Peterpiper

Was at the LFS Yesterday looking for bits and pieces for the seahorse tank.
While I was talking with the owner a little girl walked in with her mum, they had a bucket with them.
They ask the owner if he could take the fish as they had sold their tank, 3 Guppies & 3 tetras.
He looked in the bucket, and said sorry no. I looked in and could see why he said no, the water was green.
The girl went to look at the fish in the tanks and the mum asked how best to get rid of the fish..
So I took them.. spent the next 30min changing the water in the bucket with water from the tanks in the store. Got a 35lt tank kit, came with a small filter, heater, light, conditioner, gravel and flake food, and went home.
Now I know that the tank is not cycled and we have some work to do.
Think the tank is a little on the small side 35lt or 9g.. but its what I could get with what I had at the time. The tank was set up and the water treated, heated etc, and the fish added and feed.
This morning the fish looked fine. Now I fear that with all the stress that they have had that they will get sick. I will be doing water changes daily 50% and testing for ammonia and nitrites, but what else can I do to help them?
Its been a long time since I have kept any fresh water fish and this is not the way I would have preferred to start.

Shawnie

what a great story...get some prime and just continue with the daily water changes...they will be fine the prime will neutralize the ammonia and make it non toxic for 24 hours until your next change but still keeps the ammonia available for the cycle

MeGustaUnaPez926

Good for you! Do you have any other freshwater tanks that you could get some filter media out of to help jump start the cycling? Or could you take some gravel from another tank to get some nice bacteria in there. If you only have salt water though I guess that won't happen. It seems to me you're doing pretty much all you can. I'd try and get a bigger tank though because the guppies are probably gonna reproduce. However, you have the knowledge that you did the humane thing. Lots of people would have simply let stood there and let those fish get flushed. Congrats!

Plecolover12

Well, I am glad you took them! I would take them as well if I had the room. But I have a ten gallon tank and I am keeping a blue gourami. Cycling your tank is important but I have my tank and my blue gourami has survived 2 days and 1 night in my uncycled tank. I hope the fish survive.

MeGustaUnaPez926

Plecolover12, you give all this good advice in your signature, why don't you follow it? Seems odd to me. And just because the fish is alive doesn't mean its healthy or happy.

Plecolover12

Well, I just want to help new aquarists and remind other people. I did not know that but I guess I can just see if it has ammonia poisoning. I am at least happy it is alive. Thanks for the reminder.

-Plecolover12

Peterpiper

Ok, I have not seen Prime for sale over here, yesterday I got some "Sera Toxivec" but I dont know if it lets the bacteria still have the ammonia or not.
If anyone can tell me of a product that is ok to use, that I can get in Australia that would be a help.
How many times have I posted and said to people to get some filter media from a cycled filter and add it to their filter? and thats the 1 thing I didnt do yesterday. LOL
just done a little reseach on the guppies and it looks like we have 2 males and 1 female, so yer, think that may be an issue with fry and tanks and MTS!!!!
1 good thing was that the owner of the LFS let me change the water in the bucket, then gave me 25% off what I bought. And I could see why he did'nt want to put the fish in his system.

Shawnie

hmm prime can be ordered from dr foster n smith ....links at the top of the page..Im pretty sure they ship internationally....or maybe you can find some stress coat + ..that does the same thing..im not sure about the sera toxivec..because you want to neutralize the ammon but not keep it from the cycle process....you may have mts sooner than later...2m to 1f may get really agressive in nature especially onece you get them feeling better .....goodluck!

Peterpiper

Ok just found this, and it looks its what I need
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Ammo-Lock 2
http://www.aquaticlifeaquariums.com.au/index1.html

Shawnie

noooooooo LOL that will lock up the ammonia....no good for the cycle....want me to see if i can find some tomorrow at our LFS? ill gladly mail it to you! ?

Peterpiper

Thank for the offer, but I am sure this will be ok.... I hope
Taken from the site:
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Ammo-Lock 2
Instantly detoxifies ammonia

Detoxifies ammonia produced by fish waste
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water
Eliminates ammonia stress and protects healthy gill function
Ammonia in any aquarium is the number one killer of tropical fish. Just 5ml of Ammo-Lock 2 will instantly detoxify 3.0 PPM of amminia, and remove 4.0ppm of chlorine or 2.0ppm of chloramine in 37 litres of water. Ammo-Lock 2 does not remove ammonia, it simply converts ammonia to a non-toxic form. Ammonia test kits will still test positive for ammonia even though it is non-toxic.The biological filter will then consume the non-toxic ammonia, converting it to nitrite then nitrate.

Use 5ml per 37 litres of aquarium water.

!

Shawnie

yes it does do what that says.....but it doesnt keep the ammonia avail for the cycle to process...it locks it up ..where as prime and stress coat + does the same thing, but keeps it avail to still continue the cycleing process...

Peterpiper

"you may have mts sooner than later...2m to 1f may get really agressive in nature"
Ok, so if they start getting agro, do I add another female?
Er,,,, that would also mean more FRY! AND MORE TANKS! LOL
Will be getting another filter and bacteria after work and start cycling it with ammonia.

Peterpiper

Ammo-Lock 2 does not remove ammonia, it simply converts ammonia to a non-toxic form. Ammonia test kits will still test positive for ammonia even though it is non-toxic.The biological filter will then consume the non-toxic ammonia, converting it to nitrite then nitrate.

Shawnie

if you cant take any back which is how you got them to begin with, the ratio is 1m to 2f....so seeing how u got 2m already, id say you need 3 more fem...but in the 9 gal that would be pushing it a bit....so just keep an eye out MTS is on the rise everywhere!! I just stocked a 29gal livebearer tank..we are nuts LOL


it DOES NOT do that so unless it was reformulated, which it will say that im sure on the bottle, and im not aware that ours is over here, I wouldnt use it ....but thats my opinion ..im sure others will chime in about that ..

Peterpiper

LOL, Ok am I going nuts
Just found this one, is it the same as the one you have
PS, please say yes, as I just phoned a LFS that has it in stock!
http://www.aquariumsuppliesaustralia...t_detail&p=771

Lucy

Great save Pete!
I bet the little girl is at home happy to know her fish went to a good home even if you are a salty. :P

Shawnie's right, avoid the ammo lock, it won't allow your tank to cycle.
Prime, Stress Coat+ and Amquel will detoxify the ammonia for 24hrs.

Good luck and welcome back to Fresh water.

Edit: Dang, I type slow. Ya'll had this whole conversation while I was typing. LOL
If I haven't been ninja'd again, that's the right stuff by Seachem.

Shawnie

THATS ITTTTTTTT

CHoffman

Good job taking the fish!!!...That is awesome that your able and willing to do that. Poor things won't know what to think being in a clean tank..lol.

Peterpiper

Thank you ladies

So now, the plan to move forward:
Today- Pick up Prime, filter and bacteria. ( and see if I can get some media from a cycled filter ).
Get home and do 50% WC and add prime ( prime add when preping water ).
Start cycling new filter in a tub using the ammonia method ( add bacteria ).
Now with the guppies, If I got another tank and added 3 more females would that stop the males fighting?
Or should I leave 1m & 2f in 1 tank and the same in the tank with the neons?
Who said SW was easer than FW?

Shawnie

what do you mean "bacteria"?

yes on the 50% water change with the prime added to the new water ....1m for every 2-3 fems is great...so depending on your tank size, that is a good ratio for them to be not as agressive and nippy to one another....

Peterpiper

Bacteria in a bottle, I use it to jump start all my cycles.
But you need to find the right one as they are different for SW and FW, plus it must be the right type of bacteria.
Just finished the cycle on the sump for the seahorse tank and I think it took less than 4 weeks, 5ppm ammonia down to 0 ammonia 0 nitrite in 12 hrs.

Shawnie

ahhhhh ok well I got confused with the ammonia method and adding bacteria...in fw, the only instant bacteria is tetra safestart or bio spira....most countries have stopped the bio spira and safestart is its replacement.... ...if you can find the tetrasafestart, just pour it in the tank with your fish..the ammonia from the fish will cycle the tank ...

Peterpiper

Got home and we have lost 2 of the neons

Matt

That is so sad. I am sorry to hear that Pete. The first water conditioner you suggested (i think it was Ammo-Lock 2?) i use it and it is very good and doesnt lock the ammonia. I also live in perth therefore our products would be the same because there is only 1 type of water conditioner from API here in Perth. Your fish will be fine just keep up your water changes.

-Matt

Shawnie

matt it DOES lock up the ammonia....and does NOT work when cycleing a tank