Fish journey (Really open to advise)

Hi this is my first post and I will be sharing my journey/Looking for advice on my fresh water fish tank. This all started about a week ago from today (1/14/13). Me and my gf were out one day and had the spontaneous idea to get fish as pets. The employees at PetSmart were helping us but not giving us all the information that would’ve helped me right now. We bought a 10g TopFin ready made tank and a bunch of glo tetras. We didn’t know we had to cycle or anything like that sort but let me fast forward to the conflict I’m have right now, So after a week with the glo tetras I’ve completely changed the fish and substrate. As of right now I have 3 platys 4 balloon belly mollys and 5 neon tetras (keep in mind this is still not even close to a fully cycled tank). Maybe you can see where I’m going with this? So tomorrow when I wake up I plan on swapping out all my fish in this 10g to 3 dwarf gouramis cause in my head less fish=less ammonia, less ammonia=less death. I hope this will stabilize the cycle? While I’m there I’m going to pick up API Ammo Lock, SeaChem Stability, and SeaChem Prime hopefully this will keep the tank in check and “speed up” the cycle.

Wish me luck.

Open to advice no judge zone open to criticism.

 

Well for starters....stop putting fish into the aquarium cos likely you are just going to kill them

Don't buy anything that "locks" ammonia....not worth the money and generally makes things worse

Stability is OK but without fish and follow the instructions to the letter

Prime is a debateable....some like it, others choose a cheaper dechlorinator

An aquarium takes around 7-9 weeks to cycle without fish....yes its boring having an aquarium without fish but its easier on the fish if they are not there...they tend to suffer badly if you get impatient

With fish it can take anything upto and beyond 12-14 weeks to cycle....and you can expect to wake up in the mornings and find dead fish...not always but alot of the time.

So I would suggest that if you are going to do this properly, take the fish back, do not buy anything that locks ammonia since ammonia is what the good bacteria needs to establish (they essentially eat/neutralise it)

Slow down, have patience...lots and lots of patience....and please do not listen to that well meaning person in the shop cos they are usually in it for the sales commission and not for the health and welfare of your fish or your bank balance

 

Well for starters....stop putting fish into the aquarium cos likely you are just going to kill them

Don't buy anything that "locks" ammonia....not worth the money and generally makes things worse

Stability is OK but without fish and follow the instructions to the letter

Prime is a debateable....some like it, others choose a cheaper dechlorinator

So just return the fish in the tank and use stability and prime? How do I get ammonia with out fish? Also it says I can add fish after 7 days of use with stability do I follow that?

 

No need to get all of those products, but do pickup Prime--lots of people report success with it as an ammonia locker and even if it doesn't work it is at least a dechlorinator.

Don't do 3 dwarf gouramis. They are mean and three in a ten would be trouble. You could perhaps do one dwarf gourami or maayyybee three honey gouramis (though read up on them). Or, you could take the mollys and platies back and keep the neons?

Cool looking tank by the way. I'm envisioning this with a few more plants (will help stabilize it too)--after a few months you'd have a cool aquatic 'raiders of the lost arc' feel in there once things get overgrown a bit.

 

No need to get all of those products, but do pickup Prime--lots of people report success with it as an ammonia locker and even if it doesn't work it is at least a dechlorinator.

Don't do 3 dwarf gouramis. They are mean and three in a ten would be trouble. You could perhaps do one dwarf gourami or maayyybee three honey gouramis (though read up on them). Or, you could take the mollys and platies back and keep the neons?

Cool looking tank by the way. I'm envisioning this with a few more plants (will help stabilize it too)--after a few months you'd have a cool aquatic 'raiders of the lost arc' feel in there once things get overgrown a bit.

I’ll probably go with what ever the local PetSmart has only because I can get my money back for the mollys, platys and neons, I did some reading on honey gouramis but inter net says only one In a 10g weird since it also says 3 dwarf gouramis can go in a 10g even tho they are bigger

 

Hey,

plants, plants and plants.

Best stabilizer for any fish tank. Real ones, not plastic. Go for the ultra easy ones, Hygrophily polysperma if you can get your hand on them. I would say 6-7 pots of those.

Combine that advise with the above mentioned water conditioner.

Makes your (fish tank-) life A LOT easier.

 

Plants, plants, plants.

Hygro's, rotala's, crypts, lilaeopsis, some floaters.

Wait for some plant growth in your tank and your tank is ready for animals.

You can buy all those funny chemicals if you feel you have too much money and like to pay other's people salaries - that's fine.

Dwarf gourami's have become franksteinfish; avoid at all costs. Honey's would work in a heavily planted 10 gallon tank, I think. But they are from India - perhaps you have some brahma, vishnu and shiva statues at your disposal?

Ditch the heater if you go with honey's.

 

Plants, plants, plants.

Hygro's, rotala's, crypts, lilaeopsis, some floaters.

Wait for some plant growth in your tank and your tank is ready for animals.

You can buy all those funny chemicals if you feel you have too much money and like to pay other's people salaries - that's fine.

Dwarf gourami's have become franksteinfish; avoid at all costs. Honey's would work in a heavily planted 10 gallon tank, I think. But they are from India - perhaps you have some brahma, vishnu and shiva statues at your disposal?

I’ll see what kinda fish I can get at the store only because I can trade in the fish I have for in store credit and yeah I’ll definitely pick up more plants but I’ve been getting so much mixed signals about these “chemicals” I’ll probably meet in the middle somewhere and hope for the best

 

API Ammo Lock - that's what plants do, so buy more plants

SeaChem Stability - bacteria in a bottle, no? only not the bacteria that are going to colonise your tank.

SeaChem Prime - to neutralize chlorine - buy this one.

Now you are in the middle.

The last time I talked to aquarium store people, they offered me skimmers, canisters, chemicals, more fish, more plants, better lights, fertilizers, root tabs... but all I wanted was a few stones.

 

API Ammo Lock - that's what plants do, so buy more plants

SeaChem Stability - bacteria in a bottle, no? only not the bacteria that are going to colonise your tank.

SeaChem Prime - to neutralize chlorine - buy this one.

Now you are in the middle.

The last time I talked to aquarium store people, they offered me skimmers, canisters, chemicals, more fish, more plants, better lights, fertilizers, root tabs... but all I wanted was a few stones.

So just return the fish and go with prime no stability?
Also opinion on the fish ideas mentioned above?

 

So just return the fish and go with prime no stability?
Also opinion on the fish ideas mentioned above?

Aquarium people can learn a lot from water treatment systems where lots of ammonia is processed. What is the key ingredient? Oxygen.

Just waiting for the day Seachem is selling Seachem Oxygen®.

Not much opinion on the fish, excepts for the dwarf. They might kill each other this summer.

 

BEHOLD!

sera O2 plus | sera

 

Aquarium people can learn a lot from water treatment systems where lots of ammonia is processed. What is the key ingredient? Oxygen.

Just waiting for the day Seachem is selling Seachem Oxygen®.

That would be a real sight but just to be clear, just prime and plants 100% no stability or all 3

 

BEHOLD!

sera O2 plus | sera

The world is coming to an end.

That would be a real sight but just to be clear, just prime and plants 100% no stability or all 3

Only Prime and plants.

Get some floating plants, at least initially. They absorb all your ammonia from day 1.

 

That would be a real sight but just to be clear, just prime and plants 100% no stability or all 3

I agree with prime (only your water is chlorinated) and plenty of plants.

 

I agree with prime (only your water is chlorinated) and plenty of plants.

Alright will do I’ll go heavy on plants and pick up prime no stability

 

I agree with everything that’s been said ! Yes to prime and plants , no to the rest . I don’t see why you’d return the fish now as you’ve already kick started the cycle with them. Change water ( temperature match it the best you can ) daily if needed to keep ammonia low.

Also if you have a small pippette that measures ml’s, you can add 2.5ml to your test tube and 4 drops of each ammonia liquid and you’ve just doubled the life of your test kit. Works for the nitrate test but 5 drops. Doesn’t work for the rest but hey we cant have it all

Welcome to the wonderful world of fish keeping ! You’ve had the same rocky start a LOT of people do so don’t sweat it.

 

I agree with everything that’s been said ! Yes to prime and plants , no to the rest . I don’t see why you’d return the fish now as you’ve already kick started the cycle with them. Change water ( temperature match it the best you can ) daily if needed to keep ammonia low.

Also if you have a small pippette that measures ml’s, you can add 2.5ml to your test tube and 4 drops of each ammonia liquid and you’ve just doubled the life of your test kit. Works for the nitrate test but 5 drops. Doesn’t work for the rest but hey we cant have it all

Welcome to the wonderful world of fish keeping ! You’ve had the same rocky start a LOT of people do so don’t sweat it.

I’m only changing the fish because I’ve been told that I have too many fish. But yes thank you to you and everyone else for the warm welcome
Alright guys small update some of y’all might be a little disappointed but hey I only can work with what I got here. So I’ve called around and they don’t have any honey gouramis I wish they did trust me. But I’ve decided to go with a couple dwarfs instead I know you guys have told me about their aggressive nature but I can’t do much. I would try another store but PetSmart is the only one that can take the fish I already have and trade them in for in store credit. Wish me luck sorry in advance for the disappointment, will keep this thread updated

 

Alright another update hopefully this is going. Somewhere. I just came back from the store with my new fish and a lot of plants with one decoration. I also picked up prime and added 1ML to the tank after a 50% water change also added a little tiny bit of stress coat with BB. The Dwarf gouramis seem to love it I do have questions tho for anyone to answer, now that prime has been added to the tank how long should I hold off on water changes? If I still change water 1 time a week do I add prime after every change? Also this is how my tank looks (there’s a pic of how it looked yesterday above)
If I don’t need to change water do I add it every month?

 

Alright another update hopefully this is going. Somewhere. I just came back from the store with my new fish and a lot of plants with one decoration. I also picked up prime and added 1ML to the tank after a 50% water change also added a little tiny bit of stress coat with BB. The Dwarf gouramis seem to love it I do have questions tho for anyone to answer, now that prime has been added to the tank how long should I hold off on water changes? If I still change water 1 time a week do I add prime after every change? Also this is how my tank looks (there’s a pic of how it looked yesterday above)
If I don’t need to change water do I add it every month?

change the water weekly, add prime

You did exactly what I did, when i first started. I know its a lot of information, you got this.

Id say get an API Master Freshwater Testing Kit. Check the water every few days, weekly at the very least. Get some natural drift wood, almond leaves, all that kind of stuff. Make sure to have the right food for each of the fish you have.

What fish do you even have right now? The tank is 10 gallons?

 

change the water weekly, add prime

You did exactly what I did, when i first started. I know its a lot of information, you got this.

Id say get an API Master Freshwater Testing Kit. Check the water every few days, weekly at the very least. Get some natural drift wood, almond leaves, all that kind of stuff. Make sure to have the right food for each of the fish you have.

What fish do you even have right now? The tank is 10 gallons?

I did pick up an API master test kit
I’m going another store rn for floating plants and like you said drift wood
It’s 10gallons with 3 dwarf gouramis
And I have tropical fish flakes

 

I did pick up an API master test kit
I’m going another store rn for floating plants and like you said drift wood
It’s 10gallons with 3 dwarf gouramis
And I have tropical fish flakes

Oh, only 3 dwarf gouramis. Sorry, I was so lost in the thread it was going everywhere. Yeah, thats good! Good job! I wish you luck with cycling. I cycled my 10G with a Betta fish actually, that same Betta fish got cycled in his first tank too. I felt so bad for him, but he lived until he was a ripe 3.5 years old.

 

Oh, only 3 dwarf gouramis. Sorry, I was so lost in the thread it was going everywhere. Yeah, thats good! Good job! I wish you luck with cycling. I cycled my 10G with a Betta fish actually, that same Betta fish got cycled in his first tank too. I felt so bad for him, but he lived until he was a ripe 3.5 years old.

Thank you I needed those words of encouragement :,) and yeah I js read I put prime in every time I do a water change

 

Thank you I needed those words of encouragement :,) and yeah I js read I put prime in every time I do a water change

Good! you are doing amazing. You are a great fishkeeper, just because you are willing to learn from everything we are telling you.

 

Now that looks A LOT better already!

Nicely done, you're now off to a good start, things will be a lot smoother.

That you got a test kit is ace, floating plants are a very good idea, as well as driftwood. You're definitely in the right direction.

Can't wait to see how this develops, I'm secretly hoping you'll open up a tank journal in this forum?

 

Now that looks A LOT better already!

Nicely done, you're now off to a good start, things will be a lot smoother.

That you got a test kit is ace, floating plants are a very good idea, as well as driftwood. You're definitely in the right direction.

Can't wait to see how this develops, I'm secretly hoping you'll open up a tank journal in this forum?

Yeah I’m thinking of keeping this thread updated with small to large updates on almost everything
Also I was reading up on some suggestions everyone was saying and a local pet shop told me that driftwood and other floating plants don’t serve a purpose too much and make ur ph balance more acidic.
But hey I’m open to ideas especially when I’m fully cycled I’ll definitely be adding more stuff

 

Wood will only lower your pH if your KH is already very low. If it’s not, then it’ll just release tannins and will tint your water a lovely yellow-ish colour you can prepare your wood to remove a lot of this if you don’t like the colour but it is beneficial.

Most floating plants are fantastic nitrate suckers. They also serve a purpose to make fish feel more protected and more comfortable as they feel they have surface cover from predators, or so we think, as a fish has never actually told me that.

 

Wood will only lower your pH if your KH is already very low. If it’s not, then it’ll just release tannins and will tint your water a lovely yellow-ish colour you can prepare your wood to remove a lot of this if you don’t like the colour but it is beneficial.

Most floating plants are fantastic nitrate suckers. They also serve a purpose to make fish feel more protected and more comfortable as they feel they have surface cover from predators, or so we think, as a fish has never actually told me that.

Guess that guy at the shop just wanted me to leave lol. Also yeah I don’t mind tinting my water guess I’m going driftwood and floating plant shopping when I wake up tmmr.
will keep updates

 

Guess that guy at the shop just wanted me to leave lol. Also yeah I don’t mind tinting my water guess I’m going driftwood and floating plant shopping when I wake up tmmr.
will keep updates

Nah, I think he wanted to sell you a more expensive RO water unit instead.

Driftwood.... should offer your plants a tiny bit of CO2 through microbial activity, ammonia absorption through fungi, different microbe species that -long story short- will make your tank more resilient, a home for tiny nematodes and crustaceans....aka free fish snacks.

"I know more than you"

 

Nah, I think he wanted to sell you a more expensive RO water unit instead.

Driftwood.... should offer your plants a tiny bit of CO2 through microbial activity, ammonia absorption through fungi, different microbe species that -long story short- will make your tank more resilient, a home for tiny nematodes and crustaceans....aka free fish snacks.

"I know more than you"

Got it so 100% gunna grab some drift wood tmmr and maybe some duckweed?

 

I'd go with Limnobium laevigatum/frogbit or Pistia stratiotes/water lettuce. Much easier to control if it grows and popular in the trade.

 

The duckweed will turn up for free at some point, don’t you go spending good money on that devil weed,,, I mean duck weed

 

Alright another update with what I added.
I went to a local pet store this time and picked up some java moss and water lettuce super super cheap btw. Looks great in the tank, the water lettuce now offers a small amount of shade on one side of the tank and as for the Java moss, I've put it in the gravel to act like a small patch of mossy carpet hopefully this help with my poor start of a cycle lolol.

 

Enjoy your little ecosystem! It's a lovely tank.

I like that you added lots of plants all at once - a key to starting a planted tank.

As your tank starts to become alive, give it gentle corrections. It will always find a balance point, but perhaps not the balance point you want. Learn what the tank needs to achieve your balance point, and it will teach you about life.

 

Enjoy your little ecosystem! It's a lovely tank.

I like that you added lots of plants all at once - a key to starting a planted tank.

As your tank starts to become alive, give it gentle corrections. It will always find a balance point, but perhaps not the balance point you want. Learn what the tank needs to achieve your balance point, and it will teach you about life.

Yes Sensei
Also what do I look up / how do I research “balance point” for my aquarium

 

Yes Sensei
Also what do I look up / how do I research “balance point” for my aquarium

I dont know if you can research the balance point. I think it just comes, eventually. If i'm not mistaking it...

 

Just used the master kit for the first time… and found these results. (See image below).
I used SeaChem Prime yesterday so hopefully it’s doing the trick and my fish don’t die. Any advise?
Readings:
Ammonia 2ppm
Nitrite 0ppm
Nitrate 0ppm

 

pH is the key for interpreting the ammonia

http://www.blueridgekoi.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/pH-and-Ammonia.pdf

 

pH is the key for interpreting the ammonia

http://www.blueridgekoi.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/pH-and-Ammonia.pdf

So if ph is good I’m good?
And if not how do I fix it?

 

Prime does nothing to protect your fish from ammonia.