New Tank - Need HELP!

The filter system I bought is for a 20-30 gallon tank that hangs off the back

I have also checked my levels in my water we are on well water and my ammonia levels are at 0...

I will definitely look into a bigger tank

Do you know the gallons per hour (GPH) rating of that filter? For goldfish, ideally, you want a filter that can overturn 10x the capacity of the tank. So on a 30 gallon tank, you want a filter with a rating of around 300gph.

Try to aI'm for a 29 gallon minimum, if you want more goldfish in the future you may want to consider a 40 or 55 gallon.

 

I would agree with Fahn on testing your tap water.

Also, test your water at the same time every day for two reasons:

• If you have ammonia in your tap water, and you do a water change, even treating the water with a water conditioner will show a positive on an ammonia test. In a cycled tank, the filter and bacteria takes care of that ammonia quickly. I have this issue. I use Prime, which is amazing, and keeps the fish happy and safe til the filter can take care of any ammonia in the water.
• If you test shortly after a feeding, you will also see higher ammonia due to the fish passing the food.

My advice is to test in the mornings before feeding the fish. If high, water change but don't test again until the next day.

 

Do you know the gallons per hour (GPH) rating of that filter? For goldfish, ideally, you want a filter that can overturn 10x the capacity of the tank. So on a 30 gallon tank, you want a filter with a rating of around 300gph.

Try to aI'm for a 29 gallon minimum, if you want more goldfish in the future you may want to consider a 40 or 55 gallon.

It says 150 gallons per hour

 

What's in the tank? Just one small goldfish? Is it bare bottom or do you have substrate? Do you have a lot of decorations in it? Do the tank get any light?

 

It says 150 gallons per hour

So the maximum sized tank that would be efficient for would by around 15 gallons. While it is 10x overturn on the current tank, your goldfish is producing more ammonia than it can process at a given time.

 

I would agree with Fahn on testing your tap water.

Also, test your water at the same time every day for two reasons:

• If you have ammonia in your tap water, and you do a water change, even treating the water with a water conditioner will show a positive on an ammonia test. In a cycled tank, the filter and bacteria takes care of that ammonia quickly. I have this issue. I use Prime, which is amazing, and keeps the fish happy and safe til the filter can take care of any ammonia in the water.
• If you test shortly after a feeding, you will also see higher ammonia due to the fish passing the food.

My advice is to test in the mornings before feeding the fish. If high, water change but don't test again until the next day.

I checked my water it is running 0ppm for ammonia

I check in the morning before feeding/water change and then I also check after water change and then check again before I go to bed... I also have not fed him to test my levels in a 48 hr period... and that’s my numbers of .25 ammonia .50-1.0 nitrite and 10-20ppm nitrate.

What's in the tank? Just one small goldfish? Is it bare bottom or do you have substrate? Do you have a lot of decorations in it? Do the tank get any light?

I have gravel, one 2-3 inch goldfish, a small house, a amazon sword and a straight piece bubbler in the back... and it has a LED light on the lid.. I leave the light on during the day and shut it down in the early evening throughout the night

So the maximum sized tank that would be efficient for would by around 15 gallons. While it is 10x overturn on the current tank, your goldfish is producing more ammonia than it can process at a given time.

Thank you! I appreciate all your help!

 

I have gravel, one 2-3 inch goldfish, a small house, a amazon sword and a straight piece bubbler in the back... and it has a LED light on the lid.. I leave the light on during the day and shut it down in the early evening throughout the night

Is it some cheap store light? Is there a lot of algae in the tank?

 

Is it some cheap store light? Is there a lot of algae in the tank?

Algae does not cause water quality issues. Ironically if there is algae it is actually making the water cleaner by consuming excess nutrients.

 

Algae does not cause water quality issues. Ironically if there is algae it is actually making the water cleaner by consuming excess nutrients.

I know. Which is why I ask if he's has some, because if he doesn't, I was going to tell them to put the tank next to a window or get a stronger light to help get rid of the ammonia.

I have TWO goldfish in a 10 gallon with 2 bristle noses too and I don't have an ammonia problem. But I also have a lot of algae and don't mind it.

 

I know. Which is why I ask if he's has some, because if he doesn't, I was going to tell them to put the tank next to a window or get a stronger light to help get rid of the ammonia.

I have TWO goldfish in a 10 gallon with 2 bristle noses too and I don't have an ammonia problem. But I also have a lot of algae and don't mind it.

Noted.

I would still upgrade to a larger tank simply because that is a very small space for 2 goldfish and bristlenose, and you may deal with stunting in the long run.

 

Are these levels staying consistent throughout the entire 48 hours or are those just the most recent readings? I think at the beginning of your thread you mentioned that the levels were higher than .25? If it's dropping and staying there, have you fed your fish and seen the same result?

Also, mistakes I've made in the past that caused ammonia spikes:

• Is your plant healthy? dying plants increase ammonia
• are you cleaning your filter with tap water vs. tank water? (this one I did for a LONG TIME before I figured out this is why I wasn't getting the tank to cycle)
• Did you recently change the media in the filter?
• Is your tank too clean? My first Betta died cause I cleaned his tank too much when I first started this hobby. I thought a clean tank was better....

 

^This

If you have a 10 gallon with decorations, fasting fish, over sized HOB filter, gravel, and a plant, you should have PLENTY of surface for bacteria to grow.
You somehow killing your bacteria. Just having one goldfish isn't going to overwhelm it.

It's either that or your plant is dying maybe adding more ammonia. Is it a big plant? Is the plant growing?

Noted.

I would still upgrade to a larger tank simply because that is a very small space for 2 goldfish and bristlenose, and you may deal with stunting in the long run.

When they get too big, I plan to get rid of them or maybe put them in my 55. I only took them to experiment with them because a friend had too many and I wanted to see well they can eat duckweed.

 

Are these levels staying consistent throughout the entire 48 hours or are those just the most recent readings? I think at the beginning of your thread you mentioned that the levels were higher than .25? If it's dropping and staying there, have you fed your fish and seen the same result?

Also, mistakes I've made in the past that caused ammonia spikes:

• Is your plant healthy? dying plants increase ammonia
• are you cleaning your filter with tap water vs. tank water? (this one I did for a LONG TIME before I figured out this is why I wasn't getting the tank to cycle)
• Did you recently change the media in the filter?
• Is your tank too clean? My first Betta died cause I cleaned his tank too much when I first started this hobby. I thought a clean tank was better....

I rinse my filter in the fish tank water...
He was starting to get ammonia burns from my ammonia spike and the plants are something I just recently added to my tank to try and help with the nitrites and ammonia. No I haven’t changed any of the media in the filter...

My ammonia is stay a consistent .25ppm but my nitrites and my nitrate are rising

Before water change/ while I was feeding feeding

Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 5.0

After I did a 50% water change

Ammonia .50
Nitrite .50
Nitrate 0-5ppm

Stopped feeding all together these levels have been the same the last 48 hours no I have not fed my fish yet

Ammonia .25
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 20ppm

After 50% water change
Ammonia .25
Nitrite .25
Nitrate 5ppm

 

That tank looks TOO clean to have a nitrogen problem and that fish is small as heck.


Go buy two packs of those bacteria starter packets (too much, but too much isn't a problem) and dump it in (or one, then the 2nd a week later). And stop cleaning that tank. Just do water changes until the bacteria get establish.

 

You might add some Seachem stability to help finish the cycle. Can’t hurt.

 

Your tank is well on its way to cycled. If you don't already have and use it get a bottle of Seachem Prime. It is a very concentrated water conditioner that has the added benefit of detoxing low levels of ammonia so it will protect your fish from its damaging affects. Most folks on well water often don't use a water conditioner but it is a good idea to have some while cycling.

As long as the total amount of ammonia plus nitrites is less than one just add enough Prime to treat the full 10 gallons. If the numbers go above one do a water change to get them back below one and again add prime.

Since you are registering ammonia, nitrites and nitrates it is telling me that your cycle is almost complete so there is no reason to add anything other than Prime and just give it time.

 

I rinse my filter in the fish tank water...
He was starting to get ammonia burns from my ammonia spike and the plants are something I just recently added to my tank to try and help with the nitrites and ammonia. No I haven’t changed any of the media in the filter...

My ammonia is stay a consistent .25ppm but my nitrites and my nitrate are rising

Before water change/ while I was feeding feeding

Ammonia 1.0
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 5.0

After I did a 50% water change

Ammonia .50
Nitrite .50
Nitrate 0-5ppm

Stopped feeding all together these levels have been the same the last 48 hours no I have not fed my fish yet

Ammonia .25
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 20ppm

After 50% water change
Ammonia .25
Nitrite .25
Nitrate 5ppmView attachment 547454

I was having some similar problems before my tank cycled. I added a big piece of driftwood that has some small parasite plant growth on it. My tank stabilized within 48 hrs. The driftwood helps absorb ammonia and nitrites. You might consider adding some to your tank. My fish are so content that they are having babies all over the place.

 

Like Mattgirl said, use Prime daily as long as the ammonia and nitrites are less than 1ppm. Prime will not lower the readings, but will detoxify both making it safe for your fish. Above 1ppm, do as large a water change as possible - I would do 90% personally.

If you are seeing nitrates, then that is the light at the end of the tunnel for ya. I would recommend Seachem Stability (bacteria in a bottle) added each day to give the bacteria growth a boost. It can be used with Prime and you can do water changes as necessary. Tetra Safe Start PLUS is another bacteria in a bottle solution, but requires 2 weeks without water changes so I do not recommend it in your case.

And yes, do not touch the filter, specifically the media in the filter, until after the tank has cycled. Then as you have outlined, only clean in tank water. Make sure you never replace all the media at once. If it is a filter with just one cartridge to replace, look for a DIY solution to get a sponge, biohome or matrix or ceramics, and some filter floss. Then all you ever throw out is the filter floss while the sponge and biohome/matrix/ceramics retain the beneficial bacteria. There is a thread on this very topic with great info. I think it is even a sticky.

Your 10 gallon should hold a small fancy goldfish short term. I would not recommend it long term however. As it grows, look at upgrading. At that time, get a more powerful filter and run it along side the current one in the new tank. That way you can just move the fish along with the cycle over to the new tank all at once. After a couple months, you can remove the old filter. Or leave it one to keep it seeded for quick use on the 10 gallon as a quarantine tank. After all this effort, you don't want to introduce disease to your current stock when you add more fish.

 

So I bought a fancy goldfish on March 1st being told by the pet store I would only need my fish tank set up for a day and I would be fine having a fish in it... fast forward through a lot of trial and error and a lot of research I found out for all that to be completely wrong so about two weeks ago my tank hit an ammonia spike still trying to get my tank cycled and I have been doing 50% water changes daily and was having a hard time keeping it my ammonia under .50ppm and this last week found out it was from the food I was giving him so I have stopped feeding him to run my levels I am still at .25ppm for ammonia and between .50-1.0ppm for nitrite and about 10-20 ppm for my nitrate and that’s doing 50% water changes daily... is there light at the end of my tunnel or am I doing something wrong?

I would get an aerated sponge filter going in their to provide some mechanical filtration going and additional surface area to build up a beneficial bacteria colony to feed on nitrates and mirrored In a big believer in spongefilters

 

I would get an aerated sponge filter going in their to provide some mechanical filtration going and additional surface area to build up a beneficial bacteria colony to feed on nitrates and mirrored In a big believer in spongefilters

Very good suggestion. I keep at least a small sponge filter in most my tanks, even though I am way overfiltrated with HOBs or canisters. It's a great backup to have a colony of beneficial bacteria and many use them as their primary filtration.