# set up my 55 gal - criticism wanted!



## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

i only have 3 glofish in here at the moment.

im looking to add more fish / plants if you cold recommend some that would be awesome :-D








1







2







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7

thanks!


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

im thinking about getting some freshwater pipefish, 2 or 3


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## zof (Apr 23, 2010)

Get some more live plants, vals would do great in there and grow to the height of the water, cant say I really like the white substrate, maybe add some darker rocks to contrast and reduce the white level, I found a bag of mexican river rocks from big box stores actually look pretty good once you get them wet.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

zof said:


> Get some more live plants, vals would do great in there and grow to the height of the water, cant say I really like the white substrate, maybe add some darker rocks to contrast and reduce the white level, I found a bag of mexican river rocks from big box stores actually look pretty good once you get them wet.


i thought the same thing after looking at the pictures, the sand isn't that bright in person but i will defiantly look for some dark rocks. i live right by a quarry so i can get various granite rocks. can you give me the full name of the plant you mentioned? im not very familiar with the names.

thanks!


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Are those the new glotetra? I'd get about 5-6 more for that tank, they like having a lot of friends, plus IMO a large group of fish swimming together is an awesome sight.
Plants, I'd take out the anubias from the sand.. It needs it's rhizome out of the substrate or it'll rot. A cool idea is to take some white cotton thread and tie it onto the driftwood, pretty soon it'll attach it's roots to the driftwood and you can remove the thread.
Other plants.. I'd look into: 
-a surface plants like water sprites
-apongeton crispus- gorgeous and easy to care for
-bacopa- nice, most of them are low light
-sunset hygrophilia- I saw it in my store, if they have medium light the leaves turn pink which is pretty cool looking
-any other hygrophilia- awesome hardy low light plants
-moss, like java moss for example- you can make a carpet, tie it down to some flatish rocks.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Olympia said:


> Are those the new glotetra? I'd get about 5-6 more for that tank, they like having a lot of friends, plus IMO a large group of fish swimming together is an awesome sight.
> Plants, I'd take out the anubias from the sand.. It needs it's rhizome out of the substrate or it'll rot. A cool idea is to take some white cotton thread and tie it onto the driftwood, pretty soon it'll attach it's roots to the driftwood and you can remove the thread.
> Other plants.. I'd look into:
> -a surface plants like water sprites
> ...


yes they are! i am probably going to do that today because 2 of the tetras always leave the other one out  . i wish i knew this before i put them in, no worries though im going to do that right now. 
i hate how bare my tank looks, off to go order some plants!

thanks for the suggestions !


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

i got more fish!!



















and fixed the anubias!


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Woo! They all look awesome.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Olympia said:


> Woo! They all look awesome.


thank you, do you know anything about water heaters?


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Not too much, sorry. I have an aquaclear for my 15 gallon, old but works amazing still.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

More plants, and especially some floating plants will have a real benefit.

What is the question about heaters?

Byron.


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## zof (Apr 23, 2010)

something similar to Corkscrew Vallisneria (Vallisneria spiralis var. spiralis) Profile


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## BWG (Oct 11, 2011)

slojko said:


> im thinking about getting some freshwater pipefish, 2 or 3


I'd skip the pipefish or at least do some really heavy duty research on them. Almost everything I've heard about them is how hard they are to keep alive. Shame because they're so neat looking.


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## zof (Apr 23, 2010)

edit: whoops 2nd page


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> More plants, and especially some floating plants will have a real benefit.
> 
> What is the question about heaters?
> 
> Byron.


floating plants? like lily pads? i have a old 115w heater and when i plug it in it brings the water to like 85 degrees even thought the dial is at 75, do you think its broken? when i took it out of the water it started smoking but only for a second. 

i got more neon tetras and catfish


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## Sanguinefox (Nov 29, 2011)

If your water heater is going above what you set it to, it's time to replace it. One of the best ones I've used so far is the Aqueon Pro. 

Aqueon Pro Heaters, Aquarium Heaters | PetSolutions
It comes in different sizes for different tanks, doesn't have the same issues glass ones have (tend to be ugly, harder to hide, don't blend as well, can shatter on you, etc).


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Sanguinefox said:


> If your water heater is going above what you set it to, it's time to replace it. One of the best ones I've used so far is the Aqueon Pro.
> 
> Aqueon Pro Heaters, Aquarium Heaters | PetSolutions
> It comes in different sizes for different tanks, doesn't have the same issues glass ones have (tend to be ugly, harder to hide, don't blend as well, can shatter on you, etc).


thank you they are cheap too, my old one was 115 so would 100w be right for 55 gallons?


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## Sanguinefox (Nov 29, 2011)

slojko said:


> thank you they are cheap too, my old one was 115 so would 100w be right for 55 gallons?


You'd want a 150 watt one at the very least.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

That photo of the school looks good!


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

For floating plants, check this section in our profiles. Also, some stem plants do well floating.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

i got these small neon glowfish the other day and one of them already died, his mouth was wide open (it looks like his top lip was missing) he started swimming towards the catfish and they nipped at him and he kept doing it and died later that day.

are the catfish a bad combo or are the fish just defected? 2/6 of the glofish have a missing top lip and one of them died so now its 1/5

hes not eating either.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

What species is the catfish, and how many? From one of the earlier photos it looks like a Pictus Catfish, these get large and can eat other fish, though I'm not saying it was in your case. If a fish is weak the others in the tank can sense it and some will then go after it. Check the profile (click the shaded name) to see if that is the catfish you have.


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## Stormfish (Apr 30, 2012)

slojko said:


> thank you, do you know anything about water heaters?


You don't have a heater in there with those Tetra? They like warm water, around 78°F would be perfect for them.

I've had three different brands of heaters. The two I'm using right now are Marineland (for my betta's tank) and Eheim Jager (for my Tetra tank). The Marineland isn't as slick looking at the Eheim or as well designed and constructed, but I've found the temperature gauge on the Eheim is 5° off the thermostat. Bit annoying, but just takes a bit of adjustment to get right. I would still recommend one of these, and they're only a bit more expensive than the other brands on the market. 

EDIT: I just read your latest post about one of your Tetra dying. Please google before adding anything more to your tank. I don't know what kind of catfish you got, but some of them can be too aggressive for a community tank with Tetra.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> What species is the catfish, and how many? From one of the earlier photos it looks like a Pictus Catfish, these get large and can eat other fish, though I'm not saying it was in your case. If a fish is weak the others in the tank can sense it and some will then go after it. Check the profile (click the shaded name) to see if that is the catfish you have.


those are the kind i got, they only nipped at the ones that walked into them (fishs with no top lip)

i just got a liquid test kit and ill be posting my results in a little bit.

it is defiantly some sort of fungus infection after some googling. i did a 20% water change so i hope that helps.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Stormfish said:


> You don't have a heater in there with those Tetra? They like warm water, around 78°F would be perfect for them.
> 
> I've had three different brands of heaters. The two I'm using right now are Marineland (for my betta's tank) and Eheim Jager (for my Tetra tank). The Marineland isn't as slick looking at the Eheim or as well designed and constructed, but I've found the temperature gauge on the Eheim is 5° off the thermostat. Bit annoying, but just takes a bit of adjustment to get right. I would still recommend one of these, and they're only a bit more expensive than the other brands on the market.
> 
> EDIT: I just read your latest post about one of your Tetra dying. Please google before adding anything more to your tank. I don't know what kind of catfish you got, but some of them can be too aggressive for a community tank with Tetra.


the one i had malfunctioned and brought the water to 90 degrees, but
my room is 76 degrees on average and my thermometer reads 72-78 all the time so ill be getting a heater next week.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

PH - 7.4 7.8

AMMONIA .50ppm - 1.0 ppm

NITRITE 0ppm - .25 ppm

NITRATE 5.0ppm

these were tested AFTER i did a water change and added Prime.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Stormfish said:


> You don't have a heater in there with those Tetra? They like warm water, around 78°F would be perfect for them.
> 
> I've had three different brands of heaters. The two I'm using right now are Marineland (for my betta's tank) and Eheim Jager (for my Tetra tank). The Marineland isn't as slick looking at the Eheim or as well designed and constructed, but I've found the temperature gauge on the Eheim is 5° off the thermostat. Bit annoying, but just takes a bit of adjustment to get right. I would still recommend one of these, and they're only a bit more expensive than the other brands on the market.
> 
> EDIT: I just read your latest post about one of your Tetra dying. Please google before adding anything more to your tank. I don't know what kind of catfish you got, but some of them can be too aggressive for a community tank with Tetra.


the tetra i was talking about was a red florescent zebra fish and the catfish is the Pictus Catfish .


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> PH - 7.4 7.8
> 
> AMMONIA .50ppm - 1.0 ppm
> 
> ...


Prime detoxifies ammonia and nitrite in a manner that will still cause them to be evident in tests. Prime is effective for 24-36 hours according to Seachem. If numbers are still evident in tests after that period, another water change shold be done. Ths is the standard procedure durng cycling.

Lots of live plants, esp floating, should eliminate this.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> Prime detoxifies ammonia and nitrite in a manner that will still cause them to be evident in tests. Prime is effective for 24-36 hours according to Seachem. If numbers are still evident in tests after that period, another water change shold be done. Ths is the standard procedure durng cycling.
> 
> Lots of live plants, esp floating, should eliminate this.


thanks! i will take another test saturday morning.

i have 3 live plants and like 10 of these stringy plants you can see in my second set of pictures. how many more would i need? im looking at java moss, aponogeton crispus, corkscrew val, and watersprite. 2 of each?

Pictured:


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

im going to return my fish-eating catfish and hopefully find some smaller ones to buy.

any recommendations?

also, one of my zebra fish are pregnant.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

On the plant question, Water Sprite is a floating plnat and if you can get it, buy it. It is ideal for this, plus all fish love a "roof" of floating plants over them. The Corkscrew Vallisneria will also be very good. Both these are fast growers, and very nice plants as well. Click shaded names for profile and photos.

On the catfish question, a group of 5 or more corys (Corydoras paleatus, Corydoras aeneus, Corydoras trilineatus are some of the more common ones, click the shaded names for the profiles with photos). If you have one species, 5 or more; if you want two or more species, get at least 3 of each species. Corys are very social fish. The Whiptail Catfish is interesting. You have room for corys and a whiptail or a couple whiptail.

Byron.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> On the plant question, Water Sprite is a floating plnat and if you can get it, buy it. It is ideal for this, plus all fish love a "roof" of floating plants over them. The Corkscrew Vallisneria will also be very good. Both these are fast growers, and very nice plants as well. Click shaded names for profile and photos.
> 
> On the catfish question, a group of 5 or more corys (Corydoras paleatus, Corydoras aeneus, Corydoras trilineatus are some of the more common ones, click the shaded names for the profiles with photos). If you have one species, 5 or more; if you want two or more species, get at least 3 of each species. Corys are very social fish. The Whiptail Catfish is interesting. You have room for corys and a whiptail or a couple whiptail.
> 
> Byron.


im going to order 8 pygmy chain swords, 5 water sprites and 5 corkscrew vals

the pet store only had 1 cory and they didn't carry any whiptails so i got 3 upside down catfish.

thank you for posting in my thread you are very knowledgeable.


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## Quantum (Jul 23, 2011)

your substrate looks to me to be the type meant for saltwater tanks, if it is it may alter the water chemistry


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Quantum said:


> your substrate looks to me to be the type meant for saltwater tanks, if it is it may alter the water chemistry


its playsand from home depot, it said not for aquarium use on the front but the same company makes aquarium sand


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## Quantum (Jul 23, 2011)

play sand is OK - assuming it is just quartz sand

yours looked really white, so I thought it may be CaCO3 - something like crushed coral or aragonite


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> its playsand from home depot, it said not for aquarium use on the front but the same company makes aquarium sand


Am I understanding this correctly? You used a sand that has "not for aquarium use" on the bag? If this is the case, there may be substances in the sand that will be harmful to fish. The playsand i use is tan/gray and it does not say this on the bag.


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## ladayen (Jun 21, 2011)

I would encourage you to get more upside down catfish but not until we figure out this sand issue. Simply because the company makes aquarium quality sand does not mean all of it's products are aquarium safe. It's very possible they have multiple quarries with one or more containing substances toxic to fish.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

this product contains small amounts of crystalline silica a common mineral found in natural sands and stones. excessive inhalation of respirable silica dust may cause cancer and lung disease. avoid breathing in the dust. 

myoldcastle.com

this is what is says on the bag. hope it helps.

the substrate looks crystal like and has a few black dots mixed in

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f11/kolorscape-sand-at-home-depot-60603.html

some research says its safe.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> this product contains small amounts of crystalline silica a common mineral found in natural sands and stones. excessive inhalation of respirable silica dust may cause cancer and lung disease. avoid breathing in the dust.
> 
> myoldcastle.com
> 
> ...


Safe for humans is not necessarily safe for a fish tank.

The sand in that link is not good for soft water fish aquaria. It would be OK in rift lake cichlid tanks or livebearers. Reason is the fizz. When an acid like vinegar is dropped on sand or rock and it fizzes, that means the sand/rock is calcareous. It contains calcium, possibly magnesium and other minerals, that will raise GH in the tank slowly and steadily. That shouldn't be put in a tank with soft water fish.

The silica is an issue too, though we hashed this out in a thread a while back and there may be some "silica" in most sand. But the playsand I use has no warnings about it on the label, so I would assume there may be more in the linked sand. And this can cause diatoms (commonly called brown algae, but not a true algae).


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> Safe for humans is not necessarily safe for a fish tank.
> 
> The sand in that link is not good for soft water fish aquaria. It would be OK in rift lake cichlid tanks or livebearers. Reason is the fizz. When an acid like vinegar is dropped on sand or rock and it fizzes, that means the sand/rock is calcareous. It contains calcium, possibly magnesium and other minerals, that will raise GH in the tank slowly and steadily. That shouldn't be put in a tank with soft water fish.
> 
> The silica is an issue too, though we hashed this out in a thread a while back and there may be some "silica" in most sand. But the playsand I use has no warnings about it on the label, so I would assume there may be more in the linked sand. And this can cause diatoms (commonly called brown algae, but not a true algae).


so what would you recommend doing with my substrate? i have never had this problem and i dont have a solution. is it worth it, how harmful to the fish can it be?

i dont know how to do this without having to cycle my tank again

people have claimed to be using this exact sand for a couple years in their aquarium so maybe the chemicals come out when washed.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

slojko said:


> so what would you recommend doing with my substrate? i have never had this problem and i dont have a solution. is it worth it, how harmful to the fish can it be?
> 
> i dont know how to do this without having to cycle my tank again
> 
> people have claimed to be using this exact sand for a couple years in their aquarium so maybe the chemicals come out when washed.


hopefully i can resolve this problem before my new plants come in on Tuesday.

would you say this is a good way to do it?

http://www.ehow.com/how_5856652_change-substrate-tropical-aquarium.html

should take about a day


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Nooo.. Considering that 90% of the bacteria live in the substrate, that would kill the cycle right away.
You could try switching out small amounts of the sand? Maybe 1/4-1/3 every 2 months or so?


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Olympia said:


> Nooo.. Considering that 90% of the bacteria live in the substrate, that would kill the cycle right away.
> You could try switching out small amounts of the sand? Maybe 1/4-1/3 every 2 months or so?


half a year? what about 1/3 a week, i feel it would be difficult adding a substrate and taking away a different kind in the same tank. has anybody tried using bio-spira?

its also debatable where the bacteria lays.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

PH 7.4 - 7.6

AMMONIA .50 ppm - 1.0 ppm

NITRITE 2.0ppm - 5.0 ppm 

NITRATE 20 ppm


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

I'd wait for Byron's opinion on it.
That water is pretty toxic. 0.5ppm ammonia is already toxic, and 0.25ppm nitrite is also extremely toxic. 1ppm nitrite is usually fatal, it has a suffocating effect on fish... 
At this point, you'd need a lot of water changes to get nitrites down.. My nitrite maxed out at 5ppm during the cycling process, and after that the cycle was done in 5 days.. but with fish the levels need to be lowered and the cycle may be slowed down.


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## Quantum (Jul 23, 2011)

if the substrate sand only contains small amounts of crystalline silica, then it must contain large amounts of something else, if that is calcium carbonate, it will alter the water chemistry to the detriment of soft water fish, which you have


what you want is 100% crystalline silica (quartz) - the warning about the inhalation hazard is, I believe, due primarily to California regs, so it may not appear on labels when sold in Canada

what exact substrate do you have? can you test the GH and KH of the tank water? the pH is a little high


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I'm a bit confused by the recent posts and would like to sort this out. And, slojko, don't jumpo into this.

First, those numbers in post # 44, are you sure? Olympia is correct, the fish would be showing extreme stress and dying at such high nitrite.

Once the above is resolved, turning to the substrate, this is better changed at once, I have done this myself with 5 of my 5 over the past year. It is much less stressful on fish--and the aquarist--to do it at one go. And I didn't read that link on the process, but a glance over it suggests it is probably the best way, though we can go into this later. This is a task to prepare for, with a tank to house the fish and plants and wood (a 20g is fine for this).

Quantum, it isn't the silica issue so much as the aragonite in that sand, according to the link that slojko posted. But slojko, Q is correct, can you test the GH of the tank water and compare that to the tap water?

Byron.


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## Quantum (Jul 23, 2011)

I didn't see the exact product in the link so was a bit unsure what was in the tank

yes, crystalline silica sand is no problem at all

if it is aragonite - calcium carbonate - that makes up the rest of the substrate in addition to the 'small amounts of crystalline silica', I agree, it will alter the water chemistry so that it is not suited to the fish currently in the tank


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

how do fish show stress? they are swimming normally like they have been and eating regularly.
i tested again to make sure
PH 7.4 

ammonia .25 ppm

nitrite 1.0 ppm - 2.0 ppm its quite purple









nitrate 1 ppm

i do not have a gh or kh test kit atm but i will go tomorrow and pick one up


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

glofish have been in this tank for 2 weeks so how long does it take for nitrite, ammonia to kill a fish?

i have also been putting in a capful of prime every other day after i tested the water


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Yea, no way that test is wrong. That should have remained light blue. Your tank is at it's nitrite spike... Water changes is the only way to go right now. 
Do any of the fish look like their gills are moving faster than usual?
Maybe those GM tetra are some sort of super survivors. xD

Edit; the prime is neutralizing the nitrite, but it'll still show up on the tests.
I'm not sure if neutralized nitrite can be used for the cycling process? But if so, maybe just dose it every other day until the cycle completes...


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

That colour is correct. I would do an immediate water change, half the tank, using Prime if you have it. Then test tomorrow and let us know the results.

Nitrite affects the transport of oxygen in the blood and the fish will first respirate (breathe) much faster (faster gill movements than normal), then begin to hang at the surface gulping air to obtain oxygen. Similar symptoms occur from ammonia poisoning, chlorine poisoning, etc.

There is always the possibility that the test is not accurate...make sure you add exactly the number of drops to the volume of water as specified i the instructions. And if memory serves me, the nitrite test has to sit for 5 minutes before comparing the colour to the chart. Any idea how old this kit is? Has nitrite tested this high previously?

[I'm going offline to have supper now, but there isn't much else i could say at this point, so I'll see developments tomorrow morning.]

Byron.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> That colour is correct. I would do an immediate water change, half the tank, using Prime if you have it. Then test tomorrow and let us know the results.
> 
> Nitrite affects the transport of oxygen in the blood and the fish will first respirate (breathe) much faster (faster gill movements than normal), then begin to hang at the surface gulping air to obtain oxygen. Similar symptoms occur from ammonia poisoning, chlorine poisoning, etc.
> 
> There is always the possibility that the test is not accurate...make sure you add exactly the number of drops to the volume of water as specified i the instructions. And if memory serves me, the nitrite test has to sit for 5 minutes before comparing the colour to the chart. Any idea how old this kit is? Has nitrite tested this high previously?


i just did a 20% change today should i do 30% or 50%? the gills aren't moving at all really , all of the fish but the zebra danios hang at the middle / bottom of the tank.

i bought the test 2 days ago and they expire in 2017. here are all of my tests

Wednesday 5/2

PH - 7.4 7.8

AMMONIA .50ppm - 1.0 ppm

NITRITE 0ppm - .25 ppm

NITRATE 5.0ppm

Friday 5/4

PH 7.4 - 7.6

AMMONIA .50 ppm - 1.0 ppm

NITRITE 2.0ppm - 5.0 ppm 

NITRATE 20 ppm


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## Quantum (Jul 23, 2011)

Regarding the substrate.

I think what you have is this:
Play Sand from Kolorscape | The Home Depot - Model#:40105130

I can't find a MSDS for this product, so I don't know what it is exactly. What appears to be going on is that some companies are marketing alternatives to this:
50 lb. Play Sand-40100301 at The Home Depot (the photo shows 'natural sand' rather than 'play sand', but it is the same thing, see: http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/89/8941f493-5e43-4457-8946-92713e29d6ba.pdf)

The Sakrete Play Sand (and most sand in general) is basically 100% crystalline silica (quartz), as such it will (at least in the US) have the inhalation hazard warning on the label (though this applies more to occupational, long-term, high level exposure - but always follow manufacturers recommendations). Parents were probably hesitant to put this in sand boxes because of the warnings so 'silica free' sand was made available. These appear to be calcium carbonate based, as there seems to be reports of it fizzing with vinegar.

If this is the case, and you want to keep your fish, the substrate will need to be changed. You can get the API GH/KH test kit for about $10, which will give some definitive answers.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

On the cycling/nitrification issue, recognize that Prime will detoxify ammonia and nitrite but they will still show on tests. As long as you are getting numbers for either, do alternate day (every other day) water changes with Prime.

Another factor is the tank size, more water volume means less concentration of ammonia and nitrite, so that is good. And live plants...the more the better, especially floating plants...will help a lot.

Byron.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> On the cycling/nitrification issue, recognize that Prime will detoxify ammonia and nitrite but they will still show on tests. As long as you are getting numbers for either, do alternate day (every other day) water changes with Prime.
> 
> Another factor is the tank size, more water volume means less concentration of ammonia and nitrite, so that is good. And live plants...the more the better, especially floating plants...will help a lot.
> 
> Byron.


PH 7.4

AMMONIA .25

nitrite 2.0

so my nitrate is still high, maybe my tank is still cycling? to get through the cycle i should add prime every other day until the the nitrite gets to 0? my live plants should arrive monday or teusday but should i do the gravel switch before or after putting the plants in?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> PH 7.4
> 
> AMMONIA .25
> 
> ...


Yes to the first point, you should do a 50% water change every other day using Prime as long as you are reading above zero for ammonia and/or nitrite.

When the plants arrive, i would change the substrate. Not doing this only means getting the tank established, then tearing it down again and re-stressing the fish more. Better to do it all at one go.

You should have a temporary holding tank or tub for the fish and any plants and wood now in the tank. I keep an empty 20g on hand for this. Fill it with water from the tank, move the wood and plants (they can be left floating, no need to plant them) and then net over the fish. The filter and heater can be placed in the holding tank, just sitting on the frame, to keep the filter running. Then drain the main tank, remove the substrate, wash the sand and put it in. Fill about half way with fresh tap water, use a dechlorinator (Prime or any other), move the wood over, plant the new plants, then the existing plants. Sometimes all this makes a cloudy tank, so I sometimes drain it nearly completely and refill, always squirting in the dechlorinator at the very start to avoid killing any good bacteria on the wood and plants. Fill the tank and move over the fish.

If you have sufficient plants, and some fast growing ones like stem plants and particularly floating plants, you will have no ammonia and no nitrite with so few fish. I have sometimes used a bacterial supplement as a "precaution" but this really is not necessary; but you mentioned it previously (Bio-Spira) so if you have it it will certainly not hurt. I have used Seachem's Stability and Tetra's SafeStart for this.

Byron.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> Yes to the first point, you should do a 50% water change every other day using Prime as long as you are reading above zero for ammonia and/or nitrite.
> 
> When the plants arrive, i would change the substrate. Not doing this only means getting the tank established, then tearing it down again and re-stressing the fish more. Better to do it all at one go.
> 
> ...


thank you very much for the tutorial, would you recommend any kind of substrate? or just the cheapest stuff i can get in petco?

i have a 10g tank, would that be enough to hold all the fish? then i can put all my plants/wood/decorations in a metal tank?

when refilling the tank i should only add fresh water? none of the existing water i put the fish/plants in?

thanks,
steve


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

> thank you very much for the tutorial, would you recommend any kind of substrate? or just the cheapest stuff i can get in petco?


I thought you had something in mind. Do you want fine gravel or sand?



> i have a 10g tank, would that be enough to hold all the fish? then i can put all my plants/wood/decorations in a metal tank?


Yes on the 10g for the few fish, I would just float the plants in there too; for one thing, this will keep the fish calmer. Keep the wood in the old tank water to preserve the bacteria.



> when refilling the tank i should only add fresh water? none of the existing water i put the fish/plants in?


Correct. What I usually do is a water change on (in your case) the 10g, replacing half with fresh dechlorinated water, once you have the fish in it. Then do the 55g tank. Another 50% water change in the 10g after the main tank is done is advisable. By this pint, the water should be close to fresh, relatively speaking. Obviously make sure there is no significant difference in GH, pH or temperature. And on the temp, I usually have the main tank just a tad warmer, one degree is fine, than the 10g. Fish are less stressed by a temp variation up, but cooler can shock them in this situation.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> I thought you had something in mind. Do you want fine gravel or sand?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


i really like the look of sand but i feel gravel would be easier/cheaper at this point.

so you are saying empty my 10g and fill it with half fresh water half 55g water? then do a 50% water change after im almost ready to add them back to my 55 g?


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## Quantum (Jul 23, 2011)

if you like sand, get the quartz (cyrstalline silica) sand, like the Sakrete I linked to, nothing will be cheaper and it will not alter the water chemistry in any way

just stay away from the 'silica free' sand that is white in color as it is likely contains CaCO3, which will affect water chemistry


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## ladayen (Jun 21, 2011)

With sand or gravel I would recommend you wash it first before doing anything with your tanks. Depending on what type you get some can be quite dirty and will take a bit to get clean.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

> i really like the look of sand but i feel gravel would be easier/cheaper at this point.


I can't find fine gravel anywhere near me that is inexpensive; you will have to buy gravel from the fish store or online, and that is not inexpensive.

Sand is very cheap; I use Quikrete Play Sand from Home Depot/Lowe's at CDN $7 a 50 pound bag, and two of these did my 5-foot 115g tank. One bag has been sufficient for my 29g, 20g and 33g.

If you have substrate fish, like corys or loaches planned, definitely sand. It is a lot of work to change a substrate and you want it correct the first time.



> so you are saying empty my 10g and fill it with half fresh water half 55g water? then do a 50% water change after im almost ready to add them back to my 55 g?


No. The 10g initially is all water from the 55g. When you have the sand (or gravel) washed and in the 55g, then do a 50% water change on the 10g. This is aimed at getting them closer to the tap water that will be in the 55g. Then half fill the 55g, dechlorinate, add wood, plants. If everything is OK, fill the 55g, all tap water, dechlorinated. I sometimes drain the half filled 55g after planting if it has really clouded up, as it can, and then fill the entire tank and dechlorinate at the start. When the 55g is filled, move the filter and heaters back and make sure everything is working. Do another 50% water change on the 10g to again get them closer to the fresh water. Make sure the pH in the 55g is reasonably close (a few decimal points is OK) and it should be just a tad warmer than the 10g (you can get this when you fill it). Then net over the fish.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> I can't find fine gravel anywhere near me that is inexpensive; you will have to buy gravel from the fish store or online, and that is not inexpensive.
> 
> Sand is very cheap; I use Quikrete Play Sand from Home Depot/Lowe's at CDN $7 a 50 pound bag, and two of these did my 5-foot 115g tank. One bag has been sufficient for my 29g, 20g and 33g.
> 
> ...


ok thank you, i will let you know how it goes on teusday or Wednesday.

should i still be doing daily 50% water changes?

my substrate is getting a brown tint, is that just poop?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> should i still be doing daily 50% water changes?
> 
> my substrate is getting a brown tint, is that just poop?


Water changes should not be needed once the new substrate is in and the plants are planted.

Brown tint is most likely algae or perhaps organics.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> Water changes should not be needed once the new substrate is in and the plants are planted.
> 
> Brown tint is most likely algae or perhaps organics.


so i should do the daily water changes up until i change the substrate?

is the brown algae bad?

the brown algae started growing on the sides of my tank as well

should i just clean it off? or add more prime?


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

slojko said:


> so i should do the daily water changes up until i change the substrate?
> 
> is the brown algae bad?
> 
> ...


just gonna do a 50% water change and add prime


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> so i should do the daily water changes up until i change the substrate?
> 
> is the brown algae bad?
> 
> ...


If ammonia or nitrite are still reading above zero, yes, do alternate day water changes using Prime.

A photo would hlep, but in new tanks diatoms--which many call brown algae although technically it is not an algae at all--is common. Keep it off live plants but otherwise doesn't matter. If it is appearing on the glass as well as other places, it is likely diatoms.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> If ammonia or nitrite are still reading above zero, yes, do alternate day water changes using Prime.
> 
> A photo would hlep, but in new tanks diatoms--which many call brown algae although technically it is not an algae at all--is common. Keep it off live plants but otherwise doesn't matter. If it is appearing on the glass as well as other places, it is likely diatoms.


i have a plexiglass tank, 
i just did a water change and scooped out the sand with the brown algea growing on it then tested the water after.
the ammonia is going down, its at a really low .25 but the nitrite and nitrate haven't changed. PH still at 7.5


EDIT: photo coming after dinner


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

after i scrubbed the front and scooped it out, you cant really notice but here is a vid with my new camera

https://vimeo.com/41744096


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> after i scrubbed the front and scooped it out, you cant really notice but here is a vid with my new camera
> 
> https://vimeo.com/41744096


You're going to change that substrate, correct? A darker sand will look nice, and the fish colours will show more. And some floating plants.;-)

Nice looking fish.:nicefish:


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> You're going to change that substrate, correct? A darker sand will look nice, and the fish colours will show more. And some floating plants.;-)
> 
> Nice looking fish.:nicefish:


yes I'm gonna pick up some quickcrete around 3.

Also I'm doing the substrate change today because my plants arrived!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> yes I'm gonna pick up some quickcrete around 3.
> 
> Also I'm doing the substrate change today because my plants arrived!!!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


One suggestion, set aside the day to do the changeover. And start about half an hour after the tank lights come on (this gives the fish a chance to adjust before you start crashing around their home:lol:. In other words, if the plants arrive today and you get the sand today, do this tomorrow (or a day after).

This is a big task, I've done it often, and you want to do it early in the day so the fish have time to settle before dark, and you want to go easy and not be rushed.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

the only day I can do it early is Saturday, should I leave all my new plants in my 10 gallon until then? Or should I just do it today
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> the only day I can do it early is Saturday, should I leave all my new plants in my 10 gallon until then? Or should I just do it today
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Don't know where you live so no idea of the time of day now, but you mentioned getting the sand at 3 pm. I myself would not start this big a task that late. The plants will be fine in the 10g, spread them out, plant the rooted ones, if they came in pots leave them potted.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

eastern time, my bad. Does the filter need to be on for the plants or can I have them in still water until Saturday. The earliest I can start on a weekday would be 2pm
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

slojko said:


> eastern time, my bad. Does the filter need to be on for the plants or can I have them in still water until Saturday. The earliest I can start on a weekday would be 2pm
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Plants are OK in tanks with no filter. Heater only if it is otherwise very cold, not likely now. Light is good though, if more than a day; they've already been in darkness a few days getting to you.

If you can wash the new sand ahead, and have it in a couple of buckets, it will speed things up a lot and starting in the early afternoon would be fine. My point on the time is just that you don't want to be rushed, I like to have time to go easy, sit and check out the aquascape as i building it, rather than feeling the fish are having to be settled soon.

I have 5 buckets/pails just for fish work, the 2-3 gallon size, they are very handy for holding washed sand/gravel, and for taking out the old gravel or sand, just scoop it into a couple of pails and leave it for later to deal with.


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## Termato (Feb 21, 2012)

Have you thought about doing a black background instead of blue?

Pops colors more.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

Byron said:


> Plants are OK in tanks with no filter. Heater only if it is otherwise very cold, not likely now. Light is good though, if more than a day; they've already been in darkness a few days getting to you.
> 
> If you can wash the new sand ahead, and have it in a couple of buckets, it will speed things up a lot and starting in the early afternoon would be fine. My point on the time is just that you don't want to be rushed, I like to have time to go easy, sit and check out the aquascape as i building it, rather than feeling the fish are having to be settled soon.
> 
> I have 5 buckets/pails just for fish work, the 2-3 gallon size, they are very handy for holding washed sand/gravel, and for taking out the old gravel or sand, just scoop it into a couple of pails and leave it for later to deal with.


i put the java moss, vals , and pygym chainsword in the 10g.
i put the watersprites laying on the surface of my 55gal.

going to wash the sand today and everything else tomorrow.

i feel you on the time aspect but i just don't have many decorations.

so i put the large plants in the back and small ones near the front?

do i tie the moss to a rock or do i need wire netting? 


Termato said:


> Have you thought about doing a black background instead of blue?
> 
> Pops colors more.


the blue is sealed to the plexiglass so i cant do anything but paint it, thanks for the suggestion though.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

> so i put the large plants in the back and small ones near the front?


Basically, yes. Group some plants to look natural. The pygmy chain sword you can plant individually spaced out around the tank, it will send out runners and be everywhere if you let it.



> do i tie the moss to a rock or do i need wire netting?


I just stick it in a crevice if there is one. You can tie it with cotton thread, black is best. It will attach in time. Someone posted about the netting yesterday with photos, that is another option but I've not done that.


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

sorry i haven't been on in awhile i just finished finals. 
i got some new fish while i was gone

Photo Album - Imgur

i am also growing green algae on my sand but the guy at pet shanty said its fine since i have well water


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## slojko (Mar 5, 2012)

fish are doing well!


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