Foggy Tank and a Newbie

[Scribble1979]

Fast growing plants absorb ammonia directly from the water and would help massively. The best plants are floating plants, I like amazon frogbit and water sprite for this. People usually recommend to quarantine plants but in your case its urgent so try to get some tissue cultured plants on-line as they are immediately safe. Tropica 1-2-3 grow is a brand that springs to mind. You just throw the plants into the tank. It will take a few days to make a difference because the plants need to be actually growing, and that is why fast growing plants are best.

Until the ammonia is under control reduce feeding to once every 2 or 3 days - your fish will be fine on this.

FWIW if it were me I would put masses of floating plants in the 75G, give them a day or 2 and move the fish straight in. You don't have time for a fish less cycle while you have fish swimming around in ammonia. The 10G should also cope better with only the Betta once the rest have moved out.

Okay, I am ordering some plants but in the meantime I have a peace lily I can add that's currently living in water. Would this help?

 

[Scribble1979]

Those readings are a concern. Your looking at daily water changes until things get better.

Set up the 75 and do a fish less cycle as you are working on your 10 gallon. If you move fish over too fast, you'll just have 2 tanks with problems.

If you have any questions about setting up the 75, let us know.

Okay I have been doing 50% water changes every day and it looks like the crisis is over for now. Now the readings are a little bit strange but probably a lot better.

Nitrates 5
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 1

I'm thinking about putting my peace lily in there. I have been reading up on How to cycle a tank with a fishless cycle and with a silent cycle like the other member suggested. Right now I'm trying to figure out the difference between filter components. When you say don't throw away filter "media" which component is that?

My filter has a black screen looking thing that doesn't come with replacements but it does come out. Kind of like a crunchy sponge. Then I have a piece that I pour charcoal into, and both the charcoal and the pouch I pour it into are replaceable.

I just don't want to do the wrong thing again. I had actually been rinsing them in tap water which probably has led to this current problem.

Is the black spongy thing the part I shouldn't mess with?

 

[Metalhead88]

Your readings aren't all that weird, It pretty much shows an almost cycled tank.

Cleaning your media with tap water will kill beneficial bacteria that grows in the filters and will absolutely slow down the cycle or even destroy it completely.

Media is anything that goes inside the filter. So sponge, foam, carbon, ceramic rings, bio balls, of anything like that would be considered media. Rinse that stuff with tap water. Do not replace any of it either. Just use it until it falls apart. If it is a sponge, it'll pretty much last forever.

I don't use carbon, but that is considered chemical filtration and removes odors, and in theory should improve water clarity. That stuff should be replaced every once in a while or it pretty much becomes a weakened version of bio media. I would look for a sponge that can be cut to shape to replace that.

 

[seangee]

I just don't want to do the wrong thing again. I had actually been rinsing them in tap water which probably has led to this current problem.

The way most people do this is to keep some of the water taken out for the water change in a bucket, then rinse the filter media in that bucket. That bucket should be clean and only used for fishkeeping activities,

 

[Scribble1979]

Okay so 75 gallon tank has been cycled with a fish less cycle. Now I have three tanks. Betta is isolated. Goldfish are isolated.

Tank 1 6.6 gallons:
1 betta
Nitrate 20
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0

Tank 2 10 gallons:
1 goldfish
1 coy goldfish
Nitrate 30
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0

Tank 3 75 gallons:
1 bn pleco
3 xray tetra
2 guppies
1 ghost shrimp
1 Cory cat
Nitrate 30
Nitrite 0
Ammonia 0


But now I have a scary problem. My Pleco turned almost white!!! He was black, now he is white. He is eating, swimming, and otherwise fine but he is WAY lighter than before.

Could it be that I'm using a lighter colored substrate? I was using black and multi colored gravel and now I'm using very light-colored River Rocks.

I'm worried because this is what happened to a friend of mine's pleco before it died. I'm feeding him bloodworms, shrimp, cucumber, and algae wafers.

I don't want him to die, I bought this giant tank just for him!

 

[Naughts]

Yes, lighter substrates can make fish look washed out.
It can also be a sign of stress.
Check the temperature and make sure the heater is working.
Try and get nitrates below 20ppm.

 

[Metalhead88]

This. His color can change based on substrate or background. He may be a bit stressed from the move, but he looks fine. Be sure to give him some algea wafers since there isn't much in the new tank.

Good news is your tanks are cycled and they are definitely in a better tank. As already mentioned, nitrates should be lower 20 really being the absolute max.

You shouldn't have to do 50% everyday, but now 75% or more once or twice a week depending on nitrate levels.

Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

 

[Amy821us1]

Hi! Don’t feel bad! I’m totally new to the fish thing too and to this forum! I currently have two betta tanks and one larger community tank that has two glofish, 3 male guppies, 1 molly and 1 red wag platy and 2 African dwarf frogs in it! All my tanks are led with lids of course and I’m on my second betta unfortunately because I came home from work and seen somehow the lid popped and my first male betta made a break for it and it was on when I left to go to work! I looked all over for him and I assume the cat ate him because he was nowhere to be found! So I got a new male betta and my daughter has one as well too now!

 

[Amy821us1]

I guess it says my other pics are too big to load