# New Owner with Tropical Fish Tank Needs Help



## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Hey Guys, Im new here and to fish keeping. 
I have a 10 gallon tank with:

1 Dalmatian Molly 
1 Red-eyed Tetra 
1 Gold Mickey Mouse Platy 
3 Guppies 
I have a ph tester, an ammonia tester, I can use some help with how much to feed these guys, how ofter to do 25% (or whatever suggested) water changes, what the ph level should be, if the food Im feeding them is ok, and any other tips would be great! 

Thank you 
-Brandon

Read more: Your Aquariums in the Aquarium Log


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## GwenInNM (Feb 2, 2011)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> Hey Guys, Im new here and to fish keeping.
> I have a 10 gallon tank with:
> 
> 1 Dalmatian Molly
> ...


Welcome Brandon! You have some pretty hardy fish, so as far as ph, it's best to not try to adjust it, but go with whatever your ph is out of your tap. Get a good water conditioner, like Prime. If you tank is not cycled, you will likely getting ammonia soon, which is deadly for fish, so be prepared to do water changes very frequently, to save your fish. After that you'll see nitrites, which are even more harmful. You should get a test kit for nitrite, and nitrates also. When your tank is cycled, you'll start seeing nitrates, which are okay, as long as they don't get high. Weekly water changes of 50% will keep your fish healthy. Also, your tetra will do much better if you get another 4-5 of them, as they are schooling fish. Don't add them now though, until your tank is cycled, which can take about 4-6 weeks. Feed very sparingly as overfeeding will create ammonia spikes. Once a day is plenty. Get a high quality flake food, like Omega brand. 

If you can get live plants, that will also help with your tank and speed up cycling, though that will take a number of plants. What kind of substrate are you using?

Gwen


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## j dizzel (Dec 24, 2011)

live barriers are'nt my thing but some response is better than none. i feed once a day for appx. 3 minuntes with flake food. heavier foods such as blood worm and brime shrimp about one thrid of that time. water changes start with 25% per week, it depending on how much waste your fish produce and how big your tank is. you will be able to tell when you vaccum. push the wand gently through the gravel down to the glass, if lots of debri is churned up increase frequency and amount of water change. adjust as you go with small changes. smaller tanks with lots of fish need more attention than bigger tanks with less fish and they are harder to take care of because you are dealing with such a small amount of water.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Check this out guys, this is my set up... 
Tropical Fantasy - 10 gallon Freshwater fish tank


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## GwenInNM (Feb 2, 2011)

j dizzel said:


> live barriers are'nt my thing but some response is better than none. i feed once a day for appx. 3 minuntes with flake food. heavier foods such as blood worm and brime shrimp about one thrid of that time. water changes start with 25% per week, it depending on how much waste your fish produce and how big your tank is. you will be able to tell when you vaccum. push the wand gently through the gravel down to the glass, if lots of debri is churned up increase frequency and amount of water change. adjust as you go with small changes. smaller tanks with lots of fish need more attention than bigger tanks with less fish and they are harder to take care of because you are dealing with such a small amount of water.



Just want to clarify something. When you feed for 3 minutes, you mean you give the fish enough that they can consume in 3 minutes, right? I never feed that much, but perhaps that does work for some. I have lots of plants, and I always want to keep my nitrates below 10ppm. I do have a larger bio-load that Brandon however. I've heard the rule of thumb is no more than your fish can consume in 2 minutes. 

Like the asian theme tank set up Brandon. Looks very nice. Are you putting more fish in that tank, or just what you have now? 

Gwen


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> Hey Guys, Im new here and to fish keeping.
> I have a 10 gallon tank with:
> 
> 1 Dalmatian Molly
> ...


Welcome to Tropical Fsih Keeping forum Brandon, and to the hobby too.

We have profiles of many fish, under the second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top of the page. You will find information on the species you list.

Byron.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

GwenInNM said:


> Just want to clarify something. When you feed for 3 minutes, you mean you give the fish enough that they can consume in 3 minutes, right? I never feed that much, but perhaps that does work for some. I have lots of plants, and I always want to keep my nitrates below 10ppm. I do have a larger bio-load that Brandon however. I've heard the rule of thumb is no more than your fish can consume in 2 minutes.
> 
> Like the asian theme tank set up Brandon. Looks very nice. Are you putting more fish in that tank, or just what you have now?
> 
> Gwen


I am going to add another Red-Eye Tetra as advised. 
Im just not certain on how much to feed all 6 of these little guys, like .. a pinch or what.. not sure, and once a day is enough? The jar says 3x a day but they dont know how many fish/ or what kind I have lol

-Thanks a lot!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> I am going to add another Red-Eye Tetra as advised.
> Im just not certain on how much to feed all 6 of these little guys, like .. a pinch or what.. not sure, and once a day is enough? The jar says 3x a day but they dont know how many fish/ or what kind I have lol
> 
> -Thanks a lot!


I guess manufacturers of fish foods want to sell more of their products, so they recommend several feedings daily. This is way to much for most fish. Fry need more regular feedings but beyond that once a day is sufficient for mature fish. It is a good idea to skip a day or two each week, say the water change day.

Fish will always "appear" hungry, it is their natural instinct to eat whenever they find food. A hungry fish is a healthy fish. The prepared foods available today are highly nutritious. Feed once a day, earlier (but no sooner than a half hour after the tank light comes on) rather than later if you can, as fish will naturally be more active earlier and it gives them plenty of time to digest the food before darkness. Feed only as much as the upper fish clean up in a couple of minutes; substrate fish are slower feeders so they may peck away at sinking foods for an hour or more, that's fine.

Byron.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> I guess manufacturers of fish foods want to sell more of their products, so they recommend several feedings daily. This is way to much for most fish. Fry need more regular feedings but beyond that once a day is sufficient for mature fish. It is a good idea to skip a day or two each week, say the water change day.
> 
> Fish will always "appear" hungry, it is their natural instinct to eat whenever they find food. A hungry fish is a healthy fish. The prepared foods available today are highly nutritious. Feed once a day, earlier (but no sooner than a half hour after the tank light comes on) rather than later if you can, as fish will naturally be more active earlier and it gives them plenty of time to digest the food before darkness. Feed only as much as the upper fish clean up in a couple of minutes; substrate fish are slower feeders so they may peck away at sinking foods for an hour or more, that's fine.
> 
> Byron.


thank you very much!
That is very helpful advice!
I am going to do a 25% water change on the 7 day mark, does this continue throughout the entire duration of my fishkeeping ie. Forever? 
Just wondering.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> thank you very much!
> That is very helpful advice!
> I am going to do a 25% water change on the 7 day mark, does this continue throughout the entire duration of my fishkeeping ie. Forever?
> Just wondering.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Yes.

I have changed half the water in all my tanks every week (once weekly) for 20+ years. Most of us consider the weekly water change essential to healthy fish. The volume can depend a bit on the tank, live plants, etc., but once a week is a good habit to get into. Choose a day when you will normally have the time, say Saturday or Sunday morning if you are in school or work. Regularity is more likely to be "regular." :lol:


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

I just performed about a 40% water change because I just found one of the guppies dead. I read somewhere that if a fish dies in the tank you should do a water change asap.
I have no idea what happened to him.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

well, all my guppies are dead. Dunno why. But the other 3 are doing great!


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## ladayen (Jun 21, 2011)

I wouldn't recommend getting any more red eye tetra. They should be in groups but your tank is not big enough to support a group of them. I would return the one you do have.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

ladayen said:


> I wouldn't recommend getting any more red eye tetra. They should be in groups but your tank is not big enough to support a group of them. I would return the one you do have.


Well that stinks, I can not return him. You dont think one more should be ok?


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## GwenInNM (Feb 2, 2011)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> Well that stinks, I can not return him. You dont think one more should be ok?



They may not take him back for money return, but I'd hope they would at least "take him", for you. 

Gwen


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> Yes.
> 
> I have changed half the water in all my tanks every week (once weekly) for 20+ years. Most of us consider the weekly water change essential to healthy fish. The volume can depend a bit on the tank, live plants, etc., but once a week is a good habit to get into. Choose a day when you will normally have the time, say Saturday or Sunday morning if you are in school or work. Regularity is more likely to be "regular." :lol:



I did the water change yesterday and today one of my platy's was belly up. I checked the ammonia and found a small spike, dunno if that was the reason he died. Any suggestions please?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> I did the water change yesterday and today one of my platy's was belly up. I checked the ammonia and found a small spike, dunno if that was the reason he died. Any suggestions please?


I assume you tested for ammonia, what was the number? And nitrites?

Also, is the tap water and tank water reasonably close in parameters (pH, temperature)?


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> I assume you tested for ammonia, what was the number? And nitrites?
> 
> Also, is the tap water and tank water reasonably close in parameters (pH, temperature)?


I have a test that you match the color of the water after adding 8 + 8 drops of solution to a card, the color matched with the reading of 0.25 ppm.
The temperature is 77, that is what my heater keeps it on. I can not make it higher or lower, if it goes lower, the thermostat kicks it on till it reaches temp.
Unfortunately my faucet/ water source is not in a close parameter to the tank, so I bought a bucket from the pet store specifically for filling the tank when doing a water change.
-Im thinking, since its only week 2, that there isnt enough good bacteria in there yet to stabilize the ammonia. 
I brought a water sample to the pet store for them to test it, they said everything (ph/ nitrates and nitrites are good, just the ammonia is a very tiny bit higher then it should be.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> I have a test that you match the color of the water after adding 8 + 8 drops of solution to a card, the color matched with the reading of 0.25 ppm.
> The temperature is 77, that is what my heater keeps it on. I can not make it higher or lower, if it goes lower, the thermostat kicks it on till it reaches temp.
> Unfortunately my faucet/ water source is not in a close parameter to the tank, so I bought a bucket from the pet store specifically for filling the tank when doing a water change.
> -Im thinking, since its only week 2, that there isnt enough good bacteria in there yet to stabilize the ammonia.
> I brought a water sample to the pet store for them to test it, they said everything (ph/ nitrates and nitrites are good, just the ammonia is a very tiny bit higher then it should be.


This is probably the effects of the cycling. Some fish manage to survive initially, but ammonia and nitrite poisoning is severe and may weaken the fish or cause internal problems that cause the death of the fish down the road.

Just a suggestion, next time you take water to the pet store for testing, ask them to give you the numbers. They can write them down for you. I know they often say "looks OK," or "its in the acceptable range," but their idea of OK and acceptable may not be ours. Without knowing exactly what's occurring water-wise, it can be difficult to diagnose problems.

I will assume you are using a water conditioner for the tap water. And if the temp is close by hand it is OK.

Have you tested the tap water for ammonia?


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> This is probably the effects of the cycling. Some fish manage to survive initially, but ammonia and nitrite poisoning is severe and may weaken the fish or cause internal problems that cause the death of the fish down the road.
> 
> Just a suggestion, next time you take water to the pet store for testing, ask them to give you the numbers. They can write them down for you. I know they often say "looks OK," or "its in the acceptable range," but their idea of OK and acceptable may not be ours. Without knowing exactly what's occurring water-wise, it can be difficult to diagnose problems.
> 
> ...


I understand, and appreciate the help Byron.
Next time I will definitely get the numbers, Im going back next week for another test.
I have tested the tap water and it gets a zero reading for ammonia.
So far, thankfully, the other 5 fish are doing well. They are eating and acting normal so Im just gonna pray that they make it.
I have been adding the water conditioner when I do the water change, and also I have been adding something called Stress Zyme, for the good bacteria. 
Maybe I should do a water change every 2 weeks because the water is really clear, no build up of any sort. And it seems things go nutty when I perform that 25% change.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> I understand, and appreciate the help Byron.
> Next time I will definitely get the numbers, Im going back next week for another test.
> I have tested the tap water and it gets a zero reading for ammonia.
> So far, thankfully, the other 5 fish are doing well. They are eating and acting normal so Im just gonna pray that they make it.
> ...


A weekly water change is preferable to less often, for various reasons I won't get into now. And it should mean more water stability in the tank. However, it is possible there is something we are not seeing.

It will help to know the exact pH of the tap water and the tank. These should be close for a water change, but may not be; and a significant pH fluctuation can be deadly, especially to fish already weakened by the cycling. You mentioned in an earlier post of having a pH tester; is it strip or liquid, and which brand? And can you test the tap water on it own; it is best to let a glass of water sit out overnight for a more accurate reading? And the tank water?

A word on the Stress Zyme: don't use it. This product claims to break down organic compounds, and that would mean ammonia. I advocate letting nature handle this task in the substrate. There will be less to go wrong.;-) For cycling, there are bacterial supplements that do work to speed up the process [none will instantly cycle a new tank]. Tetra's SafeStart does, and Seachem's Stability does. There are others now, but these two are reliable. I'm not suggesting you get these now, unless we see evidence of further problems in the nitrification cycle. So hold on to your money.

What water conditioner do you use?

Byron.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> A weekly water change is preferable to less often, for various reasons I won't get into now. And it should mean more water stability in the tank. However, it is possible there is something we are not seeing.
> 
> It will help to know the exact pH of the tap water and the tank. These should be close for a water change, but may not be; and a significant pH fluctuation can be deadly, especially to fish already weakened by the cycling. You mentioned in an earlier post of having a pH tester; is it strip or liquid, and which brand? And can you test the tap water on it own; it is best to let a glass of water sit out overnight for a more accurate reading? And the tank water?
> 
> ...


Hey Byron!

K so for the ph tester I have liquid its called API ph test & adjuster kit. It comes with a bottle to test, a bottle to raise ph and a bottle to lower ph.
I performed the test in the tank just now and it read at 7.5
I have a cup of tap water waiting for testing tomorrow as suggested, going to leave it be overnight.

Funny you say hold on to my money, I have invested over $250 for a few $1 fish lol :lol:
I will stop adding the Stress Zyme and let it cycle on it own then. My filter should help with the cycling anyway I think right?

I was using Nutrafin Aqua plus for a conditioner but I ran out so now I have a bottle of Aqueon which I have not used yet because I still have a few more days before the next water change.

Also, the ammonia is still at 0.25


I can not thank you enough for your help!!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> Hey Byron!
> 
> K so for the ph tester I have liquid its called API ph test & adjuster kit. It comes with a bottle to test, a bottle to raise ph and a bottle to lower ph.
> I performed the test in the tank just now and it read at 7.5
> ...


You're welcome. API liquid pH kit is good, I have it. Will have more when i know the tap water pH.

Ammonia is an issue, but this may be due to the cycling or it may be related to the effect from using the Stress Zyme. Two options possible. Get a small bottle of water conditioner that detoxifies ammonia (Aquaeon does not, it is a good conditioner normally but it does not say it handles ammonia), Prime and Ultimate do, there are a couple others. Second, do a partial water change to lower the ammonia.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> You're welcome. API liquid pH kit is good, I have it. Will have more when i know the tap water pH.
> 
> Ammonia is an issue, but this may be due to the cycling or it may be related to the effect from using the Stress Zyme. Two options possible. Get a small bottle of water conditioner that detoxifies ammonia (Aquaeon does not, it is a good conditioner normally but it does not say it handles ammonia), Prime and Ultimate do, there are a couple others. Second, do a partial water change to lower the ammonia.


Good day Byron!

6.8 are the results from the tap water left overnight.
What does this mean?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> Good day Byron!
> 
> 6.8 are the results from the tap water left overnight.
> What does this mean?


This is interesting. Run some tap water now (when you read this) and test the pH (no waiting overnight) and post the result.

The tank pH is 7.5 so presumably there is calcareous gravel or rock in the tank, which in this case is good. Livebearers require harder water with a basic (above 7) pH.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> This is interesting. Run some tap water now (when you read this) and test the pH (no waiting overnight) and post the result.
> 
> The tank pH is 7.5 so presumably there is calcareous gravel or rock in the tank, which in this case is good. Livebearers require harder water with a basic (above 7) pH.



Its around a 7.2, the test I did just now from the tap.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> Its around a 7.2, the test I did just now from the tap.


Interesting that the tap water acidifies if it sits out overnight. Don't quite follow that. We should check the GH and KH, these you can ascertain from the water supply people, they probably have a website.

Anyway, the tank is 7.6 so that is fine as I said for livebearers. So on the original issue, I think the cycling caused the fish deaths.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> Interesting that the tap water acidifies if it sits out overnight. Don't quite follow that. We should check the GH and KH, these you can ascertain from the water supply people, they probably have a website.
> 
> Anyway, the tank is 7.6 so that is fine as I said for livebearers. So on the original issue, I think the cycling caused the fish deaths.



From the New York City DEP website:
RANGE/ AVERAGE
Hardness (mg/L CaCO3) 17 - 22 / 19 

Hardness (grains/gallon[US]CaCO3) (6) 1.0 - 1.3 / 1.1

Alkalinity (mg/L CaCO3) 7.05 - 24 / 12.9 

Calcium (mg/L) 4.8 - 6.4 / 5.5

Nitrate (mg/L nitrogen) 0.06 - 0.15/ 0.11

pH (pH units) (9) 6.6 - 8.2/ 7.2


I hope that helps 
Thanks Byron!​


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> From the New York City DEP website:
> RANGE/ AVERAGE
> Hardness (mg/L CaCO3) 17 - 22 / 19​
> Hardness (grains/gallon[US]CaCO3) (6) 1.0 - 1.3 / 1.1​
> ...


Not bad numbers, quite good in fact (depending how you view it;-)). That wide pH range suggests water from different sources, and given NYC's size, that is no surprise. They must have several reservoirs.

These numbers indicate that the tank will tend to acidify as it establishes. Not good for livebearers, but ideal for soft water fish. Your choice.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> Not bad numbers, quite good in fact (depending how you view it;-)). That wide pH range suggests water from different sources, and given NYC's size, that is no surprise. They must have several reservoirs.
> 
> These numbers indicate that the tank will tend to acidify as it establishes. Not good for livebearers, but ideal for soft water fish. Your choice.



Hey Byron!

So I took a water sample to the pet store today and got some numbers..

Ammonia: 1.0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
Chlorine: 0
Alkalinity: 40
PH: 6.2
Hardness: 75

But I dont think any of these numbers make a difference, in my personal opinion, because all the fish are looking healthy and thriving!
Thankfully no deaths! And its been almost 3 weeks since I put the fish in. 
I been doing my weekly water changes, I got rid of the Zyme product and I added another platy (sunburst) 
They all look very happy!

Thank you so much for all your help!!!!!!!:cheers:


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## Rayemond (Jan 11, 2012)

I'm afraid the ammonia should be at zero, a reading of one is harmful for the fish. They might look okay now, but you will have more losses soon if you don't get this sorted. Your tank is not cycled, and you should NOT add any more fish until the ammonia is zero, the nitrite is zero and the nitrate level is rising. 
Your ammonia will continue to increase, and it is highly toxic to fish, then you will get a spike of nitrite when bacteria establish to convert the ammonia into nitrite - nitrite is also highly toxic to fish and should always be at zero. Then further bacteria will develop to convert the nitrite into nitrate, which is not nearly as toxic. At this point you will have ammonia - 0, nitrite - 0 and nitrate - above zero. Then you will know that your tank is cycled.


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## GwenInNM (Feb 2, 2011)

Rayemond said:


> I'm afraid the ammonia should be at zero, a reading of one is harmful for the fish. They might look okay now, but you will have more losses soon if you don't get this sorted. Your tank is not cycled, and you should NOT add any more fish until the ammonia is zero, the nitrite is zero and the nitrate level is rising.
> Your ammonia will continue to increase, and it is highly toxic to fish, then you will get a spike of nitrite when bacteria establish to convert the ammonia into nitrite - nitrite is also highly toxic to fish and should always be at zero. Then further bacteria will develop to convert the nitrite into nitrate, which is not nearly as toxic. At this point you will have ammonia - 0, nitrite - 0 and nitrate - above zero. Then you will know that your tank is cycled.



Rayemond is totally right. You have a couple weeks to go (possibly) till your tank is cycled. Don't add more fish, and feed as little as possible. Overfeeding can be a problem during this period. You need to keep an eye on nitrItes, and get a kit for that asap if you don't have one. Like Rayemond said, this is very toxic. You'll have to keep up with water changes and using Prime as your water conditioner until you get the readings already spoken about above. Be patient. It will happen.

Gwen


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Had to read back through this thread to see where we are. Previously it was suggested that you get an API liquid Master test kit. You need to make checks of nitrite.

I'm not overly worried about the ammonia since the pH is acidic, so this is actually ammonium which is basically harmless. Nitrite is what has to be watched for.

Are there live plants? Some simple floating plants would make this so much easier and safer.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> Had to read back through this thread to see where we are. Previously it was suggested that you get an API liquid Master test kit. You need to make checks of nitrite.
> 
> I'm not overly worried about the ammonia since the pH is acidic, so this is actually ammonium which is basically harmless. Nitrite is what has to be watched for.
> 
> Are there live plants? Some simple floating plants would make this so much easier and safer.



No nitrates or trites in here yet. I take a water sample to the pet store every week, sometimes 2x a week.
Its been almost 5 weeks now since I set up the tank.

No live plants. Still trying to get the PH up. I have a kit to do that but I dont know how much to add, it says 4 drops per 10 US gallons but if I add 40 drops I dont know how much it will raise it lol. 

All the fish are still doing awesome though. I have not added any more. 
Still got my initial 7 fish.

Ammonia still at 1. 

That's all i have for an update as of now.
Thanks guys!


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## ladayen (Jun 21, 2011)

I just want to point out that with acidic water (PH below 7) toxic ammonia is automatically changed to nearly harmless ammonium. If you do succeed in raising your PH above 7 that ammonia is going to be very toxic and will kill your fish quick.

I would suggest you leave the PH alone and instead search for fish suitable to acidic water from now on.


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

ladayen said:


> I just want to point out that with acidic water (PH below 7) toxic ammonia is automatically changed to nearly harmless ammonium. If you do succeed in raising your PH above 7 that ammonia is going to be very toxic and will kill your fish quick.
> 
> I would suggest you leave the PH alone and instead search for fish suitable to acidic water from now on.



Thank you, that is very good to know!

I would have killed off all my fish if I was to raise my PH level. Its currently at around 6.5, and I certainly would not want to replace my fish I have now, I love these guys :-D


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## brooklynreaper13 (Jan 15, 2012)

Byron said:


> Had to read back through this thread to see where we are. Previously it was suggested that you get an API liquid Master test kit. You need to make checks of nitrite.
> 
> I'm not overly worried about the ammonia since the pH is acidic, so this is actually ammonium which is basically harmless. Nitrite is what has to be watched for.
> 
> Are there live plants? Some simple floating plants would make this so much easier and safer.



Hey Byron!

I was about to change the sponge part of my filter and I read somewhere that you should take the old filter and place it in the water for a few days when adding a new filter. Is this true?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

brooklynreaper13 said:


> Hey Byron!
> 
> I was about to change the sponge part of my filter and I read somewhere that you should take the old filter and place it in the water for a few days when adding a new filter. Is this true?


We often go overboard about bacteria and filters. Bacteria colonize all surfaces under water, and unless the tank is new, you will likely have more bacteria in the tank than in the filter sponge.

But before replacing it, just rinse it. As long as it is still filling the space so water is forced through it and not getting around it, it is fine. Keep it rinsed though as dirt will clog it.

Byron.


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