New tank diasaster

[faye]

Help please!!  2 weeks ago I set up a 10 gal tank.  Being a novice and getting some bad advice. I now have problems.  I started off with 2 tetras, 2 danios, 2 cherry barbs, and a algea eater.  The 2 dannios died.  I took them back and got 2 gold platys, 2 orange platys, 1 white platy with a black tale, 5 dannios, and 4 ghosts shrimp.  All the dannios died plus the 2 gold platys. I bought the playts not knowing they had ick at the time.  So now I am treating the fish with "Copper safe"  I did have my water tested at a pet shop and found out that my ammonia and ph are high.  I have brought my ph down some with "correct ph" it is s at 7.4 this morning.  I am still having problems with ammonia.  Pet store told to do a 50% water change and use ammonia lock 2.  I did that and my ammonnia came down a little.   Then it went back up again.  Yesterday I did a 25% water change and now the ammonia is at 8ppm.   I used ammonia lock 2 yesterday.  I don't know what to do know.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  


P.S.  I have used stress zyme and start right when I am adding new water.

 

[adeyc]

Using ammonia lock will still give you readings as all it does is "lock" the ammonia to stop it being harmful, it's still in the tank. Danios are good for helping to cycle a tank so i'll need to have a proper read of your post and get back to you. I'm just off out to work just now.

 

[faye]

adeyc,

yes I put some in yesterday.

 

[adeyc]

oh I forgot to say "Hi" lol

Thats the thing with ammo lock it can confuse if you don't know about it's working habits. K I'll need to be quick does anyone remeber the link for the cycling article? if so could you post it. it may also be an idea for you to have a look at the main site.Tropical aquariums.co.uk
you can navigate about the site from the links at the bottom.

 

[Dragonslair]

Hello Faye,
Welcome to the forum, I will let adeyc take this one on for you. He is a very experienced fishkeeper.(Respect) I will take a back seat and watch the experts at work. One thing though, nothing is as bad as it first seems and all(or the vast majority) of us are here to help if we can. We are one big family and I hope you will feel comfortable enough with us and join in what is a unique experience to share your problems with people who understand. Unfortunately it is disaster that has brought you to us, let's hope its satisfaction that keeps you here. I would like to extend a very warm welcome to you. :love:

 

[billythefish]

My first chance to contribute

Rose gave me an article Cycling Tank which really opened my eyes.

Also read my previous post for alot of good info from a variety of people.

Good Luck

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Welcome to the forum.

Looks like you do what most newbies do and start to fast. Read the cycle article Billy posted. It's from another site but is still good. After you've read this you may think of all the problems thats been created. Try and get some of the fish back to the shop, at least get them to hold them till the tank is ready. Get it cycled. Then adjust the ph then add the fish a few at a time. Then if anything goes wrong, your not battling against the cycle process, chems for the ph. The added presure of the fish etc.

A good start will help miles

 

[faye]

Billythefish,


Thanks for the article.  It was very informative.

 

[adeyc]

Thanks for posting the link Billy.
Faye best thing is try to off load some of the fish as the boss said. To much to soon will be causing the problems, but I thought the Danios would fair a little better than the rest. I'll do some checking but I think thats everything covered just now.

 

[faye]

Adeyc,

Thanks for your help.  Thanks to everyone else for advice.


Best Regards  :love:


Faye

 

[hussarman]

Faye

I had all the same troubles as yourself, Zebra Danios are the answer to cycling a tank. tough as old boots.

 

[Rose]

After nuclear annialation all that will be around to repopulate the earth will be cockroaches and zebra danios. They are tough and take a beating and keep ticking. Rose

 

[Macquatic]

Welcome Faye, follow the advice given and it'll be difficult to go wrong. Remember .....every fishkeeper was a beginner once! Mac.

 

[faye]

Hello to all

I will go get the Dannios tomorrow.  

The directions on my filter say to change it every 2-3 weeks.
I was wondering should I waiting until the cycling process is completed before changing the filter?

Faye

 

[Alien Anna]

The directions on my filter say to change it every 2-3 weeks.
I was wondering should I waiting until the cycling process is completed before changing the filter?

Faye,
definitely, and when you do change the inserts, only change half at any one time (cut it half if necessary) and rather than chucking it entirely, if it can be rinsed out, do so. Rinse it in tank water, however (water that you've saved from your water change). Remember, your filter inserts are your bacterial colony - be nice to them!
:grin:

You are probably going to be doing very frequent, partial water changes every day, until your ammonia and nitrite get down to zero. If you haven't already, consider getting a cheap air-pump and some air-stones, for extra oxygenation during the cycling process (nitrite and ammonia lock up oxygen so the fish can't use it).

Another couple of purchases I consider essential are some plastic buckets with lips (saved for use with your fish-tank only), a plastic jug (good for small water changes in a small tank) and some baby bottle steriliser fluid (useful for sterilising things if you get disease in your tank, or aquire 2nd hand stuff from dubious sources - can be neutralised by rinsing thoroughly and soaking with de-chlorinator).