New, Am I Doing This Right??

Hello all! I am new to fish keeping. So here is what I have going on. I had a 5.5 gallon tank for about 3 weeks; let cycle for one day per Petsmart. Then added 4 neon tetras, one died so I added 1 platy. They were doing fine. A week later. I assumed my water needed changing because it got cloudy. Did the water change almost half the tank and my platy died. Puchased a new platy and it died a few days later... A few day after my tank was taken over by some spider web looking stuff everywhere!! On plants, gravel, glass it was slimy to the touch and white kind of looked like hair or something floating in the water. Fast forward: purchased a new 20 gallon tank. Set it up on the 11th of this month; allowed my old filter (from 1st tank) to run through the filter for 2 hr then put in new filter, (saw this on YouTube) and added fish. Everything seemed ok. Now I have had cloudy water for almost two weeks now. My filter signaled it was time to change filter-I did that on the 26th of this month and it made the water worse...I thought the carbon was supposed to help with clarity? Then topping off makes it cloudy too. I do add water conditioner when topping off with tap. I also added a new ammonia pad as well on the 26th. So should I do a water change? I haven't done one since I set up this new tank. My ammonia has been 0 nitrites/nitrates 0 as well ph is always high according to API liquid test kit. I don't test everyday. Tested pH out of faucet and and it is the same color pH as the tank but a little darker blue. I think that means water is hard?? I have been using ph down and topping off with RO water and it does nothing for ph. I have mopanI and cattapa leaves to keep fish happy but I haven't added them yet...I also plan on getting several live plants as well. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

I think you may have overloaded/ crashed your cycle

 

Ok. So it sounds like you are going thru a bacterial bloom! It's normal and will clear up on its own. I would definitely stop using the pH down and ro water. Stable pH is more important than the perfect number. Don't change your filter media, you just reset your cycle every time you do that!! Any thing else I will try to help;/

 

Fish in Nitrogen Cycle simplified

The cycle needs an ammonia source. In your case that ammonia source is your fish. They are in there eating, breathing and pooping. All those things produce ammonia. That ammonia is food for your cycle but can be deadly for the fish. It is good that you already have the API Master Freshwater Test Kit. With it you can know exactly what is happening with the tank water.

A cycle is simply growing ammonia eating bacteria. That bacteria grows mostly on your filter media but also grows on every surface in your tank.

It takes time for the bacteria to start growing. The first bacteria is one that eats ammonia. The waste from the ammonia eating bacteria is nitrite. The second bacteria is one that eats nitrites. Then the waste from the nitrite eating bacteria is nitrate. There usually isn't another bacteria to eat the nitrates so they have to be removed with water changes. Nitrates are the final stage of the cycling process so unless you have them in your source water you probably won't see them until the nitrites rise and start to fall.

Right now the most important thing you can do to protect your fish is to keep the ammonia and nitrites (once they start showing up) as low as possible with water changes. Water changes should not hurt your fish as long as you use a water conditioner in the water you are replacing and making sure the temp is close to the same as what you took out.

Ammonia can build up pretty fast so it is possible you will have to do water changes every day or every other day to keep it as low as possible. As this is happening cloudy water is a real possibility. It is just a bacterial bloom and is perfectly normal. It will eventually clear up.

If you don't already have it I highly recommend you get a bottle of Prime. I can't over stress the importance of SeaChem Prime while doing a fish in cycle. It is first and foremost a water conditioner but it has the added benefit of neutralizing low amounts of ammonia thus protecting your fish from its damaging affects yet leaving some there to feed the growing bacteria..

Leave the ph alone. Remove the ammonia eating pad. Your cycle needs the ammonia to grow. Do not change your filter pad. each time you do you are throwing away the bacteria you are trying to grow. Just clean the pad off in some of the water you have removed during a water change.

The companies that make the cartridges would go out of business if we all followed their bad advice. They don't care about saving your cycle. They just want to sell more.

The ONLY thing you need to add to this tank is Prime. You need to add it to the water you are replacing with each water change. Let your tests be your guide as to when to do water changes. As long as the ammonia is less than 1 put a full tank volume of prime in there. If the ammonia goes up to 1 or above do a water change to get it back below 1 and again add enough Prime to to treat the whole tank.

As long as you are using Prime to dechlorinate the water there is no need to use RO or distilled water for top offs.

 

New tank will almost always have a bacterial bloom, more or less. It will clear up on its own. Fish don’t mind bacterial bloom. It’s more about visual appearance. I recommend you get a kit and test your ammonia/nitrate/nitrite. Or you can get a whole bottle of tss, and dump it in for a jump start.

 

Ok. So it sounds like you are going thru a bacterial bloom! It's normal and will clear up on its own. I would definitely stop using the pH down and ro water. Stable pH is more important than the perfect number. Don't change your filter media, you just reset your cycle every time you do that!! Any thing else I will try to help. Thank you so much for your response. So for the sake of clarity don't change the filter even if the light comes on? So should I go a head and do a water change or just leave it be?

Thank you so much for your response. So for the sake of clarity, I should not change the filter even if the light comes on for filter change? Should I do a water change or just leave it be?

Fish in Nitrogen Cycle simplified

The cycle needs an ammonia source. In your case that ammonia source is your fish. They are in there eating, breathing and pooping. All those things produce ammonia. That ammonia is food for your cycle but can be deadly for the fish. It is good that you already have the API Master Freshwater Test Kit. With it you can know exactly what is happening with the tank water.

A cycle is simply growing ammonia eating bacteria. That bacteria grows mostly on your filter media but also grows on every surface in your tank.

It takes time for the bacteria to start growing. The first bacteria is one that eats ammonia. The waste from the ammonia eating bacteria is nitrite. The second bacteria is one that eats nitrites. Then the waste from the nitrite eating bacteria is nitrate. There usually isn't another bacteria to eat the nitrates so they have to be removed with water changes. Nitrates are the final stage of the cycling process so unless you have them in your source water you probably won't see them until the nitrites rise and start to fall.

Right now the most important thing you can do to protect your fish is to keep the ammonia and nitrites (once they start showing up) as low as possible with water changes. Water changes should not hurt your fish as long as you use a water conditioner in the water you are replacing and making sure the temp is close to the same as what you took out.

Ammonia can build up pretty fast so it is possible you will have to do water changes every day or every other day to keep it as low as possible. As this is happening cloudy water is a real possibility. It is just a bacterial bloom and is perfectly normal. It will eventually clear up.

If you don't already have it I highly recommend you get a bottle of Prime. I can't over stress the importance of SeaChem Prime while doing a fish in cycle. It is first and foremost a water conditioner but it has the added benefit of neutralizing low amounts of ammonia thus protecting your fish from its damaging affects yet leaving some there to feed the growing bacteria..

Leave the ph alone. Remove the ammonia eating pad. Your cycle needs the ammonia to grow. Do not change your filter pad. each time you do you are throwing away the bacteria you are trying to grow. Just clean the pad off in some of the water you have removed during a water change.

The companies that make the cartridges would go out of business if we all followed their bad advice. They don't care about saving your cycle. They just want to sell more.

The ONLY thing you need to add to this tank is Prime. You need to add it to the water you are replacing with each water change. Let your tests be your guide as to when to do water changes. As long as the ammonia is less than 1 put a full tank volume of prime in there. If the ammonia goes up to 1 or above do a water change to get it back below 1 and again add enough Prime to to treat the whole tank.

As long as you are using Prime to dechlorinate the water there is no need to use RO or distilled water for top offs.

Thank you for your vast knowledge. I have thought about giving up a couple times but I have fallen in love with my four little neon tetras. I will remove the ammonia pad. How long should I leave it out. I don't have the Prime. I've been using the top fin they recommended from the store. I will get the Prime and try it out.

Also, I read that they like the almond leaves so I bought some for them to hide in or whatever they will do with them is it ok to put them in after I complete the water change today. I'm thinking a 20% water change is sufficient?

I will vacuum the gravel as well.

Ok. So it sounds like you are going thru a bacterial bloom! It's normal and will clear up on its own. I would definitely stop using the pH down and ro water. Stable pH is more important than the perfect number. Don't change your filter media, you just reset your cycle every time you do that!! Any thing else I will try to help;/

Oh no so ready to add more fish. I hope it's not too much longer

These are my water readings for today and I just removed the ammonia pad.

New tank will almost always have a bacterial bloom, more or less. It will clear up on its own. Fish don’t mind bacterial bloom. It’s more about visual appearance. I recommend you get a kit and test your ammonia/nitrate/nitrite. Or you can get a whole bottle of tss, and dump it in for a jump start.

I put in some of that quick start the whole bottle but...I'm guess I went wrong changing the filter next time I know to ignore the change filter light LOL

 

Thank you so much for your response. So for the sake of clarity, I should not change the filter even if the light comes on for filter change? Should I do a water change or just leave it be?

If it were me I would disconnect the warning light. You don't want to replace that cartridge until it is literally falling apart or when it gets to where the water no longer flows through it freely.

When that happens cut the fiber off the plastic frame. Toss the frame and carbon. Put that piece of fiber in the filter housing along with the new cartridge. Place it so the water goes through it before it goes through the new cartridge. Bacteria grows on all the surfaces in your tank and once the cycle is strong saving all the bacteria possible won't be as critical as it is while growing the cycle.

Thank you for your vast knowledge. I have thought about giving up a couple times but I have fallen in love with my four little neon tetras. I will remove the ammonia pad. How long should I leave it out. I don't have the Prime. I've been using the top fin they recommended from the store. I will get the Prime and try it out.

Once cycled there will be no need for the ammonia pad. the bacteria will process the ammonia so no need to have something that claims to remove it. I am sure top fin is a good water conditioner but when doing a fish in cycle I can't stress enough the need for a product that detoxes the ammonia. Prime is the product that has worked well for me so I do recommend it.

Also, I read that they like the almond leaves so I bought some for them to hide in or whatever they will do with them is it ok to put them in after I complete the water change today. I'm thinking a 20% water change is sufficient?
I will vacuum the gravel as well.

You can go ahead and add the almond leaves at any time. Just be aware that they will probably leach tannins into the water. It isn't a problem but some folks don't care for seeing their tanks look like they are filled with weak tea

Let you tests be your guide as to how much water to change out each time. I found while cycling my last tank 30% seemed to be the perfect amount.

Lots of folks have had good luck speeding up the cycling process by using Tetra Safe Start plus. It is one of the few bottled bacteria's that contain the exact bacteria we are trying to grow. Some others contain land based bacteria instead of water based so don't work as well, if at all.

 

These are my water readings for today and I just removed the ammonia pad.View attachment 505994

Looks like almost 0's across the board, which means no cycle. So as stated above, keep and eye on your readings daily, maybe twice a day, ammonia will rise and in turn start the nitrogen cycle. Not speaking for everyone, but I have used TSS plus which is adding beneficial bacteria before adding fish. Some people are against this and some people use this like myself. Its an option to look into.

 

Looks like almost 0's across the board, which means no cycle. So as stated above, keep and eye on your readings daily, maybe twice a day, ammonia will rise and in turn start the nitrogen cycle. Not speaking for everyone, but I have used TSS plus which is adding beneficial bacteria before adding fish. Some people are against this and some people use this like myself. Its an option to look into.

Thank you. I will definitely check out the tss. So when I get nitrates I know my tank is cycled correct?

If it were me I would disconnect the warning light. You don't want to replace that cartridge until it is literally falling apart or when it gets to where the water no longer flows through it freely.

When that happens cut the fiber off the plastic frame. Toss the frame and carbon. Put that piece of fiber in the filter housing along with the new cartridge. Place it so the water goes through it before it goes through the new cartridge. Bacteria grows on all the surfaces in your tank and once the cycle is strong saving all the bacteria possible won't be as critical as it is while growing the cycle.


Once cycled there will be no need for the ammonia pad. the bacteria will process the ammonia so no need to have something that claims to remove it. I am sure top fin is a good water conditioner but when doing a fish in cycle I can't stress enough the need for a product that detoxes the ammonia. Prime is the product that has worked well for me so I do recommend it.


You can go ahead and add the almond leaves at any time. Just be aware that they will probably leach tannins into the water. It isn't a problem but some folks don't care for seeing their tanks look like they are filled with weak tea

Let you tests be your guide as to how much water to change out each time. I found while cycling my last tank 30% seemed to be the perfect amount.

the exact bacteria we are trying to grow. Some others contain land based bacteria instead of water based so don't work as well, if at all.

Ok thanks a bunch. And that is really awesome advice on the filter thanks so much. I'm going to get Prime asap!

 

Thank you. I will definitely check out the tss. So when I get nitrates I know my tank is cycled correct?

When you get zero ammonia, zero nitrites and some nitrates it should be cycled. I know you don't have nitrites right now but they have to spike and then go back down during the cycling process.

If you decided to add TSS+ it is possible that you will never see the nitrite spike though. I just have to assume the reason for that is because the TSS has enough nitrite eating bacteria to speed through that part of the cycle.

 

Great advice!! Thanks

 

One more thing.. I don't think you need to test your water for two weeks after you put the tss in!! It can give false readings if I remember correctly!!

 

One more thing.. I don't think you need to test your water for two weeks after you put the tss in!! It can give false readings if I remember correctly!!

Yes I believe it has some sort of water testing directions on the bottle. Good thought.

 

One more thing.. I don't think you need to test your water for two weeks after you put the tss in!! It can give false readings if I remember correctly!!

O.k. thanks ☺