New Aquarium Puzzle

[ronkey]

Hi Guys

Can some one advise me, I have a small tank 18"x12"x12",Its been set up for about a month now.

I got the tank set up, fluval 1 filter,Hagen 50 watt heater and about six various sized plants.

After two and a half weeks i purchased 3 danios, I beleive they are suppose to be hardy.

Unfortunately they all died, I rang the shop who supplied them, They told me to give them a water sample.

When they tested the water they said the water quality was not bad slightly high ammonia levels.

I spoke to forum member Black angel about the fish, they seemed to have bright red under bellies, he suggested that stress may have contributed to thier death. he advised me to try platy's after a water change.

I was going to try this coming week with some new fish, Now we get to the puzzle we have seen two tiny fry in the tank, where did they come from, how have they survived?.

What do i do now!!, Surely the tank has not completed its cycle with out fish being in the tank long enough, do i buy more adult fish and let them eat the fry to complete the tanks cycle, My daughter is not happy to do this, Please can some one advise what my next step should be.


rgds

Ronkey

 

[Marcos]

If the tank has only had Danios in it they must be danios. The platty's will eat them, if you're really not happy with that you could put them in a breeder net but in such a small tank it will take up a lot of room and it'll be a good few months before they are big enough that you can release them without them being eaten. You could give them away or set up a small tank for them to live in until they are big enough. I have a hospital/quarentine tank which has now ended up with a dozen platty babies!

 

[ronkey]

If the tank has only had Danios in it they must be danios. The platty's will eat them, if you're really not happy with that you could put them in a breeder net but in such a small tank it will take up a lot of room and it'll be a good few months before they are big enough that you can release them without them being eaten. You could give them away or set up a small tank for them to live in until they are big enough. I have a hospital/quarentine tank which has now ended up with a dozen platty babies!

The bottom line is that i cannot complete the tanks cycle with the fry in there, how has the fry survived yet the adult fish all died?, Should i purchase a water test kit to get an idea of the condition of the water can you suggest one.

Thanks for replying

 

[Marcos]

The fry will only produce a fraction of the amount of ammonia that the adults did and your filter may be able to handle that now. You need ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits to give you a clearer idea of what's going on. You could always raise these instead of buying platty's! If you do don't worry too much about cycling as the filter will grow with the babies.

 

[ronkey]

The fry will only produce a fraction of the amount of ammonia that the adults did and your filter may be able to handle that now. You need ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits to give you a clearer idea of what's going on. You could always raise these instead of buying platty's! If you do don't worry too much about cycling as the filter will grow with the babies.

Thanks Marcos for your heplful advice, i am going to purchase a test kit and go with the babies this will please my daughter, should i do weekly water changes and can you say what test kits worth getting.

 

[Daveptkd]

The fry will only produce a fraction of the amount of ammonia that the adults did and your filter may be able to handle that now. You need ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits to give you a clearer idea of what's going on. You could always raise these instead of buying platty's! If you do don't worry too much about cycling as the filter will grow with the babies.

Thanks Marcos for your heplful advice, i am going to purchase a test kit and go with the babies this will please my daughter, should i do weekly water changes and can you say what test kits worth getting.

you say you have 6 various sized plants in the tank - could eggs have come in on these?

i'd go with Marcos and raise them! if they are from plant eggs, you could end up with anything!

I use the API Master test kit (liquid kit), it's highly recommended around here, the test strips are not so good (I threw mine away!).

Dave

 

[ronkey]

The fry will only produce a fraction of the amount of ammonia that the adults did and your filter may be able to handle that now. You need ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits to give you a clearer idea of what's going on. You could always raise these instead of buying platty's! If you do don't worry too much about cycling as the filter will grow with the babies.

Thanks Marcos for your heplful advice, i am going to purchase a test kit and go with the babies this will please my daughter, should i do weekly water changes and can you say what test kits worth getting.

you say you have 6 various sized plants in the tank - could eggs have come in on these?

i'd go with Marcos and raise them! if they are from plant eggs, you could end up with anything!

I use the API Master test kit (liquid kit), it's highly recommended around here, the test strips are not so good (I threw mine away!).

Dave

Thanks dave will get the kit this weekend, yes its possible they came from the plants seeing the adult fish only lasted 4 days yet these are still living!!

 

[mark.w.jones]

Personally. I would give away the fry to friends of local fish store and then fishless cycle your tank with ammonia hydroxide solution. Go to the link in my sig and follow the add & wait method to do this.

Main advantages are:

1. Doesnt harm any fish.
2. Is miles quicker than cycling with fish. 3 - 4 weeks usually.
3. Produces far more bacteria than you will ever need meaning you can fully stock your tank as soon as it's finished.

 

[ronkey]

Personally. I would give away the fry to friends of local fish store and then fishless cycle your tank with ammonia hydroxide solution. Go to the link in my sig and follow the add & wait method to do this.

Main advantages are:

1. Doesnt harm any fish.
2. Is miles quicker than cycling with fish. 3 - 4 weeks usually.
3. Produces far more bacteria than you will ever need meaning you can fully stock your tank as soon as it's finished.

I thought about doing what you suggested but i do not think my daughter is keen on getting rid of them, It does sound appealing though.

 

[Talz]

Personally. I would give away the fry to friends of local fish store and then fishless cycle your tank with ammonia hydroxide solution. Go to the link in my sig and follow the add & wait method to do this.

Main advantages are:

1. Doesnt harm any fish.
2. Is miles quicker than cycling with fish. 3 - 4 weeks usually.
3. Produces far more bacteria than you will ever need meaning you can fully stock your tank as soon as it's finished.

I thought about doing what you suggested but i do not think my daughter is keen on getting rid of them, It does sound appealing though.

Couldent you add something to the tank to speed up the cycle? Or would that be bad for the fry?

 

[ronkey]

Personally. I would give away the fry to friends of local fish store and then fishless cycle your tank with ammonia hydroxide solution. Go to the link in my sig and follow the add & wait method to do this.

Main advantages are:

1. Doesnt harm any fish.
2. Is miles quicker than cycling with fish. 3 - 4 weeks usually.
3. Produces far more bacteria than you will ever need meaning you can fully stock your tank as soon as it's finished.

I thought about doing what you suggested but i do not think my daughter is keen on getting rid of them, It does sound appealing though.

Couldent you add something to the tank to speed up the cycle? Or would that be bad for the fry?

I am not sure may be something to boost the bacteria, perhaps one of our more experienced members can advise if its possible?.

 

[Talz]

Personally. I would give away the fry to friends of local fish store and then fishless cycle your tank with ammonia hydroxide solution. Go to the link in my sig and follow the add & wait method to do this.

Main advantages are:

1. Doesnt harm any fish.
2. Is miles quicker than cycling with fish. 3 - 4 weeks usually.
3. Produces far more bacteria than you will ever need meaning you can fully stock your tank as soon as it's finished.

I thought about doing what you suggested but i do not think my daughter is keen on getting rid of them, It does sound appealing though.

Couldent you add something to the tank to speed up the cycle? Or would that be bad for the fry?

I am not sure may be something to boost the bacteria, perhaps one of our more experienced members can advise if its possible?.

Well im sure not one of those

 

[mark.w.jones]

All supposed bacterial boosting products are crap. Do nothing. And scientifically have not been proven to help bacterial growth at all. Ask yourself how bacteria survive in a bottle left on a warehouse then shop shelf for months with nothing to feed on. Dont waste your time or money. Either fishless cycle or cycle with fish if you have to keep the fry.

 

[Xebadir]

Jonesy, while i may have to defer to you in preference for fishless cycling i do believe that bacterial addition culture products are immensely effective:

And for those of you who missed biology 101 this is why Jonesy is wrong about bacteria:

Bacteria are quite capable of surviving in the harshest enviroments: Deserts, Volcanic Lakes(subject to sudden heating and outgassing), Deep ocean near thermal vents of 4000 degree celsius and a myriad of locations such that you wouldnt believe. They are also able to go into a stasis mode, which has been found to be triggered in sudden condition change or lack of nutrients. In Nitrifying bacteria, they can be kept in this stasis mode until the resources for growth and reprodction. This is the principle of the instant culture products. They are effective, shorten your cycle muchly and mean that any fish that are in the tank during the cycle do no suffer such high values of ammonia or Nitrite.(Both within safe levels). So if you already have fish cycling: give them a chance and add a culture or two and you will notice your tank will be better for it.

Hope this helps

NB: My credibility for this statement is a Science Degree from the University of Melbourne Australia.

 

[Talz]

Jonesy, while i may have to defer to you in preference for fishless cycling i do believe that bacterial addition culture products are immensely effective:

And for those of you who missed biology 101 this is why Jonesy is wrong about bacteria:

Bacteria are quite capable of surviving in the harshest enviroments: Deserts, Volcanic Lakes(subject to sudden heating and outgassing), Deep ocean near thermal vents of 4000 degree celsius and a myriad of locations such that you wouldnt believe. They are also able to go into a stasis mode, which has been found to be triggered in sudden condition change or lack of nutrients. In Nitrifying bacteria, they can be kept in this stasis mode until the resources for growth and reprodction. This is the principle of the instant culture products. They are effective, shorten your cycle muchly and mean that any fish that are in the tank during the cycle do no suffer such high values of ammonia or Nitrite.(Both within safe levels). So if you already have fish cycling: give them a chance and add a culture or two and you will notice your tank will be better for it.

Hope this helps

NB: My credibility for this statement is a Science Degree from the University of Melbourne Australia.

Well ive found them to be effective...