next test be??

Lucy

I know it's frustrating, plenty of people here have been through exactly what you're going through, so hang in there.

Are you using carbon? It will filter out any chemicals you may have added anyway.

So, maybe this was a bit of a set back, don't worry.
Just keep doing daily water changes, not doing water changes during a cycle is what is harmful to them.

Test your water right before you change it. Write down the results of the ammonia nitrites and nitrates, keep a log.


This is what is going to happen (after the chemicals have been either filtered out or decreased with water changes:
You'll see a rise in ammonia, then nitrites....these are both toxic, so keep changing the water, soon after that you'll start to show nitrates. At that point, you'll see the ammonia and nitrites number lower, eventually to 0. Your nitrates will probably be anywhere from 5-20.

The cycle is going to take weeks and hard work, but in the end, it will be worth it.

Good luck.

tko187

so should i take the ammo chips out and change water?

im just not sure anymore, i feel like im getting too many different signals, the guy in fish shop seemed like he knew what he was talking about, and told me not to do any water changes.

So should i do a water change today or shall i not, he says there is no bacteria in tank so doing a water change will set it back even more.............................................p ls someone help before i give in to this, i used to have tropical fish way back and never remember all these problems.

Alessa

Look, ammonia is produced by fish waste and it is what the bacteria need to start the cycle. but it happens that its ALSO HARMFUL TO FISH. when you do a 50%+ water change youre taking out enough ammonia to protect your fish from dying but youre also leaving some for the beneficial bacteria to grow in the walls, rocks and decoration of the aquarium... once enough of the beneficial bacteria are present ammonia will start going down by itself (thanks to the bacteria) and then Nitrites will go up (thanks to the bacteria again) Nitrites are just as harmful as ammonia is but are also necessary for more bacterial colonies to grow. When nitrites start going down by themselves (again keep doing 50%+ water changes to protect your fish BUT LEAVING ENOUGH FOR THE BACTERIA TO EAT) NitraTES will go up. The last are not as harmful as the others and as loong as they stay at low levels and you do weekly maintenance (20% weekly changes) the tank will be fine.

In synthesis... the same things (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) that hurt your fish are the ones necessary for the bacteria to grow... if you add ammo chips you are just taking the food away from the bacteria and they WILL NOT GROW thus NEVER CYCLING YOUR TANK.

you should just get the biospira. you use it and then you wont have to go trough all this...

the guy at the fish store does not know what he is saying. The beneficial bacteria live in the walls and decorations of the aquarium... (like it was already mentioned) not in the water.

btw, test daily, 50% water change daily as well.

Edit: and no. No matter how convincing they sound 90% of the time people at the pet stores DO NOT KNOW what they are talking about.

angelfish220

The ammo chips are preventing the cycle from happening more than likely

Lucy

I'm sorry, I really don't know what to advise about the ammo chips. I just don't have experience with it.

It's a catch 22 in order to grow bacteria, you need ammonia, which in turn can harm your fish.
In time your aquarium establishes enough bacteria to process the ammonia quickly.

You might want to start a thread with the title ammo chips, maybe someone who has experience with it will see it and be able to help.

Don't give up, really, cycling is the hardest part.

Edit: I see alessa1235 and angelfish220 have answered before I did, with good advice.

Annabelle

Everyone is advising you on the same method because it is the tried and tested and proved method around here. I dont know about the ammo chips, it could be that the man at the shop told you to stop doing so many water changes because the ammo chips remove so much ammonia that you need a week to build up useful ammounts for your bacteria to grow. Now that you have your own test kit you can do daily checks on your levels and do water changes when the ammonia gets too high, possibly ne thing above 0.5ppm though im not sure on that so if ne one can give a better level to try and maintain that would be great.

Its a fine line to walk but you are doing great so far. Just hang in there!

lalynya

yes change the water just dont vacume in the gravel....that way you can have water with less ammonia but still leave the bacteria that is growing undisturbed..the guy at the shop doesn't know what he's talking about

tko187

Thanks guys for all your help, here tank pics anyway, hope you like them and i hope i can save my fishies!!

check my link!!

Hi new 50g tank Check it out and pls comment!