New Freshwater Tank Setup - Help Please

Hello. New to the aquarium hobby. More less. Besides couple gold fish tanks as a kid growing. And those wasn't so successful. But anyways to topic. Recently decided I wanted a 55gal freshwater tank. I was informed and researched about the "cycle process" needed in order to get to going. And decided to go with using fish. But my lps didn't warn me about over stocking just wanted to make sales I guess. Idk. Not gonna bad mouth. But anyways let me go on a spending spree on fish in her store. Yes informing me info just on the fish. So I went with a pretty good school of tiger barbs. 11 exact. 3 angels. And 4 Cory catfish. Along with 2 rainbow sharks and couple tiger botias. And a llevo. And as far as the community goes. Everyone is happy well seems happy so far in the tank. A little over 2weeks in so far. And in the mean time all my for Cory fish have died out on me but 1. And it seems to be hanging on by a thread. Like its weak and rapid breathing. Just laying in my live plants. Or random places in the tank on laying on its side. And that's the behavior the others did just before a day or 2 of dying. Now on to my other problems. I understand now I overstocked my tank to start with. But everyone else seems to be getting along and just fine. And I do understand there's a problem with my water. So I purchased a API freshwater test kit. And been doing tests about every other day. Along with 20% water changes every 3 days. Because at first my reading would always be 0 nitrites 0 nitrates and was around the 2ppm ammonia level. And just with in the last week I've finally noticed a slight presence of nitrates now and just today finally got a reading of 5ppm. Maybe 4 bc it didn't halrdly match the color completely but wasn't on the 0 color either. And my ammonia just today have noticed its decreased to about 1ppm maybe a tad lower. Didn't hardly match the 1ppm or either the .50ppm the color was kinda in between. And it feels like these numbers have took forever to change. Also have anibiaus drift wood. And when I first bought it was beautiful. Now its like I can't keep the leaves from turning yellow spots. I've researched and researched and read and read. Mostly light issues says the problems. But I have a 48in aquaneat on my tank and keep it on 24/7 plant mode. I've read the could be a mineral deficiency. So went and bought seachems equilibrium. And have just recently dosed the tank with the recommended dose. Few days ago with a couple water changes ago. Also use the recommended dose daily on the API co2 boost and API leaf zone once weekly. And started off with root tabs in the tank when I set it up a month ago or so by a few days. But anyways sorry to make such a novel on my issues. But please can anyone reach out to me and let me know if my cycle process is on track or have I messed completely up. And what I should dl's and donts for pretty much my issues for all around the board. Thanks much in advance

 

It *sounds* like your cycle is on track. What is your nitrite reading?

One other thing is that I would be prepared for issues in the future. Tiger Barbs and Angelfish can be a problematic combo due to the tiger bars tendency to nip fins.

 

HI Kendall & welcome. Wow what can I say, that's a lot of fish to drop in an uncycled tank all in one go & go for a fish in cycle but it would seem by your water readings that you're actually on track. I think it was inevitable that you'd lose some but you could be over the worst, I agree with JRD above though, Tiger Barbs & Angels don't go together great the Tigers will fin nip & the Angels will likely get very Peed off & become aggressive as they mature & you could get some nasty squabbles between them.

 

It *sounds* like your cycle is on track. What is your nitrite reading?

One other thing is that I would be prepared for issues in the future. Tiger Barbs and Angelfish can be a problematic combo due to the tiger bars tendency to nip fins.

That's the thing I've not had any nitrates show up on any of my tests. And ive been testing for over 2wks now

HI Kendall & welcome. Wow what can I say, that's a lot of fish to drop in an uncycled tank all in one go & go for a fish in cycle but it would seem by your water readings that you're actually on track. I think it was inevitable that you'd lose some but you could be over the worst, I agree with JRD above though, Tiger Barbs & Angels don't go together great the Tigers will fin nip & the Angels will likely get very Peed off & become aggressive as they mature & you could get some nasty squabbles between them.

Well now lately as I've talked to other aquarium owners I hear that about the angels and tiger barbs. But that they could "possibly" grow to the tank to learn to tolerate each other. All my fish are juviniles at the moment. And I try to keep a close eye on em. Kinda more than normal. Fascinated with the tank so constantly always stopping and looking at em. So I've not really noticed any nipping. All 3 angels 90% of the time are grouped together just casually swimming around while mean time the tiger barbs are mostly schooled up cruising the tank just kinda doing their thing keeping to their self. I mean once or twice I've seen an angel out of the corner of my eye kinda charge at 1 of the barbs but then the barb will go about his business. Ill keep a check on em as they grow. I hope the community will grow to do good together in the long run. Lps lady advised that all my selections that day should do fine. So Idk. It'll really be a bummer to not have both. Because I love the exotic looks the barbs have schooled together swimming. And have always loved angel fish. Their appearance is so eye appealing. But I appreciate the quick replies and help so far. Any input is appreciative. I will also keep my water levels updated on here each day I test them, for experienced feed back. And yea I know. I done a terrible thing by that many fish at once. I can't lie. I had got excited and wanted to see a full tank. And guess the lps lady seen I had money to spend by my window shopping her tanks picking things out and so she may of kept her advise to herself in guessing. But its almost 3wks theyve been going in my tank. And currently everyone seems normal except my last Cory he's hanging in there. Seems like every other day I do a 20% water change to help keep the ammonia toxins down until I finish cycle. He'll seem like he'll purk up a bit and swim around while the fresh water is entering the tank through my small pump I use. Then back to acting like near death again few hours after the new water.

As I got them home and kept checking water level each day or so. Id goolge and research more on the cycle process. Something I should of done more of before purchasing the fish. But when I went to buy I felt confident I knew what I needed to know. Just got excited like I mentioned and wanted fish. Now as I've read up on the "fish in" cycle process. You only start with only a few. not 20 like I did. But to let the cycle catch up to them and then slowly add more at that time. But unfortunately ive went as far 100% backwards as I could be about it. Bc again knowledge was kept from me when shopping for the fish for my NEW tank as I had mentioned to the lps when I was there. But now anyways what was I to do? I have them their in the unpleasant tank and felt like it my duty to do what it takes to help em a weak by this cycle process of it means water changes everyday. Been pretty much every other at this moment.

 

But now anyways what was I to do? I have them their in the unpleasant tank and felt like it my duty to do what it takes to help em a weak by this cycle process of it means water changes everyday. Been pretty much every other at this moment.

Now that your tank seems to be settling down I'd check the water parameters each day especially for No2 (Nitrite) & only do a water change if that's gone up, if you continually change the water you'll be removing beneficial bacteria from the water column & replacing it with 'sterile' tap water & that won't help your cycle. If your last Cory perks up when fresh water goes in it could be oxygen deficiency that's causing its problems, what's your filtration like do you have any surface agitation of the water to help oxygen dissolve into the water? or an air stone running?

 

Yes I do have 2 regular sized air stones running off an Aqua culture 60gal air pump. And have 2 tetra whisper hang on filters an 40gal and 10gal filter. And I understand I have a 55gal tank. But there's alil over 50lb of gravel and prob another 20lb of flat river rocks sitting in each back corner of the tank. Which all that takes up a lot of tank volume bc it didn't take 55gals to top the tank off. More like 50gals. Maybe 49. But yes they do agitate the surface of the water where the spill out is. With in the spring ill be upgrading to a Fluval external canister filter and gonna upgrade to 75gal of filtration.. I'm just concerned how I'm gonna switch my bacteria over it. But anyways. But ive not done a water change going on 2days. And today my water levels was still 1.0ppm ammonia 0 nitrates and again maybe 4.0ppm on the nitrates. Back when the fish were purchased, I forgot to mention she sold me a bottle of seachems stability that I dosed the tank with for 8 days as directions said. Their was no water change those 1st 8 days. And I had removed my carbon cartridge and left filter to run to agitate the water for those 8 days. 9th day I put in a new filter. These were instructions I was following from lps. I've also added a cap full of the stability when I've done water changes. Does that have any effect of my cycle?? I've read that it builds the bio filter. Which means the bacteria to my understanding.

 

Well I believe what you did saved most of your fish from a die off as the only mistake I can see you made was the actual quantity of fish you put in to start a fish in cycle. I did pretty much the same as you with a recent 90 gallon build but only put a group of 19 Glolight Danios in to get it going, I lost a couple of them on the first day but I think that was due to transit stress as I've not lost a single fish since, that was at the start of November & I didn't add anything else for a whole month. I'd leave the tank to settle now if I were you, keep a close watch on your water parameters but if they're good only do weekly water changes now & see how it goes. Don't know why you lost the Corys could've been from stress or just a bad batch of fish from the shop, what you need now is for your water to settle to 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite & 10 to 20 ppm nitrates & with the fish you have a Ph of 7 should be good. Have you checked for Ph Kh & Gh?