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March 10th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| I hope I didnt ruin the tank or my boys life!
I have just joined this site and I LOVE IT!! although after reading it for the last few days, I think ive made a huge mistake and im hoping I can fix it. I bought a new tank, and although I did take alot of the water and rocks from my old tank, I did not cycle it before I put my fish in it. I had no idea what that was until I read this forum. So now im worried big time!! Im going out tomorrow to buy an amonia/ nitrate kit and im praying hard until then. In my 75 gal tank, I have two big oscars, who are as important as my children, (or as my children say, U love them more mom!) two jack dempseys, & two silver dollars. All that have grown up together except the dempseys..they are about 4 weeks old to me...I hope I havent harmed my fish but any suggestions on how to help at this stage, would be greatly appreciated. Its not like I have anywhere to put my boys to properly cycle the tank.  | 
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March 10th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| We all get so excited!  First, please don't just buy ammonia/nitrate kit if you don't have the kit for the other tests,,, API is the one I've heard used most (I use it), lasts a long time and you can test high pH, reg. pH, nitrites, ammonia, and nitrates. Second, if you can find it locally buy Bio-Spira. The only place I can find it is on the web. It can be put in even with the fish in the tank. If you go to the cycle part of the home page, I think they talk about it there. Until then, daily water changes of 25%, testing atleast a couple of times a day for the ammonia/nitrites/nitrates. If they are bad, do another water change. Remember, you are not doing a complet tank cleaning here, you want the bacteria to get the cycling done. It will take longer, with fish in it,,, I'm not sure if the Bio-Spira works as quickly with the fish already in as it does fishless. Hope this helped some. | |
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March 11th, 2008
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| | Master Of Fish Poo!
| Welcome to Fishlore.
I'd get some Prime for your water conditioner and start a schedule of 25% water changes every day or 2. This should help keep the harm from cycle toxins to a minimum. The rocks from your old tank will help the cycle too.
The fish that you have will need more than a 75g tank as they get bigger. | |
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March 11th, 2008
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| | Fish Mentor
| WELCOME TO FISHLORE! 
If at all possible find some bio-spira, it is kept in a refrigerator in any fish store that carries it, if you can't get it in your town, you can order it from www.drsfostersmith.com It will cycle your tank without worry about waiting. You should do the suggested daily water changes until you can get the bio-spira, then don't do any more for a week (follow directions on the container), then after a week you once again can do water changes, but then once a week about 25%, or when your nitrates get up to 20.
Please get an API Master test kit, it is the most reliable, and will last for hundreds of tests. You will feel much relief as soon as you know just what your tank is doing.
We love helping new members, so feel to ask lots of questions.  | |
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March 11th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| Thank you sooooooooo much everyone!! I have been doing the daily water changes since I read about cycleing on this site...Im hoping to get teh API master kit & bio-spira today at our pet store..if not ill hit everypet store today till I find them!!! | |
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March 11th, 2008
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| | Fish Addict
| From what I heard at the LFS teh other day bio-spira is on back order in a lot of places right now...and have the fish all been in the tank that you are refering to together for four weeks? | |
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March 11th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| yes they have...my oscars ive had for five years as well as the silver dollars...they have been in a 30 gallon until recently...the dempseys are about 4 weeks new to me...I know I have to go even bigger than 75, but for now, they are doing well...even tho ive had my kids for 5 years, im still a newbie in the proper care of fish...so im adoring this site..and as far as back ordered bio, im praying my store isnt one of them..we will see in a half hour or so!! | |
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March 12th, 2008
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| | Fish Addict
| I think (and as per usualy I could be wrong) If they have been in th etank allready for four weeks they should be ok...The cycle should have spiked allready..The fish help the cycle go faster? Do you have an update on this..Have you checked all your chems yet...I hope everything is going ok with this | |
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March 12th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| Hi Lalynya ...only update I have is that my 30gal is great..all cycled and fish doing well..my 75 gal had lots of amonia and yesterday, I couldnt get a hold of bio anywhere within 30 miles so I got something called cycle to use one time...The LFS did say it wasnt as good as bio, but it was better than nothing...so with a 50% water change, and cycle added yesterday, im hoping its going to do ok...Ill be doing 25% water changes starting tomorrow, and continue everyday, until I have the correct readings...alot of work but well worth it to do it correctly! Thanks for your help! | |
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March 12th, 2008
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| | Fish Addict
| Sounds like a good plan and on the right track...I hope your fish get out of it OK..I did teh same thing when I set up my tank..I knew that something needed to happen with the chemicals and I though you just had to adjust the PH. Silly me....alot of my intial fish died...I guess the water was so bad the Neons (The school fish I origanally had in the tank) started odd behaviors just from me climatizing the tank so dont feel too bad..It'll all work out..and you know more now then I did when all my fish were dying off. | |
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March 12th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| WOW so much like me..in the 5 yrs ive had my tank, ive always just kept an eye on the ph..never ever checked anything else...duh me!! im tryin to be an "educated fish owner" now tho..lotso work but very worth it! | |
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March 12th, 2008
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| | Fish Addict
| Yeah no kidding...I gues we are in teh same boat in a way...But you learn a lot on here quickly if you read through the posts..I'm really glad I found this forum. | |
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March 12th, 2008
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| | Fish Helper
| Ya this forum is great! I have learned sooo much here | |
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March 12th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| Hi!
This forum is brilliant, yeah!
May I inform you that your Bala will outgrow the 30gal, and neeeds to be kept in at least 3's. He gets around 60cm long... Best to take him back to the LFS. Also, pretty soon the angels are going to rip up mr.betta, and Mollies have a tendancy to attack poor little Bettas. The only fish bettas can live wit hare corys, otos and plecos. Can you get him a seperate 5-10gal tank?
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March 12th, 2008
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| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by HatchetHaven  Hi! Also, pretty soon the angels are going to rip up mr.Betta, and Mollies have a tendancy to attack poor little Bettas. The only fish bettas can live wit hare corys, otos and plecos. Can you get him a seperate 5-10gal tank? | With all due respect please hear me out.. The angels are a pretty agressive fish and I could see them harming the betta, Mollies I don't know enough about.
BUT... Bettas can live with much more that just corys, ottos and plecos. I have mine with Swords, Guppies, plecos, danios, and the like with no issues at all... Bettas I think are probably the most misunderstood fish of them all. They are territorial, but generally peaceful fish. I honestly worry about other fish picking on the Bettas. LOL!!
Anyway I just wanted to point out that Bettas are a good community fish. Especially in a larger aquarium where they can have "personal space". | |
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March 13th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Gargoyle With all due respect please hear me out.. The angels are a pretty agressive fish and I could see them harming the betta, Mollies I don't know enough about.
BUT... Bettas can live with much more that just corys, ottos and plecos. I have mine with Swords, Guppies, plecos, danios, and the like with no issues at all... Bettas I think are probably the most misunderstood fish of them all. They are territorial, but generally peaceful fish. I honestly worry about other fish picking on the Bettas. LOL!!
Anyway I just wanted to point out that Bettas are a good community fish. Especially in a larger aquarium where they can have "personal space". [/center] | Hi!
That's not what's accepted by most other members of this forum. To anybody reading this, you should not try this. Bettas attack guppies a lot (Personal experience!), danios are nippy and a slow-moving fish like a Betta is very vunerable. Swords will probably be attacked - as thats what happens to platys. I didn't say anything about the Betta attacking those fish. Ocassionaly you stumble across a Betta who can hang by a thread in a community aquarium, but most won't stand a chance. Don't believe me? Ask Dave, Rose, Jan or any other regular to the 'Betta fish' forum.
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March 13th, 2008
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| | Fish Addict
| well lots of people have different experiences with their fish and aquariums..I guess sometimes its luck of the draw | |
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March 13th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| update...mr betta did get attacked...by someone..so he is now in his own 5gal...hes way more happier alone...although he did stick his tongue out at the tiger barbs that I had seperate... | |
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March 14th, 2008
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| | Fish Addict
| lol..gotta love the personality of the bettas...I cnt wait to get othello a bigger tank | |
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March 14th, 2008
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| | Fish Master
| Quote:
Originally Posted by lalynya well lots of people have different experiences with their fish and aquariums..I guess sometimes its luck of the draw | Hi!
It's extremely rare to find a Betta who will live in community conditions, and even rarer to find a Betta who will thrive in them. Even then, you need carefully selected fish and nothing aggresive. I just want to stress this to prevent people trying to keep Bettas in communitys.
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March 16th, 2008
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| | Master Of Fish Poo!
| How is Mr. Betta doing? | |
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